Hi Guys,

After opinions on two Cannondale road bikes...I'm 6ft 5in so tend towards the largest size in most things - bikes a no different.

I'm starting to consider buying a road bike more and more since recently purchasing a hybrid. I'm looking at the SuperSix and the Synapse...only issue is the Synapse doesn't come in the 63cm size and the SuperSix does.

Now I'm aware that I can make adjustments to get me onto the 61cm Synapse...but the only reason I'm including the Synapse in the equation is for the SAVE system...I.e. its supposed to be a more comfortable bike. They're both carbon by the way.

Does anyone have a Synapse that can vouch for their comfort over a "normal" road bike?

You can't go wrong with either bike, they are both great. Nonetheless, the difference between the two lie mainly in the geometry of the frames.

The Synapse has a more relaxed geometry placing you in a less aggressive riding position, a bit more upright. The longer wheel base and the taller head tube and relaxed angles of the Synapse make it more "stable". The SuperSix has a race geometry, resulting on a more aggressive and responsive ride, which I think makes it more fun, potentially.

For reference I am 6'3" and ride a 61cm SuperSix, and I love it even if I don't race. IMO it is all about how you fit on the bike that makes it comfortable or not. Figure out the type of riding you want to do and decide from there.

Hey, they are both ridden in the pro tour by top cyclists. Like I said you can't go wrong.

First of all, don't miss the frame geometry details... the 63cm SuperSix and the 61cm Synapse have the same top tube length; 60cm, which is really the most important measurement. Point being, pay attention, because the "frame size" is just a meaningless number a lot of the time.

Can you test ride them? You definitely don't want to "squeeze yourself" into a frame that isn't ideal for you.

I'm only 6'3", but there are a couple of the issues I would want to check out, particular to big guys:
The Synapse's seatpost looks proprietary (or at least, not round). Tall guys often need a lot of saddle setback, and possibly being stuck with their seatpost might not be ideal, although it has quite a bit of setback already.

Big guys have big feet, and toe overlap with the front tire can be annoying. The 63cm SuperSix might give you a problem there while the 61cm Synapse might not, because even though it's a "smaller" frame (the number, at least), the 63cm SuperSix has a shorter wheelbase than the 61cm Synapse.

Either way, I would want to ride them, or something similar so you could compare numbers.

Nope. I'me told I have to pay before they'll order them. Very few bike shops where I'm from keep the larger frames in stock.

I did notice the top tube were the same...but I thought standover height was critical? The Synapse is 32mm shorter in this regard. I had to put a longer seatpost in my hybrid for this reason.

Good point on the wheelbase though...I do have big feet and never considered that might cause problems...just something else to consider!

Before I drop $3000 I might invest in a few trips into the city to see if a few larger bike shops stock these sizes.

Thanks again.

I'm a hair under 6'4" and have the 61cm Synapse and I'm very happy with it. I definitely notice that the Synapse absorbs the bumps from the road a lot better than my other road bike which is an aluminum touring bike. It's like night and day. With the Synapse I sometimes find myself deliberately steering the bike over bumps just to feel how much the shock gets absorbed before it transfers all the way up through the saddle. Aside from simply being more comfortable all along the way, these properties reduce fatigue on those longer rides. So yes, in my opinion, the SAVE system works as advertised. I can't compare it to the SuperSix because I haven't ridden that.

So I'm an inch taller than you (assuming we have the same body shape - massive assumption I know) do you think there's enough adjustment left in your bike to cater for an extra inch? Or are you pretty much at the limit for all adjustments?

I've owned 2 other road bikes both with carbon fork and stay, there were entry level bikes. I purchased a synapse 3 and absolutely love it, it's very comfortable and I have no problems on long rides. It doesn't compare to my previous road bikes. I never rode a supersix, a friend of mine just bought one with red that I'm afraid of riding just in case I fall in love with it.

I'm 6'3", 36" inseam, and ride a 60cm Supersix. I bought the frame and built it up. I did have to go from a setback seatpost to a straight seatpost. The setback was from riding a Specialized Roubaix. Can't speak for the Synapse but the Supersix is a great ride.

6' 2", 34" inseam, 58cm SuperSix. Could have gone one size up, but it's all good. Definitely an aggressive fit. Might have to switch out the seatpost to a set-back one.

Positively a comfortable, shock absorbing road machine. Fine for centuries for me.

Think about your current and future riding style. Every ride a hammer-fest? SuperSix. Half and half? Synapse....

I'm 6'2". I have the 2009 Synapse Carbon 3 and the 2010 Supersix Himod. Both 58cm. If you plan on mostly smoothish roads, fast group rides, hills, sprints and/or racing then get the Supersix. The Synapse is a great bike but the plushness translates into sluggish cornering which would scare the heck out of me in a Criterium. On bumpy roads its awesome especially with box rims. The Supersix is my main ride now, in fact I'm probably going to sell the Synapse. GL in whatever you get.

I have the seat post extended upwards just about as far as it can go and still maintain the minimum required amount of engagement with the seat tube. There is probably 5mm or less of available height adjustment that I'm not using. FWIW, I typically wear pants with a 34" inseam because they are easy to find but sometimes they are a bit short and I feel like a 35" inseam would often fit better.

I have the saddle more or less centered in the forward/aft direction and I've stuck with the stock stem that came with the bike, although I confess that I'm not sure of the length of it off the top of my head. 120mm, perhaps?

So with my body on this bike, I'm close to maxed out on adjustment for the lower body but have some extra room for adjustment for the upper body. Your experience would be unique of course.

I could have sworn I responded but can't see it now. I test rode a 60 cm CAAD9 and the 61 cm Synapse. The synapse was definitely a more comfort oriented bike, to be sure. At 6'5" though I must be all torso or something. The Synapse was too large for me, the 60 cm CAAD9 was a great fit, the 64 would have been way too big. Especially since I needed to add a zero setback seatpost to the CAAD9 due to the shallower seat tube angle. The size 64 vs. 60 has a shorter reach, just a shallower seat tube angle for more setback and longer effective top tube. The CAAD9 has the same geometry as the Super Six. I bought the CAAD9 and it still fits me well.

The Synapse is certainly a comfy bike on bad roads without being too soft. Coming from a hybrid I assume you're mostly a recreational rider that's looking to get more serious.

Unless you plan on racing it's going to be plenty of bike...

I'm 6'2" @ 225lbs and my Carbon 3 feels light and responsive. If I was going to be sprinting or spending a lot of time out of the saddle on climbs I might want the SuperSix...but considering I'm not...it's a great road machine that's a little easier to ride.

Go to a bigger shop and even if they don't have "your" bike in stock you can probably test ride a different model in the 61cm size set up to your specs to check the fit.

depends on whether you want a bit more relaxed geometry, or an absolute crotch rocket!

6'2", 34" inseam. I went from riding a mountain bike on the road to a Fuji Newest, XL frame with curved seat stays. It's pretty nice. Then, I bought a Synapse Carbon 5 in a 60cm frame (so says the label on the seat tube). It's even nicer. A while back, I rode a stretch of chip seal on the Fuji, and the next day I rode the same stretch on the Cannondale. The Cannondale was noticeably smoother. The 60cm frame is plenty big for me. I'm thinking I could have gone a size smaller.

The Synapse + a Specialized Avatar saddle is a smooth-riding combination.

My riding style is strictly recreational including a couple of centuries during the year.

A friend of mine has a Six. He's a bit younger and a bit more agressive. He's done a few 70-mile rides on the Six, and I haven't heard him complain about any particular discomfort.

Good luck with your search.

I came to close to buying a Synapse Carbon 3 last week, but ended up getting a Felt Z5. I'm 6' 1" and spent about 20 minutes on a test ride with a 58cm Synapse. It was clearly a size too large for me, but I loved the ride otherwise. If the store had had a 56 in stock, I might own one now. The Felt I ultimately bought (from a different store) is a 56.

I've been riding a Specialized Sirrus Comp flat-bar for the past five years, and was looking for something that would allow me a fairly upright position, and both the Synapse and Felt delivered on that.