rbloem

So I want to get a Cannondale SuperSix 4 or 5. I have a Giant Rapid 1 flat bar Rd.bike right now and I was wondering, what is it like to ride this SSix on a 2 hour+ ride. I want the speed and style of the SuperSix but what is it honestly like to ride that bike"the feel,comfort,pains, road feel etc." I like the speed in the bike but sometimes you want to take it easy and take in the scenery if you know what I mean. Thanks, guys.

dmcdmc

I have a supersix rival. Not sure what number it is in the cannondale line. I've taken it on 75mile rides without any trouble. A lot of your comfort will depend on how you have your bike setup. There is a lot of area for improved comfort in terms of body position, saddles, spacers etc. I don't slam my stem and I have a saddle I find pretty comfortable (a selle italia sl). I find it no more comfortable or uncomfortable than any other road bike I've ridden.

My previous bike was an alloy synapse which isn't really a fair comparison. carbon feels more damp, almost dead which could be good or bad.

In terms of being able to take in the scenery, just pedal less. =D

generalkdi

I rode my supersix 5 on 2 and a half hours rides and didn't have any problem with it. Got some lower back pain at first, but I think it was mostly due to a lack of strength. I trained this winter and don't have any pain this year. The prologo saddle is a good saddle but I'm pretty sure you could get something better.

I never rode a "comfort geometry" bike for a long ride like the synapse or roubaix, so I can't tell much about the difference. There are prety bad roads here and sometimes I think the bike really send all the bumps straight to me, I don't know if it does this to all other bikes... But it's nothing to ruin or stop a ride.

rbloem

What does carbon feel like on the road? Is it less bouncy going over pits and pepples and grit on the road? You said it feels dead. How so. I've never been on a carbon bike and I heard that these bikes suck up road vibration.

NachoLibre

The way I think of it is the carbon takes the edge off the bump. Instead of the harsh jarring feeling that you can get with low compliance frames, it feels more blunted. Carbon will also soak up more of the vibration from asphalt that is more textured/grainier. A carbon seat tube and handlebars can make a noticeable improvement as well whether on an aluminum or carbon frame. I haven't tried any of the comfort focused bikes like a Synapse or Roubaix, but I would consider a Cannondale SuperSix with carbon seat post to be plenty comfortable for most situations.

a1penguin

Today I test rode a Supersix Di2 and a Synapse Carbon 105. There are no hills nearby, so I was limited to the nearby flat roads. Both bikes fit me equally well and had similar feel on the hoods and in the drops. The Di2 is sweet, but above my price grade. The roads were not nice fresh pave smooth roads. They weren't chipseal either. More like someone paved the road without enough tar, spread it too thin and left pits/holes in the surface. The Synapse absorbed most of the road, but the Supersix transmitted the high frequency vibrations up the bars and my arms. I put money down for a Synapse.

amandadun

Whats the dfifference between carbon and aluminum? Besides electrons

bikerjp

I test rode a supersix and I have a caad (same geometry but aluminum). I also have a carbon synapse. The main thing I noticed with the supersix and caad vs the synapse is in cornering. The race bikes are a bit quicker whereas the synapse feels more "graceful". Still turns fine and I've done some fairly fast corners on both. My one ride on the supersix convinced me that carbon is a bit more muted with respect to road noise but I couldn't tell enough difference to justify two nearly identical bikes nor was it a worthwhile upgrade. The synapse, on the other hand has been great. Still quite performance tuned. Might not accelerate quite as quick but that could be partly due to different wheels/tires.

If you set up a supersix with somewhat tall bars I think you would be fine on longer rides. If you are very flexible then you would probably be fine with lower bars as well. Expect to adjust things a bit as you settle into how the bike feels. If you think you might be interested in a slightly more relaxed bike you might check out a synapse. I think it's a good compromise between all day comfort and fast rides.