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JohnBoy & other road cyclists....

I am thinking about buying a 2012 Cannondale Synapse Carbon 6C Apex

Price is around $1400 CAD (900GBP).

Any thoughts on Cannondale - or indeed this model.

I'm spending a quite lot more on a mountain bike from the same source, but wanted to take up road riding this year as well.....

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Comments

  • Not too familiar with Cannondale but I can personally recommend the Canyon Ultimate CF 9.0 PRO. Just had mine delivered and fitted. Super comfortable, very responsive and so far very impressed.
  • Oi Oi Oakster, Cannondale are a good make. Do you realise the Synapse is their more relaxed geometry bike though? You might be better off with a Cannondale Supersix. The shimano 105 version is around the same price if you can pick up a 2012 model.

    I've been riding my Cube GTC Agree Race with full ultegra for the last 18 months now. Its racing geometry set up and is still more than comfortable for century rides. I done L2P on it last year, done half a dozen century rides including a 150 and it was still comfortable after 9 hours in the saddle.

    One of my roadie mates has just picked up a Cervelo S series in the last couple of months since he emigrated to Canada. Apparently, they are super cheap out there and the frames are about as good as it gets. Dont know if that helps you?

    What wheels come with the Cannondale? Fulcrums? Mavics?

    I really must stop looking at the new Felt AR3 with Di2. I need to finish decorating my house before I buy yet another bike!!!
  • edited February 2013
    Don't wait up.
    It's the third Saturday of the month, so I suspect JohnBoy is probably out in the middle of the Hertfordshire countryside with the Enfield Dogging society at this very moment.
    ;-)
  • Is having 16 Shomani gears on your Raliegh Lizard still seen as the tip of the sword?
  • Just about to go out on my Cannondale CAAD 8 2013 Shimano 105. Does the trick for me, and didn't break the bank (900 quid).

    Got a few mates who also ride Cannondale and none of them have a bad word to say about their bikes - seems to be a good make for semi decent cyclists who aren't ready to drop four grand on a bike.
  • About to buy a Cube Peloton Pro, liked the look of the Cannondale, but decided to go German
  • I've got a Cannondale synapse. It's not the carbon model and a few years old.

    Has done me great. Very comfortable riding position and the components are all pretty good and reliable.

    Haven't had to replace anything on it yet other than tyres and brake pads.

    Been a while since I've been on it though and am looking to do london to Paris in September so need to get out and get fit again soon!
  • I have a Cube Peloton Pro and am very pleased with it. For the sort of riding I do, couldn't really justify Carbon.

    Looked at Cannondale at the same time and whilst the frames are generally better you loose out on the spec. When I was looking the £900 Cannondale price point was only kitted with Shimano Sora. Had full Sora on the £500 Specialized Allez I was riding.

    Cube at £900 was full Shimano Tiagra.

    I won't lie though, Cube are very good looking bikes and that had an influence.

    John Boy is right about the Synapse riding position. Very upright.
  • Argon bikes are nice...and Canadian.
  • i have a planet x pro carbon. really happy with it.

    on another note. just got a turbo trainer and was looking at a spare rear wheel and cartridge so i don't have to mess about changing tyres. it seems to be really expensive though. any tips?
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  • Yeah I am also looking at an Argon but the mountain bike range from that dealer isnt for me. So much hill or mountain road climbing around here that i wonder if the riding position on the synapse would be an advantage or disadvantage. Was going to test it today but we had a lot of snow overnight. Havent looked at Cube yet, wonder if its available over here - will have to check it out. Thanks chaps....
  • i have a planet x pro carbon. really happy with it.

    on another note. just got a turbo trainer and was looking at a spare rear wheel and cartridge so i don't have to mess about changing tyres. it seems to be really expensive though. any tips?

    Tbh, tyre wear on the turbo is minimal. Well it is on mine. I dont bother changing wheels over now.

    If you want to go down the line of getting a turbo wheel, you can pick up odd ones on ebay for cheap as peanuts.

  • I have a Cube Peloton Pro and am very pleased with it. For the sort of riding I do, couldn't really justify Carbon.

    Looked at Cannondale at the same time and whilst the frames are generally better you loose out on the spec. When I was looking the £900 Cannondale price point was only kitted with Shimano Sora. Had full Sora on the £500 Specialized Allez I was riding.

    Cube at £900 was full Shimano Tiagra.

    I won't lie though, Cube are very good looking bikes and that had an influence.

    John Boy is right about the Synapse riding position. Very upright.

    Thats the thing I found when I bought my Cube. A Specialized Tarmac for £2k only had Shimano 105 on it but my Cube was cheaper and it came with full Ultegra. Having had a test ride on both, it was a no brainer to go with the Cube. German engineering at its best IMO. When I'm in a position to upgrade again, I'd definitely consider a Cube again.

  • Looks like Cube bikes aren't easily available over here.....
  • BTW, anyone using Speed Play pedals?
  • Oakster - at that price point, go with what feels best when you ride it...try out as much as you can and then buy what feels best. I have a Pretorius Kraansport which cost less than half the price of my Colnago M10, but which is much more comfortable to ride and so I ride it more...

    Rothko - I use speedplays and have done for a few years now - love them. Just enough play so can move leg around, better than my old Looks and Shimano. No faffing around with kicking the pedal round 'the right way'...

    Decided that my next purchase is going to be a road bike with disc brakes...been riding my mtb to commute (the one bought from you Jon) and I love having the discs...just need to get saving...

    Safe cycling all.
  • My brother in law said he got a good deal at http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/
  • Oakster - at that price point, go with what feels best when you ride it...try out as much as you can and then buy what feels best. I have a Pretorius Kraansport which cost less than half the price of my Colnago M10, but which is much more comfortable to ride and so I ride it more...

    Rothko - I use speedplays and have done for a few years now - love them. Just enough play so can move leg around, better than my old Looks and Shimano. No faffing around with kicking the pedal round 'the right way'...

    Decided that my next purchase is going to be a road bike with disc brakes...been riding my mtb to commute (the one bought from you Jon) and I love having the discs...just need to get saving...

    Safe cycling all.

    Pretty much what he said :) I'm considering moving over to speedplays, I'm getting seriously hacked off with kicking my pedals the right way round now. Thought it would get easier, but it hasnt.

  • Decided that my next purchase is going to be a road bike with disc brakes...been riding my mtb to commute (the one bought from you Jon) and I love having the discs...just need to get saving....

    Seriously regret selling that to you now lol. Thats the problem with having a small place like mine, just not got the room.

    Interesting you saying that about the discs. Thats the one thing that I've never quite got used to with the road bikes, is the lack of stopping power. Cant imagine discs with a road bike though. If you're at the front of a group and you hit the brakes, every single rider behind you without discs will plough into the back of you, wouldnt they? Have to say, would feel a damn site safer with discs though.

    BTW - completely off tangent, a number of clubs have reported incidents of attacks on cyclists in the Biggin Hill area, a number of riders have ended up with broken collarbones. Its been reported that a couple of motorcyclist have been swerving into groups and knocking them off and there are reports of a hook and rope being launched from a car.



  • I hate threads like this...I haven't got a clue what you're talking about
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  • I don't have a problem kicking the pedals round - but I find cleats a real pain in the arse for commuting and don't bother with them. Love them for proper long runs, but clipping in & out at traffic lights is interminable (I have to go through about 150 sets of lights in the 40k ride to work). Not sure speedplays would help with that - unless they're much easier to clip in & out of than standard cleats?
  • I don't have a problem kicking the pedals round - but I find cleats a real pain in the arse for commuting and don't bother with them. Love them for proper long runs, but clipping in & out at traffic lights is interminable (I have to go through about 150 sets of lights in the 40k ride to work). Not sure speedplays would help with that - unless they're much easier to clip in & out of than standard cleats?

    When I was commuting, I was using mountain bike SPD cleats on my bike. The cleats are rececessed into the sole of the MTB shoes and thus you can stand/walk in them comfortably. Might be worth considering. I agree road pedals are a pain in the @rse commuting in London traffic.

  • I actually don't have a problem walking in cleats. They're not the most comfortable of things, sure, but I can get about in them OK. In fact, this afternoon I was smashing it down pebble hill and hit a bad bit of road, getting a pinch flat. My bottle went flying off and by the time I'd come to a stop it was about half a mile up the hill in the woods. I got up there and back in my cleats fine. It's just the clipping in and out so often that jars me.
  • I'm crap getting into my Look pedals after lights, always look at wonder at road cyclists in town who get into their clips instantaneously. Maybe they've got speedplays, though I never have a problem clipping in out in the country.

    Cervelos are great looking bikes, but have problems with frame fails - snapping around the seattube. You also may be able to get them cheaper as they have been in and out of receivership in recent years. Good bikes, just something to be wary of re the companies ability to replace frame fails in the future. Cannondale are reliable, and of excellent quality. Not sure on the prices in Canada, but the big German bike manufactureres offer excellent kit at low prices: Cube, Focus and Rose.
  • thanks johnboy ill give it a go with my normal tyres.
  • JohnBoyUK said:

    Decided that my next purchase is going to be a road bike with disc brakes...been riding my mtb to commute (the one bought from you Jon) and I love having the discs...just need to get saving....

    Seriously regret selling that to you now lol. Thats the problem with having a small place like mine, just not got the room.

    Interesting you saying that about the discs. Thats the one thing that I've never quite got used to with the road bikes, is the lack of stopping power. Cant imagine discs with a road bike though. If you're at the front of a group and you hit the brakes, every single rider behind you without discs will plough into the back of you, wouldnt they? Have to say, would feel a damn site safer with discs though.

    BTW - completely off tangent, a number of clubs have reported incidents of attacks on cyclists in the Biggin Hill area, a number of riders have ended up with broken collarbones. Its been reported that a couple of motorcyclist have been swerving into groups and knocking them off and there are reports of a hook and rope being launched from a car.



    </blockquote

    hmm those attacks sound shocking. there were a few rumours a couple of years back of similar in the same area.
  • Use Look pedals myself and the one thing that annoys me with them is how quickly the cleats wear out. I use covers when walking on them, but struggle to get 3 months out of the left one - that is the foot that goes down most often.

    Had two "offs" at traffic lights when I first started using them - both because I freaked out when I missed trying to clip in. Have learnt to pedal with one leg and clip in when clear of the lights now!

    Flicking them isn't really an issue for me. Will be sticking with then as they are the only clipless pedals that haven't given me knee trouble.
  • JohnBoyUK said:

    Decided that my next purchase is going to be a road bike with disc brakes...been riding my mtb to commute (the one bought from you Jon) and I love having the discs...just need to get saving....

    Seriously regret selling that to you now lol. Thats the problem with having a small place like mine, just not got the room.

    Interesting you saying that about the discs. Thats the one thing that I've never quite got used to with the road bikes, is the lack of stopping power. Cant imagine discs with a road bike though. If you're at the front of a group and you hit the brakes, every single rider behind you without discs will plough into the back of you, wouldnt they? Have to say, would feel a damn site safer with discs though.

    BTW - completely off tangent, a number of clubs have reported incidents of attacks on cyclists in the Biggin Hill area, a number of riders have ended up with broken collarbones. Its been reported that a couple of motorcyclist have been swerving into groups and knocking them off and there are reports of a hook and rope being launched from a car.



    yes there was a big article about a chap seriously injured in the newsshopper.
  • i found the look pedals really stiff at first compared to my spds. i use spds to commute and look for weekends.

    just found my mavic rear wheel is slightly bent and inequality spoke is disconnected. what's the best bet here. drop into a shop for repair?
  • i found the look pedals really stiff at first compared to my spds. i use spds to commute and look for weekends.

    just found my mavic rear wheel is slightly bent and inequality spoke is disconnected. what's the best bet here. drop into a shop for repair?

    Truing a wheel is a bit of an art. For the £15 you are likely to get charged it really isn't worth the hassle.

    Harry Perry's in Woolwich build bespoke wheels and I have watched him sort my seemingly mangled back wheel in 5-10mins on two separate visits.

    Last time he charged £15 and that included replacing two broken spokes.
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