Cannondale Synapse Tiagra triple

Cambs21
Cambs21 Posts: 13
edited July 2009 in Road buying advice
Just about to put deposit down on one of these,does anyone know the weight of one of these(approx,i know size will affect).And does anyone have any thoughts on this bike.

Comments

  • EdZed
    EdZed Posts: 119
    Is your name a clue to where you live? i.e. Cambridgeshire? If so, you won't need a triple for your local rides. If you can get hold of one you'd be better off with the compact double version.
  • Icm76
    Icm76 Posts: 21
    Cambs21 wrote:
    does anyone know the weight of one of these
    I've tried several similarly priced bikes in the last couple of weeks. This Synapse was amongst the heavier ones, but not so much that I would discount it. Typically for Cannondale the parts are lower spec than you can buy elsewhere for the money, so I reckon you can drop the weight quite a bit with a couple of key upgrades. Wheels being the most obvious?
    Cambs21 wrote:
    And does anyone have any thoughts on this bike.
    For me the Synapse is a good fit and one of the most comfortable bikes I've tried, so I my end up buying one. What did you think when riding it? That's really the only way to decide, if the fit & feel is right and you like the look then buy it.
  • Cambs21
    Cambs21 Posts: 13
    Yes,i live in Cambridgeshire,so will take on board your advice on a double chainset.
    I have tried various bikes,but have discounted several as getting hold of a medium/54 is very difficult at the moment.Locally for the same price,i could buy a Giant Defy 1,or Specialised elite.With Cannondale being slightly lower specced,are you paying for a better freme,and as i am happy with the ride of all three,would it be better going for a 105 specced bike in the medium term?
  • EdZed
    EdZed Posts: 119
    Unfortunately supply is always tricky at this time of year as the manufacturers are now concentrating on next season's bikes.

    I don't think there's much in it for the quality of the frames of the bikes you mention. Some manufacturers are more generous with the kit they provide with their bikes; from what I can gather Cannondale aren't quite so 'generous'. Some people would rather go for the alu-carbon mix of the Specialized frame at that level - it's very subjective, ultimately you should go for the one you feel most comfortable with. You shouldn't have any problems with any of them.

    Depending on your budget and how flexible it is i.e. how much you can stretch it, 105 is a significant improvement over Tiagra and if you want to upgrade to 105 at a later date, you might regret not getting it in the first place as it's always cheaper to get the groupset with a bike than to buy it as an upgrade at a later date. Also, Shimano prices have increased a lot over the last year and some say they will do so again over the next year - also might be worth bearing in mind.

    If you can stretch to 105 now the first thing you'll upgrade in the future will be the wheels, good wheels [and tyres] make a massive difference to your ride.

Categories