Ribble Gran Fondo v Cannondale Synapse

thesledge
Posts: 46
Decisions, decisions...can anyone help?
I'm split between buying a Ribble Gran Fondo 2013 and a 2012 Cannondale Synapse Carbon 105 - the Ribble in the spec I want would be £1,200, the 'Dale is £1475 (discounted from £2k) at Paul's Cycles, who are also doing interest free for six months.
I'd normally take the cheaper option, and not just because the Ribble is a gorgeous looking highly rated bike, but also I don't get turned on by big brands.
But the Synapse looks to be such a bargain... and it got a good review in C+ last year.
I'm currently riding a lovely Planet X SL Team Carbon which is by far the best - and best looking - bike I've ever has but the racy geometry is not kind on my 50 year old back.
If you were in my shoes, which would you go for and why?
I'm split between buying a Ribble Gran Fondo 2013 and a 2012 Cannondale Synapse Carbon 105 - the Ribble in the spec I want would be £1,200, the 'Dale is £1475 (discounted from £2k) at Paul's Cycles, who are also doing interest free for six months.
I'd normally take the cheaper option, and not just because the Ribble is a gorgeous looking highly rated bike, but also I don't get turned on by big brands.
But the Synapse looks to be such a bargain... and it got a good review in C+ last year.
I'm currently riding a lovely Planet X SL Team Carbon which is by far the best - and best looking - bike I've ever has but the racy geometry is not kind on my 50 year old back.
If you were in my shoes, which would you go for and why?
It's sad how Wile E. Coyote is remembered for his violence, and not for his brilliantly realistic paintings of tunnels.
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Comments
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You really do have to try them, especially if you have back issues - imo they are both very good bikes, in your shoes it comes down to which geometry/ride suits you best -so very much personal.0
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Good advice. Not sure that is possible with the ribble though.Yellow is the new Black.0
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You can currently get the Ribble Grand Fondo Frame and Fork + Headset with a 20% discount for about £480.
Your Px sl Pro carbon frame would go for around £300 on E bay dependent on condition,
If its a large black or White I may well be interested myself.
Ribble are also doing 36 months finance on any purchase over £315 at the moment.
If you went this route and realised the money from your Planet X frame you d end up shelling out about £180 for a new frame.
Swapping the components across, especially as you dont have to re fit a headset is very easy, I think from memory the seat tube diameters for seat post and front mech are also the same so all your groupset would fit.0 -
I bought a 2012 Cannondale Supersix 105 from Paul's Cycles in January and love it, the service was fine from Paul's, the bike was undamaged etc. But I recently had a bike fitting done by Adrian Timmis at Cadence Sport (Great guy, great shop, very knoledgable and thoroughly recommended) and it's made it much more comfortable (surprisingly the stem is as low as it will go!) Have you had a fitting on your planet X? It may not be the bike's geometry that's hurting your back, it may be the way it's set up. Worth bearing in mind before you splash the cash.0
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I always think of resale value when i buy bikes and for me the dale wins hands down. It will ne a nice comfy bike if you get the sizing right. Do they have the Apex version in your size? that would make it more affordable at £1200.
That said if i was going ribble if would be the R872 Stealth with Centaur black and red over the GF any day.0 -
solboy10 wrote:I always think of resale value when i buy bikes and for me the dale wins hands down. It will ne a nice comfy bike if you get the sizing right. Do they have the Apex version in your size? that would make it more affordable at £1200.
That said if i was going ribble if would be the R872 Stealth with Centaur black and red over the GF any day.
But the OP isn't you and is complaining that his existing bike is too racy. To swap one racy frame for another would be slightly pointless. The GF has a taller head tube and therefore gives a less racy position for a given persons dimensions.
It isn't all about the looks*.......
On the other hand, given the level of discount the Cannondale does look good when resale is factored in - but that assumes you might sell the bike..... Ultimately, fit matters more and I'd look for getting a proper bike fit before buying a new bike to replace an existing uncomfortable one. I'd imagine that the GF is the shorter frame of the two which might count for something.
*and the Stealth look is soooo yesterday!Faster than a tent.......0 -
I also purchased a 2012 Synapse Carbon 105 in January, I looked at and test rode many carbon bike at around £1500 and I just could not make my mind up. I had a test ride on the Cannondale and it is a nice ride, just the type of ride
I was looking for. I liked the look of the Cube Agree GTC Race & the Foucs Cayo Evo 5.0 more but the ride was no way near as nice to ride and that's the important bit. I was very lucky at came across a dealer close by sell one for
£1200, the only thing I've changed is the saddle.0 -
Thanks everyone, very useful advice. As I haven't kept a bike for more than two years, I'm leaning towards the Cannondale now with resale value in mind. The ball and chain will no doubt whine again but as I keep telling her, 'So many bikes, so little time' is a better motto than 'So many women....
Would swap the ''Dale's rims and rubber ( Mavic Aksiums and Aksions) for the Fulcrum Racing 5s and Grand Prix 4000s that are currently on my Planet X though.
Unless anyone thinks different...It's sad how Wile E. Coyote is remembered for his violence, and not for his brilliantly realistic paintings of tunnels.0 -
I've found the Mavic's good to use, reasonably light and strong, but I only have cheap wheels to compare against, so if you like your wheels and tyres on the Planet X go for it. I swapped my Aksion tyres pretty quickly for Schwalbe Ultremo ZXs, I found the Aksions very tough to get off the rim though so make sure you have some good tyre levers, I snapped 3 cheaper ones before I bought some Park Tools ones which got the job done.0