Cannondale Synapse Carbon

Cubic

Hi,

This is my new Cannondale Synapse Carbon. It's the 2013 model and I bought it in a sale recently to replace my Giant as I've been wanting a slightly more relaxed geometry bike for a while. Having done a few rides, I'm very happy with the new bike. It feels just as responsive and nippy as my Giant TCR, but it's more comfortable and the frame does seem to absorb bumps in the road noticeably well.

Opening the (Scott!) box:


The bike came with Mavic Aksium wheels, which I've swapped for my old set:


Screwed all the bits together, the bike with it's original spec (Mavic wheels):



After putting my Fulcrum Zero wheels and pedals on:


My bike as it is now. I'm happy with the saddle position. I've lowered the bars a bit and I'll get the steerer cut when I'm sure the height's right:


Spot the deer in the top left of the photo!:


I really love my cranks!!!:




Spec list:
Frame & forks: Cannondale Synapse Carbon
Handlebars: Cannondale C2 aluminium
Stem: Cannondale C2 aluminium
Seatpost: Cannondale C2 carbon
Groupset: Ultegra 6700
Chainset: FSA SL-K Light compact
Saddle: Fizik Aliante
Original wheelset: Mavic Aksium WTS (wheels, tubes and tyres)
Current wheelset: my Fulcrum Racing Zero (Dark Label) from my old bike, with Ultremo ZX 25mm tyres.
Pedals: Speedplay Zero Stainless
Extras: Elite Custom bottle cages, Barfly Garmin mount, Garmin Edge 500

Weight is about 7.5kg with pedals and extras.

I'll be selling what's left of my Giant and the Mavic wheels in the near future, so keep an eye out on the classifieds!

sloppyschleckonds

Nice, I quite like the blue colourway. Nearly went for the Supersix Evo in the same blue.

Crankbrother

SL-K Seatpin & Stem plus some white Fizik bar tape (logo'd) would really set the bike off ... Really is a nice colour-way seen in 'real' pictures ...

canny_lad

Very nice. I like those cranks too.

Cubic

Thanks. I really like the colourway, it looks great in the flesh. It's nice to have a bike that isn't black & white for a change!

I know what you mean about having some more SL-K kit, it would be lovely. A future upgrade perhaps.....

Paul 8v

I can't see the deer, being blind!

crom7

looks really good!

I can't see the deer either!

Buckie2k5

crom7 wrote:

looks really good!

I can't see the deer either!

lets not turn this into another photoshop thread

Cubic

Ok, I'll help out!



See 'em now???

dwanes

Oh yeah, so much clearer now, Thanks :?

Cubic

dwanes wrote:

Oh yeah, so much clearer now, Thanks :?

Need any more hints?

Paul 8v

They were hard to spot!

Elfed

Love the bike!

Ok, I see the deer, where's Fenton?

mlefa30

how easy was it to remove the black spoke guard?

Cubic

Thanks for the comments. It seems you can smell the deer before you see them at the moment, I'm not sure if that means it's rutting season and they're getting musky!?

mlefa30 wrote:

how easy was it to remove the black spoke guard?

The 'dork disc'? It was very simple to remove as I was taking the cassette off anyway, and once the cassette is off the plastic disc slides out easily.
I haven't removed one with the cassette left on before, that could make it a bit more troublesome.

6wheels

Use a soldering iron to stick a line of holes in it, then just break it off.

dwanes

I just put a nick on the outside using a knife or snips, and then they usually tear or snap pretty easy.

Gunnsie

Great looking bike!

To remove my dork disc I used a Stanley most of the way on two sides, then the rest just tore/snapped/folded out.

ianbar

love the bike! agreed cranks look great

Secteur

Hello, I have a similar query regarding my headset spacers on my brand new Synapse - I just found this after asking in the Workshop FOrum (viewtopic.php?f=40004&t=12973170&p=18924057#p18924057)

Any advice welcome... OP - did you have any problems with the spacers above the stem, given Cannondales vigorous warnings not to do this?

And did you eventuially get the steerer cut - was that an easy process?

Cubic

Secteur wrote:

Hello, I have a similar query regarding my headset spacers on my brand new Synapse - I just found this after asking in the Workshop FOrum (viewtopic.php?f=40004&t=12973170&p=18924057#p18924057)

Any advice welcome... OP - did you have any problems with the spacers above the stem, given Cannondales vigorous warnings not to do this?

And did you eventuially get the steerer cut - was that an easy process?

Oooh, I didn't know about that! I didn't realise Cannondale warm against having spacers above the stem - I just lowered mine and put the spare spacer above the stem in blissful innocence!

I haven't got round to having the steerer cut yet either, although it's something I have been intending to get round to soon. I think I'll ask at my local Cannondale retailer and see what they say about the spacer issue.

The bike has been performing really well over the last few months.

Miles253

Really nice colourway on that bike