New Road Bike - Cannondale Synapse 105 2015

borse2008

Hey All,

So im about to get sorted with a bike chosen the Cannondale which everyone raves about, was going to do the Emonda S6 but too much money.

What are you top 5 accessories or must have to go with this?

Saddles, Lights, Computers, anything else.

Whats the comfiest saddle in everyones minds? Ive heard fizik make some incredible ones.

giant_man

Fizik saddles come in different models as you know. The Arione, Antares and Aliante are popular and are good saddles. Stick to the basic models imo and not the Versus variants. These may or may not suit your bum, as everyone's bum is different of course. Try other makes and models of course. You will know when you find the right saddle for you.

borse2008

Any tips on finding the right on and i suppose try the saddle without bib shorts.

Anonymous

Assuming you already had to buy some decent pedals/shoes, my 5 would be: saddle, bars, wheels, tyres and brake pads.

If you do not need to change the saddle then I would get a Garmin 510/810/1000 in its place.
If you do need the saddle then you could postpone the wheel upgrade until the spring.

More important than any of this though, make sure you do not get too big a frame size

Sounds like its Cycling Plus that you are referring to when you mention 'rave about' and guessing its the Synapse 5 you are getting.
Great bike IMO, but not if its too big.

arlowood

borse2008 wrote:

Whats the comfiest saddle in everyones minds? Ive heard fizik make some incredible ones.

Saddle recommendations are a problem area since getting the ideal fit is such a personal thing.

I know from my own experience that the search can be a long and potentially expensive exercise so I would advise a 2-pronged strategy.

Firstly you could look at the lower end of the market where the cost of the saddle is reasonable so you won't loose a great deal if it doesn't suit you and you can easily sell it on as "nearly new" and recoup a fair bit of your initial outlay. Well regarded saddles in this category are the Charge Spoon

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/charge-spoon-sa ... omo-rails/

Madison Prime:-

http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Madison-Prime-R ... wgoduaUA1g

and the RSP Pro by Raleigh

http://www.tredz.co.uk/.RSP-Pro-Race-Sa ... wwodhpYAhw

The alternative is to choose a supplier who will allow you to change your selection without penalty if your first choice does not suit. To that end I would suggest searching out one of the Specialized Concept Stores or one of their dealer outlets. Specialized offer a 30 day "satisfaction guarantee" on their body geometry saddles so if what you try first is no good , you can get a full credit against another Spesh saddle if you return it in good condition within 30 days. See below:-

http://www.specializedconceptstore.co.u ... guaranteed

Hope this helps

dinyull

Ride the bike and get used to the saddle. This will cause a little discomfort at first and a bit of getting used to - a good pair of bib shorts will help.

You hear of people looking to change saddle a few weeks after buying their first bike because of the discomfort, unfortunately all saddles/backsides take a bit of bedding in.

Good suitable clothing, mudguards and lights are most important bits of kit this time of year. Save any money for upgrades till you've ridden it and decided what you like and don't and then look at upgrading in spring.

dinyull

Also a must is a little pump and a saddle bag with spare inner tubes, tyre levers, chain tool and chain links.

Anonymous

I would try one of these first if the stock saddle really is that bad (give it a while as has been said) for you:
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/fwe ... e-ec041134

I Got the female version for my wife as a stopgap to a Fizik, but she loves it so much she won't try the Fizik now.

Getting the right saddle is not always that easy, but worth the effort and expense in the long run.
Don't try to 'pad out' a bad fitting saddle. Padding is to extend your time in a saddle that fits, not make up for a bad fitting saddle.

rafletcher

What accessories / mods you make depend to a certain extent on what type of riding you intend to do. Lights - why? Or are you riding in low light / after dark? Maybe a rear only if you tend to ride in dull conditions. As mentioned above, maybe some nice tyres, or some hand built "best" wheels. Saddles are a minefield. I never got on with the Fiziks, Sam Marco's were dreadful, Spesh BG ok, and my current Spesh Romin Pro 155's are great.

keef66

First make doubly sure you buy the correct size bike and that it's properly fitted for you. Then I'd leave the bike as it comes for a while and just replace things as they wear out.

Essentials I'd say are decent padded bibshorts, mini-pump, repair kit incl tyre levers, spare tube, multitool, mitts and / or gloves. This time of year you'd probably want to add some unpadded tights over the shorts. Layer up your upper body as the weather dictates. Cycling tops are useful since they have rear pockets to keep all this crap in. Helmet entirely optional, as are glasses.

If you start venturing more than a few miles you'll need a water bottle and a cage to put it in, and you'd probably benefit from some clipless pedals / cycling shoes.

And don't forget some chain lube and a supply of rags to keep things clean. And you might appreciate a track pump to use at home to keep the tyres topped up; so much easier to use than a mini-pump.

trailflow

Lights - why? Or are you riding in low light / after dark? Maybe a rear only if you tend to ride in dull conditions

That is ridiculous advice. A front light is equally as important as a rear. Especially if you ride in wooded area's with lots of tree shadows.

Bike lights also save lives in the daytime too you know.

kajjal

keef66 wrote:

First make doubly sure you buy the correct size bike and that it's properly fitted for you. Then I'd leave the bike as it comes for a while and just replace things as they wear out.

Essentials I'd say are decent padded bibshorts, mini-pump, repair kit incl tyre levers, spare tube, multitool, mitts and / or gloves. This time of year you'd probably want to add some unpadded tights over the shorts. Layer up your upper body as the weather dictates. Cycling tops are useful since they have rear pockets to keep all this crap in. Helmet entirely optional, as are glasses.

If you start venturing more than a few miles you'll need a water bottle and a cage to put it in, and you'd probably benefit from some clipless pedals / cycling shoes.

And don't forget some chain lube and a supply of rags to keep things clean. And you might appreciate a track pump to use at home to keep the tyres topped up; so much easier to use than a mini-pump.

This is good advice, remember this time of year it can be cold and wet so be prepared for the conditions and also stopping to fix a puncture without getting too cold.

gozzy

If you don't get on with the stock saddle then here's my wonderful method for finding a new one you like.

Simplest way to test saddles is to sit on them.
Go to a bike shop, plonk a saddle down on a step (if possible) and sit on it. If it's comfy, remember it. Try the next one and the next and the next. You'll get a good idea of whether you like a particular saddle or not this way. I went through every saddle in 2 lbs this way until I walked out with one I liked, first ride was great and it's only improved with time.

type:epyt

Buy the saddle that matches the bike best ... With decent shorts you get used to anything ... I have 4 different types of Fizik saddle on the go at the moment and every one of them is comfortable enough for 3hrs + in the saddle.

Philby

A number of Fizik stockists have test saddles, so you can try before you buy. Specialized stores have a saddle fit system where you sit on a cushion and you can get the measurements of your sit-bones, which will narrow down the saddle options available to you.

gozzy

type:epyt wrote:

Buy the saddle that matches the bike best ... With decent shorts you get used to anything ... I have 4 different types of Fizik saddle on the go at the moment and every one of them is comfortable enough for 3hrs + in the saddle.

I was going to say sorry that's awful advice but really I don't know why I was going to apologise. That's just awful advice, saddle choice is very subjective.
What your advice tells me, is you get on well with Fizik saddles, to a varying degree, but perhaps some are better than others and you've used shorts to counter any discomforts.
That doesn't mean another person will have the same experience.