Cannondale Synapse Carbon - steerer is not carbon?

DJHGBRo

Hi,

I bought a Cannondale Synapse Carbon 105 2015 model a couple of months ago. It's for my birthday this month so hasn't been used. I was lowering the stem today when I was surprised to see the steerer was not carbon. This is the first time I've lowered a stem myself, as on my old bike the height was fine.

I'm pretty sure the steerer should be carbon, the supplement for the owners manual has a compression style top cap which looks nothing like mine.

My bike the day I got it, from an angle you can see the stem (and that's it's definitely the Carbon Synapse 105 if you zoom in):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v56/djhunter/20160202_155235.jpg

The steerer:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v56/djhunter/20160407_131839.jpg

Can anyone confirm what it should be?

jgsi

So you have a carbon fork but with an alloy steerer tube and star nut. It's not a deal breaker.
If you are cutting the steerer just get another star nut.. bang the old down a bit more and you have it.
If by any chance that steerer is carbon as photos can deceive, then oops who put a star nut in it ..?? Need a bollocking.

Guernsey Donkey

The 2014 Synapse was the same.

If you look at the Cannondale website some bikes have what is refered to as a 'carbon fork' and others (eg CAAD12 105) have a 'full carbon fork' which will have the carbon steerer.

fenix

So long as you don't do a Hincapie eh ?

DJHGBRo

Guernsey Donkey wrote:

The 2014 Synapse was the same.

If you look at the Cannondale website some bikes have what is refered to as a 'carbon fork' and others (eg CAAD12 105) have a 'full carbon fork' which will have the carbon steerer.

I think it's just all online shops have my model listed it incorrectly. I can't look at the 2015 model on Cannondale's website. They've done the same for the 2016 Synapse Carbon Tiagra on some shops:
Cannondale.com: Synapse SAVE PLUS, BallisTec Carbon, 1-1/8" to 1-1/4" alloy steerer
Most online shop: Synapse, SAVE PLUS, BallisTec Carbon, 1-1/8" to 1-1/4" tapered steerer

I was only bothered as I thought it might be a mistake, like the bike shop somehow putting the wrong fork in, but the colour scheme matches so I guess that's just how it's supposed to be. So sounds like no problem then, and less chance of me breaking it by overtightening the stem

ayjaycee

Sorry to chip in late. My 2015 Synapse Ultegra has got the ally steerer as well (but, obviously, on carbon forks). However, contrary to what JGSI says (and apologies to them for the correction!), the steerer will probably not be held in place by a 'regular' star nut. The Cannondale SI system was new to me when I first looked inside it and you actually need two hex keys to loosen it - a 6mm for the top cap which, when off, exposes another bolt which you loosen with a 5mm (don't undo it all the way unless you want the whole assembly to fall down into the tube!). If it helps - here is a drawing to explain further:

sandyballs

Apologies for chipping in even later and apologies to ayjaycee but the OP steerer is definitely held in by a regular star nut because his picture shows it!!

ayjaycee

My bad and hands are help up high - I first read this on my phone and it wouldn't open the pictures so I just assumed that it would be the same as my Synapse Cabon Ultegra 2015 - indeed, I can't understand why it isn't! I have now looked at them on my lap top and, on that basis, apologies to the OP for the bum steer and double apologies to JGSI for telling him he was wrong when he quite obviously wasn't - mea culpa and all that.