Road noob - first bike

figbat

So, I fancied a go at road and bought this:



2011 Cannondale Synapse. 105 mechs, Ultegra levers/shifters, Tektro brakes, Mavis Ksyrium Elite wheels and.... ummm... other stuff. I'm after a new saddle (got my eye on the Charge Spoon) and it could do with some new tyres (Conti GatorSkins?). I'm sticking with SPD pedals so I can swap to and from my MTB easily. I'll be mostly riding for exercise and the occasional sportive or group ride - not looking to compete or anything (unless the bug bites me).

sloppyschleckonds

'dales make excellent bikes, you've made a good choice

*Dusty*

I have the 2015 version with Sora, nothing for the purists to get excited about but I love it to bits

lakesluddite

Nice first bike, not many upgrades needed there. A colour coordinated Charge Spoon is a good choice.

isotonik

*Dusty* wrote:

nothing for the purists to get excited about

ayjaycee

Very nice first bike - enjoy. Was I you, I would get rid of those Tektro brakes as a matter of urgency. The modern ones are total c4rp and I doubt older ones are any better. Use the search here on BR and you will find a number of threads on the subject but my suggestion would be Shimano 105 5800 calipers as a starting point.

figbat

Funny you should say that. I bought some 105 5700s from a colleague at work. They looked pretty. Turns out I need long drop calipers and these ones are not. Anyone want some very lightly used 105 5700 brakes?!

figbat

Oh, also, I spent a bit of time with it tonight, what with fitting and removing the 105s. The BB is a bit rough and the brief effort I gave it didn't get the BB apart, so that'll need a bigger mallet.

ayjaycee

I have never used the 5700 calipers but my understanding is that the 5800 are much better. Indeed, I have those on one bike and Ultegra 6800s on another (both with Swisstop BXP pads) and there's not much difference when they are all set up properly. As I said, have a look at some of the other threads (and, as usual here on BR, prepare for some conflicting advice).

figbat

ayjaycee wrote:

I have never used the 5700 calipers but my understanding is that the 5800 are much better. Indeed, I have those on one bike and Ultegra 6800s on another (both with Swisstop BXP pads) and there's not much difference when they are all set up properly. As I said, have a look at some of the other threads (and, as usual here on BR, prepare for some conflicting advice).

Well it looks like I'm going to have to find another range of brakes (eg R451, R650) to get the long drop, I guess this is why the Tektros were on there in the first place rather than the more familiar Shimanos.

meursault

Nice bike, hope you have a lot of fun on it. Tyres, there are loads of threads on here, Gatorskins are good for anti puncture, but a bit heavy and slippy. I am using 4 seasons, but may try some Rubino's next.

Good site for comparisons

http://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/

iron-clover

Looks good- may be relatively cheap (compared to the top end anyway) but you can still have a lot of fun with that bike. The frame is easily good enough for upgrading parts as bits wear out over time.
My main road bike comes from a similar pedigree to yours (although a bit lower down the pecking order) and after 5 years of tlc it is a very capable bike indeed!

Most important bit is to get out there an have fun!!

edit: The R650 brakes are some of the best long drop callipers out there- they may not be quite as good as the modern 105 and above Shimano brakes but they are a different league to the tektros. I the short term better brake rubber helps- I find a igger difference between brake blocks than the actual callipers. The Dura Ace pads are decent value and work well, but the last word is Swisstop Green etc. Not cheap (but not that expensive either as they last a long time) and they work exceptionally well.

notlongnow

Great bike good spec too I wouldn't change much except maybe a different tyre to the Gatorskins and maybe the brake calipers in time.