Some Stock parts that bad?

boshk
boshk Posts: 5
edited January 2017 in Road beginners
So I'm planning to buy Cannondale Synapse Alloy Disc, either Tiagra or 105.

Just reading reviews on it and most are good except for comments on the brakes and tires.

Both models come as standard with Promax Render R disc brakes and Schwalbe Lugano 25mm tires.

There are so many bad comments on these Promax, it's amazing why Cannondale would even use them when other competitors are using the TRP Spykre which although isn't miles ahead, it does draw some good comments.
As to the Lugano tire review, they are just bad according to one site. A pair of Michelin Pro 4 endurance are only £40, at wholesaler prices at massive bulk buy, surprise they can't put them on as standard. I would be happy to pay like extra like £20 on top of bike price for them.

Even motorbikes have decent oem tires, unless u are V. Rossi, then maybe they just won't cut it.

Comments

  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    boshk wrote:
    As to the Lugano tire review, they are just bad according to one site. A pair of Michelin Pro 4 endurance are only £40, at wholesaler prices at massive bulk buy, surprise they can't put them on as standard. I would be happy to pay like extra like £20 on top of bike price for them.

    By the same logic, the Luganos won't be costing you very much at all. Most people who pay a decent bit of money for a bike have their own opinions on what tyres work for them. I'd rather pay £5 for some Luganos that I can use as emergency tyres and to wheel the bike home on and then buy the tyres I actually want than have some decent tyres that I don't want and have to go to the bother of selling because they cost me £20 (though I'll probably assume they cost me £40!).

    Just an equivalent of the cage pedals that manufacturers put on road bikes.
    Faster than a tent.......
  • fenix
    fenix Posts: 5,437
    boshk wrote:
    So I'm planning to buy Cannondale Synapse Alloy Disc, either Tiagra or 105.

    Just reading reviews on it and most are good except for comments on the brakes and tires.

    Both models come as standard with Promax Render R disc brakes and Schwalbe Lugano 25mm tires.

    There are so many bad comments on these Promax,


    If it bothers you that much - don't buy the bike ? There's plenty of others that don't come with these brakes ?
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    If the brakes are genuinely that bad, choose a better model to get decent hydraulic discs if you must have them, or go for a decent rim braked model?

    Rolf's right; whatever tyres they put on would be wrong for most riders who have their favourites and swap them out immediately. If it really bothers you, ask the retailer if they'd upgrade the tyres for you.

    Or do what I did and go to a proper bike shop and have them buy in the frameset and build the thing up for you. That way you get to choose each and every component. OK, it may cost a bit more than an off the peg bike, but after 10 years the only thing I've had to change is the saddle.
  • Pretty much every off the peg bike will compromise on components somewhere. This is usually to keep down costs and because of the reasons highlighted by Rolf and Keef.

    The problem with labelling a part "bad" is that it's all relative. The Promax brakes might not be as good as Spyres but that doesn't mean they are going to be terrible or unusable. They might be but that will depend on the riding. For what it's worth, they might be small and neat but I've had several people tell me that Spyres aren't worth the extra cost over BB7's. I've not used Spyres but I have BB7s on my monstercross bike and their stopping power it brilliant, even on MTB trails.

    Similarly, Luganos are not a bad tyre. They have pretty good puncture protection, are fairly hard wearing and not ridiculously heavy. Compare them to GP4000s and they're poor, but that's not really a fair comparison. For what it's worth I've found Michelin's to be really soft and not a great choice for UK riding.

    As Keef said, you either accept the compromise and upgrade bits as and when you can/need to or build up a frame (get a shop to do it).

    Cannondales are a bit overpriced for what you get. That's fine for the CAADs as the frame is brilliant, but I don't know if the same holds true with the Synapse.
  • dannbodge
    dannbodge Posts: 1,152
    I had Luganos on my Cube and they gave me no confidence in the wet/damp.
    Switched to some conti grand prixs and they are much better.
  • Buy it. Use it. Then decide if you want to upgrade stuff because your experience could be better.

    Some people out there are rabidly against certain components because of a bad experience they had with that brand in 1982...

    Some people upgrade simply to have something to laud over their peers...

    Some people upgrade because zOMG!!!!!!111eleven the interwebz said they had to
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    +1 to that^

    Bike reviews should be taken with a huge pinch of salt. They test dozens of bikes and most of them are perfectly competent for the average rider, but the reviewers have to fill column inches with something so they generally criticise the cheaper components unfairly, and suggest an immediate wheel and tyre upgrade.

    (they might have a point with the tyres though...)
  • drwae
    drwae Posts: 223
    I used stock Luganos that came on my Cannondale for commuting every day in London, over broken glass and all sorts. It took almost a year for me to get my first puncture and I never actually had any problems with the tyres.
  • lakesluddite
    lakesluddite Posts: 1,337
    The 2016 models (105) have the Promax, but the 2017 version has the TRP Spyre mech discs - but obviously discounts on the 2017 won't be around until much later in the year (probably late summer or Autumn as the 2018 models are being rolled out).
    The difference being the TRP Spyre is a dual sided mechanical where both pads actuate providing even clamping force, as opposed to other mechanical cable discs where only one pad moves. This may or may not be that noticeable in everyday usage, but this is behind the difference in the reviews you may have seen.

    If you're not dead set on the C'Dale, then if you look elsewhere, you can find fully hydro braked bikes for similar prices. The Pinnacle range from Evans for example:

    https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-do ... e-EV244121

    A 2016 version with hydro for £850 (as long as you're a Medium!).