Cannondale Synapse and Mudguards

Half-thinking of a Synapse Carbon Disc as a new Winter/ foul weather option. I see the latest models have the guard mounts (inner fork and add-on rear seat stay bridge), but I can't seem to find a definitive answer a to what mudguards will fit (without severe modifications n bodging), and what size guards will fit under the fork crown with what size tyres etc. Any Synapse owners with any advice?

Comments

  • skeetam
    skeetam Posts: 178
    edited December 2020
    I have a 2019 Cannondale Synapse. It has all the necessary bolt holes. You can fit any mudguards with a bridge bolt and supporting wire struts with bolts. You will have to buy the Cannondale seat-stay bridge but the rest you get with the bike.



  • Nice. Is that the removable seat stay adaptor you have on there? What guards are those then? Width? Tyre width? Did you have to bodge the front fork stays, or are they adjustable (looks like it)? Cheers...
  • skeetam
    skeetam Posts: 178
    edited December 2020
    Yes, that's the seat stay adaptor, it's compatible with any mudguards. The mudguards I have here are Bontrager NCS, got them because they're tough and easy to adjust. I'm running these with 28mm Schwalbe Ones which is probably about the limit. The piece of inner tube rubber you see glued on the front guard is to stop them rattling while riding along our rough UK roads.
  • Cheers
  • skeetam
    skeetam Posts: 178
    One other thing to consider when buying a Synapse, is the BB30a bottom bracket. It's an asymmetric version of BB30 and is slightly wider. All Shimano cranks (24mm spindle) are compatible (with adaptors) but some 30mm spindle variations are not and don't have adaptors.
  • danx
    danx Posts: 27
    edited December 2020
    I have SKS Bluemels in 42mm on a 2019 carbon Synapse. I did have to heat and pinch them in a little where they pass through the stays and forks. It's not too noticeable but I would get the 35mm version next time. I currently have 25mm GP4000 tyres on with room to spare, 28mm will certainly fit under there.
    Would probably fit 30mm depending on how true the tyre size is - my 25mm GP's measure at 27mm.

    The seatstay bridge should come supplied with the bike. At least mine did, in a little spares bag with mounting spacers for the mudguard eyelets and different rubber frame plugs for any future DI2 conversion.

    Because of the mounting position half-way up the fork leg you may need to bend the front mudguard stays - I did. See the pic halfway down link below as an (neater than mine!) example. Although the Bontrager ones above seem to have a design that doesn't need this.

    https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=&t=1894593
  • skeetam said:

    One other thing to consider when buying a Synapse, is the BB30a bottom bracket. It's an asymmetric version of BB30 and is slightly wider. All Shimano cranks (24mm spindle) are compatible (with adaptors) but some 30mm spindle variations are not and don't have adaptors.

    Cheers for that- wasn't actually aware it was asymmetric. Ordered a complete bike (for once), so it comes fitted with that fugly 'Dale One thing LOL.
  • danx said:

    I have SKS Bluemels in 42mm on a 2019 carbon Synapse. I did have to heat and pinch them in a little where they pass through the stays and forks. It's not too noticeable but I would get the 35mm version next time. I currently have 25mm GP4000 tyres on with room to spare, 28mm will certainly fit under there.
    Would probably fit 30mm depending on how true the tyre size is - my 25mm GP's measure at 27mm.

    The seatstay bridge should come supplied with the bike. At least mine did, in a little spares bag with mounting spacers for the mudguard eyelets and different rubber frame plugs for any future DI2 conversion.

    Because of the mounting position half-way up the fork leg you may need to bend the front mudguard stays - I did. See the pic halfway down link below as an (neater than mine!) example. Although the Bontrager ones above seem to have a design that doesn't need this.

    https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=&t=1894593

    Cheers. Yeah, I'm leaning towards the Bontrager NCS guards tbh, so hopefully all will be ok.

    Not entirely sure what size tyres it is coming with- seems to be conflicting guff with some saying 28, some saying 30mm. I'm not planning on running more than 28 tbh, so I'm assuming the 25-38mm is best option to go for...
  • I have a 2020 Synapse and fitted SKS Chromoplastics in 35mm width. Plenty of clearance with 28mm tyres and currently running 30mm with no issues but I would guess this would be the limit




  • skeetam
    skeetam Posts: 178
    dazz_ni45 said:

    I have a 2020 Synapse and fitted SKS Chromoplastics in 35mm width. Plenty of clearance with 28mm tyres and currently running 30mm with no issues but I would guess this would be the limit



    Did you have to squeeze them in a bit at the fork bridge or were they OK?
  • An update on what I went for:

    Ended up going with the Kinesis Fend-Off's. Full alu guard- very nicely finished (anodised black), and very sturdy (no waggling about like many plastic ones can). Very clever idea with the plastic shop hanger packaging that you recycle as front n rear flappages.

    I won't lie- I did have to bodge the front guard. The guards come pre-crimped around the area the guard "should", pass under the fork crown, and also a bit near the front mech. The problem I encountered was that the Synapse doesn't have a mounting boss on the front of the fork- it's on the back. Kinesis says "fine", in the instructions- just fix the mounting bracket to the back. Only problem I found with that is that it puts the guard too far down, and also means the aforementioned crimped bit for the close tolerance under the fork crown now no longer sits where it should....so the guard has to sit a bit lower down and thus decreases tyre clearance.

    Soooo......i decided to remove the bracket and re-position further back behind the fork. Wasn't quite as straightforward as I thought, as drilling the original rivets out was HARD! Anyway, got it done, and other than the bracket being a bit off-centre (my fault), it works and I have them fitted. Only got 25mm tyres on at the minute (measure 26mm), but awaiting new wheels which will have 28mm' s on and will have sufficient clearance.

    In hindsight, it may have been easier to fix the guard to the rear anyway, and crimp the guard further so it fell under the fork.

    Anyway, still recommend the guards. Not the lightest being full metal obvs, but super sturdy and made/ finished very well.
  • paulbnix
    paulbnix Posts: 631


    ... The problem I encountered was that the Synapse doesn't have a mounting boss on the front of the fork- it's on the back.

    I had the same issue with my Planet X Hurricane.
    If you leave the bracket where it is the mudguard is in the wrong position.
    If you move the bracket, which I did, you end up with a longer unsupported length of mudguard which can flap about more.
    I wonder why manufacturers do this - is it fashion? It’s definitely annoying.
  • Yeah, it's a bit of a pain. It's a shame the drilling-out of the original rivets was so hard (probably galvanised steel), and that left the two rivet holes. I then had to drill a further two holes to re-position the bracket at re-rivet. I also put two rivets in the old holes to fill them. As it turns out, the old holes are now virtually hidden under the crown, so not too bad....
  • skeetam said:

    I have a 2019 Cannondale Synapse. It has all the necessary bolt holes. You can fit any mudguards with a bridge bolt and supporting wire struts with bolts. You will have to buy the Cannondale seat-stay bridge but the rest you get with the bike.



    just to add, the 2021 model I got came with the bridge wotsit