I test rode a Cannondale Synapse/4 yesterday. I have been doing a crushing amount of reading and research on the subject of road bikes since the first of the year. I have heard this bike as being described as "a magic carpet ride" several times. This is the very first time I have ridden a carbon frame so I really didn't know what to expect. I only had this bike for 20 minutes but my impressions were that it was light and smooth, but it was a bike. Was it noticeably smoother than my old 3.0? Yes. Magic carpet ride? No. But, again I really didn't know what to expect.
I wasn't sure about SRAM. I have read the pros and cons. I like it. The shifting was simple and crisp. The breaks on this ride were a bit spongy. Perhaps not adjusted properly. Not as good as my old Dura Ace.
I know when I get something and I have it for a few months the comfort aspects with be more obvious. I have been considering the Synapse, RS, and 566. So, a guess there really isn't that much difference between brands. So, the first sale or deal is likely to be the winner.
Something curious is going on here. I have approached two Colorado Cervelo dealers looking to test ride an RS. Both have replied via email that they don't have an RS but they do have the R3 available for test ride. The R3 is out of my price range. So, it looks as if the Synapse is going to win the day. I don't understand what Cervelo is doing with this type of sales strategy. I want to test ride their product, but they are not cooperating. So far.
Only my opinion but here goes. 500 dollars of the price is for the wow factor of having "CERVELO" decaled on the frame. Cannondale hands down is a much better value.
I found an RS at the fourth store I tried. I feel I have to ride a Cervelo to be sure. I would also like to try a Look 566 too. I fully expect to come away from these test rides with the same conclusion I arrived at after my Synapse ride. Its a bike. The motor (me) is the most important aspect of the equation. All of them are better than what I currently have. I guess after reading so many reviews from people who have bought some of these models I am looking for that "come to Jesus" moment of THIS IS THE ONE so often described in these reviews. Perhaps many submit these reviews in order to justify spending two or three thousand dollars. Perhaps I just need to choose one and take the next step of a complete fit service. Along that thought the fact of dealership stability is not lost on me. 5 years ago I walked into a shop and found the LOOK model. That shop no longer carries LOOK. This year a shop that carried Cervelo a year later closed them out. They carried Look too. They are closing them out now as well. Excel Sports is closing out Cervelo. Competitive Cyclist is closing out Cervelo. The shop that I bought my Cannondale 3.0 some 22 years ago still carries Cannondale. Perhaps that stability is something I should be considering for future needs.
