Show Us Your Road Bikes
- Thread starter DaveBos
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It's a tool to do a job, nothing more.
The first ride on it last night, I was over a minute slower over a local 18 mile loop than I have done on my Venge. I'm sure that once I've got my position sorted and learned how to ride it better, it will be pretty quick... for me.
@cgtmiles. I can't quite work out whether that Synapse frame is carbon or ally but they're both pretty good bikes to start with. I've had my rim braked Synapse Carbon Ultegra 2015 since new and love it. Over the years, I've changed the wheels, saddle and crank set (with a ceramic bottom bracket) and still tend to keep it as the summer bike but I can't think of anything that I would rather use on a long ride like the C to C - it's super comfy and plenty quick enough. I've been toying with the idea of upgrading it to Di2 for a while now and will have to bite the bullet at some point - the Ultegra bits that come off of it will then go onto my Kinesis 4S which currently runs a mix of 10 speed 105 and Tiagra and works well as a winter bike with full mudguards.
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It’s an ally frame I picked up on eBay and swapped a load of stuff over from my CAAD12 disc bike as my original synapse died during training. I loved the CAAD12 , it had never been out in anything but the driest conditions and only used for ‘fast’ rides. My current state of fitness though means that I don’t really need to have a fast road bike and the synapse is all the bike I’ll ever need. I didn’t realise when I bought it but the frame was actually designed for mech discs only so some faffing required to fit the hydraulic set I had on the CAAD12. Really glad I did this though as I would not have wanted to go down the descents last weekend with rims brakes!
Agree, disks brakes are great but whenever I read something like that I find myself asking whatever we did until 5 or 6 years ago before they became became so common on road bikes. I've had many 'offs' in my long cycling life (one quite recently unfortunately - just got rid of the scabs!) but thankfully none happened on fast descents, wet or dry - I think that says more about my luck than bike handling skills though!
If you flick the frame with a fingernail a ping says it's ally, a dull thud says carbon.
Don't get me started on brakes. Bought my emonda with rim brakes when I had an early choice and I'm glad I did. The disks on the superfly7 and my old 3500 (all Trek) are rubbish. Hydraulics are a real pain in the arse to maintain, mechanical discs are just average. Way easier to maintain rim brakes. Good swissstop pads, 10 mins, done. Just put a cheap front brake on the track bike so between that and my legs I have all the braking I need until I don't! :-D
Don't get me started on brakes. Bought my emonda with rim brakes when I had an early choice and I'm glad I did. The disks on the superfly7 and my old 3500 (all Trek) are rubbish. Hydraulics are a real pain in the arse to maintain, mechanical discs are just average. Way easier to maintain rim brakes. Good swissstop pads, 10 mins, done. Just put a cheap front brake on the track bike so between that and my legs I have all the braking I need until I don't! :-D
@Sabre. That gets a bit difficult when all you've got is a picture on a laptop screen - tap it and they all sound the same!
As to the ongoing rim-v-disk argument, I have a disk braked bike (as does my Mrs). They are very good and reasonably trouble free as far as I am concerned but that's about as far as I'm going to pick at that particular scab. That said, if I ever need to replace my current Synapse, it will inevitably be with a disk equipped bike (and probably another Synapse). I also suspect that I will change my Kinesis 4S to disk at some point in time (I think the 4S is pretty unique as it will take either). I'm no disk denier, I just think people sometimes forget how good a well installed set of quality rim brake callipers and pads can be.
I had (still have in the garage) an alloy Synapse, 105 with mechanical discs. They were crap, so I changed them for hydraulics. Getting the rear hose round the BB was tight, but improved the bike no end.
Last year I bought a do everything alloy CAAD 13, again 105 disc with direct mount calipers and thru axles. I've has some Stans/Hope wheels built and changed the rotors for Ultegra Ice Tech, just because I like the look. That really is a cracking bike for the money.
My Venge is doing most of the miles at the moment, with the TT rig when I can only fit an hour in, as I need to learn how to ride that.
My preference for discs is when it's wet, or if I'm in a group. For dry, solo rides, rims do me just fine.
Last year I bought a do everything alloy CAAD 13, again 105 disc with direct mount calipers and thru axles. I've has some Stans/Hope wheels built and changed the rotors for Ultegra Ice Tech, just because I like the look. That really is a cracking bike for the money.
My Venge is doing most of the miles at the moment, with the TT rig when I can only fit an hour in, as I need to learn how to ride that.
My preference for discs is when it's wet, or if I'm in a group. For dry, solo rides, rims do me just fine.
Apparently most of the synapse frames are designed to take either mech or hydraulic discs, of course I bought one of the few that was just designed to take mech so they had to sell me some other stuff to get it to work with the hydraulic donor parts
