I’m looking to upgrade my bike and my brother works at a bike shop that gets him 40% off Cannondale bikes. I’ve narrowed it down to these two, but now I’m getting decision paralysis. Pros for the Synapse is the relaxed geometry, wider tire clearance, compact crankset, and the extra mounts on the top tube and underside of the down tube. Cons are it’s more expensive, and I don’t particularly care for Smartsense. For CAAD, I really just love the look and feel of race bikes, even if I don’t race. It’s also cheaper, but I would have to get a different wheel set because Richmond roads + 25mm tires would not be kind to me. Also, I am currently not a fast enough rider to take full advantage of the 52/42 crank I have on my old steel bike, so I don’t know if CAAD is overkill and Synapse is more my speed. Test rides with both didn’t help me make a decision!
Any advice is welcome, especially if you’ve ridden one of these bikes. Thanks in advance for your help!!
by robbie_franklin