The New Synapse Changes Endurance Road Bikes Forever (But It’s Breathtakingly Expensive)

Senior tech editor Warren Rossiter takes a deep dive into the Cannondale Synapse Lab71 – a bike that’s moved the needle for endurance bike design.

It’s fast, comfortable, and… wow, it’s really expensive.

But this isn’t just hype – Lachlan Morton recently broke the record for riding around Australia riding the Synapse Lab71.

Is it worth the investment? Can tech like SmartSense really change the ride? And who exactly is this bike for?

🔥 Watch now for our full breakdown and ride impressions.

👉 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell for more BikeRadar content

00:41 The frameset
01:56 Geometry
02:51 The build
05:02 SmartSense
06:40 Ride impressions
08:07 Conclusion

Listen to the BikeRadar Podcast
→ https://www.bikeradar.com/bikeradar-podcast/

Follow BikeRadar on our social media channels:
→ https://instagram.com/bikeradar
→ https://facebook.com/bikeradar
→ https://twitter.com/bikeradar

BikeRadar is supported by Mountain Biking UK and Cycling Plus Magazine –For more information and to subscribe please visit
→ https://bit.ly/3nMr3Rn

For more content like this see our latest subscription offer –
→ https://www.cyclingplus.com/subscribe-today/
→ https://www.mbuk.com/subscribe-today/

the new Synapse brings Canondale’s classic endurance platform bang up to date it blends endurance geometry with the arrow of the Super 6 Evo then it layers on the bump squashing tech from the Super X huge tire clearances and lots of practical additions too what we have here is the pinnacle of the range this is the Lab 71 it’s a bike that’s all at once fast forgiving and above all seriously fun to ride and remember this is the bike that Lacklin Morton used to set the record of 14,200 km lap of Australia in a record-breaking 30 days 9 hours and 59 minutes averaging over 450 km a day this being the Lab 71 means it gets Canondelle’s most technical high-grade carbon and layup the frame weighs a claimed 900 g that’s 100 grams lighter than the premium high mod frame and 250 grams lighter than the standard carbon synapse the design takes its cues from the Pro Tour Super6 Evo with its smoothly integrated front end and drop stays and not forgetting all of these truncated air foil tube shapes this is combined with a seat tube that’s the development from the gravel race bike the Super X the tapering flattening and curved seat tube is designed to act like a leaf spring none in road vibrations and add in lots of comfort canidal claim this design offers 20% more compliance than the previous Synapse there’s lots of details here that are worth noting too the fork uses the same delta steer as the Super 6 Evo that means internal routing for the brake hoses without having to resort to an oversized headset the bottom bracket is threaded VSA and it shares the same seat post as the Evo 2 there are mud guard/fender mounts bento box mounts on the top tube and a down tube storage compartment at the back the dropout is UDH and it is this universal trailer hanger that leads to the Lab 71’s most controversial element the drivetrain the Synapse geometry is largely unchanged from the previous generation and that’s a good thing the subtle blend of a more upright riding position mixed with quick but stable handling has always served every generation of the Synapse well the changes and more adaptations that help the Synapse achieve its class leading tire clearance of 42 mm though the clearance on the new fork looks to be substantially bigger than that the head tube angle has been relaxed by a degree and a half to 71.5 though this has been mitigated with the use of a longer fork and a tweak to the offset to 55 mm that makes for a 61 mm trail figure with the standard 32 mm tires fitted in comparison to the Super 6 Evos 58 mm the Synapse offers just a little bit more stability and a slightly slower handling the larger tire clearance has also increased the wheelbase thanks to these longer change stays that are up to 43 cm from 41.5 the build of this bike is absolutely no compromise as you’d expect for a bike that’s an eyewatering £13,000 or an even more breathtaking $16,499 it rolls on a set of Reserves 42 mm front and 49 mm carbon rims matched with premium DTswiss 180 hubs and Sapim CX race spokes all in they have a claimed weight of 1,341 g that’s pretty light the wide internal rim widths are designed for tires between 29 mm and 40 mm the wheels are set up tubeless and come with Reserve’s clever fill valves with their fast flow no clog valve core free design as standard the wheel set alone would set you back nearly 2.5,000 these are wrapped in 32mm Victoria Corser Pro control TLR tires it all adds up to rolling stock so well suited to this bike up front the cockpit is the one piece Canadale system bar R1 this was designed in collaboration with automotive design house Momo Design that’s the same one that you’ll find on the Lab 71 Super Six Evo the bottom bracket is a Lab 71 specific threaded BSA unit made by Ceramic Speed it’s good to see Cannondale hasn’t cut any corners on the parts you don’t see the same goes for the featherweight through axles at just 23 g and 29 g that is less than half the weight of the through axles on my own 2020 Super 66 Evo so now here’s the most controversial part of the Lab 71 the drivetrain as it comes from Stram’s gravel focused Explore range the gearing here mixes a 44 to chain ring with a wide 13-speed 1046 cassette despite it being one by the nine smallest ratios are only one or two to jumps just like most conventional two by systems though the jumps get progressively larger as the sprockets get bigger compared to the classic endurance ratios of 5034 rings with an 1134 cassette this setup gets a lighter more climb friendly gear and it trades up just a fraction of a gear inch at the top end of course this being a top end and very expensive bike it gets Stram’s crankbased power meter as standard the other opinion dividing specification with the Synapse is the smart sense kit it’s fair to say it wasn’t popular on the previous Synapse but this time I think they’ve got it right on the old bike the headlight was a bit clunky and the external battery set into the down tube recess wasn’t the sort of smart design I’d expect from calendar that said I still quite liked it having a large single battery makes sense and the rear light with a built-in radar is a real safety asset the new front light which is made in conjunction with light skin is much slimmer and much more slickly integrated into the underside of the cockpit it’s also much more powerful at 800 lumens or that’s 400 lumens if you’re in an STV ZO compliant country the rear light and radar is Garmin’s Varia ERTL 615 an ebike specific version of the standalone RTL 615 radar it differs from its standard as it’s designed in a horizontal orientation and it’s wired to the central battery the central battery is hidden in the Synapsis down tube storage chamber and has a 43 and 1/2Wh hour capacity the battery includes a built-in flashlight when you open the storage hatch you’re met with illumination it’s like opening a fridge door the battery also powers the axis shifting and can be recharged in place through the USBC port above the storage hatch or removed and charged off the bike any battery wlecting shifting have been considered with a protection for the shifting builtin and Canondale tell us that this battery at just 5% charge still has a higher capacity than a standard Stram axis battery right that’s all the details sorted let’s get into the most important part the ride now I’m one of the few who like the previous generation Synapse and the first generation Smart Sense kit despite its flaws this new Synapse however gets everything right the ride quality is sublime it’s all at once remarkably smooth hugely responsive fast forgiving and above all fun over lots of rides I’ve notched up more than 800 miles so far this synapse has been epic i’m rolling terrain it’s rapid easily feeling as quick as my Super 6 Evo in a straight line the Smart Sense system links to Canon’s smartphone app along with the wheel speed sensor and can be set to wake as soon as you’re moving set the intensity of the light pair the radar to any compatible bike computer i’ve tried it with both Garmin and Hammerhead units and it’s worked flawlessly it provides a real-time graphic of vehicles approaching from the rear with color coding to represent the speed of their approach it makes riding on the road safer and adds confidence i’m not sure I’d want to be without one for road riding on busier routes now the excellent wheels and tires both add to the responsive ride with the large volume tires adding to the smooth chatterfree ride the bike handles rougher road surfaces with ease and even with a few small excursions onto one metal roads are taking in its stride overall I’m enamored with just how well the Synapse handles its stability at speed and on imperfect road surfaces is up there with the best endurance bikes such as the Specialist Rubé Trek Detomani and the Giant Defy the drivetrain is a new approach to road gearing and it’s brilliant with a direct rear mount dia faster and more accurate than anything I’ve tried before it won me over for gravel completely but I had a few reservations about using it on a road bike happily though my fears are unfounded for me whose climbing style was once described as akin to a diesel truck chugging upwards a relentless single pace there was more than enough scope for finding a gear just to plug into and spin steady constant canders all the way to the crest on the flats I’ve never felt undergeeared either though if you’re worried about a lack of top end speed then a larger chain ring up to a 46 to can always be swapped in the new Synapse Lab 71 achieves something quite brilliant it’s a fast and fun bike yet it’s also supremely comfortable both in its ride position and its road chatter smoothing character it’s also versatile and practical if you embrace the Smart Sense kit and the simplicity of the one by drivetrain the downside though is that at $13,000 or $165,000 many just won’t ever be able to afford it including me that said pretty much all of its rivals are similarly priced pinella’s Dogma X in a similar spec is £13,300 konago C68 Allroad is £15,335 specialized Rube S works SLR8 £12,000 trex Demane SLR 9 Axis Gen 4 is £11,270 and even Giants Defy Advanced SL0 £11,499 only direct to market brands like Canyon and Ribble offer something similar spec for less than 5 figures though irrespective of the cost the Canondell Synapse Lab 71 is one of the best if not the greatest endurance bike I’ve ridden in almost 30 years of testing i desperately want one but I think I’ll be waiting for one of the less expensive Smart Sense models due out later this year so is £13,000 too expensive let us know do you think Smart Sense is a good idea or is it a gimmick and don’t forget to check out Lacklin Morton’s bike check right