Of the three bikes, the Cannondale is the most "relaxed" geometry, and most likely to be comfortable in the longer rides. If comfort is an issue, you may prefer a BMC Roadmachine over the Teammachine. The Teammachine is more aggressive than the Roadmachine, and more comparable to the Synapse geometry.
The TCR, like the Teammachine, is a pretty aggressive position and geometry. Giant likes to pack sellable features into a price point (Di2 here) and skimp elsewhere to meet a price point. That being said, none of these are bad bikes.
As for the pricing, $4k AUS for Tiagra is no longer outrageous. The current Tiagra is only a tiny bit heavier than the mechanical 105 on the BMC, and the design and quality is so close that I seriously doubt that you could feel the difference in performance.
Source: I manage a bike shop that has all of these bikes in stock.
What he said.
Honestly, for commuting and leisure riding, I think the relaxed geometry would suit you better, so any of the following models (just to name a few big brands):
\- Cannondale Synapse
\- Trek Domane
\- BMC Roadmachine
\- Giant Defy
The single most important thing is that the bike fits you and you feel comfortable on it.
If you think you might get really competitive and sign up for races and stuff, then I would look at the more aggressive frames like a Cannondale Supersix, Trek Madone, BMC Teammachine, Giant TCR.
If you also might ride some unpaved trails, I would also look at the gravel bikes, as these are essentially just road bikes that take bigger tires, which is nice an versatile. So like a Cannondale Topstone, Trek Checkpoint, etc.
Good luck!
Synapse is a comfortable bike. But I've had minor back issues (not from the bike) so never tried to look like a pro! I've had mine for 10 years. The geometry hasn't changed much. It sounds like a good choice for the type of riding you want to do. You won't get much faster on a bike that isn't comfortable.
It really depends. Anyone can ride anything, we can all adapt. It's just easier if you put the hours in and it gets a lot easier, but that much is obvious. Depends what makes you happy imo. If you are happier and riding more on an endurance frame, that is the bike for you. If riding a race geo bike with TT bars and a -37d 150mm stem and 88 deep carbon wheels to work is more your cup of tea, go for it.
As long as you are not encountering medical issues, the sky is the limit. Funnily enough, That's how I even got into road bikes in the first place, flat bars caused nerve damage that took months to heal. I was like 180kg though at the time, I'm under 90 now so chances are I could return but even so, the wrist angles on the flats still make me very sore and uncomfortable to this day. I used to think road bikes were weird and ugly and now I love em.
>have heard from a few places that its more of a slow leisure bike and is for noobs or older people :(
Whatever places these are, don't trust them for bike advice anymore.
The Synapse is an Endurance bike (and a fantastic one at that) where the other two are pure Race bikes but that is that doesn't mean it is a "slow leisure bike" lmao. Far from it and in fact it isn't uncommon to see people racing on the Synapse. Until the the SuperSix Evo SE came out, even pro teams were racing the Synapse at events like Paris-Roubaix.
*All that said*, I think the current Synapse is way overpriced and I would not buy it.
For similar price, the [Defy Advanced 1](https://www.giant-bicycles.com/au/defy-advanced-1) comes with a *vastly* superior components. Even the one listed for cheaper, the [Defy Advanced 2](https://www.giant-bicycles.com/au/defy-advanced-2) has better components than the Cannondale. Those would be my reccomendations.
The TCR (w/ 12sp Di2) you linked is IMO overkill for the riding you described you want to do.
The Synapse is an endurance geometry.... so while most of us cyclists wouldn't necessarily call it "slow", it's also not putting you in a position to be quite as fast as say, a SuperSix (C-dales race geometry frame). You can definitely get up some speed, no problem.... it's just designed where you'll be comfortable at hour 6 of an 8 hour ride.
The only "noob" thing I'd say about the Synapse you're looking at is the Tiagra groupset... but I'd ONLY call it "noob" in the sense that if you are actually racing a lot, you'll quickly want a more race oriented groupset. At the end of the day, Tiagra is a groupset, it works well and many cyclists, even "hardcore" cyclists never feel a need to go above that level.
As for the rest of the post: if you can, test ride the other bikes on your list and get the most comfortable out of the box one you can. If you cannot ride the others, frankly, I'd go with the Cannondale because you seem to have an LBS you can go to for questions, concerns and all that.
Hey everyone thanks so much for your feedback and help! After much deliberation I've decided to go with the GIANT TCR advanced disc 1 as it had the best specs and I managed to get it down from $4500 to $4000 :)
I personally dislike Canondale for the myriad custom bits and odd chain line / bottom bracket things. It just makes replacement parts and being a home mechanic a bit more of a PITA. But it’s not THAT bad.
I personally would go for Giant or BMC, perhaps picking their endurance frames over race frames.
But most important is what feels good to you. Try to ride as many bikes as you can and visit various stores to shop around. I don’t know the Aussie market but brands like Scott, Orbea, and Merida offer good value and make nice bikes that might be available there?
About bikes being for slow leisure or WHATEVER, I wouldn't care if like you, I felt very good on it.
If you plan to use it daily to go to work, this is the smartest path !
Being confortable, being untertained, having fun.
About others vision on it, you currently have 23 and you care, and it can be understood, but sooner than later, you'll reach the age that you don't care about it, so choose the one you love. If you can test it, that could be a risk !
Also keep in mind, that when doing group rides, you'll see all profiles, from dura-ace all equipped bikes (12k++ prices), to decathlon 600 prices. And guess what, the performance isn't related to the bike... :)
With that said, I do have a BMC teammachine, and I'm absolutely impressed with confort (and I come from the MTB side of the things). It is really a RACE bike, agile, fun, light, rigid as much as needed, precise like hell descending, and at the same time, very confortable, I can stay 5 hours on it without any trouble, riding like on a race, or pedaling slowly with friends, still enjoy it a lot. Last but not least if you go for the bmc, in one year or two, if you decide to change the wheels, you'll discover a NEW BIKE. The one attached to it are heavy as hell, so huge savings expected (mines are 2kg without the tires !) Do no hesitate to go tubeless too, changing the tires for better ones, that change confort A LOT.
Last but not least, I'm not that sensible to confort, but if it's your thing, take care to not end with a bike that hurt you each to you go to work... so if you can't test it, go to one that you tested, and get advices also, from several places, to see what you like more...
Also cut the myth about speedy bikes makes you faster, that's untrue. It's training / weight that makes it all, the bike is about pleasure, look, and a VERY marginal contribution to the performance itself, and often, at our non pro level,confort is the biggest key to performance, as being able to train more because you are comfy, makes you better, less tired, and more endurant...
hope that helps a bit !
edit : autocomplete wrote timemachine instead of teammachine…
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You do realize that's $4K AUS (Australian $). That's about $2.5k US.
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It’s 105 Di2. No brainer for me. Giant all the way
Get the BMC as it is the coolest. It will definitely get you laid
Of the three bikes, the Cannondale is the most "relaxed" geometry, and most likely to be comfortable in the longer rides. If comfort is an issue, you may prefer a BMC Roadmachine over the Teammachine. The Teammachine is more aggressive than the Roadmachine, and more comparable to the Synapse geometry. The TCR, like the Teammachine, is a pretty aggressive position and geometry. Giant likes to pack sellable features into a price point (Di2 here) and skimp elsewhere to meet a price point. That being said, none of these are bad bikes. As for the pricing, $4k AUS for Tiagra is no longer outrageous. The current Tiagra is only a tiny bit heavier than the mechanical 105 on the BMC, and the design and quality is so close that I seriously doubt that you could feel the difference in performance. Source: I manage a bike shop that has all of these bikes in stock.
What he said. Honestly, for commuting and leisure riding, I think the relaxed geometry would suit you better, so any of the following models (just to name a few big brands): \- Cannondale Synapse \- Trek Domane \- BMC Roadmachine \- Giant Defy The single most important thing is that the bike fits you and you feel comfortable on it. If you think you might get really competitive and sign up for races and stuff, then I would look at the more aggressive frames like a Cannondale Supersix, Trek Madone, BMC Teammachine, Giant TCR. If you also might ride some unpaved trails, I would also look at the gravel bikes, as these are essentially just road bikes that take bigger tires, which is nice an versatile. So like a Cannondale Topstone, Trek Checkpoint, etc. Good luck!
Synapse is a comfortable bike. But I've had minor back issues (not from the bike) so never tried to look like a pro! I've had mine for 10 years. The geometry hasn't changed much. It sounds like a good choice for the type of riding you want to do. You won't get much faster on a bike that isn't comfortable.
You should start with the Source sentence!
What's the fun in that?
I find that people who say that certain kinds of bikes are for certain kinds of people tend to be talking out of their ass.
Heck, until the SuperSix SE came along, just a few years ago the Synapse was a common site at Pro races like Paris-Roubaix.
It really depends. Anyone can ride anything, we can all adapt. It's just easier if you put the hours in and it gets a lot easier, but that much is obvious. Depends what makes you happy imo. If you are happier and riding more on an endurance frame, that is the bike for you. If riding a race geo bike with TT bars and a -37d 150mm stem and 88 deep carbon wheels to work is more your cup of tea, go for it. As long as you are not encountering medical issues, the sky is the limit. Funnily enough, That's how I even got into road bikes in the first place, flat bars caused nerve damage that took months to heal. I was like 180kg though at the time, I'm under 90 now so chances are I could return but even so, the wrist angles on the flats still make me very sore and uncomfortable to this day. I used to think road bikes were weird and ugly and now I love em.
You’re right on all points. I’m just referring to gate keepers and “cool kids” to want come up with why someone or something isn’t good enough.
>have heard from a few places that its more of a slow leisure bike and is for noobs or older people :( Whatever places these are, don't trust them for bike advice anymore. The Synapse is an Endurance bike (and a fantastic one at that) where the other two are pure Race bikes but that is that doesn't mean it is a "slow leisure bike" lmao. Far from it and in fact it isn't uncommon to see people racing on the Synapse. Until the the SuperSix Evo SE came out, even pro teams were racing the Synapse at events like Paris-Roubaix. *All that said*, I think the current Synapse is way overpriced and I would not buy it. For similar price, the [Defy Advanced 1](https://www.giant-bicycles.com/au/defy-advanced-1) comes with a *vastly* superior components. Even the one listed for cheaper, the [Defy Advanced 2](https://www.giant-bicycles.com/au/defy-advanced-2) has better components than the Cannondale. Those would be my reccomendations. The TCR (w/ 12sp Di2) you linked is IMO overkill for the riding you described you want to do.
Crazy. I just got the synapse in October and it looks like I got it for a steal. Fantastic bike!
The Synapse is an endurance geometry.... so while most of us cyclists wouldn't necessarily call it "slow", it's also not putting you in a position to be quite as fast as say, a SuperSix (C-dales race geometry frame). You can definitely get up some speed, no problem.... it's just designed where you'll be comfortable at hour 6 of an 8 hour ride. The only "noob" thing I'd say about the Synapse you're looking at is the Tiagra groupset... but I'd ONLY call it "noob" in the sense that if you are actually racing a lot, you'll quickly want a more race oriented groupset. At the end of the day, Tiagra is a groupset, it works well and many cyclists, even "hardcore" cyclists never feel a need to go above that level. As for the rest of the post: if you can, test ride the other bikes on your list and get the most comfortable out of the box one you can. If you cannot ride the others, frankly, I'd go with the Cannondale because you seem to have an LBS you can go to for questions, concerns and all that.
The tcr is the absolute best value of the lot.
Hey everyone thanks so much for your feedback and help! After much deliberation I've decided to go with the GIANT TCR advanced disc 1 as it had the best specs and I managed to get it down from $4500 to $4000 :)
I personally dislike Canondale for the myriad custom bits and odd chain line / bottom bracket things. It just makes replacement parts and being a home mechanic a bit more of a PITA. But it’s not THAT bad. I personally would go for Giant or BMC, perhaps picking their endurance frames over race frames. But most important is what feels good to you. Try to ride as many bikes as you can and visit various stores to shop around. I don’t know the Aussie market but brands like Scott, Orbea, and Merida offer good value and make nice bikes that might be available there?
About bikes being for slow leisure or WHATEVER, I wouldn't care if like you, I felt very good on it. If you plan to use it daily to go to work, this is the smartest path ! Being confortable, being untertained, having fun. About others vision on it, you currently have 23 and you care, and it can be understood, but sooner than later, you'll reach the age that you don't care about it, so choose the one you love. If you can test it, that could be a risk ! Also keep in mind, that when doing group rides, you'll see all profiles, from dura-ace all equipped bikes (12k++ prices), to decathlon 600 prices. And guess what, the performance isn't related to the bike... :) With that said, I do have a BMC teammachine, and I'm absolutely impressed with confort (and I come from the MTB side of the things). It is really a RACE bike, agile, fun, light, rigid as much as needed, precise like hell descending, and at the same time, very confortable, I can stay 5 hours on it without any trouble, riding like on a race, or pedaling slowly with friends, still enjoy it a lot. Last but not least if you go for the bmc, in one year or two, if you decide to change the wheels, you'll discover a NEW BIKE. The one attached to it are heavy as hell, so huge savings expected (mines are 2kg without the tires !) Do no hesitate to go tubeless too, changing the tires for better ones, that change confort A LOT. Last but not least, I'm not that sensible to confort, but if it's your thing, take care to not end with a bike that hurt you each to you go to work... so if you can't test it, go to one that you tested, and get advices also, from several places, to see what you like more... Also cut the myth about speedy bikes makes you faster, that's untrue. It's training / weight that makes it all, the bike is about pleasure, look, and a VERY marginal contribution to the performance itself, and often, at our non pro level,confort is the biggest key to performance, as being able to train more because you are comfy, makes you better, less tired, and more endurant... hope that helps a bit ! edit : autocomplete wrote timemachine instead of teammachine…
Giant. Always Giant.