CANNONDALE SYNAPSE CARBON DISC DURA ACE
£3999.99 Top-flight drivetrain for the venerable Synapse
Cannondale’s Synapse has evolved over the years, from being a fairly upright, long-distance bike to this latest iteration, which is based around a geometry that balances endurance and speed within a lightweight chassis. The 610mm stack and 393mm reach (on our 58cm test bike) balances nicely with a wheelbase that’s 1009mm long, while the fork’s 58mm trail adds snap to the steering without compromising stability. A 70mm bottom-bracket drop, up from its previous incarnation, lends a nod to the modern trend towards bigger tyres (the chassis is optimised for 30c tyres).
The Synapse is the only bike in Cannondale’s premium stable that still adheres to the classic, two-triangle approach to frame design. Outback, both the chainstays and seatstays transition from ovalised at the ends to a flattish shape through the centre. Add in Cannondale’s trademark SAVE carbon lay-up and you have a stiff and light frame (1100g) that’s compliant enough to neutralise road buzz and vibrations. The frame and fork feature mudguard mounts that are a boon for inclement riding.
The SAVE carbon fork is slender, sucking up vibration but remaining flex-free and assured when leaning into corners and avoiding tell-tale brake rub when climbing or sprinting. But it’s Cannondale’s Hollowgram bar and stem that are impressively transformative, the stem eschewing a standard round clamp in favour of a crescentshaped cradle that the bar sits in.
The bar’s attached to the stem via bolts straight through the bar and into the stem. It gives the
aero advantage of a one-piece yet with the adjustment of a standard bar. The SAVE bar allows for nine degrees of pitch to tune hand position. Cannondale’s dealers should hold stock of different stem lengths and bar options, so it’s not a one-size-fits-all job.
Out on the road, it’s noticeably more compliant than the standard bars of the
Trek Domane or Specialized Roubaix. Chapeau to a well-thought-out innovation.
The predominantly Shimano Dura-Ace groupset is mated to Cannondale’s own lightweight chainset. On the Synapse it comes with the eight-arm spider, rather than the superlightweight 12-arm found on top models, but the standard Hollowgram crankset’s still a light, quality component that shifts as smoothly as the Shimano it replaces.
Dura-Ace hydraulics are spot on, and they were most welcome during an extended wet period during testing. Cannondale has deviated from Dura-Ace with the brake rotors, but not at the cost of performance as, though it’s switched to Ultegra rotors, it’s in their optimal Ice Tech guise. The result is smooth, controlled and quiet braking even on long descents in both wet and dry conditions.
A great ride feel, smooth shifting, fantastic handling and reliable braking mean that the
Synapse has a hell of a lot going for it. This is not to say, however, that it’s not without issues, which brings us to the hoops…
The Vittoria Rubino tyres are a very welcome 30c and the textured tread offers reasonable grip, though we found that they slipped a little on damp road climbs. And it’s ascending where the Synapse starts to struggle. The Fulcrum DB 500 wheels are built to their usual high standards and feature super-smooth-running hubs, but they are not particularly light at around 1700g a pair.
They can be run tubeless – though you’d need to add valves and tape – but cutting weight to add more spark to the ride isn’t going to be cheap. The wheel-and-tyre package isn’t a deal breaker but it does cloud some of the brightness of the Synapse’s lush ride. When we switched out the Fulcrums for a set of our own, lighter carbon/tubeless wheels, the Synapse morphed into a true dream machine. As it stands, it’s just very, very good.
Great ride feel, smooth shifting, fantastic handling... it has a hell of a lot going for it
In days gone by, bikes forged from round tubes dominated, their lightness deemed a far greater gain than aero tubing whose curvaceous composition came at a weighty cost. Times have changed. Advances in material technology have shed grams but retained strength, meaning aero bikes are omnipresent at both professional and recreational level.
That much is clear. What’s less obvious is wading through the hyperbole as marketing teams are united by the soundbite, ‘Fastest bike in the world’. And the thing is, they might be as testing standards, protocols and apparatus vary between manufacturer, meaning that while they might be fastest in the tunnel with the wind face on (0-degree yaw and unrealistic in the real world) and shorn of rider, they might not be with the wind at 15 degrees (more realistic) and powered by a 90kg human.
That makes on-road testing vital. Cue this face-to-face between the original aero innovator Cervélo and German brand Cube. At touching four grand, clearly these bikes aren’t cheap. But they can arguably be deemed mid-range in flotillas that max out at six-grand-plus.
C E R V É L O S 3 D I S C U LT E G R A
£3999 Integrated aero machine
Cervélo’s S3 launched at the same time as the radically aerodynamic and divisive-looking S5. The S5 hogged the headlines, leaving the S3 pretty much ignored by all but the Cervélo faithful. That’s a shame because, not only does it look stunning, it’s relatively good value too.
This latest iteration of the S3 saves a claimed 102g of drag over the previous edition, equating to a 13-watt saving. That’s impressive and would take some training to match. Frame weight’s 68g lighter than its predecessor, too. But it’s the lack
Aero bikes are omnipresent at both pro and recreational level
of extraneous matter that’s the standout. The groupset’s not wireless but forensic investigation is required to find a cable. Upfront, all cables and hose routings run internally, including neat integration through the Cervélo-designed stem. That this has been achieved without having to introduce steering bump stops or an elaborate – and expensive – one-piece bar and stem is impressive. The cables and hoses continue through the frame with only a hint of brake hose reaching out to the caliper on the inside edge of the fork and rearstay. It’s clean and fast.
Tube shapes have evolved from previous generations. The massive aero-shaped down tube has a cut-out that shadows the radius of the front wheel, mirrored by the deep seat tube and rear wheel. This form-fitting profile not only shields ‘turbulent’ wheels, but also maintains a short wheelbase of 999.4mm on our large 58cm test bike. That razer-sharp handling profile matches the marketing that says the S3 excels in sprints, solo breakaways or criteriums.
The S3 rolls upon DT’s P1800 alloy disc wheels. The 32mm-deep rim is reasonably aero, albeit the 21mm outer width and 18mm inner is narrow compared to DT’s latest, more aerodynamic and wider designs. The wheelset tips the scales le at a 1752g a pair. It’s pretty light for an alloy but the S3 was designed d for higher-grade hoops o than this.
The Ultegra Disc group, along g with the rimbrake version, dresses re the ‘entry’ S3 models. As ever, Ultegra performs impeccably, c though that’s some feat on the S3 when you consider the
All cables and hose routings run internally a through u the t Cervélo-designed stem
integration of those cables. We know from experience that complex cable runs can lead to shifting issues. Not here. Cervélo has weighted the gearing towards the racier end of things with the 52/36 chainset, but the S3 is still a capable allrounder thanks to the 11-30 cassette.
On the road, the S3 accelerates effortlessly and silently. The short wheelbase, short 405mm rear stays and steep frame angles (73.5 head and 73 seat) forge a nimble ride, and one that you can push to the limits through corners and on descents. The latter’s helped by the excellent, twin 160mm Ultegra Ice Tech rotors.
On climbs, the chassis’ stiffness maximises your effort and leaches little power, but it’s constrained by those DT wheels. For comparison purposes, we swapped them for a set of Zipp 303 NSWs running tubeless tyres and the difference was marked.
Cervélo has sensibly chosen Continental’s excellent Grand Prix tyres, which bring assured grip and fast rolling; that said, the ride would be enhanced with wider tyres: the P1800’s rim doesn’t broaden the tyre from its 25mm width. Being non-tubeless, we ended up running higher pressures to avoid winter-born puncture problems. The result? The S3’s firmer ride somewhat chatters over badly maintained road surfaces. Cervélo’s choice of carbon bar and thick padded tape, along with the excellent Prologo Dimension saddle, alleviates the vibrations somewhat, but damping could be much better for little outlay.
We’ve often argued for regional bike specifications and the S3 is a case in point. On the smooth roads found throughout much of Europe’s finest road-bike destinations, this setup would be everything you’d ever need. Here in the UK, however, utopian cycling conditions don’t exist, so can we have 28s as standard on these shores, please?
C U B E L I T E NI NG C : 6 8 X P R O
£3999.99 Aero-infused race machine
Cube’s new flagship race machine, as used by Pro-Continental team Circus Wanty Gobert, is the C:68X Litening. The major development from previous efforts is its carbon construction that utilises what Cube terms advanced twin-mould technology. Instead of the traditional mouldand-inflated bag method of forming tubes, it uses two solid mould pieces. This, says Cube, means you enjoy greater control over the ratio of resin to carbon fibre, resulting in six different fibre types in the frame lay-up alone. This versatility adds strength and shaves weight where needed. And it really does save weight. It’s still under a kilo, which is remarkable if Cube’s claims of a 30 per cent drag reduction compared to past models are to be believed.
The frame design is equally as uncluttered as the S3 and takes its cues from Cube’s Aerium C:68 time-trial rig with bespoke adaptations. Look at the new one-piece cockpit. The ICR aerobar’s aero-bladed top and smooth leading edge offers significant drag reduction over a standard setup, while the stem section’s noticeably flatter than most. It also conceals the hydraulic brake hoses and Di2 cables. The Litening’s only available with e electronic drivetrains, so the chassis design is o optimised for Di2 and SRAM eTap.
Defined edges at the top of the fork crown and beneath the stem channel airflow down the frame that flows onto the aero-shaped seat tube. It’s all designed to minimise turbulence, as is the bottom bracket, featuring a similarly edged and aero design. The seatpost is a slimmer diameter than the seat tube, yet retains an aerofoil shape. It looks at odds with the integrated design of the chassis but, Cube tells us, adds compliance.
The C:68X Pro comes with decent gears for the money, the highlights being Shimano’s Ultegra Di2 and 160mm Ice Tech rotors, as seen on the Cervélo. While the mechanical that drives the Cervélo is excellent, it doesn’t have the wowfactor of Cube’s electronic alternative. On paper, the sportive-friendly 50/34, 11-32 gear ratio is at odds with the lightning-fast design pitch; in use, it’s pretty much spot on. It’s not the only surprise.
Cervélo has weighted the gearing towards the racier end of things with the 52/36 chainset
You’d think the cockpit’s chunky design would be rigid, it’s not, which must be down to the stem’s height. It’s not particularly thick, offering enough vertical give to dampen vibrations.
Newman’s R:32 wheels are built around a 32mm-deep rim. The rim is broad and shapes the excellent Schwalbe Pro 1 TLE tyres well. The wheels and tyres are tubeless compatible, but Cube ships its bikes with inner tubes fitted. A switch to tubeless would save a few grams over the already impressive 7.83kg total, which is nearly a kilogram less than the S3. Similar to the DTs on the S3, the Newman’s alloy construction feels suitably stiff on the road and, at 1650g a pair, they’re competitive compared to equivalent level wheels from the likes of Mavic or Fulcrum.
Cube’s Nuance saddle lends a nod to the everfashionable ‘short shape’, made popular by Specialized’s Power. That short nose makes it easy to maintain an attacking position for longer. That’s a bonus for a slammed frame like this, featuring a low 580mm stack (on our 58cm model) and long reach of 403mm. It’s also comfortable, which isn’t a holistic theme as the stiff chassis, stiff alloy wheels and 25c tyres remind you that this is an aero bike – its ideal terrain is silky smooth tarmac, not my Wiltshire testing ground. Handling’s arguably
Stiff chassis, stiff alloy wheels and 25c tyres mean its ideal terrain is silky smooth tarmac
un-aero-like, those tube shapes coping admirably with high winds.
Traditionally, an aero bike’s curvaceous tubing comes at a weight cost, but the C:68X Pro’s a good half a kilo lighter than its immediate aero rivals and it shows when heading toward the Gods. Once you’ve crested the hill, the Litening’s aggressive ride position equals peak speed, which is enhanced further by the steep 73.5-degree head angle that induces confidence-inspiring cornering.
C O NCL U S I O N
There’s very little to separate these two impressive aero bikes. They’re on a par when it comes to speed, swift handling and devastatingly good looks. They’re also united by alloy wheels that are ripe for upgrading to carbon numbers, not only in the interests of speed but also to dampen down road buzz, especially on the UK’s pockmarked network. When performance is similar, value is even more important and that’s where the Cube edges it. That integrated carbon cockpit’s seen on rangetopping superbikes double the price, but it’s the choice of electronic Di2 Ultegra over Cervélo’s mechanical that settles things. Who’d have thought a four-grand bike could ever be called a bargain!