Fastfwd01

I know the Supersix isn't actually available yet, but I'm curious what, if any, opinions there might be comparing these two bikes? These are the two that I'm sort of looking at right now. Possibly the DI2 Cervelo R3 and possibly the mechanical Dura Ace Supersix HiMod. I might consider a R5 too, but I'm afraid it would be hard to fit within the budget. I haven't really even looked at the R5 very seriously considering that, but maybe I should.

The Supersix looks like it's going to be super lightweight in comparison, but should that raise a concern for fragility? I'm still pretty new to cycling and I'm not sure the most ultra lightweight bike is the hottest idea if there is a concern for how much more fragile it might be. I have the same concern for the Cervelo R5.

It looks to me like the 2015 Cervelo maybe only hit the stores like in March? So, any 2016 model wouldn't be available until next spring I suppose? If I'm looking to purchase in the coming months I suppose I'll be comparing their 2015 to the 2016 from Cannondale.

I hear people say that 'Cervelo is a different class of bike' - is that really the case? I know they don't really make any lower end bikes and I like that relative exclusivity the brand has because of it, but does that equate to what they offer being in a 'different class' than a higher end Cannondale like the Hi-Mod Supersix? I think I know the answer to that, but I'm curious if there are opinions if anyone cared to share. The Supersix looks like it might have marginally better stock wheels too.

My impression is that these are both relatively compliant 'race geometry' bikes that might fairly equally serve well in the capacity to pursue better times in centuries, metrics, etc. The new Supersix seems to have incorporated a few of the Synapse features from what I've read so far. Increased capacity for larger tires, etc.

typehxr1

I can wholeheartedly recommend the mechanical Dura Ace Hi-Mod. I just bought a leftover (thank God) 2015 for a good deal. It is my 2nd bike (been riding a 2013 Specialized Roubaix Elite for the past few months) and probably my last for quite a while.

It is light as heck. I have noticed an instant difference in acceleration. Average top speed....eh, maybe 0.5 - 1.5 increase....hard to say (I haven't compared on an apples to apples ride yet). The difference is that I don't feel I am working as hard to achieve the same results.

Whatever you do, get AT LEAST Ultegra components. My Roubaix is 105 and Ultegra was a bigger jump than I was expecting during a Tarmac test ride. Needless to say, having Dura Ace is great. I totally would have bought an Ultegra version to save a few bucks though.

My local shop just picked up Cervelo but hasn't gotten any in yet. I like the look of them and that not many non-triathletes ride them. With that said, I see so many Specialized bikes that the Cannondale seems a little exclusive to me, particularly with it being the Hi-Mod.

Fastfwd01

I called checking prices on a Cervelo R3/R5 today and was told the Supersix is renowned for being very stiff, but not so much for compliance? He was also really promoting the 2016 Giant TCR Advanced Pro 0 that he says he just got to test in Colorado this week. Says the wheels on it are pretty superb, etc.



Of course, he's a Giant and Cervelo dealer and for all I know they might make a mint on Giant markup vs. Cervelo. We were talking about what kind of deal he could make on a Cervelo and getting into percentages of discount, etc.

I appreciate any input on this. I'm not trying to solicit anyone bashing on one brand over another, but if there are known reputations for characteristics that I might be missing from reading reviews please feel free to chime in.

Fastfwd01

Found this on another forum: 2016 Supersix Evo Landing

loimpact

I meant to comment on this thread earlier. Sorry, I must've gotten distracted.

Anyway.....I wanted to say that the SuperSix EVO is FAR, FAR, FAR from stiff. As I've said a million times before on this forum, the EVO is one cush bike! I don't even think they need a Synapse.

If you want a stiff bike, buy a Venge!

Johnny Rad

Didn't realize Cervelo still made their R3.

Here's hoping it's at least significantly updated.

If not and you're feeling generous, you could say it's a golden oldie.

nemeseri

Not necessarily. The most important thing is that you have a nice and comfortable fit on that bike. A race geometry will only gain you time if you can use the lower stack. Meaning you can handle larger saddle to bar drop. What's your current drop? Do you want to be more aero? Can your back handle the more drop?
I wouldn't buy a race geo bike just to put 3cm spacers and +17 degree stem on it.

I think both bike you mentioned are exceptionally good. I'd choose between the two based on riding them.

Ray9

I have a Super Six Evo Hi-mod and the basic difference I have noticed is that last year I rode with the B group while this year I ride with the A group. The game changer is the way it performs on hills. Even on A group rides I am consistently up in the front. Because I only weigh 135 pounds I get caught on down hills if I don't lock onto the wheels of heavier riders. Overall the bike is great. It's like riding on a cloud.

Fastfwd01

How am I really going to know if I can handle the more aggressive position without owning it and forcing myself to ride several hundred miles with it to see? Even my Synapse took a little getting used to coming from a mountain bike. Believe me that I hope that I'm not getting into a more aggressive geometry that I will hate and not be able to endure for six hours on a century ride.

Fastfwd01

I'm a bit puzzled by there being a 2015 model with the odd color scheme having a white top tube and the rest black, but they only seem to have the 2014 models in the more attractive black and blue color scheme in the dealers. I personally don't much care for the 2015 color scheme and I wonder if it was such a flop that they kept selling the 2014 models? I've been told that Cervelo isn't following a model year bike thing anymore and I'm not sure what that means either really.

Are you implicating that Cervelo has a reputation for being dated or is that just your personal opinion? My impression is that they fairly recently trickled down more of the RCA model innovations, but I quite frankly couldn't say exactly what those have been off the top of my head.

loimpact

Believe it or not, you'll adapt. I felt the very same way and questioned my purchase a number of times. Funny thing is......after wondering if I could ever tolerate a "road bike" position, not only have I tolerated it, but I've since moved my handlebars down since owning the bike.

Not unlike your Synapse, with bar/stem combinations & settings, you can easily creep up on what feels best for you.

And, no matter what anybody says here.....I honestly, truly believe that you will need a bike for at least 6 months to know how it will fit you. Yes, you'll have an "immediate" feeling on a test ride but that'll be hard to gage. Then in about a month, you'll know better how you it suits you. But no matter how those 2 feelings leave you, don't be surprised if in 6 month's time, you've got the bike right where you want it and that YOU also adapt to the bike at the same time.

WalksOn2Wheels

This was true when 105 was still 10 speed (5700), but with the 5800 11 speed 105? I think if you could ride a bike blindfolded, the only way you would be able to tell the difference between 105 and Dura Ace is if your hands are sensitive enough to feel the difference between carbon and alloy levers. Shifting is basically the same. I have been riding DA9000 for a while now and working on some 5800 bikes at the shop, the feeling is exactly the same. It's stupid nice for the price. Everyone else in the shop agrees. The only benefit at this point is weight.

nemeseri

You can either ride the bike you want to buy, or you can replicate the lower stack by removing spacers and using a different stem. Take a note of your current stack from cannondale's website. Then you can check out the supersix's / cervelo's stack and try to replicate it on your synapse. You can use the calculator: Stem Chart

Probably you can go quite close and see how it feels.

San Pedro

I would take a look at the Giant as well. They make nice bikes (just where I live one in every three road bikes and one in every two hybrids I see are Giants ... or more).

dalava

If so, it's worth $$$$$. Seriously, no bike would make that much of a difference unless you were riding 30lb hybrid before.

dalava

OP, I don't know much about the 2016 SS Evo, but I have a 2014 SS Evo hi-mod, and I also had 2013 R3 and 2012 R5. There are a lot of similarities between the SS Evo and the R5, very light and stiff. The Evo rides a bit differently in terms of handling and comfort. I would say the Evo SS is a bit racier than the R5, a little twitchier and less tolerant of road condition than the R5, but not by much. The R3 rides similar to the R5 but little more muted and a little less stiff, again, not by much. If I have to choose amongst them and price is a big factor, I would rank them in order of preference as R3, SS Evo, R5. If cost is not a big concern, then R5, SS Evo, and R3.

With all that said, I now have a Cervelo S3 (the newer model) and ride it almost all the time at the expense of the SS Evo. It may be something for you to consider.

Fastfwd01

I appreciate the input. I'm not sure what kind of riding you do, but I prefer longer distance riding - at least as far as any organized events. Would you say the R3 would be best suited of the three for longer distance if there was a bit of climbing involved? Does 'muted' equate to a bit more comfort afforded by absorbing some extra road buzz over distance?

I've been catching several people advocating for various aero bikes like the S3 or new Madone and I know it's sort of trendy, but I just don't really think it's what suits my needs. My impression is that they are generally stiffer and heavier than a more all round road bike and that's not exactly what I'm looking for. I appreciate the suggestion though.

sheepdog84

I think the R3 is going to be better for you over long distances... I rode one in comparison to a caad10 and there was no contest in the comfort department, but it was out of my price range at the time. That was a few years ago and this year I upgraded my frameset to the R5 and couldn't be happier.

I never feel "beat up" after riding my R5 over any distance. Climbs are (mostly) a breeze too

I equate all of that to design and geometry. The prime differences between the R3 and R5 are weight and stiffness.

Anything trendy will never suit your needs because the trend will eventually die and you'll want the next thing in line.

Aesthetically speaking, the 2015 R3 isn't bad looking either.

dalava

I do similar long distance rides, and like to climb also. When I bought the S3, I thought I would use it mostly for flat-ish fast group ride, and use the EVO for the long ride and climbing, but after I got it, I love how comfortable yet efficient it feels, and now 80% of my rides are on the S3. It's handles and rides like a R3 but when you need the power, it's very efficient like the EVO. It's very noticeable when I get out of the saddle on a climb. With DA9000 and American Classic Argent tubeless wheels, my S3 weighs 15.5 lbs all in including the pedals, not too bad for an aero bike.

As far as the aero bike goes, I think it's actually the future of road bike, not just a fad. With the ways they can now build carbon frame with different layups for different parts of the frame to reduce weight and enhance stiffness, there is no reason for company NOT to design their bike to be as aero as possible. The gains may be marginal, but there is almost no penalty in weight gain. I avoided going to more proprietary design like the Venge or Felt AR because I like to use stock parts.

TexMac

I second that regarding Venge

Fastfwd01

I know my position on this entire new bike thing has fluctuated wildly since the search began, but I'm sort of at the moment leaning toward the prospect of keeping my Synapse for most of my training riding and possibly getting something like the R5 for events and the occasional weekend ride. If I went Cannondale Evo I would certainly be getting their lightest and stiffest frame in a Hi-Mod. The R3 is maybe a little heavy? I know the Di2 I rode a few weeks ago in a smaller size was said to weigh in at like 17lbs with all stock components.

I see the S3/5 has what appears to be a bit more aggressive stack/reach numbers vs the R3/5? I'm just picking up on this stack and reach thing and maybe there is more to it, but I'm guessing that equates to a far more aggressive position that might not work out as well for me over the longer distances?

dalava

S5 is a whole different animal from S2/3. S2/S3 have the exact same geometry as R2/R3/R5 in terms of stack and reach.

Fastfwd01

Ah, I see. I'll keep it in mind. Not sure it's for me, but something to think about. I definitely lumped the aero bikes in with the time trial bikes as being heavy and too stiff. I see them riding the S on the Tour too now that I'm paying more attention.

dalava

I ditched an R5 (<15lb) and R3 (15.2 lbs) and built up an new S3 (15.5.lbs) and can't be happier. I am pretty picky about weight and handling. Hopefully that means something to you.

Fastfwd01

Ended up coming across a deal on a R5 with Dura Ace that was unexpected. I'm pretty stoked about it. I've only ridden it twice, but enough to realize just how plush it is vs. my aluminum Cannondale Synapse. I'll still be riding the Synapse for exercise miles though.

Thanks for the input from everyone who contributed in this very long search. I'm relieved to have finally just found something.

Cycling Summer 15-0003 by Jason Garrett, on Flickr