chip1

I have a Synapse Alloy 6. Went out for a ride at the park today and met a fellow cyclist with an Allez Sport. After a bit of friendly chitchat we decided to switch bikes for fun and to my surprise..Allez was so much smoother. This can't be, right? If I was comparing a CAAD to a Secteur I'd sort of understand, but how can my endurance bike be less comfortable than his race bike? I know this isn't the only factor when it comes to race/endurance, not to mention we were just coasting probably pedaling at less than 10 mph, but still, the smoothness of his Allez was immediately apparent. It just seemed to absorb vibrations better.

What are your thoughts on this? Any comments would be appreciated, thanks.

10 Wheels

Brand of tires and PSI make much difference.

Team Sarcasm

You actually payed attention as you rode when you switched bikes. You only pay attention on your synapse when something disturbs your bliss.

Ride 100 miles on both and come to a conclusion.

The Allez is an awesome bike, the Synapse as well. On flat surfaces with easy riding....both will feel about the same.


If it's worth anything, my caad10 is smoother than my synapse on most roads.

bikerjp

I have a caad9 but I often feel the same way which "in theory" doesn't seem right.

Team Sarcasm

I think its because the caad is stiffer.

Therefore in normal pedaling you know how the bike is going to react and you can move with the bike. Looking back on it, an issue with the synapse was that I would never quite get how to move with the bike because the bb area would give just enough to be unpredictable and this made is feel less smooth. But, unpredictable is not the correct word to use, but it gets the point across....I think.

As far as potholes and REALLY rough roads, the synapse takes them in the face and keeps asking for more. If I am not ready for a pothole on the caad, I get a nice little jolt right up the shoulders.

Obviously the new synapses have had this issue fixed.

chip1

The path from our park isn't all that smooth. Some parts are rough enough to get a good feel of the frame handling. I really do believe the difference wasn't in my head, as the other guy noticed too. And I don't think it was the tires. Both were low end stock and it didn't have that low PSI cushioning feel. This feeling was more from the frame themselves.

Back when I was a hybrid rider I had a 7.2 FX and Sirrus Elite. FX had a steel fork and the Sirrus had carbon, but that Specialized fork was a manufacturer replacement due to recall which my LBS mechanic described as "aggressive". I don't know if the forks were the main difference maker, but despite FX being the lower end model, it did a much better job soaking up vibrations. This is exactly how it felt when I compared my Synapse to his Allez.

Team Sarcasm

looks like you need to save your pennies for an Allez (and just as a hint, the e5 frame will blow you away)

bikerjp

Maybe for an alloy synapse, but mine is carbon and not very flexy. I use GP4000s on both with same pressure so I don't think it's tires. I think there is something to be said for the wishbone seat stays on the caad9. Bumps, crack, chip seal, potholes (the ones I miss) are all less noticeable (or less harsh or whatever term you want to use) on the caad.

hueyhoolihan

i'm not going to argue. looks like you found your next bike.

shoota 

In a good way? I'm trying to decide between an '06 Allez Comp and a new alloy Synapse for the wife. I keep reading that the Allez isn't that harsh and this one, being 8 years old now, is less than half of the new Synapse. But the wifey likes the color of the Synapse better

qqy

I own both. They are both quite similar on smooth roads. The geometry is more aggressive on the Allez tho. On rough roads the Synapse is much nicer. I am even running the exact same tires/wheels which I switch over.

RJM

I'd blame the tires on your Synapse.

hueyhoolihan

ever change the arrangement of the furniture in the fiving room? always looks better... for a while. when you eventually move it back, which i inevitably do, i say to myself. "why did i change it? this is really the best arrangement." could be what's happening...

Team Sarcasm

I havent ridden one from 06 but the new synapses are very nice. If I had to choose between a new allez and a new alloy synapse I would go with the new allez, assuming it was e5. A new allez v a new carbon synapse, I would get a downsized carbon synapse.

Just depends on what kind of riding you'll do with it. I doubt you can go wrong with either. why not a new allez? a new synapse is in the price range of one.

8086bruce

Did the Allez maybe just fit you better? That can be a lot of what makes a bike Feel good.

chip1

I just wish I rode it more aggressively to get a better feel. I think we both took it easy because we didn't want to mess up each others bike.

The simplest way I can describe is, Allez felt like carbon, and mine felt like aluminum. Both bikes are aluminum frame with carbon fork. Come to think of it aren't most carbon materials have gloss finish? Allez is all gloss, while my Synapse is all matte. In fact I can't even tell the difference between my frame and fork. Can aluminum and carbon ever be indistinguishable? Or am I just stupid? Or..maybe my fork is actually an aluminum?

The reason I say I wish I could've taken the Allez for a more serious ride is because today I took my Synapse out for a ride at a difference path today, and this path has a rough part in the beginning almost like a mini cobblestone, and I could feel the frame eliminating some of those harsh vibrations, just not in a smooth carbon/steel way (maybe this is where Save-Plus feature comes in play). I wish I knew how Allez handled this rough part of the road. But on yesterday's ride, where it wasn't as harsh (but not perfectly paved either), Allez was clearly smoother, and it was no placebo effect.

chip1

Actually I was going to make another thread about this. I have a problem with having pain on my hands, specifically the base of my thumb where it holds the hoods. I tried everything from rotating bars, moving seat forward and back, and also tilting. Right now I have the saddle tilted slightly upwards, and the handlebar is in the highest position as it came in stock. This setup is fairly comfortable, just slight pain if I'm on hoods for a while but I just change position. If I flip the stem to get lower my hands hurt more.

On the Allez, the frame was one size bigger, but the stem looked 10mm shorter and the seatpost was lower than I ride. Saddle was level, and the handlebar height was set up just like mine.

Could this have anything to do with it?

link0

It's all in the tire pressure.

Team Sarcasm

if you cant tell, look at the conjoining points. Aluminum generally has angled corners where cf is more rounded. But yes, you're frame is made for the bumps. I remember my synapse had 2 kinds of vibrations: deep slow thuds and fast rolling vibes (compared to the caad10 which has quick crisp impacts)

PhotoJoe 

Did you ask the Allez owner what his impressions of your Synapse were?

moppeddler

Just get a Domane and you'll have the best of both worlds!

darb85

The allez is also one of the smoothest riding aluminum bikes ive ever had the pleasure of riding.

qcpmsame 

One ride isn't much or a test to base things beyond the first impression aspect you experienced for the Allez. That said, a few tests I read liked the Allez ride very much, a lot of the old thoughts about the harshness of aluminum have gone by the wayside with the newer alloys and tubing profiles that can be manufactured now. The tires and pressures, as well as wheel builds, can all effect the ride quality, as said above. Both are great bicycles, I'd gladly own either if I had to leave my CAAD 10 4.

Bill

qqy

Curiously, it's the same material they've been using for a decade now - E5 Alu (70xx Alu). However the tube shaping has radically changed. My first race bike was a '04 E5 Allez and it was very stiff.