Cannondale???

i am thinking of getting an 08 cannondale. synapse, caad9 5 or a six13 6. something along the line. don't know muck about cycling. any thing that i should look for. things that are good, or bad. any input is great.

I test rode the synapse and the CAAD9 for several weeks when I was looking to upgrade my road bike. I ended up getting a Giant OCR purely because of the deal at time (the OCR1 is comparable to the synapse-alum frame). Depending on the kind of riding you want to do... the synapse is a more relaxed geometry (position is slightly more upright) geared for comfort and longer rides (fitness, touring). There is also a synapse carbon but I assume you're not considering that one?
The CAAD 9 seemed to me to be a "faster" bike, more of a racing frame (body position is lower) also I thought it was a little "stiffer". Both are great bikes. The synapse comes with wider tires (700x25 I think) the CAAD9 comes 700x23 so they ride differently. If your going for "comfort", i suggest the synapse.
I don't know anything about the six13.

I'm riding the Synapse Carbon, with 105 components and love it. The geometry is the same as CAAD9, but you don't get the butt busting stiffness of the all aluminium frame, I highly recommend it.

im not doing any races this year but not totally sure, it's a posibility. i want to eventualy go on 60 -80 miles rides with the club. also i will probably upgrade to ultegra. probably the rear derailer and then the shifters.

What are the wheels like. are they strong. b/c up here there are a lot of hills and hardly any smoth roads. so they should be strong.

I ride a six13 and love the bike whether it is hammering on the flats, uphills or doing a century. I find it to be a comfortable bike, but plenty stiff when climbing. Mine came with Ksyrium Elite wheels though I typically use my DT Swiss wheels, but wheelsets often vary from year to year and depending on the model you purchase. Unless you buy a real high end bike most come with lower end wheelsets and those tend to be pretty durable for general needs.

Best thing to do is try to get your LBS to let you do an extensive road test for each model that intrests you.

__________________
My Blog

Rear derailer is Ultegra standard on my otherwise 105 equipped bike. The 105 shifters from 2007 are as good as Dura Ace was just a few short years ago. They work perfectly well, and fit just as well. The annoying clicking is gone too.

The bike I bought comes with Shimano 105 wheels. They are not anything special, but they are a good training wheel. I'm a heavy rider and only had to true the back wheel once in a year of riding. I am careful not to ride fast over pot holes though.

Higher end (Synapse Carbon SL1) bikes come with Dura Ace and Mavic SL wheels, which is good for racing.

By the way I don't know if you are aware of this but Carbon Synapse is used in Paris-Roubaix because it is a really comfortable bike. Long rides on this bike are a joy.

it's between the caad9 5 or the SIX13 5. i think ill be ok with the wheels that come with the bike. if they become a problem then ill get some reynolds.

Though I ride a six13, I can state that those in my group that ride a CADD 9 have stated that they are fine with bike comfort despite all the hype of how unforgiving the bike frame is stated to be. From those people they really liked how the bike felt while climbing. One of those guys has a litespeed for his main bike, but prefers to use the CADD 9 on the routes with more elevation difference. I personally don't get the whole comfort thing because I feel comfortable on either my Felt or C-dale and both are primarily aluminum. I may feel different if I did ultra distance events.

I suppose if I were currently looking between the two I may opt for the CADD 9 since I believe the last time I checked you could get a little bit better group set for a comparable price.

__________________
My Blog

hay i am prety sure that im getting a cssd9 5. thanks. unfortionitly my parents are being a pain in the you know what, and won't buy it until middle feb. thanks alot guys

Hope you were able to make peace with The Parents and get the 'Dale.

I just bought a CAAD9 3 (Shimano 105 except for Ultegra RD). While shopping/testing I found it rides nowhere near as roughly as I'd been led to believe, and really a nice handling/accelerating bike.