Madone 4.5 or Synapse Carbon 5?

Hi- just joined this forum yesterday. Appreciate any comments/opinions on two new bikes I am thinking of buying- the Trek Madone 4.5 or the Cannondale Synapse Carbon 5. Looking to spend no more than $2K

Thanks in advance.

Gregg.

Greg - I am hardly an expert; only started raod biking this year. I was using a friends old 1100 until yesterday. I decided I liked cycling and would buy into a new bike. I test road a Madone 5.2 (performance not pro fit), Specialized Roubaix (sp?), Fuji CCR1 and the Synapse (3 - same frame as the 5). The one thing I learned - get sized (it really worked, I had it done in two places - REI and a local shop - they both gave me the same results and they were very helpful) and listen you yourself and your sense of comfort and fit more than the sales person. For 3 weeks sales people tried to convince me a 56cm frame (regardless of comments) was right and if it felt too big, they would make adjustments .. in the end I started from the 1100 which was comfortable, made a couple measurements and used that as my guide. In the end the three "measurements" that were most important to me .. 1) seat to handle bars, bottom of crank to seat, and I did not want the seat to be more than 1.5 inches above the bars - I wanted to be comfortable. In the end the Synpase was perfect for me - but the 54cm frame was a MUCH better fit - in fact, perfect, I could not be happier. I found the last on in my state by calling around and had to drive 30 min to the shop but it WAS worth it. I bought it yesterday and I am thrilled with the fit. 2 cms in the frame mdke a huge difference. I guess what I am saying.. listen to you body, take a few measurements and trust that over the salesperson's comments. I also found the Synapse rie much smoother and ironically quicker - this was clear for me immediately - with a quarter mile ride; I was bummed that the trek did not feel better, I liked the looks better, but in the end I am sure I made the right choice and fit is perfect. It took some work, but was worth it. .. Also the component kit was better - a deeper package for the money.... Saved about $800 for me.

What you need to do is to consult other newbies on here and learn about as many myths as possible about things like comfort, smoothness, responsiveness, suppleness, firmness, rigidity. Choose what myth you like best, and then buy accordingly.

Seriously, it doesn't really matter that much what you buy when comparing models and makes that are around the same price point. My personal opinion though, is that most people who are attracted to names like Madone, Roubais, Synapse, etc., would probably be better off being attracted to names like Aurora, Volpe, Surly, etc.

Thanks for the reply guys-sorry it took so long to reply. I wound up buying a Masi- a Team 3V (steel) made in Italy in 1992 with new Campy components. Love the bike and it's only about four pounds heavier than my friend's Roubaix (but he weighs like 30 pounds more than I so that's inconsequential). I agree that fit is the biggest thing- The frame is perfect for me (54) but I need to bring the bars up and back a little with a new stem.

Safe riding,

Gregg.

That sounds like a good choice. Enjoy riding it.

If you keep from thinking about those 3-4 lbs, and you work on riding efficiently, they won't matter. You can always make decision to carry or not carry something, you can use good quality, light tires if it's racing-like performance you want rather than flat protection. I'm just a layperson, not a pro racer, but in my opinion, what makes the most difference in riding enjoyment and performance is the right position and technique.

I mean, sure, if all of your riding involves a lot of racing other bikes uphill, then a bit more weight can matter... but other than that, it makes no difference whatsoever within the general category of reasonable quality road bikes. Some of those extra pounds might be in parts of the bike other than the frame, so, you can always lighten other components (like pedals, saddle, tires, wheels, etc.) if it really matters to you.