B
Bob Ross
Guest
I've been an avid recreational cyclist for almost 40 years now (yikes!)
but this year decided it was time to jump in to the adult swim: My
wife, who's been an aggressively competitive distance biker for 11
years, got me to sign up with the New York Cycle Club, and since
February we've been doing between 40-80 miles every weekend. And I am
having a blast! I know it's only been 2 months, but I can see myself
doing this longer/faster/harder thing for the rest of my life
....except that my current bike must weigh a good 35-40 lbs, and it's
alarmingly undergeared for those flat roads where we're cruising over
25 mph. It's a ten year old Trek 750 Multitrack (hybrid). It'll
probably last forever, and if I weren't getting so serious about
distance cycling & group riding it'd probably be fine as the last bike
I ever owned. But I'm ready to step up to something that will let me
realize my full potential...or at least that will force me to point to
my own abilities as the limiting factor, rather than my gear.
So anyway, after a bit of research, I'm leaning towards a Cannondale
Synapse Carbon 3 (triple). I admit I'm somewhat predisposed to go with
a full carbon frame: I'm a professional bass player, & 2 of my
instruments have composite necks, so I'm well aware of the advantages
of carbon's high elastic modulus, high STW ratios, & inert resonance.
So I'd love to hear from folks who can offer well-reasoned
encouragement -- or discouragement -- for pursuing this technology in a
bicycle frame. If there are better bikes in a similar price range
(<$2500) in titanium or aluminum, I'd love to hear about them.
Suggestions welcome, and I would especially appreciate explanations for
*why* you're recommending a particular make/model. Or why you might
steer me away from the Synapse. (Eg., one fellow told me the Synapse
gets no respect from racers because it's a "comfort" bike. Irrespective
of whether I care what others think about my ride, ideally I want
comfort *and* performance.)
Thanks so much.
but this year decided it was time to jump in to the adult swim: My
wife, who's been an aggressively competitive distance biker for 11
years, got me to sign up with the New York Cycle Club, and since
February we've been doing between 40-80 miles every weekend. And I am
having a blast! I know it's only been 2 months, but I can see myself
doing this longer/faster/harder thing for the rest of my life
....except that my current bike must weigh a good 35-40 lbs, and it's
alarmingly undergeared for those flat roads where we're cruising over
25 mph. It's a ten year old Trek 750 Multitrack (hybrid). It'll
probably last forever, and if I weren't getting so serious about
distance cycling & group riding it'd probably be fine as the last bike
I ever owned. But I'm ready to step up to something that will let me
realize my full potential...or at least that will force me to point to
my own abilities as the limiting factor, rather than my gear.
So anyway, after a bit of research, I'm leaning towards a Cannondale
Synapse Carbon 3 (triple). I admit I'm somewhat predisposed to go with
a full carbon frame: I'm a professional bass player, & 2 of my
instruments have composite necks, so I'm well aware of the advantages
of carbon's high elastic modulus, high STW ratios, & inert resonance.
So I'd love to hear from folks who can offer well-reasoned
encouragement -- or discouragement -- for pursuing this technology in a
bicycle frame. If there are better bikes in a similar price range
(<$2500) in titanium or aluminum, I'd love to hear about them.
Suggestions welcome, and I would especially appreciate explanations for
*why* you're recommending a particular make/model. Or why you might
steer me away from the Synapse. (Eg., one fellow told me the Synapse
gets no respect from racers because it's a "comfort" bike. Irrespective
of whether I care what others think about my ride, ideally I want
comfort *and* performance.)
Thanks so much.