My new Synapse disc!

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Wafer

Wafer

Veteran
Realised I've had the bike over a year now so thought I'd share a longer term update.

Overall still really pleased with the bike. Done a few hundred miles on it rather than the few thousand some people round here have probably done but I'm doing my cycling that I was before which was the point.

All I've changed on it so far are the pedals and added mudguards for the commute, been meaning to change the wheels for months but other bills keep delaying it...
Done well over the winter once the guards were on, not terribly impressed with the way the LBS I got it from set some things up, the brakes probably still aren't right but they are certainly better.

Now I'm more used to it some of the feeling of urgency when it's moving I felt it had at the beginning is now business as usual! And I don't notice the heaviness getting going so much. Still enjoy getting out of the saddle for short bursts up some slopes though, having only ridden a Hybrid before and MTB like bikes when I was younger that still feels a lot different.

On the negative side if I was looking for the same sort of bike now I think I'd go for better disc brakes and maybe sacrifice a groupset level if needed. The 105 has been spot on with no maintenance (other than generally sorting out the chain every so often) but the brakes are the sort where only one calliper moves and that seems less than ideal and though someone more mechanically minded than me could probably sort it out more easily, they have been fiddly to adjust. Saying that, I always screwed up the V-brakes on the Sirrus when I tried adjusting them or replacing the pads, so the fact I've managed to improve these is a plus point in itself!

Other than my early thoughts thinking it was a bit slow to get going due to the cheapo heavy wheels, I've not had any problems with them or the tyres, but then I'm not doing the mileage some people are, I'm not especially fast and I tend to avoid routes that I know are on the bumpy side as though the frame deals with the road buzz better than the sirrus did, I don't particularly enjoy it.
Which means it isn't the bike I originally set out to get, and I'm now procrastinating over what to get next to deal with the bumpier stuff (custom build CdF is looking favourite at the mo but I wasn't wanting to spend the sort of money it will cost) but it's been a very nice road bike that's giving me a lot of enjoyment and had various nice comments about it's looks at work :smile:
 

jowwy

Can't spell, Can't Punctuate....Sue Me
Realised I've had the bike over a year now so thought I'd share a longer term update.

Overall still really pleased with the bike. Done a few hundred miles on it rather than the few thousand some people round here have probably done but I'm doing my cycling that I was before which was the point.

All I've changed on it so far are the pedals and added mudguards for the commute, been meaning to change the wheels for months but other bills keep delaying it...
Done well over the winter once the guards were on, not terribly impressed with the way the LBS I got it from set some things up, the brakes probably still aren't right but they are certainly better.

Now I'm more used to it some of the feeling of urgency when it's moving I felt it had at the beginning is now business as usual! And I don't notice the heaviness getting going so much. Still enjoy getting out of the saddle for short bursts up some slopes though, having only ridden a Hybrid before and MTB like bikes when I was younger that still feels a lot different.

On the negative side if I was looking for the same sort of bike now I think I'd go for better disc brakes and maybe sacrifice a groupset level if needed. The 105 has been spot on with no maintenance (other than generally sorting out the chain every so often) but the brakes are the sort where only one calliper moves and that seems less than ideal and though someone more mechanically minded than me could probably sort it out more easily, they have been fiddly to adjust. Saying that, I always screwed up the V-brakes on the Sirrus when I tried adjusting them or replacing the pads, so the fact I've managed to improve these is a plus point in itself!

Other than my early thoughts thinking it was a bit slow to get going due to the cheapo heavy wheels, I've not had any problems with them or the tyres, but then I'm not doing the mileage some people are, I'm not especially fast and I tend to avoid routes that I know are on the bumpy side as though the frame deals with the road buzz better than the sirrus did, I don't particularly enjoy it.
Which means it isn't the bike I originally set out to get, and I'm now procrastinating over what to get next to deal with the bumpier stuff (custom build CdF is looking favourite at the mo but I wasn't wanting to spend the sort of money it will cost) but it's been a very nice road bike that's giving me a lot of enjoyment and had various nice comments about it's looks at work :smile:
If just wanting to improve the brakes -take a look at the trp spyres, i put them on mine, easy to set-up its also dual caliper rather than single sided, so both pads squeeze together, they are really top quality cable discs. Have them in both my disc roadies
 
OP
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Wafer

Wafer

Veteran
Yeah could do, I was planning on doing wheels next if anything, but I'm thinking I might get a set for n+1 that will also fit the Synapse. If my budget will go that far I was thinking something like I believe you and w00hoo_kent got from DCR. Would have to swap tyres as well, but could kill 2 birds with 1.5 stones...

In the mean time a smaller brake upgrade might help! Might even end up with Spyres on the n+1 as well.
 

w00hoo_kent

One of the 64K
Original tyres went on my new rims comfortably (23's sit on the 23 width rims fine, I went to 28's with the next tyre replacement I needed.) I'm getting along with the brakes if a little squeally, with a view to go hydraulic when there's a good variety of choice on the market (I'm presuming they will bolt on in place of the mechanicals) but I tend to brake earlier on it anyway when commuting, clip less plus drops make me more cautious than on the hybrid.
 
OP
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Wafer

Wafer

Veteran
Ah you got narrower rims? n+1 will be more of an adventure/gravel bike with fatter tyres that wouldn't fit in the synapse frame. Working on the idea I can get wheels that will takes 25s like the Synpase at the moment and 30 somethings on the future bike.
Guy at work suggested waiting for the new 105 set later in the year and use that (mainly as it's what he is eyeing up) but I've no idea what that's going to cost, probably a decent amount more as it's hydraulic... will see how the figures work out.

The beauty of it is I have a perfectly good bike at the moment so no need to rush :biggrin:
 

w00hoo_kent

One of the 64K
Ah you got narrower rims? n+1 will be more of an adventure/gravel bike with fatter tyres that wouldn't fit in the synapse frame. Working on the idea I can get wheels that will takes 25s like the Synpase at the moment and 30 somethings on the future bike.
Guy at work suggested waiting for the new 105 set later in the year and use that (mainly as it's what he is eyeing up) but I've no idea what that's going to cost, probably a decent amount more as it's hydraulic... will see how the figures work out.

The beauty of it is I have a perfectly good bike at the moment so no need to rush :biggrin:
Indeed, I'm in no rush either.

I went for H Plus Sons Archetypes, which are 23mm across (I'm presuming mm) which gives quite a lot of tyre options. I'd be surprised if there was a width tyre that couldn't go on the rim, but would sit between the forks (but I could be wrong, I've not checked the Sheldon site or anything). I'm running 28's on them at the moment quite comfortably and would be unlikely to go wider than something like the 32's my wife has on her Croix.
 
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Wafer

Wafer

Veteran
Croix is what I'm eyeing up at the mo, with a Planet X London Road also in my peripheral vision, 32s are around what I was thinking anyway so could be a winner :thumbsup:
 

w00hoo_kent

One of the 64K
Croix is what I'm eyeing up at the mo, with a Planet X London Road also in my peripheral vision, 32s are around what I was thinking anyway so could be a winner :thumbsup:
I'd check before taking me as gospel, rereading this I have a sneaky suspicion they might be 35's on it. Whatever, I know they are pretty chunky but she's had no problem with them on tarmac and has done the odd tow path and loose trail on it with no difficulties. Definitely stuff I wouldn't go near with my Synapse (although the Sirrus coped with it fine).
 
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Wafer

Wafer

Veteran
Yeah, there's a particularly rough bit of road near me running alongside a canal with a strava segment. My fastest time along there is with the Sirrus despite riding further and faster with the Synapse elsewhere.
Will certainly check before I order anything but that's my hoped for plan at the mo.
 
+1 for the TRP Spyres here.
My mate rides a Synapse disc and we swapped bikes for 20 miles or so the other week. His Synapse was much comfier than my Equilibrium, but less stiff and 'racy' I'd say. The big thing he noticed though was how much better my brakes are than the single calliper jobbies the Synapse comes with, so much so that he ordered some TRP Spyres as soon as we got home! Cheers.
 
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