Cannondale Synapse Neo

[Nev]

Thanks to Deno for making me aware of this range of bikes. What do people think of them? Here is a link to the bikes.
https://www.cannondale.com/en/Great Britain/Products/ProductCategory.aspx?nid=e1887f30-a25a-4f9a-bcd4-792a7a7d965a

I think the following is good.

Strong motor(Bosch Active Line Plus) wont be a problem getting up any hills with that.
Good battery (500 wh) range probably around 200km.
Decent looks, not as nice as the Orbea Gain but better than the Giant Road E+2.

I am not so keen on the following.

I don't like the weight, but if I want this kind of motor and this kind of battery then I think I will have to put up with it. Unfortunately I don't have a Cannondale dealer close to me so that I can arrange a test ride. My LBS used to stock them but not any more. I think I have read somewhere that there are far less US bike shops stocking them now than used to be the case too. Does anyone know why?

I haven't seen any other racer type bikes using this motor does anyone know of any others?

 

[Roberticus]

I've been looking at this bike ! I was planning on an Orbea Gain but I don't think it will be powerful enough for me. After a heart attack I have to keep my heart rate down below 125, so I can't cycle up hills without assistance no matter how slow I go!
As a keen cyclist I hoped to get something like the Gain that seems a reasonable weight, if not the 8kg my best road bike weighs !
However I have been riding my Genesis Crois deFer with a 250w 36v front hub kit fitted (13ah battery). It is 20kg and feels heavy when man handling it, but is great to ride whether powered up or not. Therefore I've come to the conclusion that the thing that matters is how it feels to ride rather than how much it weighs.
So I've been looking at the Bianchi Impulso and the Giant,though not keen on the looks of the latter. Now seen the Cannondale and it seems a good bet but the prob is getting a test ride.
I see Rutland sell Cannondale bikes but don't list the Neo. Does say on their website that can source most bikes so I may try them when I'm ready to buy.
Not seen any road bikes with this motor ,though the Bianchi seems similar.

Sorry to witter on !
Rob

 

[Nev]

Therefore I've come to the conclusion that the thing that matters is how it feels to ride rather than how much it weighs.
Rob

That's a really good point Rob. If you get a test ride on one of these from Ribble can you feed back to the forum what you thought of it.

 

[Roberticus]

Will do. Just waiting for the weather to improve!

 

[nightrider]

have been looking at the cannondale myself, could never find weight of bike, would appreciate if anybody knows thanks. ps I have a felt all carbon road bike 8.5 kg without kit , fitted cytronex kit few months ago brings weight upto 12kg, really impressed with kit mid and boost button fairly potent get you up any hill. very easy to cycle with power off, no friction, unlimited range with power off on flat or even slight gradient just use it for hills

 

[Roberticus]

BikeRadar weighed the Neo se at 18.5kg, don't know about the others in the range. Think the higher spec ones will be lighter but not by much !
Was planning on a Cytronex kit myself but I don't think it will give me enough power/range.
I really need to try different bikes but as noted before ,it's not easy !

 

[vfr400]

Be wary of anybody's claims about hill-climbing and range without qualification. Rider weight makes a substantial difference and different people have different ideas of what hills are. Statements like, "flys up any hill" have no meaning when you don't know the weight of the rider, how hard they're pedalling and exactly how steep and long the hills are.

How well a bike assists on hills is extremely complicated because there are so many variables. You can't even go by motor size or type.

 

[Nev]

How much faster do you folks think I would be able to go on something like the Neo or the Gain in comparison to my Cube MTB with CX motor?

So imagine I am riding the Cube MTB on the flat either with no wind or a slight tail wind and I am doing 18 mph. If I then get on the Neo or Gain and put in exactly the same effort (lets pretend this is possible) how much faster am I likely to go?

My Cube MTB weights about 25 kg and I have a pair of worn (3000 miles) Smart Sam tyres and gel filled tubes.

Both racing bikes will be a lot lighter, the Gain even better than the Neo, the riding position on the racing bikes should be a fair bit more aero dynamic than the Cube. The tyres on the racers should have less rolling resistance than the Cube (at least I think so).

Putting all this together do you think I would be looking at getting an extra 3 or 4 mph for the same effort? So enabling me to ride along at say 21 or 22 mph?

 

[Roberticus]

Don't know if it's any help but ........... I have a favourite ride on which I use my mtb and gravel bike (not at the same time!) On checking my Strava times I'm 4mph faster on the gravel bike ( Genesis Crois de Fer). Both these bikes now have front hub kits fitted but the time difference is the same before and after.
However ,just to complicate matters ! ..... the mtb weighs 15kg ,the Genesis 20kg .

 

[Nev]

That's a good increase in average speed Robert, that's the kind of improvement I would like to see between my Cube mtb and the Neo for the same level of effort from me. Interesting that you saw this increase even though the Genesis weights 5kg more than your mtb. What would you put the improvement down to?

I'm guessing less rolling resistance and less aero dynamic drag on the Genesis, assuming you applied the same effort when riding both bikes. This I suppose would be quite difficult to judge without the aid of a power meter, but perhaps a heart rate monitor could be used for his purpose.

 

[Nev]

Does anyone know if I could use the Bosch 500 wh battery from the Neo as a spare for the Bosch 500 wh battery on my Cube mtb? There is a mountain I want to ride up in North Wales, Foel Fras which is 3091 ft or 942 m high. There is no way I can get up this mountain on one battery. I am not very good at getting up hills so need a lot of help from the motor (almost constantly in Turbo mode).

By the time I have got up Drum at 2525 ft or 770 m which is a peak one has to ride up prior to ascending Foel Fras I only have about 40% battery left.

 

[vfr400]

Air resistance is the biggest factor that affects your speed, so if speed is your most important consideration, always choose the bike with the lowest air resistance. That means thin frame and wheels, uncluttered handlebars, and low profile cranks and chainwheels.

As well as the bike, you need to think about clothing. All your efforts will be wasted if you wear a heavy coat and flappy trousers.

Other things that make a noticeable difference are oiled chain and tyres pumped up as hard as they can take. Smooth tyres will also be faster than knobbly ones.

Uphill, every 1 kg makes approximately 1% difference to your speed, so think about whether you really need to carry those two water bottles and tool kit with the kitchen sink in it. You can normally save at least 1 kg if you declutter your bike.

You'll be surprised how much faster you can make your bike by using the above guidelines. you don't need to spend any money.

 

[Jowwy]

Does anyone know if I could use the Bosch 500 wh battery from the Neo as a spare for the Bosch 500 wh battery on my Cube mtb? There is a mountain I want to ride up in North Wales, Foel Fras which is 3091 ft or 942 m high. There is no way I can get up this mountain on one battery. I am not very good at getting up hills so need a lot of help from the motor (almost constantly in Turbo mode).

By the time I have got up Drum at 2525 ft or 770 m which is a peak one has to ride up prior to ascending Foel Fras I only have about 40% battery left.

If they are both the same battery then yes.....but is the 500wh battery removable from the neo

 

[Nev]

If they are both the same battery then yes.....but is the 500wh battery removable from the neo

I don't know for sure but I think so. It uses the 500wh power tube system like mine does. On my bike this can be charged either on or off the bike. I think the Neo is the same but if anyone knows different please let me know.

 

[Roberticus]

As for effort, I always use a hrm,and average and max would be similar.
I do find it easier on the Genesis, it feels a more natural riding position to me, but then I was riding road bikes long before I got an mtb. Probably the main difference is the smaller area you present, I ride mostly on the hoods with elbows tucked in. I have 35mm off road tyres on the Genesis which are not a great deal narrower than the armadillos on the mtb.

 

[Nev]

I've arranged a test ride on the Neo for Wednesday provided its not raining (shop wont let it out in the rain, I don't blame them for that). They will let me try it out on a decent hill, I will feed back to this forum my thoughts.

 

[Nev]

I road tested the Neo this morning and was very impressed with it. I found it much better on the hills (which was my worry) than the Cube road bike (Fazua motor) I tested some time ago. I have bought the Neo 2 and if the weather is decent I will hopefully get a good ride out on it tomorrow.

 

[georgehenry]

Hi Nev I had a look at the link to the bikes and thought that the active line, 500Wh battery and a quality road bike should make a very practical long distance machine. You should have a lot of fun on it.

 

[Roberticus]

Good luck with the Neo. Be interesting to hear your thoughts after a few rides.

 

[Deno]

Nice work, congratulations. I feel a little bit responsible.........and jealous!