CANNONDALE SYNAPSE CARBON DISC ULTEGRA SE

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THE SYNAPSE HAS BEEN a Cannondale stalwart since 2006, a race-ready endur-ance bike proven in the grueling European Spring Classics. The all-new 2018 frames are disc-brake only with clearance for up to 32mm tires. They retain the line’s thin 25.4mm seatpost and spindly seatstays (both tuned for comfort), and are engineered for consistent handling across the size run. The frames are slightly asymmetrical at the fork and rear triangle, a design that the company says improves stiffness and offsets disc-braking forces.

At a time when some companies have gone with active suspension (actu-al shocks in the front or rear) on endurance bikes, Cannondale has opted to improve flex by fine-tuning the frame’s carbon con-struction and tube shaping. The Synapse’s endurance-race geometry (a slightly taller head tube and shorter top tube than a race bike) is meant for all-day comfort.

The result of this over-haul is a bike that’s as much at home climbing paved switchbacks as it is blast-ing through gravel. Without the extra weight and move-ment of active suspension, the Synapse feels more lively than some other endurance bikes. It responds to ped-aling input like its racier sibling, the SuperSix Evo, while remaining stable in corners and on descents. The durable WTB Exposure 700x30mm tubeless-ready tires add suppleness, and a Shimano Ultegra R8000 drivetrain (50/34, 11-34) and R8020 flat-mount hydraulic disc brakes with thru-axles made me feel like I could take the Synapse anywhere. Also handy: hidden front and rear fender mounts, a down tube cable port, and an inte-grated Garmin mount.

I’m drawn to lightweight race bikes over endurance models, so I didn’t expect to love the Synapse. But I do. And the glossy battleship gray paint paired with gum-wall-style tires lends a vin-tage vibe that gives me heart eyes. When a bike rides as good as it looks, you’ve got a real winner.