Month: April 2021

It’s Fast Bike Friday again, and this week’s is an absolute beauty! Today we’re featuring a super-fast cross country hardtail mountain bike – the Trek Procaliber 9.5 and what a stunner it is! Before we start delving into all of the technical details that help make this a superb XC race bike let’s just take a minute to appreciate the fantastic flame-coloured paint job with an awesome fade from red through to orange and yellow. We’re very lucky to have a highly-skilled photographer at our disposal; James Vincent is our regular Fast Bike Friday photographer and all credit to him, he’s done a wonderful job of capturing the Procaliber 9.5 for us.

The Trek Procaliber 9.5 is stunning to look at…

You may already be familiar with the Procaliber model within Trek’s range of cross-country-focused mountain bikes, it’s a bike that has been around for a few years, however it’s important to point out that THIS is the all-new Trek Procaliber which features some really significant updates which we’ll get to in a minute; first a quick summary of Trek’s options when it comes to cross country race bikes…

A few seasons ago the Trek Cross Country Factory Racing team had a choice between two models – the full suspension Top Fuel for more technically demanding race courses or the Procaliber hardtail which was better suited to less technical race courses with considerably more climbing. Then in late 2019 along came the Trek Supercaliber which featured a very clever IsoStrut integrated shock providing 60mm of travel; this bike is a sort of ‘best of both worlds’ race bike that sits between the Top Fuel full suspension bike and the Procaliber hardtail. As a result of this new development Trek’s racers now favour the Supercaliber over both alternative options as it can handle the demands of almost all cross country race courses.

There’s a higher cost implication to the Trek Supercaliber model; it’s a very sophisticated piece of engineering, and Trek are very aware of the demand for more affordable options from us humble XC privateers who are racing on a regional level and riders with absolutely no interest in racing who are just looking for a really light and efficient carbon hard tail mountain bike. This is where the all-new Trek Procaliber comes into play – for 2021 Trek have created a small range of Procal’s to suit your riding aspirations AND budget.

The all-new Trek Procaliber…

So far we’ve been referring to the Procaliber as a hardtail, because, well it is! (when compared to a true full suspension bike or even Trek’s soft-tail Supercaliber bike) however it DOES feature Trek’s highly regarded Isospeed decoupler which provides some additional compliance to the carbon frame. This technology is a carry-over from the previous generation Procaliber; we’ll run through exactly how it works after we’ve taken a look at the significant changes that Trek have made to this new-generation Procaliber.

Trek took the opportunity to update the Procaliber’s geometry and include a number of different upgrades to make it more ‘trail-ready’ without sacrificing any of its cross country race speed which the original was so recognised for. Cross country riding and racing has definitely got more rowdy in recent years and Trek are keeping up with this evolution; the Procaliber’s geometry changes include a slightly slacker headtube angle and a longer reach for a more progressive geometry which is more comfortable and confidence inspiring at speed, particularly on descents. At 432mm the Procal’s chainstays have got shorter to help make the bike feel more agile and there’s also a steeper seat tube which helps to put you in a more efficient climbing position. Tyre clearance has increased too with the option to run tyres up to 2.40” wide, this is another welcome addition if you’re looking for a cross country bike that can be ridden a little harder.

Significant changes to the Procaliber’s geometry make the all-new version more ‘trail-ready’…

All Procalibers in the range including the Procaliber 9.5 which we’re looking at here, are constructed from Trek’s own OCLV Mountain Carbon. This rather unique carbon fibre features on mountain bikes way further up the food chain and it’s great to see it being utilised here. OCLV Mountain Carbon is tougher than standard carbon fibre, while it retains its lightweight, stiff properties it is significantly more durable than carbon fibre from other mountain bike brands. With clever material composition and sophisticated lay-up procedures OCLV Mountain Carbon has been proven during Trek’s stringent testing and easily matches the demands of today’s more aggressive riding styles.

Trek’s OCLV Mountain Carbon is lighter AND tougher than their previous generation carbon fibre…

The Procaliber 9.5 features Trek’s ‘Straight Shot’ downtube, a design that has been successful on other models in their mountain bike range. The previous Procaliber included a bend at the junction with the head tube which was mainly there to avoid any potential problems with fork crown clearance on tight turns and the potential for frame damage when the bars turn suddenly during crashes. For the new generation Procaliber Trek have used the Straight Shot principle to add extra frame stiffness and make steering more precise without adding extra weight. Gear cables and brake hoses are neatly routed through the frame using internal channels making home maintenance easier; as you’ll see in the image below, there’s also internal routing for a dropper seatpost, so if you want to you can run a dropper and get the saddle out of the way on steep descents.

Trek’s ‘Straight Shot’ downtube adds stiffness and enhances steering precision…

So if Trek have used their Straight Shot downtube surely there’s a potential for frame damage from the fork crown as we just highlighted above? Thankfully no; in unison with their Straight Shot downtube Trek have developed the ‘Knock Block’ a feature that’s seen on many of their mountain bikes, from full-on gravity-focused bikes to their lightweight cross country mountain bikes. The Knock Block is basically a steerer stop which prevents your handlebar controls from hitting the frame’s top tube in the event of a crash and also stops the bikes’ fork crown from hitting the Straight Shot downtube. The newest version of the Knock Block (as seen here on the Procaliber 9.5) features an increased turning radius so even the tightest, slow speed turns aren’t an issue.

Trek’s clever Knock Block configuration prevents the potential for crash damage to the carbon frame…

OK, so let’s now focus on the IsoSpeed decoupler, a carry-over from the original Procaliber and a very clever piece of engineering that’s well proven on a number of Trek’s bikes including a significant number of their road, gravel, cyclocross and mountain bikes. The IsoSpeed decoupler maintains the traditional diamond-shaped frame geometry but ‘decouples’ the seat tube from the top tube, allowing the seat tube to flex with the forces of the terrain while the rider is seated. This genius approach utilises the engineered flex of the carbon fibre making it easier to pedal through choppy terrain helping to save your energy for the climbs and sprints. With no loss of pedaling power the Procaliber remains really efficient while you stay fresher and less fatigued particularly over longer distances making this a perfect bike for mountain bike marathons.

The Procaliber’s IsoSpeed decoupler provides energy saving comfort…

The Trek Procaliber 9.5 is the most affordable model in the Procaliber range. At £1,775.00 Trek have put together a really competitively priced bike which features exactly the same OCLV Mountain Carbon frame as the Procal at the top of the range. To hit this price point Trek have had to be pretty savvy with component choices; one of the key benefits of being such a large global bike brand is that Trek have considerable buying power when it comes to sourcing components from brands such as Shimano and RockShox; along with their own Bontrager finishing kit Trek can spec their bikes to be genuinely race-ready straight out of the box, no upgrades required. Read on for a full run-down of the components spec’d on the Procaliber 9.5…

The Procaliber 9.5 features a RockShox Judy SL fork with a lightweight Solo Air spring providing 100mm of suspension travel, just enough to help you negotiate tough off-road terrain without making your ride feel sloppy and inefficient. If you’re the type of rider who tends to sprint uphill out of the saddle then you’ll appreciate the TurnKey lockout too. These Judy SL forks are Boost 110 for extra stiffness and steering precision and feature a Maxle Stealth thru axle for quick, easy wheel removal and installation.

When it comes to the drivetrain Trek have spec’d the Procaliber with a full compliment of Shimano components; there’s a 12-speed Shimano Deore M6100 long cage rear mech working in unison with a Deore 12-speed trigger shifter to provide light, crisp and predictable gear shifting every time you press the shifter. It doesn’t matter if you’re frantically changing up the block as you hit a short, steep technical climb or are changing down gears during a full on technical descent gear changes are always consistent. The long cage rear derailleur includes a clutch too which brings an extra level of security to your drivetrain and prevents the bike from unshipping its chain.

A Shimano Deore M6100 12-speed rear derailleur takes care of gear changing duties…

Modern 1X drivetrains (a single chainring combined with a wide-ratio cassette) are brilliantly simple and fantastically functional. To help ensure you’ve got every gear that you’ll ever need to meet the demands of modern cross country racing and general mountain biking Shimano have created this whopping 10-51T cassette – the smallest cog features just 10 teeth and the largest cog a massive 51 teeth. That 51T cog means you have a super-low gear ratio to be able to climb even the steepest tracks and trails.

Upfront there’s a light, stiff Shimano MT511 crankset fitted with a hardwearing 30T steel chainring. The chainring features a narrow / wide tooth profile which helps to keep the chain in place preventing it from unshipping from the chainring. Of course the addition of that clutch rear derailleur means that your drivetrain is doubly secure.

The drivetrain is completed with a Shimano MT511 crankset featuring a 30T chainring…

With a single chainring setup there’s only one gear shifter on the left, keeping the cockpit uncluttered…

To hit that all important price point Trek have substituted Shimano Deore hydraulic disc brake levers for less expensive Shimano BL-MT200 versions. These brakes work great though, as do all Shimano components; they’re a little larger than the Deore model, probably weigh a little more and are slightly less adjustable but they’re just as durable and reliable.

Shimano MT200 hydraulic brake levers are durable and reliable…

The Shimano BL-MT200 brake levers are married up to MT200 hydraulic brake calipers providing consistent, confidence-inspiring braking in all weather conditions and on all terrains. With a superlight carbon frame and fast-rolling 29er wheels you’ll quickly find yourself gaining speed, and when you suddenly need to scrub off speed going into a tight, technical section of the trail the MT200’s will do their job. On the rear of the Procaliber 9.5 Trek have spec’d a compact, lightweight 160mm diameter disc rotor; upfront there’s a larger 180mm diameter rotor to help you immediately slow down and stay in control.

A Shimano MT200 hydraulic brake caliper and 160mm rotor keep your braking system light but effective…

There’s a larger 180mm disc rotor up front to help scrub off speed and prevent overheating…

As you’d expect from Trek the Procaliber 9.5 comes spec’d with a pair of Bontrager wheels (the Bontrager components brand is owned by Trek). All size options for the Procal feature 29” diameter wheels; this has become the norm for cross-country-focused mountain bikes over the past few years. The benefits are clear – they’re fast rolling and help you hold your speed really well; you’ll float over obstacles more easily thanks to their larger circumference and traction is enhanced thanks to their larger tyre-to-ground contact patch.

The Bontrager Kovee wheels feature front and rear hubs that are sealed-bearing with thru-axles and Boost spacing; Boost has quickly become the standard hub width for modern mountain bikes, with the front width being 110mm and the rear being 148mm. The combination of wider hubs and thru-axles mean that your wheels stay securely seated within the frame and increase overall stiffness and steering precision while keeping the disc brake rotors perfectly aligned with the disc brake calipers.

Bontrager Kovee wheels feature sealed bearing thru-axle Boost hubs…

Boost hub spacing and thru axles help enhance steering precision…

Here’s a headliner for you – the Bontrager Kovee wheels are already set up tubeless! Yes, that’s right, instead of having the hassle of setting them up yourselves Trek have already done it at the factory, as both the rims and tyres are labelled ‘Tubeless Ready’ it’s a no-brainer really. Having the Procaliber 9.5 set up tubeless straight out of the box means you’ll immediately benefit from a lighter wheel that rolls faster and enables you to run lower tyre pressures for better tyre traction and greater control; tubeless tyres with sealant inside mean that punctures picked up from small thorns and the like are almost completely eliminated.

The Bontrager Kovee wheels come set up tubeless from the factory – brilliant!…

Trek have fitted the Procaliber 9.5 with a pair of fast-rolling Bontrager XR2 Team Issue tubeless tyres with a tread pattern that’s perfectly suited to the demands of a typical cross country race course. This tread features tyre knobs that won’t slow you down on faster off-road sections, rolling efficiently on harder packed surfaces but will still provide ample grip when surfaces become softer and more traction is required. If you find yourselves regularly riding more demanding rocky terrain (like here in the Lake District!) then don’t forget, as we mentioned earlier, there’s clearance between frame and tyre to run up 2.40” wide tyres should you want to upgrade your tyres.

Fast-rolling Bontrager XR2 Team Issue tubeless tyres strike a sensible balance between speed and traction…

Bontrager XR2 Team Issue tubeless tyres feature a typical cross-country-focused tread pattern…

Finishing kit – handlebars, stem, seatpost and saddle are all Bontrager branded parts. An alloy handlebar with a 31.8mm clamp width is 720mm wide with a 5mm rise on frames sized small, medium and medium/large and 750mm wide with a 15mm rise on frames sized large and extra-large, which are great dimensions for this lightweight race bike, giving plenty of leverage without being to over the top in terms of width. An alloy seatpost features a Bontrager Arvada saddle with steel rails and a 138mm width which will suit most cyclists; don’t forget if you want to upgrade eventually the Procaliber 9.5 features cable routing for a dropper seat post should you want to get a little more rowdy with your riding.

A Bontrager Arvada saddle with 138mm width should suit most riders…

Lock-on Bontrager grips are a nice addition…

So there you have it – the Trek Procaliber 9.5 with its stunning good looks and lightweight, race-ready pedigree. Initially it’s hard to look beyond that beautiful paint job, but when you do you quickly realise that this bike is packed full of innovation while benefiting from a rich racing heritage, sharing features that have been developed for a number of other bikes within Trek’s mountain bike range and beyond. The Procaliber has had a makeover and we approve! With its modern trail-ready geometry, lightweight race-ready carbon frame and that IsoSpeed Decoupler providing enhanced comfort in the saddle this cross-country bike can handle short track racing, traditional cross country races, mountain bike marathons and playful days on your local trails when you just want to ride fast and have fun thanks to that progressive geometry and the option of running wider tyres and a dropper seatpost.

The Procaliber 9.5 – lightweight, race ready AND fun for everyday trail riding too…

The Trek Procaliber 9.5 is available in-store and online now.

 

Written by Johnny Dodgin

Photos by James Vincent

 

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This week for our Fast Bike Friday feature we’re looking at the brilliantly versatile Cannondale Women’s Synapse Carbon 105; this awesome all-rounder offers race-level performance, all-day comfort and all-road capability, meaning when the smooth tarmac stops and the unsurfaced tracks and lanes start you can continue your adventures and explore more. What deems this a women’s Synapse? We’ll get into that further into the Blog, for now let’s just focus on the Cannondale Synapse range and the benefits this bike brings to modern road cycling.

The Synapse is categorised by Cannondale as an ‘Endurance Road Bike’ on their own website, but one which is most definitely NOT limited to just the road; while the Synapse range does not sit in their gravel category (along side the Topstone and Topstone Carbon) it most certainly is a very closely related cousin which is capable of taking on unmade back lanes and gravel fire tracks. First launched way back in 2005 the Cannondale Synapse has evolved over the years, keeping pace with what the modern road rider expects from their bike; during the past 16 years the Synapse’s focus has moved away from only being ridden on the road to a much more versatile bike built to excel during epic mixed-surface adventures. The Synapse’s frame and geometry was updated in 2017 to meet the demands of modern cyclists looking for a versatile bike capable of efficiently holding speed on the tarmac while being fun and fast on the gravel back lanes.

The Cannondale Women’s Synapse Carbon 105 is brilliantly versatile…

You may be familiar with Ted King, the retired professional road cyclist who has quickly moved over to the burgeoning gravel racing scene. Ted is sponsored by Cannondale and has pretty much every bike in their range at disposal. It’s always interesting to see him move from one bike model to another depending on the demands of the gravel event he is competing in; Ted has raced on the Topstone Carbon, the SuperX (Cannondale’s cyclocross bike) and most significantly the Cannondale Synapse when the race is fast paced without too many technical off-road sections. Click the link below to hear Ted talk about how he sets up his Synapse for gravel racing…

Cannondale sponsored rider Ted King chooses the Synapse for fast gravel races…

The Cannondale Synapse has clearance for up to 32mm wide tyres opening up the opportunity to run this lightweight carbon bike with fatter tyres to cope with rough roads and gravel tracks. If your local roads and lanes are anything like ours there may well be more potholes, broken surfaces and grass up the middle than pristine smooth black tarmac, making the Synapse the perfect all-rounder. Able to handle whatever terrain you encounter, carefully planning rides routes and anxiety over what road surfaces you’ll encounter are a thing of the past.

Clearance for up to 32mm tyres means you’ll be encouraged to explore remote back lanes and gravel tracks…

As we touched on earlier, this particular model within the Synapse range is billed as a Women’s Synapse Carbon 105 road bike but it’s important to point out that there is no significant difference between this frame and the Synapse Carbon frames that are NOT deemed as women’s models. The frame’s sizing and geometry are identical, it is essentially the same bike. This is a trend that has been growing right across the bike industry with Trek and Specialized also following this ethos on a great amount of their bikes. Bike brands are abandoning the belief that women’s body proportions are vastly different to men’s; that’s too much of a generalisation, it’s more the case that our proportions are all individual regardless of gender. Sizing is consistent across the range regardless of gender, so for example if you’re looking at a size medium women’s bike, all of the measurements and angles are identical to the men’s size medium. There are a couple of key differences when it comes to contact points though, there are the Shimano 105 short reach gear / brake levers (more on those later) with a narrower handlebar fitted as well as a women-specific saddle.

The women’s Synapse Carbon 105 features the same frame geometry as the men’s models…

The Women’s Synapse Carbon 105 frame and fork is made from Cannondale’s own lightweight BallisTec carbon; with some clever design and engineering Cannondale have produced a carbon frame that features high-strength and stiffness for a responsive ride which amplifies efficient pedalling and provides instant acceleration. With an ‘advanced composition of intermediate modulus fibres’ (in simple terms the direction of the weave of the carbon fibre influencing how much it flexes) and some sophisticated tube profiling Cannondale’s designers have been able to create a chassis that is super-comfortable and includes compliance in key areas such as their flattened seatstays. Cannondale have also implemented their Pyramid Seat Tube principle to the Synapse, this involves the seat tube splitting asymmetrically to meet the wide 73mm BB30A bottom bracket shell for the perfect blend of minimal weight and maximum stiffness.

Sophisticated carbon fibre engineering implements stiffness and compliance in key areas…

The geometry of the Synapse is spot on for the type of riding that Cannondale expects you to do; in effort to ensure your ride stays comfortable even when you’re into your fourth or fifth hour of riding they have created a bike with a slightly shorter reach and higher front end than an out and out road racing bike. The Synapse also comes with a fair stack of spacers below the stem so there’s plenty of scope to fine tune your favoured riding position. Interestingly the wheelbase on the Synapse is exactly the same as Cannondale’s SuperSix – their lightweight road racing bike; this is worth noting as a gravel bike that’s been designed specifically for off-road duties will typically feature a longer wheelbase for added stability at speed, that said the Synapse’s comparatively short wheelbase means it provides agile handling for a more lively feel. On road the Synapse corners with confidence responding well to quick changes of direction; it’s a good blend of attributes which reflect this bike’s versatility; in a nod to the many ways this bike may be used Cannondale have included a removeable seatstay bridge and hidden mudguard mounts to keep you protected during wet weather and winter rides.

Cannondale have spent time getting the geometry just right for the type of riding the Synapse is designed to do…

As its name suggests the Cannondale Women’s Synapse Carbon 105 comes spec’d with Shimano’s excellent 105 groupset. Sitting two rungs down the ladder from their Dura-Ace and Ultegra groupsets 105 provides a great value drivetrain that’s packed full of trickle-down technology taken from their top-end groupsets. Shimano 105 is an 11-speed mechanical groupset that is easy and intuitive to use; brilliantly Cannondale have spec’d the short-reach version of the 105 brake / gear lever which have been developed specifically for smaller hands – a great detail for this Women’s road bike.

Short-reach Shimano 105 brake / gear levers are a neat detail on this Women specific road bike…

Every gear change is crisp and precise; with a light action you’ll be able to shift through the 11-speed rear cassette and quickly select the gear you need. It’s hard to believe that Shimano have fitted all of the mechanical workings of the gear changer AND the hydraulic brake lever into such a compact and ergonomic pair of levers, but things moves on quickly and as we’ve previously highlighted it didn’t take long for this sort of technology to be find its way from higher up Shimano’s range to this 105 groupset.

Every gear shift is crisp and precise with these Shimano 105 levers…

A long cage 11-speed Shimano 105 GS rear derailleur takes care of gear selection at the rear cassette; 105 is quiet and definite in every gear shift, there’s no skipping or vagueness in your gear selection. The 11-speed cassette gives a wide range of gear ratios from the smallest 11 tooth cog to the large 34T cog which is a super-low gear that’s ideal for overcoming steep hills and loose, technical climbs on back lanes and gravel tracks.

A long cage Shimano 105 GS rear derailleur provides consistent, quiet gear changes on the wide ratio cassette…

A Shimano 105 front derailleur takes care of gear shifting duties at the two front chainrings. Shimano’s most recent iteration of their 105 front mech has been designed with wider tyres in mind; tighter clearances between frame, tyre and front derailleur have increased mainly due to fatter tyres being run on gravel bikes and road bikes and this latest version of the front mech features a whole new lever pull action to work around these restrictions. The shifting action is really light at the gear shifter and gear changes are precise every time, there’s also a trim feature (essentially a half-shift) to allow you to move the front mech slightly as you shift up the rear cassette to help prevent any unwanted chain rub on the front derailleur.

A Shimano 105 front derailleur is precise with a light action at the gear lever…

You might have been expecting to see a matching Shimano 105 Chainset fitted to the Synapse however it’s normal for Cannondale to fit their own brand chainsets on almost all of their bikes across all ranges and models. It’s important to note that this is not a compromise; Cannondale have put a lot of R&D into their own chainsets and bottom bracket standards over the years to create light, super-stiff cranks and durable chainrings working in unison with their BB30a bottom bracket standard which provides an oversized bearing platform and wide crank / bottom bracket axle. The gear ratios on the Cannondale 1 chainset are perfect for this bikes’ modus operandi – a 50T outer ring and 34T inner ring means you’ll have the perfect gear ratio for every riding eventuality. Riding with the chain on the inner 34T chainring and the largest 34T cog on the rear cassette gives you a super-low gear ratio that will help you to overcome even the steepest of gradients.

A Cannondale 1 chainset with BB30a bottom bracket standard and 50T / 34T chainrings is super-stiff and provides user-friendly gear ratios…

It’s amazing how quickly we’ve come to expect hydraulic disc brakes on road bikes as the norm, but such are the rapid advances in technology that these sort of brakes have quickly filtered through to a more accessible price point. If you’re considering making the move over to disc brakes for the first time you will not be disappointed. Disc brakes bring superior braking compared to rim brakes as they are more powerful and provide consistent braking in all weather conditions and on any terrain; a significant benefit of having disc brakes on this Women’s Synapse is that all of the braking power is created by the pressure of the hydraulic brake fluid when the short-reach brake lever is pulled rather than relying on your hand power to activate a conventional rim brake. This is a real benefit that you’ll feel when your rides get bigger and you find yourself getting more fatigued.

Cannondale have spec’d neat Shimano 105 hydraulic flat-mount disc brake calipers to the Synapse Carbon 105 which are tucked neatly into the rear triangle of the carbon frame and on the back of the fork leg. Matched to lightweight lock-on 160mm Shimano RT64 disc rotors this setup provides confidence-inspiring braking regardless of whether you’re riding in the wet or the dry and on any terrain from super-smooth tarmac to unpredictable gravel back lanes.

Flat-mount hydraulic disc brakes give consistent braking in all weather conditions…

Neat flat mount calipers matched with 160mm rotors provide plenty of stopping power…

The Women’s Synapse 105 features a pair of Cannondale RD 2.0 Disc wheels with lightweight double wall 28 hole rims laced onto durable Formula hubs. The front hub is 12x100mm thru axle and the rear is 12x142mm thru axle providing a really secure connection between the wheels and frame / fork, these wide hubs with thru axle configuration ensure that your disc brake rotors always line up perfectly with the hydraulic disc brake calipers. The thru axles are quickly secured with a 5mm allen key, so you’ll need to carry a simple multitool with you when you ride in case you pick up a puncture (you should be carrying one already!).

Cannondale RD 2.0 Disc wheels roll fast and feature durable hubs…

When it comes to tyre choice for the Women’s Synapse 105 there are a lot of options as we’ve already highlighted. With clearance for tyres up to 32mm wide you could spec it with fast 25mm road tyres, off-road capable 32mm gravel tyres or something in between which is exactly what Cannondale have done here with the Vittoria Zaffiro Pro Graphine 700x30c tyres. Covering the best of both worlds these 30mm wide tyres will provide good grip on loose gravel surfaces, provide extra comfort and cushioning on rough roads but still excel on super-smooth tarmac offering very little rolling-resistance to help you ride as fast and efficiently as possible.

Vittoria Zaffiro Pro Graphine 30mm wide tyres roll fast but provide good grip…

These tough tyres will cushion you from rough roads…

With a bike that has been specifically designed to suit female cyclists the contact points – handlebar, stem and saddle are really important considerations. Cannondale have spec’d the Women’s Synapse 105 accordingly, ensuring the handlebars are proportional to each bike size on offer, being generally a little bit more narrow than on an equivalent men’s model. Stems are little bit shorter too; with a generous amount of stem spacers there’s a good amount of adjustability to help you fine tune your position on the bike so that you feel comfortable and in control.

Proportionally smaller handle bars, a shorter stem and those short-reach Shimano 105 shifters help you stay comfortable and in control…

Cannondale have spec’d a Fabric Scoop Women’s Sport saddle on the Synapse Carbon 105; this is a great saddle designed specifically to suit female cyclists. The profile of the saddle is fairly wide at 155mm wide and should suit most cyclists; with a flexy base and forgiving steel saddle rails the Fabric Scoop feels comfortable and supportive even on long rides on unpredictable terrain.

The Fabric Scoop is supportive with a 155mm wide profile…

A Fabric Scoop Women’s Sport saddle is a welcome addition…

The Cannondale Women’s Synapse Carbon 105 bike is a versatile wonder which is equally capable of fast road rides on tarmac and more gruelling adventures on mixed terrain. With the option of fitting mudguards too the Synapse opens up the possibility of using this bike as a full-on winter bike or as a super-fast commuter bike if you want to extend your ride to work and gain some extra training miles. While there’s no obvious ‘comfort-enhancing’ gimmicks on this bike like you might find from alternative brands the Cannondale Synapse is packed full of user-friendly features once you look at it in a little more detail. All of its compliance comes from clever design with some very sophisticated carbon layup and tube profiling engineered to enhance your comfort. This women’s specific model has been thoughtfully spec’d by Cannondale to ensure that it’s inspiring to ride, encouraging you to push your cycling further and strike out on adventures that don’t necessarily end when the tarmac stops.

The Cannondale Synapse is packed full of user-friendly features once you look at it in a little more detail…

 

Written by Johnny Dodgin

Photos by James Vincent

 

Want to see more fast bikes? You can now see all of our featured bikes in one place over on Pinterest where you’ll find links to each of our Fast Bike Friday Blogs too!

 

 

 

We’ve got new bikes coming into stock every day at WHEELBASE, here’s just a selection of some of our latest arrivals from the World’s best brands…