Synapse Signals a Change for Cannondale

It may look like just another road bike, but the new Cannondale Synapse signals a bit of a departure for Cannondale. Over the years, the name "Cannondale" has almost become synonymous with "Made In America". The Synapse, however, will be the first Cannondale to hit America that wasn't actually built in America.

The Synapse is Cannondale's first carbon road bike and the first C-dale built overseas.

Cannondale's new carbon road bike is being made in Asia, though the company stresses that this fact does not signal a drop in quality.

“Our U.S. based plant in Bedford, PA is a world class manufacturer of high performance aluminum and high performance integrated carbon fiber and aluminum bicycles. For the Synapse we chose a strategic manufacturing partner who is a world class producer of Full Carbon Fiber bikes,” says Chris Peck, Director of Cannondale R&D and lead engineer on every Cannondale high-performance frame produced since the ground-breaking CAAD3 in 1997. “When it comes to production we will always choose the best partners—no differently than with our existing manufacturing partnerships with FSA, Answer Products, Fox, Shimano, SRAM or anyone else.”

“As with every great Cannondale innovation, the Synapse is a result of the Cannondale product creation process. Cannondale engineers listen to our dealers, look at our existing product line, talk to consumers and then begin designing, engineering and developing. We then subject product to the most rigorous testing procedure in the industry,” says Peck. “The Synapse frame is a Cannondale original, designed and engineered by Cannondale from the ground up.”

Though the market is currently chock-a-block full of carbon road bikes, the folks at Cannondale contend that their new bike's ride quality will set it apart from the pack. The Synapse is said to incorporate a few unique frame design features: Triaxial Hourglass seat stays are combined with Cannondale's new S.A.V.E technology (Synapse Active Vibration Elimination) in the chain-stays and fork.

I honestly can't tell you anything specific about these features as I haven't seen the bike in the flesh (I can imagine the seat stays but "Synapse Active Vibration Elimination"? That's a mouthful of marketing speak). Cannondale, however, contends that these two features provide "...a pinpoint balance of vibration absorbing comfort and lateral performance stiffness."

The Synapse also marks Cannondale's first venture into the all-carbon road bike genre. The company has long utilized composites in their mountain bikes (Ravens, Scalpels, etc.), but only recently began incorporating composites in their road line (the six-thirteen bikes use carbon tubes and aluminum lugs).