Quote Originally Posted by Muirenn View Post
I thought the Synapse would be a good bike for your purposes. Unless you want something that is a little more multi-surface than that. I love Cannondale. I had a 2008 Synapse, but the design was drastically different back then. It was a traditional diamond frameset, and did not have the high stack you'd expect to find. The new design and carbon lay-ups make for sense. That bike had too much flex, also. (I have a bigger bike, and larger frame sets tend to flex more. Plus, I'm taller, and probably prefer a stiffer bike just because I have more mass. I need the power transfer. Small frame sets are inherently stiff, yet smaller riders tend to look for a little more flex for shock absorption. That is why the Ruby and Silque are so nice. They have added flex in the suspension systems. Though I've no idea if the Synapse has that now).
It seems that the new trend for many companies is to turn their endurance bikes into a multi-purpose machine. Effectively, my original idea of purchasing a road bike and throwing 700×30 tires has already been successfully adopted for 2018 by the companies themselves. )
Interestingly, Cannondale's version is the most affordable with similar specs. $500 more affordable.