2021 Cannondale Synapse Neo EQ: New Synapse Model Showing Up in Europe

[timacn]

Been asking lots of questions and trying to decide on a Cannondale Neo (Tesoro or Synapse SE). Cannondale told me today that info on 2021 models will probably not be released in the USA until mid to late October. A new iteration of the Synapse Neo showed up in a British shop. Aside from a different color and a fender and rack system, it appears to be pretty similar to the 2020 Synapse Neo SE. No info on a 2021 Tesoro yet.

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[carsonjones]

Looks okay. I own the Synapse Neo 1 (2020) and overall love it, although the rear wheel Cannondale shipped with it had the wrong size spokes and the wheel developed a severe wobble after about 500 meters of riding (pretty terrible quality control IMO). This Neo Eq looks like a mix between the Synapse Neo 1 and Neo SE (2020). I'm not a fan of the 10 speed Tiagra but if it saves a few bucks that's a positive. Interesting that they've put 35C tires on it as this is a nudge up from the 32C on the Neo 1 and a nudge down from the Neo SE. A great tire size for general riding.

Some cons that I've found with the Neo 1...

- If you want to do longer rides and take an extra battery, the process of swapping the batteries is terrible. The bottle cage needs to be removed so that you can unscrew the frame's cover from the battery. I think Cannondale designers figured that customers would be fine with the range of one battery and designed around this idea. That said, the range on a single battery is very good. A full charge will give me about 100 km over 1000 meters of climbing.

- The Purion head unit is as basic as it gets. Some might think that this is a positive however any fine-tuning you might want to do (e.g. adjusting wheel size) isn't an option with the Purion unit.

- The speed calibration on my Synapse Neo 1 is off by approximately 3.5 km/hr, meaning that the assist cuts out at about 26.5 km/hr instead of 30 km/hr. Correcting this hasn't been possible as of yet. Bosch have stated that this can only be adjusted by Cannondale and Cannondale haven't been very forthcoming or helpful with my local bike shop (Cannondale dealer). Support from Cannondale seems non-existent so far.


Other than these issues, I really do love the bike. It's a game changer for riding around my neck of the woods which is very hilly and we have a near-constant headwind from the west. If pricing isn't an issue than I would recommend the Synapse Neo 1 over the Neo Eq simply for the group set. If you're fine with a 10 speed then Tiagra is a solid option. Either way, you'll love the bike.

 

[timacn]

Hey Carson. Thanks for the information. Very helpful. I was planning to use the Synapse for riding bike trails: macadam, crushed stone, dirt roads, nothing too rough. Did you ever take your Neo 1 on gravel? I have a Topstone with 650s on it and inflated the tires to the highest level I could. When they were too low, they slid around too much on turns. Didn't like it. Since I inflated them, they're OK. I believe the Synapse Neo 1s come with 700s on them. Aside from the tires and the gearing, the bikes seem very similar. If the Synapse Neo 1s did well on gravel, crushed stones, and dirt, it might be the better choice for me.

 

[carsonjones]

We've got some rough country roads around us and the Neo 1 with 700 32c tires is fine. The 700's should comfortably go up to 35c tires also, however I haven't switched mine just yet. That said, I have ordered a 650b wheelset for my Neo 1 and will be putting the 47c tires on it to match up with how Cannondale ship the Neo SE. That'll give me the option to ride pretty much anywhere in comfort. Like you, I'll probably keep the tire pressure up higher on the 47's to reduce rolling resistance. I'll primarily be on rail trails and easy single track with the option for rougher terrain. Overall I preferred the Neo 1 to the SE since I ride more roads, don't like the Apex groupset that ships on the SE, and have the option of putting 650b wheels on it. A win / win in my book. The Neo 1 also includes all of the connection points for fenders / panniers / etc. Really, the only thing I don't like about the Neo EQ is the Tiagra group set. I've had Tiagra on another one of my road bikes and really do miss having an extra gear in the hills.

 

[Deacon Blues]

Speaking of 650 wheels, I recently came across a company out of Florida that sells carbon 650 wheels, and they even make a set that will fit my Lefty 3!

It's so tempting to buy a set, but then reality sets in and I realize that I probably wouldn't be able to feel the weight difference on a 40 pound ebike.

 

[carsonjones]

Checking in... I rode part of The Great Trail here in Ontario this week (72 km) on light gravel (well packed) and the 32 mm tires on the Synapse Neo 1 were good. They handled the gravel well and the overall ride was mostly comfortable. That said, I have ordered a second set of 650b wheels (Shimano 570 GRX) and will be fitting them with WTB Byway tires (47 mm) making gravel riding much more comfortable. I'll report back when I've ridden with the new wheelset.

 

[Timo]

Hello carsonjones, I would love to hear about your experience with your 650b wheelset on the Synapse Neo. I'm thinking of doing the same thing myself. Any thoughts would be much appreciated. Many thanks.

 

[carsonjones]

Hello carsonjones, I would love to hear about your experience with your 650b wheelset on the Synapse Neo. I'm thinking of doing the same thing myself. Any thoughts would be much appreciated. Many thanks.

Timo I'm still waiting on the cassette . Bike part supplies are in very short supply. As soon as I have them I'll report back with Ian initial impression. We're going to start getting a lot of snow here and so I may not get out on a long ride until next spring. I'll also post some photos.

 

[Deacon Blues]

I ended up ordering a new set of wheels for my Cannondale Topstone Lefty 3. I ordered a set of carbon wheels from Yeoleo. I'm also going with 47mm tires (Specialized Pathfinder 2Bliss)

 

[Timo]

Thank you carsonjones for your answer. Good luck with getting the cassette!

 

[carsonjones]

Shimano are way behind in manufacturing. I've now been told late December for the cassette.

 

[carsonjones]

Hello carsonjones, I would love to hear about your experience with your 650b wheelset on the Synapse Neo. I'm thinking of doing the same thing myself. Any thoughts would be much appreciated. Many thanks.

I received my second wheel set with the WTB Byways (650b 47mm) over the winter and have put about 350 km on them so far this season. They're amazing and I'd highly recommend a 650b set of wheels for anyone considering the Synapse Neo 1 for both road and gravel riding. Generally I love the bike but have been really disappointed by the speed calibration issues of the Bosch system. It's the only thing about the bike that really bothers me.

 

[Timo]

Hi Carsonjones, thank you for posting an update. I decided to go ahead and ordered a pair of 650bs a couple of months ago. They're made by Hope (hubs and rims) here in the UK and are really somewhat beautiful! I completely agree with you. They have transformed my enjoyment of riding the bike (which was good in its standard form). I also put on a Redshift stem (with elastomers) which I cannot rate too highly. I do a lot of gravel and muddy tracks (called bridleways here in the UK). After my first 50 mile ride I went back to my LBS who had got them for me and said, "It's like riding a hovercraft!" As an aside, where I live has the last remaining commercial hovercraft service in the world. I never understood why they didn't become more popular - we Islanders love it.

Incidentally, I haven't noticed any deterioration in speed on the road either. Maybe I'm just more comfortable? Cheers mate.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipM-amM6soTWSppBxkqwAc9QnBEkrmzfQamne9p8

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[carsonjones]

Hi Carsonjones, thank you for posting an update. I decided to go ahead and ordered a pair of 650bs a couple of months ago. They're made by Hope (hubs and rims) here in the UK and are really somewhat beautiful! I completely agree with you. They have transformed my enjoyment of riding the bike (which was good in its standard form). I also put on a Redshift stem (with elastomers) which I cannot rate too highly. I do a lot of gravel and muddy tracks (called bridleways here in the UK). After my first 50 mile ride I went back to my LBS who had got them for me and said, "It's like riding a hovercraft!" As an aside, where I live has the last remaining commercial hovercraft service in the world. I never understood why they didn't become more popular - we Islanders love it.

Incidentally, I haven't noticed any deterioration in speed on the road either. Maybe I'm just more comfortable? Cheers mate.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipM-amM6soTWSppBxkqwAc9QnBEkrmzfQamne9p8

Google Photos

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I'm definitely going to check out that Redshift stem. Thanks for sharing that! And happy riding!

 

[Deacon Blues]

I also have a Redshift stem on my Lefty 3 and I'm really happy with how it performs.
My bike has a front shock, but the travel is limited and it's very stiff. It takes out the big bumps, but doesn't do much to filter out the vibrations on gravel roads.
I purchased the Redshift for another bike and, for a lark, decided to give it a try on my Lefty 3 first.
I'm glad I did.
I have mine set on a soft setting, and it greatly deduces the vibrations on gravel.
I highly recommend this stem.

 

[carsonjones]

I also have a Redshift stem on my Lefty 3 and I'm really happy with how it performs.
My bike has a front shock, but the travel is limited and it's very stiff. It takes out the big bumps, but doesn't do much to filter out the vibrations on gravel roads.
I purchased the Redshift for another bike and, for a lark, decided to give it a try on my Lefty 3 first.
I'm glad I did.
I have mine set on a soft setting, and it greatly deduces the vibrations on gravel.
I highly recommend this stem.

I just ordered one. Can't wait to give it a go. I'll be doing longer 100 km+ rides and reduced road noise would be amazing. I have fizik gel pads sandwiched between doubled up handlebar tape. This has helped a lot as well.

 

[carsonjones]

Hi Carsonjones, thank you for posting an update. I decided to go ahead and ordered a pair of 650bs a couple of months ago. They're made by Hope (hubs and rims) here in the UK and are really somewhat beautiful! I completely agree with you. They have transformed my enjoyment of riding the bike (which was good in its standard form). I also put on a Redshift stem (with elastomers) which I cannot rate too highly. I do a lot of gravel and muddy tracks (called bridleways here in the UK). After my first 50 mile ride I went back to my LBS who had got them for me and said, "It's like riding a hovercraft!" As an aside, where I live has the last remaining commercial hovercraft service in the world. I never understood why they didn't become more popular - we Islanders love it.

Incidentally, I haven't noticed any deterioration in speed on the road either. Maybe I'm just more comfortable? Cheers mate.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipM-amM6soTWSppBxkqwAc9QnBEkrmzfQamne9p8

Google Photos

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Timo I wanted to thank you for mentioning the Redshift Stem. I ended up also purchasing the Kitchen Sink handlebars and grips as well. Can't wait to get them installed on the bike.

Thanks again!