angryrice_esq
New Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Glendale
I don't see too much discussion out there for the Cannondale Synapse Neo 1, so I thought I'd throw in my two cents. There is a a first look overview by user @carsonjones (his review, here) whose thoughts helped me feel more secure about my impulse-purchase of this ebike in April 2021.
A bit of background: I'm an obese formerly-sedentary individual whose poor life choices led to my squishy body shape and career path as a blood-sucking lawyer. I live on the side of a mountain in Los Angeles, where half the streets are steep climbs. The last time I "seriously" cycled was in college, when I rode a second-hand Specialized Allez to get around. I decided to get into cycling to exercise and get out of the house (working from home has made me sick of staring at my bedroom walls). I wanted an ebike to help me climb the steep streets of my neighborhood. Initially, I had a rear hub motor ebike, which was competent, but I later learned that mid-drive bikes are better for hills (or so I read somewhere).
Let me start of by saying that because of my Cannondale Synapse Neo 1, all I ever want to do now is ride trails. In a month, I've logged over 200 miles.
The Ride: The Synapse Neo 1 performs well and is a joy to ride. With 2 cogs up front and 11 in the back, I have plenty of gears to tackle hills. However, I personally found that this spread of gears is largely unnecessary, even for the hills I climb. This is especially true if you have pedal assist on. Even on the steepest climb I have been on in Griffith Park, I did not need the lowest gear. That said, even with pedal assist on max (turbo), it was quite an effort to get up that hill. I would not characterize my effort as particularly strenuous with the pedal assist on max, but I did feel like I personally earned that hill--a hill I definitely would not have made on my own power in my current shape.
While I appreciated the assist from the motor, I do feel that the Bosch Active Line Plus motor is overkill. Only on the steepest of hills, when I'm dead tired, do I turn up the assist to max (turbo). If I want to catch up with my (much fitter) friend, I will briefly set the assist to "sport" (3rd of 4 levels). Most of the time, I have the assist turned off completely. If I'm facing a slight incline or headwind, I will set the assist to "eco" (1st of 4 levels). If the incline is steeper or the headwind very strong (or I when I want to put in very little effort), I will set the assist to "tour" (2nd of 4 levels).
Battery life? I don't think I've ever seen my battery meter fall below 3 out of 5 bars. Although I spend most of my time with the assist off or in "eco," it takes about 40 miles of riding before I see the battery meter drop one segment. I charge the battery maybe once or twice a week, with nearly daily riding.
The Bosch motor is very nice. Most of the time, I can hardly feel or hear that it is working. The motor is very quiet, and the activation/deactivation is very smooth and nearly seamless. When you do notice the motor kicking in/out, there is about a half-second delay--but nothing that would spoil the ride. When riding fast and at a good cadence, it's very hard to tell the motor is on at all. I only noticed lurching if I had the gearing low and was starting from a dead stop. I would say that on "eco," the assist feels like it's giving me just enough help to overcome road "resistance." It feels like I am doing most of the work, and gives me a sense of accomplishment. On "tour," you can definitely feel the motor helping you, and this is the setting that really makes you feel bionic. I would characterize "sport" as the motor doing most of the work on flat ground, and making most hills feel like they're just a slight incline. As the Synapse Neo 1 is a Class 1 ebike, limited to 20mph in the U.S., "turbo" feels neutered and useless. I only use "turbo" when the hills are particularly steep. This is why I feel the Bosch motor is completely overkill for this bike. Be forewarned that it does feel like a huge downer when you turn the assist off completely.
As an unpowered road bike, the Synapse Neo 1 feels very quick despite its weight. Most of the time, I am able to keep up with my friend on my own power. It turns beautifully, and feels very responsive and nimble. Apart from a heavy start from a dead stop, in all other respects, the Neo 1 feels like a normal road bike. I would say that on the Neo 1, I felt like I was "one with the road" more than with any other bike I've owned--with or without the pedal assist.
The Cannondale app works fine. It does a decent job tracking stats in a relatively clear way. It does have a strange habit of updating your distance travelled well after you've ended your ride and synced the trip.
Cons: Quality control needs work. I ran into the same problem as @carsonjones regarding the rear wheel and spokes coming loose. Apparently, my local REI tech was also very aware of this problem--so it appears to be fairly common. After about 20 miles, I noticed what felt like lurching to one side or the other. I discovered that my rear wheel spokes were very loose. Thankfully, my REI tech fixed this issue by overtightening the spokes. 200 miles in, and the problem has yet to resurface. However, this does not inspire me with confidence, and makes me personally wary to purchase another Cannondale. I am constantly checking my rear spokes out of pure paranoia. I also experienced a puncture just over 100 miles. While I can hardly fault Cannondale or WTB for this (the native "gravel" of Los Angeles appears to be broken glass and bent nails), it was not a pleasant experience. Just after a week of ownership, I spent $140 replacing my tires with Continentals. I also noticed creaking from the handlebars, but I have yet to notice any real issues as a result from this.
Is this ebike worth it? At nearly $5,000.00 MSRP, this is a significant investment for most people. And way too expensive just to "try out." If you want a competent ebike experience with a rear hub motor, you can do that for 1/5th the cost of the Synapse Neo 1. I had a workout keeping up with someone on a RadRunner 1 with both of us on "eco" assist. For me, I love the purist impression I get from this ebike and its mid-drive motor. While I sometimes do miss having a throttle, especially when I start from a dead stop at a busy intersection with cars, I am satisfied with pure pedal assist. I am gradually building the muscle to spend more and more time on manual power, but I don't think I will go back to pure analogue bikes anytime soon. Having that assist to go up hills (when I want help) and the ability for the motor to give me a break when I get tired is going to be very tough to give up. The mid-drive motor really does make you feel superhuman and will help riders keep up with much fitter cycling partners. I've previously owned two other ebikes (the Lectric XP and Aventon Pace 500), but this is my first keeper.
If you're serious about cycling and want a (ridiculously) powerful motor to help you out, then I would wholeheartedly endorse this bike.
I cannot find another prebuilt ebike with a mid-drive motor that is this solidly built (minus the serious wheel issue mentioned above) and with such great components for this price. As of the time of this writing (and as far as I could search online--correct me if I'm wrong), you would need to spend at least $5,500 for an equivalent or better mid-drive ebike with drop bars. I was able to find this bike on sale at REI for about $4,000.
I like this ebike, but I don't love it. For the reasons I stated earlier, the motor is neutered and overkill. While I currently feel that travelling in excess of 20mph is largely unnecessary, the fact that the motor will not help me catch up to my friend when he's sprinting beyond 20mph is a big bummer. Aesthetically, the Neo 1 looks like a very generic road bike. Up close, the size of the downtube (where the battery is) seems comically large compared to the slim tubes found everywhere else. Because of this, I am eager to get a slicker looking e-road bike that's Class 3. I feel that in owning a bike, there should be an emotional connection with your ride. The Synapse Neo 1 gets me to where I want to go, but I can't think of it as anything more than a machine. Perhaps the only emotional sentiment I have is in the monetary investment I've made. For some people, maybe this is a good thing. You get to admire your route more than what's beneath you. For me, I find myself ogling other peoples' bikes more often than not.
Hope this helps... anyone lol. I'll be happy to answer any questions regarding my experience with this ebike.
P.S. don't buy the bag that goes atop your top tube and behind your handlebar stem. It makes resting over the top tube at a stop very uncomfortable, and it gets in the way of your knees when pedaling.
A bit of background: I'm an obese formerly-sedentary individual whose poor life choices led to my squishy body shape and career path as a blood-sucking lawyer. I live on the side of a mountain in Los Angeles, where half the streets are steep climbs. The last time I "seriously" cycled was in college, when I rode a second-hand Specialized Allez to get around. I decided to get into cycling to exercise and get out of the house (working from home has made me sick of staring at my bedroom walls). I wanted an ebike to help me climb the steep streets of my neighborhood. Initially, I had a rear hub motor ebike, which was competent, but I later learned that mid-drive bikes are better for hills (or so I read somewhere).
Let me start of by saying that because of my Cannondale Synapse Neo 1, all I ever want to do now is ride trails. In a month, I've logged over 200 miles.
The Ride: The Synapse Neo 1 performs well and is a joy to ride. With 2 cogs up front and 11 in the back, I have plenty of gears to tackle hills. However, I personally found that this spread of gears is largely unnecessary, even for the hills I climb. This is especially true if you have pedal assist on. Even on the steepest climb I have been on in Griffith Park, I did not need the lowest gear. That said, even with pedal assist on max (turbo), it was quite an effort to get up that hill. I would not characterize my effort as particularly strenuous with the pedal assist on max, but I did feel like I personally earned that hill--a hill I definitely would not have made on my own power in my current shape.
While I appreciated the assist from the motor, I do feel that the Bosch Active Line Plus motor is overkill. Only on the steepest of hills, when I'm dead tired, do I turn up the assist to max (turbo). If I want to catch up with my (much fitter) friend, I will briefly set the assist to "sport" (3rd of 4 levels). Most of the time, I have the assist turned off completely. If I'm facing a slight incline or headwind, I will set the assist to "eco" (1st of 4 levels). If the incline is steeper or the headwind very strong (or I when I want to put in very little effort), I will set the assist to "tour" (2nd of 4 levels).
Battery life? I don't think I've ever seen my battery meter fall below 3 out of 5 bars. Although I spend most of my time with the assist off or in "eco," it takes about 40 miles of riding before I see the battery meter drop one segment. I charge the battery maybe once or twice a week, with nearly daily riding.
The Bosch motor is very nice. Most of the time, I can hardly feel or hear that it is working. The motor is very quiet, and the activation/deactivation is very smooth and nearly seamless. When you do notice the motor kicking in/out, there is about a half-second delay--but nothing that would spoil the ride. When riding fast and at a good cadence, it's very hard to tell the motor is on at all. I only noticed lurching if I had the gearing low and was starting from a dead stop. I would say that on "eco," the assist feels like it's giving me just enough help to overcome road "resistance." It feels like I am doing most of the work, and gives me a sense of accomplishment. On "tour," you can definitely feel the motor helping you, and this is the setting that really makes you feel bionic. I would characterize "sport" as the motor doing most of the work on flat ground, and making most hills feel like they're just a slight incline. As the Synapse Neo 1 is a Class 1 ebike, limited to 20mph in the U.S., "turbo" feels neutered and useless. I only use "turbo" when the hills are particularly steep. This is why I feel the Bosch motor is completely overkill for this bike. Be forewarned that it does feel like a huge downer when you turn the assist off completely.
As an unpowered road bike, the Synapse Neo 1 feels very quick despite its weight. Most of the time, I am able to keep up with my friend on my own power. It turns beautifully, and feels very responsive and nimble. Apart from a heavy start from a dead stop, in all other respects, the Neo 1 feels like a normal road bike. I would say that on the Neo 1, I felt like I was "one with the road" more than with any other bike I've owned--with or without the pedal assist.
The Cannondale app works fine. It does a decent job tracking stats in a relatively clear way. It does have a strange habit of updating your distance travelled well after you've ended your ride and synced the trip.
Cons: Quality control needs work. I ran into the same problem as @carsonjones regarding the rear wheel and spokes coming loose. Apparently, my local REI tech was also very aware of this problem--so it appears to be fairly common. After about 20 miles, I noticed what felt like lurching to one side or the other. I discovered that my rear wheel spokes were very loose. Thankfully, my REI tech fixed this issue by overtightening the spokes. 200 miles in, and the problem has yet to resurface. However, this does not inspire me with confidence, and makes me personally wary to purchase another Cannondale. I am constantly checking my rear spokes out of pure paranoia. I also experienced a puncture just over 100 miles. While I can hardly fault Cannondale or WTB for this (the native "gravel" of Los Angeles appears to be broken glass and bent nails), it was not a pleasant experience. Just after a week of ownership, I spent $140 replacing my tires with Continentals. I also noticed creaking from the handlebars, but I have yet to notice any real issues as a result from this.
Is this ebike worth it? At nearly $5,000.00 MSRP, this is a significant investment for most people. And way too expensive just to "try out." If you want a competent ebike experience with a rear hub motor, you can do that for 1/5th the cost of the Synapse Neo 1. I had a workout keeping up with someone on a RadRunner 1 with both of us on "eco" assist. For me, I love the purist impression I get from this ebike and its mid-drive motor. While I sometimes do miss having a throttle, especially when I start from a dead stop at a busy intersection with cars, I am satisfied with pure pedal assist. I am gradually building the muscle to spend more and more time on manual power, but I don't think I will go back to pure analogue bikes anytime soon. Having that assist to go up hills (when I want help) and the ability for the motor to give me a break when I get tired is going to be very tough to give up. The mid-drive motor really does make you feel superhuman and will help riders keep up with much fitter cycling partners. I've previously owned two other ebikes (the Lectric XP and Aventon Pace 500), but this is my first keeper.
If you're serious about cycling and want a (ridiculously) powerful motor to help you out, then I would wholeheartedly endorse this bike.
I cannot find another prebuilt ebike with a mid-drive motor that is this solidly built (minus the serious wheel issue mentioned above) and with such great components for this price. As of the time of this writing (and as far as I could search online--correct me if I'm wrong), you would need to spend at least $5,500 for an equivalent or better mid-drive ebike with drop bars. I was able to find this bike on sale at REI for about $4,000.
I like this ebike, but I don't love it. For the reasons I stated earlier, the motor is neutered and overkill. While I currently feel that travelling in excess of 20mph is largely unnecessary, the fact that the motor will not help me catch up to my friend when he's sprinting beyond 20mph is a big bummer. Aesthetically, the Neo 1 looks like a very generic road bike. Up close, the size of the downtube (where the battery is) seems comically large compared to the slim tubes found everywhere else. Because of this, I am eager to get a slicker looking e-road bike that's Class 3. I feel that in owning a bike, there should be an emotional connection with your ride. The Synapse Neo 1 gets me to where I want to go, but I can't think of it as anything more than a machine. Perhaps the only emotional sentiment I have is in the monetary investment I've made. For some people, maybe this is a good thing. You get to admire your route more than what's beneath you. For me, I find myself ogling other peoples' bikes more often than not.
Hope this helps... anyone lol. I'll be happy to answer any questions regarding my experience with this ebike.
P.S. don't buy the bag that goes atop your top tube and behind your handlebar stem. It makes resting over the top tube at a stop very uncomfortable, and it gets in the way of your knees when pedaling.
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