Cannondale Synapse Neo SE or Cannondale Synapse Neo 1

[timacn]

They are very similar bikes and they cost the same. (right now)

The Synapse Neo SE has 650B tires, 11 speeds, mostly SRAM Apex components, and is marketed, somewhat, as a gravel bike with road capabiliities. The Synapse Neo 1 has 22 speeds, mostly Shimano 105 and Ultegra components, and 700x32 tires. It seems to be marketed as having a mostly road orientation, with gravel capabilities.

They both have Bosch motors, 500 wh batteries, and Purion controllers.

Neither of them are in a shop to try out. I'm leaning toward the Neo SE because I ride mostly trails and bike paths, but the Neo 1 looks good too. Are the 700x32 tires OK for gravel and dirt roads? Do I really need 22 speeds if the bike has a motor?

I appreciate your helpful insights and advice.

Here's the link for the Cannondale site: https://www.cannondale.com/en-us/bikes/electric#sort=@msrp descending

 

[Deacon Blues]

If you like riding trails/bike paths, like I do, you may be better off with the Neo SE. What I don't like about both bikes is that they come with the Bosch Gen 3

motor.

I looked at the SE earlier this year and decided I'd wait to see if Cannondale would upgrade the motor to Gen 4 in 2021, but I don't think they're going to,

because of the added cost.

 

[timacn]

Hey Deacon Blues. Thanks for your input. Now this is going to sound stupid, but, in the event that Bosch comes out with a Gen 4 motor down the road, couldn't it be retrofitted to the earlier SE? I imagine it could be, but you never know, so I thought I'd ask.

 

[Law]

The weight savings and size would seem a lock to be upgraded next year.

 

[timacn]

So the Gen 4 motor will come in 2022? Do any Cannondale ebikes presently use the Gen 4? (I should know all this stuff, but I'm new to the subject!)

 

[timacn]

My last question wasn't clear. What I meant was: will the Cannondale Synapse SE and 1 begin using the Gen 4 in 2022?

Is the Bosch Gen 4 available on any ebikes now or hasn't it been released anywhere yet?

 

[Deacon Blues]

Timacn, the Gen 4 motor is smaller than the Gen 3 motor, so a swap would not be possible.

The Gen 4 motor is available on some Cannondale ebikes. One example is the Topstone carbon Neo Lefty 3. I just ordered one.

 

[timacn]

I have a regular Topstone gravel bike. Very nice. I'll bet the Neo Lefty is great.

 

[timacn]

It's sometimes hard for me to find info on particular specifications, like motor info, on the Cannondale website. Is the Bosch Performance Series the Gen 4 motor?

 

[tolovan]

I think it depends on the year of the motor. 2019 version of Bosch Performance line seem to be Gen 3. 2020-2021 are Gen 4. I agree that it is hard to parse which bike uses which version, especially for Cannondale. Their web site could use a lot of work.

One additional thing that makes things even more complicated is that Bosch recently released a set of firmware upgrades that pushed the top torque on their Gen 4 motors to 85 Nm (from 75Nm). Active Line and older Performance Line motors are not eligible.

 

[timacn]

Thanks, tolovan. This is all getting a little confusing to me. The Synapse Neos have Bosch Active Line Plus motors on them and I've seen specs that say the motor assists only up to 15.5 mph while other specs say that the motor assists up to 20 mph. That's a pretty significant difference and I'd like to know which number is accurate. Would you happen to know the answer? If not, perhaps somebody else will know.

 

[tolovan]

That's most probably the difference between the EU and US versions. Synapse Neo being a class 1 e-bike will assist up to 20 mph in US (and 15.5 mph in EU).

 

[SoCalDave]

They are very similar bikes and they cost the same. (right now)

The Synapse Neo SE has 650B tires, 11 speeds, mostly SRAM Apex components, and is marketed, somewhat, as a gravel bike with road capabiliities. The Synapse Neo 1 has 22 speeds, mostly Shimano 105 and Ultegra components, and 700x32 tires. It seems to be marketed as having a mostly road orientation, with gravel capabilities.

They both have Bosch motors, 500 wh batteries, and Purion controllers.

Neither of them are in a shop to try out. I'm leaning toward the Neo SE because I ride mostly trails and bike paths, but the Neo 1 looks good too. Are the 700x32 tires OK for gravel and dirt roads? Do I really need 22 speeds if the bike has a motor?

I appreciate your helpful insights and advice.

Here's the link for the Cannondale site: https://www.cannondale.com/en-us/bikes/electric#sort=@msrp descending

Hi, Timacn,

based on your interest in a gravel bike, you might want to consider the Topstone Neo Carbon series, which are gravel bikes with the more powerful and faster Bosch Performance Line Speed motor, that can power you up to 28 mph in the US. The Topstone Neo Carbon Lefty 3 is the least expensive of the three models, yet is more expensive than the Neo SE and Neo 1. But it has the more powerful motor, higher speed, carbon frame, clever carbon flex gravel rear suspension, and lefty front suspension fork. The front and rear suspension are not equivalent to a full mountain bike suspension, but for your interest in riding on trails and bike paths, the Topstone Neo Carbon series sounds ideal. You can google to find many tests of these bikes. Having said that, I have the Bosch Active Line Plus (gen 3) in my 2019 Quick Neo, and I find it plenty powerful. I am limited to up to 20 mph assist with the bike, but for the types of hilly terrain I ride with my wife, that is fine.

 

[Deacon Blues]

Hi, Timacn,

based on your interest in a gravel bike, you might want to consider the Topstone Neo Carbon series, which are gravel bikes with the more powerful and faster Bosch Performance Line Speed motor, that can power you up to 28 mph in the US. The Topstone Neo Carbon Lefty 3 is the least expensive of the three models, yet is more expensive than the Neo SE and Neo 1. But it has the more powerful motor, higher speed, carbon frame, clever carbon flex gravel rear suspension, and lefty front suspension fork. The front and rear suspension are not equivalent to a full mountain bike suspension, but for your interest in riding on trails and bike paths, the Topstone Neo Carbon series sounds ideal. You can google to find many tests of these bikes. Having said that, I have the Bosch Active Line Plus (gen 3) in my 2019 Quick Neo, and I find it plenty powerful. I am limited to up to 20 mph assist with the bike, but for the types of hilly terrain I ride with my wife, that is fine.

I'm waiting (impatiently) for a call from my Cannondale dealer that my new Neo Lefty 3 has arrived.

 

[SoCalDave]

I'm waiting (impatiently) for a call from my Cannondale dealer that my new Neo Lefty 3 has arrived.

Please post photos and a riding report when you get it. I'm especially interested in how well it handles the roughness of less than ideal paved roads.

 

[carsonjones]

I recently purchased the 2020 Synapse Neo 1 and it's great. I'll be purchasing a second set of 650b wheels that I can hot-swap out for gravel rides. I have the Sram Apex 1 shifting on another bike and I don't like it. I'm used to Shimano. I ride mainly roads with the occasional light gravel and rail trail in the mix. So far it's been fantastic, although the speed reading is off and so the assist is cutting out too early. Hope to get that resolved asap.

 

[timacn]

Hi Carsonjones. Somebody just told me that 650b tires will not fit on the Synapse Neo 1. I've heard that they do and now I've heard that they don't. Maybe it depends on model year? Not sure, but you might want to get confirmation about those 650bs for your Synapse before you have them built up.

 

[carsonjones]

Hi Carsonjones. Somebody just told me that 650b tires will not fit on the Synapse Neo 1. I've heard that they do and now I've heard that they don't. Maybe it depends on model year? Not sure, but you might want to get confirmation about those 650bs for your Synapse before you have them built up.

Not sure who told you that. My understanding is that the frame on the Neo 1 and the Neo SE is identical. The SE comes with 650 B's

 

[timacn]

Hey Carsonjones. I thought the frames were identical too. I also knew that the SE comes with 650Bs. Maybe I'll give Cannondale a call tomorrow and see what they say.

 

[timacn]

Hi Carsonjones. Spoke to a local Cannondale dealer who checked the specs out closely (online) and he told me the Synapse Neo 1 will take 650b tires.