I bought an old Cannondale Ultegra R700 back in December 2017. Been riding it ever since,
getting stronger and faster. I felt like the bike was NOT holding me back, just my body and training.
I was wrong. When I put the new 2019 Synapse carbon on the trail this morning, I could not believe the difference. Cruising at 17mph was almost effortless. I climbed some mild grades at 19mph, and actually cruised some stretches at 20-22. I could have not done that on the old Cannondale.
Good bye old girl, there is a younger more beautiful girl now!
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Come on man you can’t make a post about a new bike without adding a pic
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New bikes are totally fun, but do you think it’s really the bike or smaller factors like fit or wheels being a little more aero? If you ride with power, were you riding comparable power? Of course, there’s always the new bike fun factor where you get a little more pep in your step. Not trying to rain on your parade, just playing devil’s advocate!
I was incredulous as well. Part of it was the fact that the NEW bike geometry is different than the old geometry. The bike shop owner told me I looked ‘bunched up’ on the old bike.
But, I could tell within 100 feet that this bike’s rolling resistance was less, call it tires, gears, bearings, whatever.
It is going to be a game changer for me.
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I use an old (1989) Miyata 914 for training and I often wonder how much more comfortable a more modern bike would be. I find myself fighting through hand discomfort (non-ergo levers) early and often.
Did you notice a difference in comfort?
I recommend a 5 minute test ride at your local shop. I imagine that you will notice a difference immediately for comfort with the modern handlebar and hood shape. They are nothing like that older gear you are using.
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Lance was wrong . . . it IS about the bike 
I had been riding a Roubaix for 4 years and a few months ago (March) purchased the Tarmac. I’m now able to hang on the wheel of SF Bay Area elite riders on rollers/flats (last night’s ride) and able to hang with Cat 1 riders on steep technical descents (Saturday’s ride) that were not possible before and have brought cycling fun to a new level. For sure there was and still is some new bike feeling, but the performance differences are real.
@mcneese.chad FWIW: I always buy my bike from an LBS and never base it on a 5 min ride. I always get a demo bike for a full day (at least) and ride it on the roads/hills I ride (typically a 60-90mi/5-8kft ride) to get the full experience of the bike.
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Right, and that’s a good plan. My suggestion was simply as a quick test so he can try a modern bike and cockpit. It will be something so different I expect he will notice and immediate improvement.
I would do a far more extensive test for any bike before handing over $$$$. I just think RVW can find out about the comfort difference in very short order. That is meant as a quick Yes/No to see if he can feel the difference only, not a final buying decision.
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Yes. We are in alignment. I guess my response to you assumes another analytical person like me that has already narrowed down the choices to the final ones and doesn’t need to test anything other than these ones. For example, when I chose my Roubaix in 2015, I had already decided it was going to be an endurance bike and had analyzed extensively the specs/reviews/etc of the 6 main suppliers at the time before doing full day long tests of the Domane and Roubaix. I did a similar recent approach when I decided on a racing bike (day long tests of the Trek Edmonda and Specialized Tarmac).
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Another totally non scientific benefit to a new bike is that urge to just ride the thing with a massive smile plastered across your face. That can’t be a bad thing 
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Yes, the bike shop owner watched and took video of me riding. He said, and I noticed, he
re-balanced the weight on the hands and bottom. Less pressure on the bottom, more on
the hands. The new geometry is helping.
Put the bike on the Wahoo Kickr Core, it is a little smoother, and it seems I feel the Core’s resistance more directly.
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