The New Cannondale Synapse With SmartSense V2

Originally released 20 years ago, the Cannondale Synapse was introduced to the world, bringing with it a completely unique riding experience. At a time when the only road bikes available were pro-racer orientated or aimed at a comfort or leisure cyclist, the Synapse managed to combine the two in a best-of-both-worlds approach. The result is what we’ve now known for some time as the endurance road bike; a bike capable of high performance, but comfortable enough for non-pro riders to ride all day.

These endurance road bikes are lightweight like their race bike counterparts, but feature geometry and design features that make them much more comfortable to ride in many cases. This extra comfort leads to a faster ride in the long run, as it is easier to maintain peak effort when in a comfortable riding position, meaning fatigue doesn’t set in until much later in the ride.

This philosophy was brought to life in 2024 when Lachlan Morton completed a lap of Australia aboard the Cannondale Synapse in record breaking time, smashing the previous time by 7 days! Comfort, performance, and aerodynamics all come together perfectly in this carbon road bike to create a ride comfortable enough to do a weekend century on, but fast enough to enter competitions with.

The new Cannondale Synapse Carbon range builds on this history, whilst maintaining what made it so successful, by improving compliance by 18% over its predecessor. It also is built around Cannondale’s Proportional Response design which means each frame size has the carbon layup and geometry tailored to ensure the bike works in harmony with the rider for the best experience.

Here, we’re going to take a look at the Cannondale Synapse 2025 range to see what has changed, been refined, or kept the same to ensure that this is the best Synapse range yet.

In addition to the features above, the 2025 Cannondale Synapse has a D-shaped seatpost, which not only improves the aerodynamics of the frame, but also improves compliance, which can aid in the reduction of muscle fatigue on longer rides. The seatpost is the same found on the SuperSix Evo V3 and CAAD13 frames, and is available in Carbon and Alloy variants. In accordance with Cannondale’s Proportional Response design, the 44-48cm frames are shipped with a 0mm offset, and frame sizes 51cm and above will come equipped with a 15mm offset post to ensure the rider’s position on the bike is optimised.

The Cannondale Synapse 1 2025 and LAB71 models will both benefit from the top-of-the-range Hi-Mod carbon road bike frame, which provides the same stiffness, ride feel and durability, but with a 100g weight saving over the standard Carbon of the other models in the range.

Another feature on the Hi-Mod framed models is the sleek, one piece SystemBar R-One, which was developed in conjunction with automotive racing legends, MOMO. This bar and stem combo provides better aerodynamics, more strength, and allows the cables to be routed through the headset, completely out of view.

SmartSense V2

SmartSense is a technology exclusive to Cannondale that allows various components to communicate with each other, and that can be paired with a compatible head unit or smart phone to give information to the rider. It comprises of a central battery which can be removed from the bike for charging, a Garmin Varia tail light and radar, a wheel sensor, a headlight, and a Sram AXS extension cord.

Battery

The Gen 2 SmartSense battery has had its capacity increased to a huge 43.2Wh, giving a run time of around 10 hours in low beam mode, 2.5 hours in full beam mode, and over 24 hours in flashing mode. It is completely removable from the bike and can be charged using a standard USB-C cable. In a pinch, you can use it to charge a mobile phone, and it can be used as a torch.

Garmin Varia eRTL

All Cannondale Synapse 2025 models that are equipped with SmartSense come with a Garmin Varia eRTL radar and tail light system, which can send the rider information about vehicle’s locations that can be displayed on any ANT+ device or smart phone. The system automatically changes the beam pattern and brightness to alert drivers to your presence.

SmartSense Gen1 Vs Gen2

Given that these are endurance road bikes, it can be assumed that they are going to be ridden over a long period of time, and so the biggest upgrade for the Gen2 system is the battery capacity. This has increased from 19.2Wh to 43.2Wh, giving riders the ability to use their lights throughout the duration of the ride. The lights themselves are also much brighter, going from 350 Lumens max on the Gen1 system to 800 Lumens max on the Gen2 system.

The battery at the heart of the system is now completely integrated out of sight inside the downtube of the carbon road bike frame, and can also be used to power electronic derailleurs (Sram only).

Additional features of the Gen2 system include the “glovebox” light that can be doubled up as a torch, and the ability to use the battery as a power bank.

Geometry

The Models

The Cannondale Synapse road bike is and always has been a trailblazer, leading the way with innovative ideas and technology. This latest version is no different, a performance orientated carbon road bike blended with state of the art tech that creates a safe riding experience, capable of taking KOMs in Strava.

All of this tech, mixed with modern tyre clearances, disc brakes, and a lightweight, aerodynamic frame, lead to the Cannondale Synapse 2025 being one of the best endurance road bike options to date.

Cannondale Synapse 2025 Release Date: 6th May 2025