Aaah yes, the Pivot Switchblade is also under consideration.

I've checked out the Yeti bikes and they're cool, but that front lower linkage is odd. I should ride one though.

Not sure if they even make a carbon frame but the folks around here with Transition bikes all love them. Worth considering. I'm sure being the 'local' builder has some effect on those feelings but in the end the bikes work really well.

Well, I finally bought that new bike I was talking about getting. But I decided against the Specialized Roubaix I had planned on buying. I bought this instead:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1517811858.jpg

It's a Cannodale Synapse with SRAM Red eTap HRD groupset. The crank is a Quarq (owned by SRAM) Carbon and has a Quarq DZero power meter spyder installed.

I only have one 20 miles on it but I love it! The bike is light, fast, and responsive. It handles great but has some flex built in to key places (seat tube, seat stays, chain stays, and forks) to improve comfort. The disc brakes are a quite good.

I am already contemplating some carbon clincher wheels that can also use tubeless tires.

^ nice bike.

Changing subject....
Has anyone here tried heat moldable cycling shoes? If yes, what do you think? If no, what do you think?

ETap is awesome....

Yes, it is. eTap is much more intuitive than Di2 and I am already used to the Shimano system. It's expensive but I am really glad I got it. The disc brakes are great too.

Yes, I agree. Been shimano all my life, till now.

Converted my Slice Tri bike to ETap and my Supersix Evo will be getting it this year, If I don't sell it and get a new Trek Madone..

You'll love the Synapse. I ride a Supersix and my s/o has a Synapse. It's 90% of a Supersix with even more comfort (and the Supersix is on of the most comfortable race oriented bikes I've had).

Can't wait to try etap-have all the other groups somewhere in the stable, and they're all excellent in their own way, so I'm sure etap will have its own charms.

Thanks, Greg. My wife won the equivalent of an aluminum Synapse through a fitness program at work. We upgraded her to a carbon Synapse with Ultegra mechanical shifters. I looked at endurance bikes from Specialized and Cervelo but the Synapse had the best combination of features and was the best value as well.

I am on the hunt for some carbon clinchers that will also do tubeless. There is a company in England called "Hunt" that has some intriguing wheels.

Hunt and Pacenti use the same rims. Hookless (no rim bead) carbon tubeless. I'm not entirely sold on tubeless-its great 90% of the time, but on those occasions where it doesn't seal its a mess dealing with the sealant when putting in a tube. Sealant in a tube seems like 90% of the good without any of the bad. But hey, give them a shot.
https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?p=2286862

Maybe I am old fashion, but what's wrong with a inner tube? Adds very little weight, and its a for sure thing if you flatted 40 miles from home. What's the real advantage? Weight?

In the mountain bike world, tubeless allows us to run lower pressures and nearly eliminate flats. It's a great way to go. I haven't yet converted on the road and I'm curious about others' real world experiences.

Self sealing. Little punctures fix themselves. Big ones are a crapshoot.


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I used to ride "singles" on my road bike back in the 80s and they were always fun! lol ;)

80 km from home and you get a flat? You get good at changing them on the side of the road.

I just think you are screwed if there's a big enough hole like from a bolt or screw. With a tube, it gets changed and off the other way you go. I carry one cylinder of CO2, 12 ounce. If that doesn't work, I call and get yell at by my wife. I don't have any plans to covert over and I am cheap.

If you have big puncture, you just put a tube in. And you have far fewer small flats, at least in the dirt.

I run tubeless on my road and MTB. Most punctures on the road bike are so small you either don't know you got it or you hear air loss for a few seconds and it then it seals back up. I still carry a tube just in case and have had a few tire cuts that were too bad to seal themselves. One problem with a tubeless road tires and big cuts is that they're flat in less than one revolution so you need to have decent bike handling skills. I've also had cuts that were so bad I had to tear a piece of bar tape off to cover the hole so the tube wouldn't stick out.

MTB tubeless is almost a must have these days. You can run really low tire pressures for traction without fear of a pinch flat. If you're far from home, vehicle or support you just carry a tube.

My hesitation is the mess of putting a tube in a tire that's loaded with sealant. Yuck. Not often, I know but still yuck.

Interesting regarding the sudden loss of air in the road tires. I always carry a "boot" cut from a plastic milk jug to address the big gashes.

A dollar bill works well.
Tubeless is the way to go on a mt bike. In the fall, the thorns dry up and you can easily get 1-10 punctures on a ride. With tubeless, it seals as you ride. Pinch flats are history. Also, the ride itself is noticeably better. Not just because of the low pressure, the tire follows the terrain better. Putting a tube in with sealant isn't that messy. The tire only holds a couple ounces and it just wipes off your hands. It's not like dirty grease. It's not good for bikes that aren't ridden often. If the tire goes flat over time, it can be a pain to get a good seal again.