Synapse Carbon 2 RL

It's more about stability and usefulness than feeling fast. On paved roads, the rating is mostly about fast cruising and how the setup supports higher speeds. The main reasons are all-round road tires that balance speed and comfort, an aero-leaning setup that reduces drag at higher speeds, and a solid drivetrain that supports efficient riding.

How it climbs: 3.3/10. Within Road bikes, it sits below average. The low gear is workable, but not super easy on steep ramps. Your easiest gear lands around 27.0 gear inches. On the ‘easier low gear’ scale, it sits around ~58% versus similar bikes. “Gear inches” sounds nerdy, but it’s just a quick way to describe how easy your lowest gear is to turn uphill. Lower usually means easier. A good middle-ground if you want mixed routes that include some hills. Build kits can differ by size and spec level, and not every detail is published by every brand, so use this as a practical guideline.

For an endurance build, aero-wise, at 6.2/10, it sits in the ‘good enough everywhere’ aero zone so it feels ‘quick enough’ without being a pure aero build. In everyday language, it’s a balanced middle ground: some streamlining, but not an extreme aero setup. The endurance category also hints at the intent behind the design. A tidier cockpit and cable routing can help a little once you’re riding quickly. Not every brand publishes the same detail, so this leans on the clearest available specs. It’s a middle-ground feel: not the fastest possible in the wind, but not holding you back either.

Comfort fit - a relaxed road posture that stays friendly on longer rides. Endurance geometry usually trades some tuck for all-day comfort. Some measurements were missing, so part of this is estimated.

That is why we tag it Moderately Adjustable. A modular front-end gives more freedom to change stem length or bar width. Plus, Internal cable routing can slow down fit-related part changes.

This scores 4.8/10 for comfort, so it feels fairly neutral out on the road. That’s why it’s labeled Balanced. It’s running about 30 mm tires on 700c wheels, and it softens the edges a little, without feeling plush on chipseal and broken pavement. The posture is neutral (posture 5/10), which keeps things neutral and easy to live with.

You may be paying a premium here. Value is scored 1–10: higher is better value, lower means you’re paying more than similar bikes. Uses MSRP as a baseline; real-world prices can be lower (discounts can change the value). Based on the spec estimate, it’s about 18% above the typical level for similar builds. Among comparable bikes, it sits around the middle on price (cheaper than about 50% of listings). To anchor it: price €4.409 versus an estimated €3.727 for a similar build. Bottom line: you may be paying extra versus similar options.

This bike is best when your rides stay on clean tarmac. The tire size is around 30 mm, which is typical for fast road setups. Even though it’s tagged Endurance, the spec pushes it toward Road Only.