Skip to content
WhichBike

Cannondale Synapse Carbon 2 SmartSense vs Cervélo Caledonia-5 Ultegra Di2

Both are endurance bikes at a similar price. Here is what actually separates them.

The short answer

For a typical all-round rider the Cervélo Caledonia-5 Ultegra Di2 comes out ahead (79% against 72%). That is not a universal verdict — change the terrain or the priority and the order can flip.

Cannondale

Synapse Carbon 2 SmartSense

72% for a typical rider

£6,995 at Brand website
✓ Checked *

Cervélo

Caledonia-5 Ultegra Di2

79% for a typical rider

£7,000 at Brand website
✓ Checked *

What actually separates them

Price
The Cannondale Synapse Carbon 2 SmartSense is £5 cheaper — £6,995 against £7,000.
Weight
The Cervélo Caledonia-5 Ultegra Di2 is 1.7kg lighter, which you notice on long climbs more than anywhere else.
Riding position
The Cannondale Synapse Carbon 2 SmartSense sits you more upright (1.52 stack-to-reach against 1.50). The Cervélo Caledonia-5 Ultegra Di2 is the more aggressive of the two — quicker if you can hold it, harder work if you cannot.
Climbing gear
The Cannondale Synapse Carbon 2 SmartSense has the easier bottom gear (25 gear inches against 29), which matters more than weight on anything genuinely steep.

Side by side

Spec Synapse Carbon 2 SmartSense Caledonia-5 Ultegra Di2
Price £6,995 £7,000
Weight 9.1 kg 7.4 kg
Frame carbon carbon
Groupset SRAM Force AXS Shimano Ultegra Di2 2x12 electronic
Stack / reach 1.52 1.50
Tyre clearance 42 mm 41 mm
Lowest gear 25 in 29 in
Mudguard mounts Yes Yes
Comfort 68 63
Speed 45 69
Climbing 64 78
Value 0 0

Neither might be the right answer

This page assumes an average rider. Tell us how you actually ride and we will rank these two against everything else at the price.

Find my bike

Related comparisons