Skip to content
WhichBike

Trek Domane SL 7 AXS 1x Gen 5 vs Cannondale Synapse Carbon 3 SmartSense

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

The short answer

For a typical all-round rider the Trek Domane SL 7 AXS 1x Gen 5 comes out ahead (79% against 68%). That is not a universal verdict — change the terrain or the priority and the order can flip.

Trek

Domane SL 7 AXS 1x Gen 5

79% for a typical rider

£4,750 at Brand website
✓ Checked

Cannondale

Synapse Carbon 3 SmartSense

68% for a typical rider

£4,995 at Brand website
✓ Checked *

What actually separates them

Price
The Trek Domane SL 7 AXS 1x Gen 5 is £245 cheaper — £4,750 against £4,995.
Weight
The Trek Domane SL 7 AXS 1x Gen 5 is 1.8kg lighter, which you notice on long climbs more than anywhere else.
Riding position
The Trek Domane SL 7 AXS 1x Gen 5 sits you more upright (1.58 stack-to-reach against 1.52). The Cannondale Synapse Carbon 3 SmartSense is the more aggressive of the two — quicker if you can hold it, harder work if you cannot.
Tyre clearance
The Cannondale Synapse Carbon 3 SmartSense takes 42mm tyres against 40mm — the single most common thing buyers wish they had more of.

Side by side

Spec Domane SL 7 AXS 1x Gen 5 Synapse Carbon 3 SmartSense
Price £4,750 £4,995
Weight 8.1 kg 9.9 kg
Frame carbon carbon
Groupset SRAM Force XPLR AXS E1 1x13 electronic SRAM Rival AXS
Stack / reach 1.58 1.52
Tyre clearance 40 mm 42 mm
Lowest gear 26 in 25 in
Mudguard mounts Yes Yes
Comfort 88 68
Speed 46 36
Climbing 74 53
Value 3 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