Within limits — yes. The Synapse clears 42 mm at the rear and 48 mm at the fork, so mixed-surface riding and smooth gravel detours are fair game. But the road-endurance geometry (61 mm trail, 71.3° HTA) and the stock 32 mm road tires aren't set up for washboard, mud, or technical terrain.

For the occasional unpaved shortcut, it's plenty. For a 150-km gravel race, get the SuperX.

Less comfortably. The SuperX will happily run narrower tires (it ships with 40 mm Vittoria Terreno T50s), and the aero tube shapes work at road speeds. But the 65 mm trail and firm front end — flagged in reviews as the main trade-off for the race-gravel chassis — make it less relaxing than the Synapse on long pavement days.

It's a race tool that can commute. It's not a long-day-in-the-saddle bike.

SuperX: 48 mm rear, 51 mm fork. Granfondo confirmed 45 mm tires fit with "plenty of room to spare."

Synapse: 42 mm rear, 48 mm fork. Cannondale has pushed this further than most endurance platforms — the stock 32 mm Vittoria Rubinos measure closer to 35 mm on the wide Reserve 42 rims.

So the SuperX has 6 mm more frame clearance. It's the difference between a gravel race tire and an endurance all-road tire.

Close, but different philosophies. The SuperX uses a D-shaped seatpost plus engineered flex zones in the seat and chainstays — tuned specifically to take the sting out of washboard at speed. The Synapse claims a 20% increase in frame compliance over its predecessor, drawing on design cues from the SuperX, with a similar D-shaped seatpost.

On paved roads, the Synapse's longer wheelbase and chip-seal-focused tuning feels smoother. On off-road hits, the SuperX's broader-spectrum compliance is more useful.

Because the SmartSense system — lights, Garmin Varia rear radar, and a central battery that also powers SRAM AXS — is aimed at everyday road riding: traffic awareness, year-round visibility, one battery to charge. None of that matters much on a closed gravel race course, so the SuperX skips it and saves roughly 460 g.

If you want integrated safety tech, that's a Synapse-only answer.

Both editor's picks are SRAM Force AXS builds at $7,499 — a rare apples-to-apples matchup across two different Cannondale platforms.

The SuperX "1" gets DT Swiss GRC 1400 DICUT carbon wheels (24 mm internal, 50 mm depth) and the integrated Cannondale SystemBar R-One cockpit. The Synapse Carbon 2 SmartSense gets Reserve 42|49 Turbulent Aero wheels (a $1,599-retail wheelset on its own, per BikeRadar) plus the full SmartSense 2.0 tech stack — but pairs them with an alloy Cannondale C1 Conceal stem and Vision Trimax alloy bar rather than integrated carbon.

Different bikes, different priorities. Same drivetrain, same price.

The Synapse has Cannondale's StashPort downtube storage — a dedicated compartment in the frame, secured against rattle, large enough for tools and spares. Reviewers consistently praise it for keeping essentials "out of dirt, out of rain."

The SuperX has no in-frame storage. It relies on top-tube mounts and aero-optimized bottle cages. That's a race-bike choice — more aero, less weight, nothing to rattle loose.

The Synapse, for most riders. The 20% compliance gain over the previous Gen, longer wheelbase, StashPort storage, and SmartSense lighting all point to long, year-round, all-weather use. Reviewers describe it as "cossetting" and "ideal for long days in the saddle."

The SuperX handles long gravel events well, but its firm front end and stripped-down spec mean you're working harder for comfort over big miles. For bikepacking or ultra-distance, the Synapse is the more livable platform.