30mm tubulars with low-end brake for clearance on Paris-Roubaix bike
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Cannondale-Garmin's Ruben Zepuntke is riding his first Paris-Roubaix this year (Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Cannondale-Garmin uses SRM power meters, but being a Garmin-sponsored team, uses empty Garmin Vector pedals on most bikes (Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The 'small' chainring for Paris-Roubaix isn't that small, and may not be used at all (Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The Synapse chainstays are designed with vertical give to take the edge off (Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The Synapse's definining visual feature is the split down tube above the bottom bracket (Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Cannondale-Garmin uses Shimano Di2 for standard road stages, but mechanical Dura-Ace for Paris-Roubaix (Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Internal routing ports are ready for cables or wires (Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Stainless Arundel cages are entrusted to clamp down bottles over the pavé (Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
While most of Cannondale's consumer Synapse endurance bikes now come with disc brakes, that isn't yet a legal possibility for race teams (Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
With the low-end Shimano caliper, clearance is decent (Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Cannondale-Garmin mechanic Geoff Brown pulled out some old, long-reach Shimano calipers for the rear of the Synapse for better clearance on 30mm rubber than Shimano Dura-Ace (Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Mavic makes team-edition Paris-Roubaix wheels, with 24 spokes front and rear (compared to 20 and 16 for consumer Cosmics (Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
FMB 30mm Paris-Roubaix tubulars go on specially made Mavic wheels (Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Zepuntke's bike has already seen the ground a few times (Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Paris-Roubaix rookie Ruben Zepuntke will tackle his first professional Hell of the North Sunday aboard a Cannondale Synapse with fat, 30mm FMB tubulars on team-only, heavily spoked Mavic Cosmic Carbone 40 wheels.
The Mavic wheels feature 24 spokes front and rear, compared to the consumer 16 and 20 spokes, respectively. Still, the stones of Paris-Roubaix are brutal.
"We go into Paris-Roubaix each year expecting to break four or five or six wheels," said Cannondale-Garmin mechanic Geoff Brown. "We send them back to Mavic and they rebuilt them for next year."
To accommodate the massive 30mm FMB tubs, Brown installed low-end, long-reach Shimano calipers on the rears of the team Synapse frames.
"We have had those sitting around in a drawer since 2010 or so, and when we started to do Paris-Roubaix gear testing a while ago, they did the trick," Brown said.
As for the 30mm FMBs, Brown said that as racers and the industry continue to push for stiffer bikes and more aero wheels, "you have to find your cushion somewhere," and thus the big tubulars have replaced what used to be the standard 28mm Paris-Roubaix width for the team. Cannondale-Garmin will likely use sealant in the tires, though Brown declined to name what brand or brands he was considering.
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As with many companies' endurance bikes, the Synapse features a taller head tube than straight-ahead race bikes. Brown says that -17 stems do the trick for his riders, without them having to go down a size to get their desired, low position.
Click through the gallery above for a close look at Zepuntke's bike.
Complete bike specifications
Frameset: Cannondale Synapse Stem: FSA OS99, 12cm Handlebar: FSA, 42cm Front brake: Shimano Dura-Ace Rear brake: 2010 Shimano Front derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace Rear derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace Shift levers: Shimano Dura-Ace Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace, 11-25T Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace Crankset: Cannondale SLSL2 with FSA rings, 175mm, 53/44T Pedals: Garmin Vector (not set up as power meter) Front wheel: Mavic Cosmic Carbone 40 - team edition with 24 spokes Read wheel: Mavic Cosmic Carbone 40 - team edition with 24 spokes Front tubular: FMB Paris-Roubaix, 30mm Rear tubular: FMB Paris-Roubaix, 30mm Saddle: Fizik Antares Seatpost: FSA SL-K Bottle cages: Arundel (2)
Critical measurements
Rider's height: 184cm (6ft) Rider's weight: 76 kg (168b) Saddle height from BB, c-t: 77.5cm Tip of saddle to center of bar: 58cm Saddle-to-bar drop: 10cm
