Thanks for the detailed write-up @stevemz - really useful and much appreciated. I am in a similar position in terms of not wanting to drop mega bucks on the HM coupled with the fact that Candy Red is by far the best colourway IMHO. But the parts spec and particularly the wheels are a big negative and would mean a lot of upgrades. The SE1 is an improvement in that respect (and new blue colourway is a step up). It would seem to suit multi-day epics well, but day to day I also ride a lot of road to trail and smooth fast trails so still not sure which way to go…do you think the extra 20mm and no lockout would make a big difference to efficiency?
Interesting on sizing as i was planning on L. I am 6ft but relatively inflexible back and hamstrings so tend to size a bit smaller than most (even on a 56cm synapse i drop down to a 90mm stem). Sounds like I might have to travel somewhere to test one.
Your upgrades make perfect sense and the P2M has been reliable for me on the synapse.
Ps. Most importantly what colour did you go for and any pics?