Originally Posted by Jed19

A Cannondale 52 could be/not be the ticket. Cannondale's geometry is sometimes not the optimum geometry for certain people with peculiar proportions. I am 5' 10" tall with a 34ins cycling inseam. My height is mostly in my legs. Most people are surprised when I tell them that I am only 5' 10" tall, thinking I am at least 6' tall. Anyway, I have had two Cannondale road bikes in the past, and the geometry was just impossible. My last cannondale was a CAAD 9 in a size 54, as the 56 was just too big. The 54 was too small ( had about 4.5ins saddle to handlebar drop and showing tons of seatpost). My ideal size in the Cannondale would probably have been a 55cm. I could not even feel comfortable on the size 56 with a 90mm stem. Just too much length in the top tube.

My take is just that certain geometries just don't work for some people. When I buy bikes now, geometry is what I focus on first. So, the second recommendation re researching other geometries is a sound advice.

Originally Posted by roadwarrior

Bingo.

Go to the head of the class.

I've had two 5'8" people standing side by side, but with different leg lengths they will get two different size bikes.

If a shop only measures your leg length run for the hills.

Originally Posted by carpediemracing

You're welcome, just trying to spread out what I've learned over the years. For what it's worth I started riding pretty seriously in 1982, first contemplated a custom frame in the 1992-1995 range, seriously tried to get one in 1995 (told "that front center is too long so we won't make it", i.e. too long from the BB to the head tube, so I gave up), then decided to give it a shot with the "budget" Tsunami Bikes in late 2009. It's a pretty solid/hefty aluminum frame (1300g), I have no need for a better frame, the fit is what makes it work, comfy with 23c tires for many hours. I'd love to have a shorter frame so that I can use a normal stem but for now I'll do with the ridiculous looking custom stem.

Custom frame is from Tsunami Bikes, actually suggested to me here on BF. Until them I was out of the price range and functionality, looking for aluminum or carbon but limited to under $1000 for the frame. Their prices aren't on the site anymore but I'm pretty sure it should be about $800 now. When I ordered my two frames, in very late 2009 and very late 2010, I was charged $650 and $750, or something like that, and it included an up charge for BB30. The second frame was also "aero" in style.

I don't know Joseph's building status right now. He's fighting cancer, has been for a bit, but he is cranking out some work anyway.

My Cannondale (52 cm System Six), which has the best front end of any bike I've ridden. It was, in 2008, the stiffest frame they had ever made, not sure if that includes the original aluminum frame. Since Cannondale is local and since some of the engineers are friends I asked one what frame I should get, based on their knowledge of my riding style and preferences (love contesting field sprints, do stupid long rides, dislike climbing). My long time friend - we've been racing 25+ years together - told me the System Six, 2008 if possible, so that's what I got. The best front end I've ever ridden, I hope to have a frame one day that has the same fork and front end rigidity. Top tube was only 53.5 cm with a slacker seat tube angle so it was way too short for me. However that's about the geometry I've been riding since the mid 80s.


First Tsunami frame, so the aforementioned 40 cm seat tube (c-c, about 44 cm to the top of the tube, modeled after a size S Giant aluminum TCR which I loved for the clearance), 56.5 effective top tube length, 75.5 seat tube angle. 40.5 cm chainstays, front end is totally normal at 73 head tube angle and 43 mm rake, which is what the Cannondale had.


Black frame, the second one. I always try to have two bikes, same set up, so I can switch from one to the other no problems. The Giants were such a set up, except one was carbon and one was aluminum. I wanted to do the same with the Tsunamis. The red frame is the formerly-orange one after getting the chainstays shortened "as much as possible" (my request) to about 39.2 cm, so about 1.3 cm shorter than before. THe black bike has 39.0 cm chainstays and they are incredible. Bike is super responsive out of the saddle, which is a huge thing for me. I also got enough weight on it in corners, which with the long front end was a problem with 40.5 cm stays. It also has good traction on super-steep wet climbs (20% or so), not that I do them that often.


Red frame with compact bars and the necessary custom stem, picture from March of this year. The drops are basically in the same spot as before, meaning just under the hoods, where I sprint. Therefore the pedal-to-drops relationship is the same. Before, in the above picture, the drops were 6 cm too high. Even after I got 15 cm drop bars they were still 3 cm too high, and the 15 cm drop bars had a funky shape so it was really only about 13 cm drop. In the linked picture the top of the compact bar is 3 cm lower than the regular one. WIth the ridiculous looking stem I'm back in my original position and I no longer have 20 year old iffy handlebars that might crack or break.


The position looks extreme but it's not. I have a bad back, I am not flexible, and I'm good on the bike for as long as I can pedal, 6-8 hours. In fact I prefer the drops once I start getting fatigued after an hour or so. The drops are easiest on my back. Picture of me where the stem is not visible so you can look at the position without any preconceived notions. Picture from a race in March of this year, I was sprinting standing up and in the picture I'm starting to sit down.

Originally Posted by valygrl

I bet your frame is too big. I spent years on too-big frames. (common problem for women)

However, that said, I just made a change to my cranks that changed my fit in the direction you are interested in.

I went from 170mm to 165mm cranks -and moved the saddle up 7 mm, forward 5mm (this might be a problem for you), lowered the stem 15 mm and went to a 10mm longer stem. All the other fit changes were to accommodate the new cranks length.

People don't talk much about crank length as a component of bike fit, but I found it is huge - with shorter cranks, I can use a longer/lower frame.

Also - before buying another bike, read up on Reach and Stack measuring systems, that will help you compare how different frames will actually fit - bike mfrs (including c'dale) are starting to finally publish R&S in their geometry charts.

This is an old and tri-focused article but a good place to start: Stack & Reach Primer: Chapter One - Slowtwitch.com

So if you can't sell your bike, you could see if you could hook up a shorter crank and that might help - except for the moving the saddle forward part, that could be a showstopper.

Originally Posted by Bostic

The reach has to be a mis-print. Looking at this link that shows a picture of the C3 bars, that's not 90mm.
Cannondale C3 Compact Ergo Drop 44cm Wide Take Off New - CannondaleExperts.com
Most compact bars are in the ~75mm range. A 3T ergosum has the compact drop but a longer reach it's not even 90mm

Originally Posted by dalava

Like a few also said here, I think your money will be better spent first on a good fitter.

If you do find a good fitter, the first thing they will do is find the right saddle height and fore-aft position relative to your bottom bracket, such that you are in the more balance position when pedaling. You hand position to the hoods will flow as a result of that, based on your flexibility. I also suggest that you do the fitting not on your current bike (using something like this: The Experience), so the fitting will tell you what the frame geometry you should be looking for.

What you are playing around with stem length/bar reach is only part of a good fit, and if your saddle is moved too far forward, not only will you lose power, but it also could be a source of many future problems, including too much pressure on your hands and shoulder.

BTW, for the same size, Cannondale normally has longer reach than others (longer top tube) based on several bikes I have. If you are 5'8 with 30 inseam, I think you have relatively longer legs and shorter torso than a typical proportion. Cannondale geometry may not be the best for you. I am 5'10 with 31 inseam and I am on a 54 Cannondale EVO and it fits me great.