Traded my Hybrid for a road bike.....
 

I traded my Cannondale Quick5 LG frame for a CAAD8 2300 56cm frame. Added a stem riser that i had on the quick.I test rode it and i really liked the way the power to the pedals was easier to achieve...Not sure about the seat yet...it's pretty hard on the TAINT...I have one coming that has a good cutout on it...The tires are a lot harder....One thing is for sure, it's a lot faster...I am 6'1" 245 lbs so i have a ways to go until i can be where i need to be, around 200lbs...

Now that looks pretty sweet. Almost afraid to bring this up but you are 6'1" right? How is the fit? Post an update after you ride it a couple of times.

He said he would have a 58CM next week if i felt this one was too small...It felt pretty good on the 6 miles test ride i took...My LBS said he thought the 58CM might make me reach for the bars too much but i was welcome to try it and if i liked it better then he would just swap it out, no problem...

That frame looks too small... it's hard to see what you have going on with the stem but it doesn't look right. Is the steerer (on the fork) carbon? I assume no, so I'm not sure if there's any maximum amount of spacers you can put under the stem.

I'm just a little bit taller than you (6'2" and shrinking) and I'm very comfortable on a 58. If you're fine with what you have then good! But give the 58 a shot.

I am just under 5'9" and I ride a 55 (probably would have been fine with a 54, but the bike I bought came in 53 or 55 so I went with the larger size). Initially I was afraid of going to a bigger size as it seemed so much bigger than my hybrid, but it is much more comfortable on longer rides. But everybody is built a little different.

I will ride the 58 next week... see how it feels...I am glad he is very cooperative with me... He told me one of the senior members in the local club is lilke 6'2"or 6'3" and he rides a 56 an loves it... always has ridden a 56...we are shaped about the same...I am gonna ride this one for a couple days ans see...

I'm 6'1 and my CAAD 8 is a 58. Fits me perfectly. The 56 felt cramped, and the 60 was too stretchy. :)

You have a very nice bike shop.

Seriously. Notgrownup, you need to treasure that bike shop, because they have gone well above and beyond the realm of reason to make you happy.

Nice bike.

But I agree, it doesn't look right. I'm 6'3 with long arms, and a 58 is a bit small for me. My gut is the 58 would do you well.

As for the guy who is on the 56...smaller frames can be fine for those with flexibility and no or less belly. I can ride a 56 or 57 now (after the loss of 50 pounds and a lot of core work), but the stems get a bit silly and the drop exceeds 15cm.

My stock road bike was a square 58 (58 C to C top tube and seat tube) and my drop was 17 cm saddle-to-bars. That's very aggressive. My custom bike has a 59.5 TT, a 59 ST and is a "slant 6", meaning the top tube slants very slightly down to the saddle. It looks straight until you put it against a reference, like a brick wall.

I suspect the 58 will feel much better, and won't have funny stem things going on. Heck, you could even flip it.

Entirely gratuitous photo attached. You can see the slant if you look. Also, note stem -- it's at -10 degrees, which leaves me lots of room to raise it as I age.

I'm 6'1" and a 58. I would try the 58. Either way nice bike and enjoy!!!

Sweet bike. When I went from my Trek 7300 to the Madone 5.2, I was between frame sizes (I'm 6'1" also). I could have gone either 56 or 58. I ended up going 58 because, for some reason, it just felt a little bit better on my back. I think that's the important thing, how it feels. If the 56 works for you, ride it like you stole it. If your LBS is willing to let you try a 58, I'd certainly check it out because you never know. But whichever you choose, choose the one that feels better. You may already have that. :)

Bert, the owner is a very low key guy, has a lot of clientele but you don't hear much from the shop, it's tucked away in a corner of town not much frequented...He has enough stock to get you what you need and his dad owned the shop before him for a long time....He sells, C'dale, GT, Jamis, Sun and Schwinn Signature...1 Man shop...He does a lot for the city with the rotary club and chamber of commerce...I would say he has gone above & beyond my expectations...He seems to be very easy going about it. He quit riding about 2 years ago , says he lost the bug and he say that talking with me and helping me and seeing how i was into it made him think of getting back into riding...
I will say this, i have been happy with the 1st bike even if it was too small, it got me cycling again, i could've live with the Quick 5 but i wasn't 100% sure. He left me with the choices because i was a bit wishy washy...

Did 13 miles on the CAAD this morning...my a$$ hurts butt i have another seat on the way with a taint cutout on it. I still need to take another ride with the bars readjusted...It is very rough and stiff compared to the hybrid...WOW... a lot....Not sure i made the right choice but we'll see...If i go with a 58cm frame i am afraid i will be made to lean forward way too much, i will sit on it but i am pretty sure i will stick with this one, if i switch it will be back to a Hybrid Jumbo frame.

Keep in mind, the larger frame will have a taller head tube. Several shops told me with my fitness level at the time, if I wanted a more relaxed geometry, if I were able to ride two different sizes well, choose the larger of the two. YMMV. Glad you're working through your options.

The rough ride was my concern when you said CAAD8, thus my suggestion of trying to get the Synapse. One think I'd look into is tire size. I'd guess it has 23's on it now. Will 25's fit? If so, that will soften the ride up a touch. I have no desire to go back to 23's.

Thanks Joe... i will ask...

I'll toss in my $0.02 and agree that you should give strong consideration to the 58. I'm 5'-10" and my 56 fits me perfectly. I can't imagine what 3 more inches in height would do to that fit. It's great you've got a cooperative dealer.

Oh, and forum pics, especially the obligatory white-garage-door pics, are always taken from the drive-side. ;)

Or even 28s. The slightly lower pressure and greater air volume should smooth out some of the bumpiness of the ride. (that being said, one of the reasons I went with steel was for the ride quality.)

As for the saddle comfort issue, you might want to consider a leather saddle. Brooks is the gold standard here, but Selle Anatomica is another choice on that same order.

For a lower priced pick, the Planet Bike ARS saddle isn't bad. My wife uses one on her bike and loves it. http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Bike-A-.../dp/B000C17L2W

Saddles really are a hit or miss proposition. Once you find one you like, hang onto it. One of the reasons I am glad the Brooks B17 worked out for me. I can already see that a leather saddle is like a good pair of jeans, or Allen Edmonds shoes; it gets more comfortable with wear.

LOL... Sorry for the Faux-pas...plus the brightness was way off....LOL...i will tighten up there...

remember the 58 has a 20mm difference in headtube (almost an inch). It will help you fit better to the bike, you shouldn't have to use a steertube extender, just pick a better stem that give you the rise you need. Glad you got a good LBS, but +1 to thinking the bike is too small for you. Ride this one for a bit before you make the switch that way you can feel the difference.

Yah and the roadie is FAST, play with air pressures, I'd guess pumping the tires to about 105psi for you. If you get pinch flat, then pump it up 5psi.

5'9" and I've got a 56 road bike .. at 6'1" part of the Taint pressure is the bending over to reach low..

see if you can get more flexible in the spine, so you wont rotate the hips forward so much..

though the 58 might be a better fit..

My touring bike I built in the 70s is a 58, really short seatpost .. for Me..

I go on a 57 Fuji today... virtually the same as the CAAD8 56cm...????

You'll find that sort of thing from time to time. It the old days, when top tubes were horizontal, you'd get different sizing info from different frame manufacturers depending on how they measured them. Some were center of bottom bracket to center of top tube, some were center of bottom bracket to top of top tube. Often it came down to the country of origin - one nation's builders would measure one way, and another's would measure differently. Kind of like English, Italian and French bottom bracket threading.

Now, with compact frame geometry and sloping top tubes it's even more confusing. There are no real standards, but plenty of rules of thumb to get you started. Then it's a matter of trying things first-hand for comfort and (in the case of a new rider who might not know how a well-fit bike should feel) relying on expert advice.

I just got back from a Morning 12 mile ride and i must say i am worried...The bike runs great and it is easy to keep a 14-16 mph average compared to a 12-14 avg on the Hybrid...My hands are really taking the change hard and i am not sure i will be able to keep the bike...Whatever i choose i will keep cycling...I may tough it and keep this CAAD and get me a CL beater hybrid...I do get a better workout with the CAAD i do feel like...I still need to try the bigger 58cm

Please don't take this as harsh, but I've read your two related threads and must say that you're perceptions about fit and comfort, and your compounded fears that "something isn't right", and your haste combine to make it difficult to offer consistent advice.

The 56 cm is likely too small, and the stack of spacers and extended stem are indicative of your bike shop attempting to correct this. I agree that this shop owner is to be commended for going above and beyond.

Hand pain can result from improper (cramped or more rarely extended) fit, improper hand positions, and/or clutching the bars with too much pressure. Your hands should lightly rest on the hoods, and not feel like they're weight bearing, cramping, or grasping. The correct balance point will allow you to raise your hands pretty easily off the bars while riding.

You need to find an experienced riding partner to go with you and help you adjust your technique, fit, and posture. Converation with an experienced rider will also help you to learn to relax. Seek out your local riding club and ask for some help, AFTER you switch to the 58 cm frame.