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Is a 48cm good size for some one that's 5'6 (168cm) tall?

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Is a 48cm good size for some one that's 5'6 (168cm) tall?

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Old 11-09-14 | 06:59 AM
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Toe overlap isn't an issue if you're turning correctly. Should be leaning into the turn rather than turning handlebar so much your toes are hitting the tires...
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Old 11-09-14 | 07:15 AM
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You're right. The only time toe overlap is really an issue is turning at very slow speeds like in the middle of the street. Or making a right turn on the sidewalk corner

But just normal riding, it shouldn't be an issue
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Old 11-09-14 | 11:15 AM
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Originally Posted by jerbax18
im 5'6 also amd ride 48cm frame. both bikes with 51.5 toptube and 100mm stem(slammed ofcourse). same with my short friends. theres a lot of toe overlap though.
You and you're friends must have some of the oddest proportions. I'm 5'6 or so, and ride a 52 with a 110 stem, and it's for all intents, slammed, 3T ARX 6 degree. And I got about 3 inch drop. The top tube is 53.7cm with a setback seatpost. I haven't seen any recent bikes that have extremely long top tube, even bikes like Venge that Cavendish rides on a 52 has 53.7cm top tube.

There is no possible way a 48 with a 100 can have the proper reach for someone who is 5'6. Cavendish gets away with it because his is one off custom frame and he still needs the longest stem that zipp makes.

Last edited by zymphad; 11-09-14 at 11:23 AM.
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Old 11-09-14 | 11:21 AM
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I'm 5'7" and the 52cm EVO fits me pretty well. I tried a 50 cm and the fit was pretty close. All I really would have needed was a slightly longer stem. I have ridden my friend's 48cm Supersix and found it to be a bit too cramped in stock form.
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Old 11-09-14 | 11:26 AM
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Originally Posted by almondjay
I'm 5'7" and the 52cm EVO fits me pretty well. I tried a 50 cm and the fit was pretty close. All I really would have needed was a slightly longer stem. I have ridden my friend's 48cm Supersix and found it to be a bit too cramped in stock form.
According to C-Dales website the 52 has a 53.5 TT, it's not that long. 48 is 51. Just saying, if I was on a 48, I'd probably need a 150-160 stem. That's so dumb.
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Old 11-09-14 | 12:01 PM
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Originally Posted by zymphad
According to C-Dales website the 52 has a 53.5 TT, it's not that long. 48 is 51. Just saying, if I was on a 48, I'd probably need a 150-160 stem. That's so dumb.
Totally agree. On the 48cm, with the setback seatpost and the angles, I could make it work with a 140mm, and would have to move the seat all the way back. That would be ridiculous.

To the OP, what do you mean when you say the 48cm looks more sporty than the bigger bikes?
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Old 11-09-14 | 12:09 PM
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Originally Posted by almondjay
Totally agree. On the 48cm, with the setback seatpost and the angles, I could make it work with a 140mm, and would have to move the seat all the way back. That would be ridiculous.

To the OP, what do you mean when you say the 48cm looks more sporty than the bigger bikes?

Now this is just my opinion, I know everyone thinks different but the smaller frames look more aggressive and sportier to me. Kind of like a sports car, take example a ferrari or lamborghini, a smaller footprint and lower stance changes the entire look and feel of the car. That's what I meant.
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Old 11-09-14 | 12:13 PM
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To the OP: I am almost exactly your size. See my measurements below. I own two 48 cm Cannondale Supersixes, so I can speak with experience on the exact bike you are buying. I use a 100mm stem, with -6deg. angle, 1cm spacer, and an Enve setback seatpost. My fit was dialed in by an excellent fitter at Parvilla Cycles near Annapolis, MD. So, I would say that the 48 cm Cannondale may very well fit you. Needless to say, there are many variables in bike fit, so it's hard to generalize. If you care about fit, then get a proper fitting to learn your ideal stack and reach measurements (that's what I did). That's the only easy way I know of to compare bikes. Things like seat tube or top tube length, by themselves, present an incomplete picture, so you can't rely on those things alone. For example, horizontal top tube length really means nothing by itself - you have to look at it in combination with seat tube angle, head tube angle, etc. Also, other factors like the reach and drop of your bar, the position of the brake hoods on the bar, etc. can affect fit.

FWIW, Mark Cavendish is 175 cm and rides a 49 cm Specialized Venge. However, the reach on a 49 cm Specialized Venge is considerably longer than the reach on an 48 cm Supersix.

Height 167.5 cm Inseam 76.4 cm Torso 56.0 cm Arm 54.2 cm Shoulder 41.0 cm
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Old 11-09-14 | 12:28 PM
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Originally Posted by digaz
Now this is just my opinion, I know everyone thinks different but the smaller frames look more aggressive and sportier to me. Kind of like a sports car, take example a ferrari or lamborghini, a smaller footprint and lower stance changes the entire look and feel of the car. That's what I meant.
Have you considered any of the companies that make compact frames. The Giant TCR Advanced might be more of your style.

TCR Advanced 2 (2015) | Giant Bicycles | United States
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Old 11-09-14 | 12:33 PM
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Originally Posted by digaz
Now this is just my opinion, I know everyone thinks different but the smaller frames look more aggressive and sportier to me. Kind of like a sports car, take example a ferrari or lamborghini, a smaller footprint and lower stance changes the entire look and feel of the car. That's what I meant.
Majority of the time you're driving in 30-45 mph zones. Even 4 lane highways, 65 MPH limit. And in most neighborhoods, the amount of noise those sports cars make, is obnoxious. The cars are made of carbon frame and safety is non-existent. Those cars aren't stable, very aero and go out of control. People get seriously hurt by morons who drive these useless sports cars. Your analogy for buying a sports car, yeah it's just as dumb as buying a 48cm bike with a 150 stem. So dumb.

Originally Posted by almondjay
Have you considered any of the companies that make compact frames. The Giant TCR Advanced might be more of your style.

TCR Advanced 2 (2015) | Giant Bicycles | United States
Aren't all the performance race frames compact nowadays? The Evo looks compact to me. The reach on the Evo and TCR is the same. Giant top tube may slope for better stand over height, but functionally, it's the same as the Evo, at least on paper.

Wheelbase is actually slightly shorter on the Evo than TCR. But it's negligible.

And the chainstay is the same length for both of them 40.5. So the stiffness/power transfer should be negligible between the two bikes.

Headtube angle the same too, 71/72

All together, TCR and Evo functionally are the same, for the geometry/dimensions. The sloping top tube on the TCR is deceiving.

Last edited by zymphad; 11-09-14 at 12:45 PM.
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Old 11-09-14 | 12:33 PM
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Originally Posted by jgrosser
To the OP: I am almost exactly your size. See my measurements below. I own two 48 cm Cannondale Supersixes, so I can speak with experience on the exact bike you are buying. I use a 100mm stem, with -6deg. angle, 1cm spacer, and an Enve setback seatpost. My fit was dialed in by an excellent fitter at Parvilla Cycles near Annapolis, MD. So, I would say that the 48 cm Cannondale may very well fit you. Needless to say, there are many variables in bike fit, so it's hard to generalize. If you care about fit, then get a proper fitting to learn your ideal stack and reach measurements (that's what I did). That's the only easy way I know of to compare bikes. Things like seat tube or top tube length, by themselves, present an incomplete picture, so you can't rely on those things alone. For example, horizontal top tube length really means nothing by itself - you have to look at it in combination with seat tube angle, head tube angle, etc. Also, other factors like the reach and drop of your bar, the position of the brake hoods on the bar, etc. can affect fit.

FWIW, Mark Cavendish is 175 cm and rides a 49 cm Specialized Venge. However, the reach on a 49 cm Specialized Venge is considerably longer than the reach on an 48 cm Supersix.

Height 167.5 cm Inseam 76.4 cm Torso 56.0 cm Arm 54.2 cm Shoulder 41.0 cm
Thank you for your input! Your response will definitely make my decision a bit easier until I can find a LBS that carries a 48cm cannondale Supersix so that I can try out. The closest I've got was a 50cm.

Almondjay, I've actually looked at quite a few and the reason I narrowed my choices down to those specific models is based mostly on the overall "look" of the bike, frame being the most important thing.
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Old 11-09-14 | 01:02 PM
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The reach on the TCR Advanced is a bit longer than the Supersix, and the stack is a bit higher. Also, there's no way the OP would be using a 150 mm stem, unless he is some kind of freak of nature.
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Old 11-09-14 | 01:04 PM
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This has to be a troll thread. Has to be. With many trolls. So many names going to the ignore weirdo troll list. 48cm on 5'6 and recommending another troll to do the same. WTF...

And then claiming a professional fit recommended this. This is the worst thread on BikeForums for this weak. Trolls are worse than timtak.

Cannondale's profesional teams don't do this. Cannondale's trek techs, coach's don't fit their riders like this. So dumb.

Last edited by zymphad; 11-09-14 at 01:10 PM.
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Old 11-09-14 | 01:04 PM
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OP: It is very doubtful that you will find a 48 cm Supersix in a bike shop. Most bike shops don't stock many small frames and any size 48s were probably sold out by June. Your shop should give you a store credit if the 48 is too small. If not, shop somewhere else. Good luck.
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Old 11-09-14 | 01:14 PM
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Sagan, the best rider C-Dale has rides a bike with 54 height and a 58 reach with a 120 stem. All cockpit is normal, nothing strange. He's 6ft, and rides a bike with a 58 reach. Trolls here at 5'6 are riding 51 wtih 100 stem... So dumb, so very dumb.

But this thread is filled with some very special people with special "professional" fitters. So dumb, so very very dumb.

Last edited by zymphad; 11-09-14 at 01:20 PM.
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Old 11-09-14 | 01:18 PM
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I'm 5' 5.5" with an inseam of about 29". I bought a 52cm 2014 Cannondale Supersix EVO3 in August, and it feels really comfortable. The LBS had a 50 and a 52cm Supersix, but they were not yet assembled. When I tried a slightly more expensive model of the 52cm Supersix that was assembled, I felt at home on the bike. Honestly, I did not test ride a 50cm or a 48cm in that particular model, but the couple of 50cm bikes I tried (I think it was the Specialized Tarmac and Giant) seemed too small for me.
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Old 11-09-14 | 01:23 PM
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zymphad: seems to me that you are the troll, if by troll we mean one who talks out his a$$. This is bikeforums.net, for goodness sakes. You can't compare bike fit for a 25 year old pro to bike fit for the typical participant in this forum. Talk about dumb.
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Old 11-09-14 | 01:55 PM
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Zymphad, if you don't like this thread, why even bother posting. You're wasting all your time and energy and it's not doing anything. Grow up and learn to respect others, despite their difference in opinions. And the overuse of the word troll is getting a bit old and annoying. Seems like you're the troll for persistently trying to talk down on others and name calling other members. It's people like you that make the community more hostile.
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Old 11-09-14 | 02:04 PM
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I'm curious, has the OP actually gone to a shop to be fitted? That's usually the best way to figure out the size you need esp. if you're fairly new to this. As others have said, 48 cm appears small.

In any case, I don't know why you are doing business with a shop that says you are stuck with the bike if the size is wrong unless, of course, the shop has already told you that the size is wrong and you are insisting on buying a 48 cm for some idiosyncratic reason (it looks "sportier").
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Old 11-09-14 | 02:15 PM
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About 5'9" here. 56cm effective top tube geometries seem about best, with me, at least for my torso and reach; but ~50cm geometries yield the better fit for the seat tube and standover height. It's the odd frame that works for both my torso and my legs, where most folks who are 5'8" to 5'9" seem to be best sized on far larger bikes than the 50cm ones that work best for my bottom half. Go figure.

Point being: every body is different, so it depends on your particular measurements and where you have (or don't have) "reach" in your limbs. If it were easy, one could just read geometry charts and know. It's just not that simple, as to what corresponds for a given person to feeling cramped or stretched out, being efficient, being comfortable, etc.
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Old 11-09-14 | 06:56 PM
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relax.. i did not tell OP to get 48cm
both bikes are 48cm frame
caad10 with 90mm -17 stem
chinese carbon with 100mm-6 stem
So, yeah i guess we have weird measurements.

Mobile Uploads Slideshow by jerbax18 | Photobucket
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Old 11-09-14 | 07:33 PM
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Originally Posted by jerbax18
relax.. i did not tell OP to get 48cm
both bikes are 48cm frame
caad10 with 90mm -17 stem
chinese carbon with 100mm-6 stem
So, yeah i guess we have weird measurements.

Mobile Uploads Slideshow by jerbax18 | Photobucket
Saddles are looking kinda pushed back in that pic. Might wanna stick to crmo rails.

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Old 11-09-14 | 07:49 PM
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Originally Posted by LesterOfPuppets
Saddles are looking kinda pushed back in that pic. Might wanna stick to crmo rails.

maybe just the angle of the pic. both have setback seatpost.
saddle on the chinese carbon is actually is a little forward from center of clamp.
but thanks for suggesting that.
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Old 11-09-14 | 08:04 PM
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Sizing bikes not based on your pedal stroke and reach is so dumb, so very very dumb. Saddle positions with setback, couldn't possibly convince that's adjustment for pedal stroke and not just being dumb riding a frame too small. Vanity is important, it is the devil's favorite sin.
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Old 11-09-14 | 08:13 PM
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Originally Posted by jgrosser
To the OP: I am almost exactly your size. See my measurements below. I own two 48 cm Cannondale Supersixes, so I can speak with experience on the exact bike you are buying. I use a 100mm stem, with -6deg. angle, 1cm spacer, and an Enve setback seatpost. My fit was dialed in by an excellent fitter at Parvilla Cycles near Annapolis, MD. So, I would say that the 48 cm Cannondale may very well fit you.
If you got fitted at Parvilla by Stu, you got fitted by one of the best anywhere. I mean in the country.
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