zymphad's responses in this thread has had me LMAOing for days. Thank you, my friend, this has made for one troll thread to remember. If I'm ever having an outright terrible day and don't know how I'll make it through, I'll just close my eyes and think of the trendsetters out riding their toddler's bikes and let the day's miseries float away.

48 is probably way too small

no, they're not. the EVO and CAAD are pretty much have the same geometries, but neither is technically a compact frame. my 52cm Cannondale SuperSix EVO has about a 2.4cm higher standover at midtube than my 52cm Specialized Allez Pro, which is a compact frameset. and trust me, when you're 5'7" with a short inseam, that's a HUGE difference...

don't worry, he left Cannondale 3 months ago, but i fixed it for ya'...

he's right. the only time you will find that small of a size is if the mechanic or owner is short and that's their size, and if that's the case most of the time they'll let you try their bikes for sizing if necessary...



and i'm just curious, how did toe overlap become a topic for discusion in this thread?! is the OP really not going to get a smaller frame cause of the fact that it has more trail than the larger frame sizes...

I'm 5'5" and I ride a Synapse 48.

5 7" and I ride a 51 and 52cm bike with tall head tubes. 48cm would be way too small

Fit can vary even with the same absolute dimension. I am 5'7" and ride a size 50 CAAD. And I'm thinking of purchasing a leftover 48 Evo next. As others have mentioned, get fitted.

I hope it isn't too late to offer advice.

I am not going to go into my height and what I ride, because for you it is completely meaningless. You cannot size yourself based on what others ride. I will however try to help you avoid the same mistake a me and a friend made. Do not buy a bike from a shop that is not giving you a proper fit first, and does not allow you to take the bike for a few days to ride it.

Proper fit means the shop puts you on trainer, measures the angle of the bend in your knee and the angle of your arms and back. Then adjusts the seat height and stem to compensate. Further, they should also check that your knee is in the proper position in relation to your foot. If they do not do this, then there is a greater chance you will not be fitted to the bike correctly, even if it is the right size. It is not common for someone to be properly fitted without any adjustment.

Also, I would never again buy a bike from a shop that will not allow you take the bike for an extended test ride or to get a refund if it doesn't fit right. Both shops I went to for my newest bike allowed me and my friend to borrow bikes for about a week at a time. Even if a shop won't do that, they should allow you to return it if the bike doesn't work for you.

If a shop is telling you they don't have the size you want, but will order it without refund, it is time to find a new shop. As a side note, the SuperSix and Militis that you mentioned tend to have a rougher ride. I tested a SuperSix vs a Tarmac, and found the Tarmac much smoother, and just as capable. I really wanted a Cannondale, but ended up on a Tarmac. Others will disagree, but the point remains, do not put thousands (I assume you are spending at least 2K here) into a bike because you like the name on the downtube or the look of the size. If it isn't comfortable, you won't ride it.

Bump

I know it's an old thread, I just wanted to add some extra info. Currently both Andre Cardoso and Tom-Jelte Slagter ride a 48cm supersix. They are both 5'6" and their saddle to bar drop is not that crazy at all. I just wanted to point out that it's definitely not very odd to ride this size for short guys like the OP.