Bike Forums - Should I get this used Cannondale T2000

Quote:

Originally Posted by njkayaker (Post 11223830)

I don't think anybody is saying the standover height is wrong. As long as there is some standover height, standover height isn't very important. The OP is "obsessed" with standover height and not concerned about the reach (or toptube length).

I'm assuming you mean that the handle bars should be an "inch or so" higher.

Nope, wrong assumption.

The top tube height, given a specific rider and given that a rider is going to use the bike as intended, should differ depending upon the type bike used in those ventures. This is because of the difference in the aggressivenes of activity the bike will be (is intended to be) used for.

mtb for off road riding, road bike for aggressive pavement pounding, and touring bike for pavement type touring

A good rule of thumb:
Inseam - 11 inches for a touring bike
Inseam - 12 inches for a road bike
Inseam - 15 inches for a mountain bike

Now obviously different frame builders have different ideals that go into making a frame.

(Surley (LHT) has a short top tube noteably, Lemonds have a relatively long top tube)

The top tube has to be taken into consideration when seeking a good fit, BUT the top tube can be lengthened or shortened to a certain extent by the handlebar stem and/or bend of the handlebar.

I personally like a bit of stretch to my riding form. With a 35.5 inch inseam you would think that I'm quite tall, but the fact is I'm only 5' 9". My road bikes are 60s, my touring bikes are 25 and my mtb is a 21. So bottom line is he really needs to ride the bike and figure out if it will work for him. If it's close the components can be massaged into getting the type of ride he's looking for.