Not sure quite how true it is, I think I’m trying to convince myself more than TooTall in the above 🙂 Saddle does seem miles backwards, quite why they’d decided to have a slack seattube angle, combined with the shortest chainstays I’ve ever seen, I’m not sure.

Their bodytype chart was incomplete too.

Multiply inseam by .883 to determine approximate saddle height (measured from bottom bracket spindle to top of the saddle).

That matched up exactly for me interestingly.

i’m 6’6″

I have a 61cm Caad 8 that fits fine – they come up big – badged as 61 but think for this year they are marked 63

XL giant too small, though in the states they do a range of extra long seat post as an option for bikes, but do apparently available in UK. But they just feel too small and the std post that comes with XL giant is not long enough *well for me anyhow)

friend of mine is 6’7″ and he rides a 63cm Trek

Try a few different on line fit calculators and see what they come up with. ISTR that most gave me a 66cm compact and over 70cm trad geometry. That less-than-pretty Cannondale road bike I posted is 72cm (27″) and fits me as it is.

try condor cycles too they make some nice big frames!

Cheers rootes, good to hear.

They do their CAAD10 + Supersix in 60, 63 and the CAAD8 + Synapse in 61. My biggest worry is the reach and top tube length are quite a bit shorter on the CAAD8 than the CAAD10s.

Cannondale claim that the 61cm CAAD8 measures 59cm, center to top as well, I’m surprised you found it that different to the 58.5mm Giant.

http://www.cannondale.com/2013/bikes/road/elite-road/caad8/caad8-5-105-triple-crankset

Cannondale claim that the 61cm CAAD8 measures 59cm, center to top as well, I’m surprised you found it that different to the 58.5mm Giant.

measured my bike c-t 61cm, c-c 58.5cm on the dale those are actuals

Giant XL 58.5) say on a Defy or TCR is 58.5cm c-t so 2.5cm shorter than the dale. this is reflected i the lower standover for the giant

also xl giant has a 2cm shorter head tube.

reach for a 61cm CAAD 8 is only 5mm shorter than the 63cm CAAD 10 59.5cm vs 60cm

all these viariatons really shows it pays to have a sit/test ride etc

70deg seat angle? Where did that come from? Never seen slacker than 72.

Me: 6’5″, 63cm CAAD9 (72 seat, 60 TT) with 13cm stem and 62cm Pacer (72.5, 60.5) with a 12cm stem. Both with a load of layback. If you’re all leg then you probably want a slightly shorter frame/stem, with a long (and with layback) seatpost and a slack seat angle.

Well, Mr Toast is off riding with the local bike club on a 50 mile road ride this morning, he was a bit apprehensive that he’s going to be the odd one out with his cyclocross bike and baggies. 😛

The testing thing is really annoying, because where as Mr Toast is 6ft 6, I’m 5ft 2, which means we both have trouble finding bikes that fit. We can research the geometry and theorise which ones are contenders, but so many stores don’t stock the tiny or giant sizes.

When I was looking for my first full-susser, my local bike shop (Specialized dealer) wanted a £280 non-refundable deposit to get a small Stumpjumper FSR Elite in, without me knowing whether I’d fit on it. Fortunately the Concept Store in Brum got one in for me to sit on for a £60 refundable deposit, and I ended up getting on.

The ridiculous thing is that both stores have access to the Specialized test fleet, but at the time the demo fleet didn’t have any of the FSRs available in small.

It’s always the same when we turn up on demo days – queues of tiny women and really tall men waiting for the one demo bike that fits them to come in, if there’s one available at all. Which is a shame – they’ve decided that there’s enough of a market to make those sizes, but actually getting to try them out is a pain in the arse.

Sorry, hijacked the thread with a bit of a rant there, sorry about that. Carry on!

😯 oh man, can’t believe I’d not noticed that rootes! That’s me sorted then, cheers 🙂

Apologies Baz, no idea why I said 70 degrees, I’d got it correct in the post before that one 🙂

Ah. I dream of something slacker than 72 🙂