CAAD9 size...?

carl_p

I'm considering getting a CAAD9 on my employer's ctw scheme. I realise ideally you should try before you buy, but that won't be possible here - you order, you pay. I'm 5ft9 in shoes/cleats. What size do you think I would need?. I'm thinking 54 as I believe the next size down (52) has a top tube length of only 49cm, which seems rather short. Any ideas anyone?

Anonymous

54 sounds poifick...

spanielsson

I'm 5' 8" and I had a CAAD 4 in 54cm with a 120mm stem. I loved it.

Jimbo.

Try 'em for fit, even if it means changing bikes. At 5'8" in shoes, I was nigh-on a 54cm, but with longer legs/shorter torso, I found the 52cm was less of a stretch, so 52cm + lots of seatpost it was. Going back to a 54cm afterwards felt...unweildly.

sandbag

The best size for serious riding, racing etc. is the shortest top tube you can get away with. You can always lengthen it with a longer stem if need be.

redddraggon

spanielsson wrote:

I'm 5' 8" and I had a CAAD 4 in 54cm with a 120mm stem. I loved it.

A 56cm with a non setback post and flipped stem would fit you so much better

Lagavulin

I'm also looking at a CAAD9 but, while I await a reply to my email to the local Cannondale dealer, I was a little confused by the geometry tables;

Izoard geometry

CAAD9 geo.

The plan was to replace my ill-fitting (too big) Allez with a CAAD9 105 or Ultegra C.
I was fitted for and also ride a medium Wilier Izoard (53.7cm TT) with a (fairly flat) 10cm ITM Visia stem with 1cm of spacers above and below the stem.

I'm not very adept at reading into geometry tables but do you think I've be better off with a 54cm with it's 54.5cm TT and 14cm headtube? It is then only .5 of a cm away from my Wilier in terms of headtube length (12cm on the 52cm). My initial thoughts were the 52 and lobbing 11 or 12cm stem on it but I think it'd be too short in the headtube.

I downloaded the Cannondale manual for their road forks and while they claim their carbon (in the Ultegra) steerers and alu' are good for 5.5cm but but long steerers and flipped stems are not what I was after.

Do-able or should I look elsewhere? I was considering a Cervelo S1 but I suspect I might have the same issues. It's also the reason I opted agianst a Ribble 7005 winter hack. :oops:

spanielsson

redddraggon wrote:

spanielsson wrote:

I'm 5' 8" and I had a CAAD 4 in 54cm with a 120mm stem. I loved it.

A 56cm with a non setback post and flipped stem would fit you so much better

Maybe that is where I went wrong! Maybe I should get a 58cm Colnago and fit one of these:

Mike67

I'm 5'9" too and went for the 54cm CAAD9. I take 'regular' length trousers and seat tube wise it fitted great.

Not sure if I have long arms or was just used to riding a 'long' bike coming from a very old MTB racing hardtail (130mm stem ) but found it a bit cramped in the top tube department.

I changed the stock 90mm stem to a 110mm and all was well.

carl_p

Yeah I'm short in the leg, longer in the body. Tricky one really as I tend not to favour longer stems. I won't be racing or doing anything competitive so not crucial to have the shortest top tube possible. So many sizes in the CAAD 9 range. A size 52 looks tiny in photographs.