Standover height...

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Soldato
Joined
6 Mar 2008
Posts
8,753
Location
Leicestershire
Hi all,

So I bought a Cannondale CAAD8 a couple of weeks ago in a size 56, I'm 5ft 10.5" and have a 30.5" leg (so short legs and a long torso I think that means) and I have barely no standover height clearance over the top tube at all... infact there's no space, just my boys sitting on the bar - although I am flat footed and comfortable - there's just no space between it.

Anyway I just felt after a couple of rides that the bike felt too big - so I took it back yesterday and got a quick free bike fit where the saddle was brought forward and the handle bars raised - I could see myself on the screen whilst pedalling and she did some measurements and said it all looks ok and the geometry was fine... she said the 56 is the right frame for me, and after the tweaks she made it does feel much better and more comfortable... before the handlebars were lower and the brakes felt too far away for me to get a good grip on so I felt as though I was stretching.

Thing is I totally forgot to ask her about the standover height - in the Cannondale manual I got with the bike it says if there's no clearance the bike is too big and you must not ride it, but three people at two LBS have now said the 54 is too small and the 56 is the right frame and not batted an eye lid when I stood over the 56...

So do I need a completely different bike altogether or should I be ok on it?
 
I dunno. I have a 54cm CAAD10 and I don't seem to have borrocks resting problems. My legs are shorter than yours, I'm sure. I had to reduce the stem from 100 to 90mm to make it comfortable for me - now have a slight bend in my elbows on the hoods, whereas before my arms were pretty much locked straight.
 
Under what circumstances are you expecting to be stood over the bike? I doubt I could stand all that comfortably over any of mine, but I never need to, so it's not an issue. At most I have one foot on the floor and one on a pedal.
 
Vonhelmet said:
Under what circumstances are you expecting to be stood over the bike? I doubt I could stand all that comfortably over any of mine, but I never need to, so it's not an issue. At most I have one foot on the floor and one on a pedal.
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It's just that in the manual it says "If you have no clearance at all then the bike is too big for you, do not ride it at all and send it back" or words to that effect...
 
If the contact points are correct, saddle height, bars etc, then standover height is not really relevant as long as you can get over it, bike top tubes come at all sorts of angles, and hence all sorts of standover clearence depending on frame style.

From a practicality point of view it's good to have enough clearence to be able to place your fist between the tube and your crotch incase you want to jump forward off the saddle and plant both feet though.
 
Vonhelmet said:
Under what circumstances are you expecting to be stood over the bike? I doubt I could stand all that comfortably over any of mine, but I never need to, so it's not an issue. At most I have one foot on the floor and one on a pedal.
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This.

mattyfez said:
If the contact points are correct, saddle height, bars etc, then standover height is not really relevant as long as you can get over it, bike top tubes come at all sorts of angles, and hence all sorts of standover clearence depending on frame style.

From a practicality point of view it's good to have enough clearence to be able to place your fist between the tube and your crotch incase you want to jump forward off the saddle and plant both feet though.
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And this.

I'm a similar height/proportion to you and have a Propel in a 56/57 and an Emonda ALR more recently in a 54.

Both are comfortable enough and as you've experienced saddle & stem movements can optimise fit given sizing is not waaaay out. Personally I prefer the smaller frame as I feel like I have more control and it's my general preference.

Very few occasions as mentioned you should need top tube clearance like that but I can see why you might find it a bit concerning. If it bothered you that much then I'd have gone back with the manufacturers manual and asked for the next size down instead :)
 
SoliD said:
The fact you said your arms are straight locked sounds to me like it is too big.
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Could just be a shorter stem is needed or the OP is unnecessarily locking them out.

OP, do they need to be bolt straight to reach the hoods? and what is your back angle like?
 
TBH, if it feels too big, and the manufacturere guidance says it's too big, and it's too big after a refit, I don't see why you can't reject the bike - and get them to give you one size down.
 
mattyfez said:
bike top tubes come at all sorts of angles, and hence all sorts of standover clearence depending on frame style.
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Especially Cannondale. One of the telltale signs of a Cannondale is the higher and more level toptube compared to many other brands. Especially a CAAD! It's a race bike! ;)

mattyfez said:
TBH, if it feels too big, and the manufacturere guidance says it's too big, and it's too big after a refit, I don't see why you can't reject the bike - and get them to give you one size down.
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This. Although you might then end up changing components to get a similar fit on the 54! I'd also trust a fitter any day of the week over the words in a %generic% bike manual. They can see you, the bike and it's their bread and butter... But you also need to be happy with it and for it to 'feel' right.

I ride a 54, I'm similar inner leg but I'm 5'7". I've had a couple of stem changes and fits over the last few years - as my core got stronger and I could drop lower to the bars for a more race fit on my endurance focused Giant Defy. I started quite upright but feel I could now handle the race geometry of something like the CAAD if I wanted to.
 
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Roady said:
Especially Cannondale. One of the telltale signs of a Cannondale is the higher and more level toptube compared to many other brands. Especially a CAAD! It's a race bike! ;)


This. Although you might then end up changing components to get a similar fit on the 54! I'd also trust a fitter any day of the week over the words in a %generic% bike manual. They can see you, the bike and it's their bread and butter... But you also need to be happy with it and for it to 'feel' right.

I ride a 54, I'm similar inner leg but I'm 5'7". I've had a couple of stem changes and fits over the last few years - as my core got stronger and I could drop lower to the bars for a more race fit on my endurance focused Giant Defy. I started quite upright but feel I could now handle the race geometry of something like the CAAD if I wanted to.
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The way he described the fitter made it sound like some bike shop monkey tbh.
 
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