Ruffles92

I've been looking to get into road cycling, and I'm in a bit of a dilemma. Originally I was looking at the Synapse 58cm, thinking the 61cm would be too large. I'm 6'3, 35'' inseam but my wingspan is 6'2 or a hair over. I've now been looking at the CAAD13 since my LBS has a 58cm and a 60cm in stock. I know the Synapse is more of a relaxed bike compared to the CAAD13, I'm just not sure by how much. I'm pretty new to all of this but I've been trying to understand the geometry measurements and learning how frame size affects whether you get a more relaxed/aggressive position. I see a lot of people recommend sizing down but I'd rather not be too bunched up, I just want to make sure if I get the 60 I won't be super stretched out. Unfortunately due to covid I can't get a proper fitting done, so any help is appreciated!

tangerineowl

https://99spokes.com/compare?bikes=c...;*z.60cm|w.700

58cm Synapse and 58cm CAAD have the same reach. Synapse is 14mm taller at the front end.

Compare the stack and reach of the four bike sizes above.

Iride01 

As far as the 58 cm frames of the two, there isn't a lot of difference in stack, effective top tube length or reach. The 2020 Caad13 had different sizing after 58 cm. 60 and 61 to the lone 61 of the Synapse. Have you looked at the Super Six EVO? That would have been my choice if they'd had some in that size for me to try when looking for a bike back in March. But they didn't and I got a Tarmac from Specialized.

For any bike you just need to ride them and find out. Five to ten miles each is great if they'll let you. Some areas are more willing to let you test ride bikes though and price of bike you are looking at might be a factor too. If you are purchasing a 4000 or better dollar bike, they have some incentive to want it to be the right size for you. Also Covid19 rules from state to state vary in what shops can and can't do.

Are you new to road biking and have experience mountain biking or other? If you are new to cycling all together, don't get too tangled up in sizing. Most people can fit a size or two up and down and not be a problem for them. Longer rides of several hours and frequency of riding, say three or more times a week is were fit/sizing really comes into importance. IMHO, IMO and whatever!!

If you don't have any previous experience, then go by what the manufacturer shows for sizing. Don't sweat the overlaps of two sizes. Longer arms and legs might suggest the larger, but still a lot of other things along with your personal preferences mater.

Don't spend all your bucks on the first bike. After you've ridden a year or more, and if you put in a lot of mileage, you'll need a different bike as you'll know better from experience what you need.

I'm 5' 11", 34.5" legs and long arms. I always rode large frames for my size. However this last bike, I actually felt better on the 56 cm Tarmac instead of the 58 cm after 10 miles on each. Wasn't a big difference though.

longillo

I think the most important thing is to ride before you buy. Fill out a bike fit calculator, then bring a tape measure to the shop and set your seat height. Ride both, and some other comparable bikes just to give a feel for what you like.

I'm too new to post urls, but if you google "competitive cyclist bike fit calculator" there's a good one with clear steps on how to take the measurements.

While bike fitting is important, your preference factors very strongly as well. Proper leg extension is the only non-negotiable, and with your inseam any of the above mentioned models/sizes would be fine. If you're new to road you might not like the shorter stack height of the Synapse. Also keep in mind that stems are easily swapped, and can dramatically change the fit.

Ruffles92

Thank you everyone for the replies!

Josh206

I’m also 6’3 and new to cycling so this thread was helpful for me