Cannondale Synapse Feminine 4

[MartianDestiny]

FWIW, actually you can measure your own standover inseam easily and accurately (unlike most other body measurements). Plus you have the benefit of NOT showing the guys at the LBS how much flesh there is in your crotch! - inseam is totally my least favorite measurement at the LBS, and that's exactly why.

Just as always, you'll measure your standover inseam by pulling a bar, roughly the diameter of your bike's top tube, up into your crotch until it hits your pubic bone. A short piece of 1" PVC pipe is good. Duct-tape an erasable magic marker to one end of the bar. Stand on a hard surface, not carpet, at about a 45° angle to a mirror so you can see that the bar is level. Turn the bar so that the end of the magic marker is level with the top of the bar. If you want to be super-accurate, tape a small bubble level across the front of the bar and the magic marker. Then you don't have to use a mirror, but either use a plate glass door or tape a piece of paper to the wall. Pull the bar up, mark the glass or paper, then measure to the ground!

True, and thanks for the reminder. Let's just say I, err, didn't take this accurate approach last night

[hid558]

What do you think is better? I have the opportunity to buy a new 2009 Synapse 4 for $2138 or would you get a used 2007 Scott contessa for about $1500? At first I was looking for the Contessa used because new it's out of my price range. Then after looking so much I decided that I would go with the new Synapse 4, because its hard to find a 44 cm bike. I think the Synapse will fit better with my standover 27.5 cm. But I think I could manage the contessa standover.

[batsheva]

synapse. but then i'm biased! for $600 more i would definitely go with the new bike if you can stretch to that. the difference in price would have to be a lot more to make me get the couple of years old used one..

[tctrek]

Go with the one that feels the best! When two bikes call to you and their components are similar, I think it's all about which one is the most comfortable.