How do you fit a bike that is one size too small? Trek Emonda
 

Just test rode a Trek Emonda that someone is selling used. It is a sweet little ride, but it was one size down for me. I'm a 56cm in Trek or M/L in Giant, and find going up one size to be comfortable. Seller thought this was a 56, but turns out it's a 54. My top clipped the wheel (though with an Emonda, isn't that likely anyway) and even with the seat all the way back, my knee was just over the pedal spinal, so no room to change.

Is this one you just walk away from, or are there ways to adjust? Would dropping the cranks, for example, to a 170 or 165, which could get my toe out of the wheel, drive the seat up and my butt bac?. Or install an offset seat post?

I've been shopping for a used bike since January, and this is the first one to move me - great color, fun to ride, in pretty good shape and a very nice price. Just a wee bit small. Is there hope in this?

I'd look at a longer stem before increasing the saddle setback. The seat tube angle of the two different sizes is likely the same. So when your saddle is at the proper height, it'll be at the same height (assuming the same crank lengths) on either bike. And your butt will be in the same position over the BB. Which to me is important.

Unless you are going to be riding the bike at less than 2 mph and doing tricks that have you turning the wheel obscene amounts of travel, then you won't have any issue with toe overlap or toe interference. Just make sure the wheel is straight when you start off pedaling from a stop.

Can't tell you if the frame size is okay for you. A Emonda is almost the same geometry as my bike. So already with the proper frame size for you it's going to put you in a fairly aero position. What some call a race fit. For every size smaller you go you are also decreasing stack height and that will make your bar drop quite a bit more from the saddle. Maybe way lower than you can tolerate. And unless you like a really low aerodynamic position, then you'll be dorking that bike up with weirdly angled stems and steering tube extenders.

And remember what might feel great riding around a paking lot for a minute or two might not be so great for a twenty mile or longer ride.

Yes (with reservations) to a further set back seat post & a different stem.

For a standard conventional post, finding a seat post with a setback further than 25mm might be a challenge. But 25mm as opposed to 15mm or 0 ought to be easy enough. At the very least getting the range back of having your saddle clamped somewhere near the midpoint of the saddle rails rather than at extremes would be the better practice. Trek masts come in 0 or 20mm.

Conventional stems come in just about any angle & offset imaginable. If the standard +/-6degree/100mm doesn't work, there is +/-12 degree, +/-18 degree readily available.

Handle bars, too for that matter. The reach of the bars is pretty variable between manufacturers. My preferred bar comes with a 65mm reach. But there is nothing to say that you can't go the other direction with a much longer reach bar.

Combine the the setback seatpost of appropriate length with the stem & the bar that puts the tops & the hoods where you want them & you can make just about any size bike "fit." Whether or not you like the ride of a particular sized bike frame, however, is up yo you. Just because you can does not mean you should.

I did a thing similar to what you are considering. The bike was very squirrley when pushed hard. Stable until it wasn't...for those reasons I didn't own it long..

Thanks. Good things to consider. One item - seat angle. This is an Emonda at 54cm (when I likely should be 56cm). The angle on the 54 is 73.7, and on the 56 73.3. Only .4 difference, but given how much I had to lift the seat (a LOT of seat post) it could be material.

I may just keep looking for the right size instead, which is a shame because this was a nice looking bike at a good price, but I'd rather have the flexibility the right frame provides.

If you draw out the angles on paper or in a CAD program on your PC as I have done, then you'll see that if your saddle height from the pedal is 37.5" like mine is, then it will only make for just barely more than .25" of difference in saddle position. You should be easily able to handle that with the adjustment of where the saddle rails are positioned in the clamp.

Depending on the year and exact model of Emonda you are looking at, the stack height difference might have your bars a little bit less than a inch lower or 22 mm lower from the saddle height. Of course if the steerer tubes hasn't been cut, then there might be about 30 millimeters of height that you can play with spacers. But if a 56 cm frame would have you using all 30 mm of spacers, then the 54 cm frame leave you with a lower bar height for certain.

A better thing to do for a smaller frame size would be to look at a more relaxed fit geometry bike such as a Trek Domane or Trek Checkpoint or the relaxed fit bikes of other brands. A Domane in the 54 cm will probably give you about the same bar drop from the saddle as a 56 cm Emonda, but put the bars a little closer to you which if desired could easily be fixed with a little bit longer stem. Again, all this dependent on exactly which models and year Emonda and Domane are being compared.

My favorite bike is 2CM's too small for me too. It's a 54 when I should be on a 56. But with that said, I loved everything about it and the dear wife bought it for me without consulting further. She knew I'd been searching for a while (almost a year) and was afraid I'd give up. That was more than 2 years ago. I made a few very minor mods to the bike and my body has adapted to the rest. I still have 175 cranks and have learned to watch my toes when starting and stopping. I use flats, so mostly I just juggle my feet back on the pedal when moving real slow. I have clips on another bike that I rarely ride anymore since I got this one and it actually fits. Go with your gut. Bikes that speak to you are few and far between-unless you lower your standards haha.

I would agree with most of the comments above - the real difference is a longer, taller stem.

That said, get your size. I had a 49cm Litespeed that I like the looks of and should have been large enough - but it felt weird. There have to be a ton of post-COVID Emonda's to buy now that everyone is done re-discovering nature.

I'm right on the bubble for a 54 and 56 according to Trek. I have a 54 Emonda. My seat is back pretty far and raised to within 1/2 inch of the limit. My new Madone is a 56. Honestly, they feel very similar. I am pretty meticulous in getting the "feel" close since I ride both of them at intervals. The marketing guru's sell 56 madones with the high seat post. I had to opt for the low one when I bought it . The dealer helped me out with cost on swapping.

One point is the fact that seats vary a great deal. I have tried numerous seats; some are adjusted closer to the limit than others. I usually have my seat rail in the neighborhood of 27.5 inches from rail to center of crank. As far as stems go, I don't see much difference between changing them or resting my hands closer to the hoods.

I'm no bike fitter, but my old bones don't notice much difference between the two bikes. One point that I do consider is the seat height in relation to the bars. The smaller frame will have the seat higher and put you into what could be a more aggressive position.

Now, if Trek would only make it easier to adjust seat angles on the emonda............

Good Luck

Treks run small. If you are 5'10" or taller, unless you have really short legs, do yourself a favor and walk away from it.

I mean, if someone gave me a bike that didn't fit, I'd probably ride it until something better came along. But you're going to pay money for this thing, and even more money to try to make it fit, which might not even work. Life is to short to spend it riding on a ill-fitting bike.

I did walk away, and found a 56 Domane a few days later, so right call. Thanks.

I would walk away. Easy to adjust for a bike that is a little too large but not for a frame that is too small for the rider.

Simple
You set the saddle position - height, setback, tilt. And then set everything else...
Of course, assuming your current saddle position on your current ride is the current optimum for you and what you like/want.
Some tolerate a wide variety of frame DIMS, and so don't.
I have a very short torso, and quite long arms and legs, so I don;t tolerate getting out of 'specs' well. Too large a frame (or too long) means a much shorter stem and commensurate shakey handling issues. Too small a frame and my extra high extension puts more weight to the rear, and makes the bike squirrly..
So I'm picky... Color doesn't sway me much, if at all. 'Image' means nothing to the ride.
Everything has tradeoffs
you decide.... (I find Treks to be 'small' by sizing, to being with. It's not 'bad', just needs adjusting the thinking.)
Ride On Yuri

Yes, I would walk away from this one. Making the wrong size bike fit isn't a great idea. I would continue to search and find a bike that is the right size. As frustrating as the search may be, there will be others for sure.