Pay to make the bike fit ?
03-18-24, 04:34 PM
#76
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03-19-24, 06:58 AM
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Four centimeters too high? Are you certain that's the correct size bike for you? Maybe you need the 54 cm bike for your leg length.
Top tube length is not any better to judge a bike size by than is seat tube length. You need to consider stack height as well. And take all three of those things in consideration. Seat tube length being the least useful, IMO.
If you are getting a larger size than recommended because you are trying to minimize bar drop, then by reducing the seat post length sticking out above the top tube you might be making the bike not able to absorb some of the road bumps and more will be going into your butt to fatigue you on longer rides.
Emonda is a great bike and screams "ride me" more than any other model of Trek to me. But it's also made for a aggressive position. If you don't want that, I'd think you'd be better off with a different model of bike.
Top tube length is not any better to judge a bike size by than is seat tube length. You need to consider stack height as well. And take all three of those things in consideration. Seat tube length being the least useful, IMO.
If you are getting a larger size than recommended because you are trying to minimize bar drop, then by reducing the seat post length sticking out above the top tube you might be making the bike not able to absorb some of the road bumps and more will be going into your butt to fatigue you on longer rides.
Emonda is a great bike and screams "ride me" more than any other model of Trek to me. But it's also made for a aggressive position. If you don't want that, I'd think you'd be better off with a different model of bike.
03-19-24, 06:02 PM
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Yeah, the odds are stacked against a good fit here, not saying this is what's going on here (thinking it though) but much like women trying on blue jeans, guys want to fit a particular bike, and will exhale and suck their belly button in, and yank on the zipper for all they are worth...
I'm like the OP, tall, but relatively short legs. So, I get the bike that gives me the reach I want, and lower the saddle as needed. I will typically lower the stem to get the proper drop. Keep in mind if you have short legs for your height, then your torso is going to be long for your height. Saddles go up and down easily in most cases, reach not some much. The OP simply has hit the limit of what the longer seat mast cap allows.
I suppose if someone with short legs needed a really aggressive riding position, they might get a size smaller to get a larger drop. And then put on a longer stem to get the needed reach. There's more than one way to skin a cat.
03-20-24, 07:24 AM
#80
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A bike with a mast that's too tall is the wrong size or wrong model. They list a seat rail height. Don't buy the wrong one.
03-20-24, 07:33 AM
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This reads like you might not have read some of the early posts, where you would have learned that Trek can provide 2 different size posts, a 175 and a 135. They ship with a 175. If you need the seat lower than can be gotten with the 175, you - the customer, have to buy the $160 135 post. That's really all this thread was about, the need to buy a post to make a bike fit. That was a new wrinkle in my experience of buying bicycles.
Last edited by Steve B.; 03-20-24 at 07:47 AM.
03-21-24, 08:52 AM
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When a person buys a new bike, the salesman should steer the buyer to the right size frame to begin with. Then the salesman should spend at least a minimum amount of time helping the buyer get a proper fit.
03-21-24, 09:27 AM
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When you go to those stores that do as you say they should do you exclude your own opinion about how the bike should fit you?
03-21-24, 09:37 AM
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With the limited frame sizes available today, I won't question Steve B.'s sizing requirements. Sounds like he's been around the block enough to know what fits him (unlike others here who shall remain nameless, but whose initials are LS). Ideally the shop should swap out the seat posts gratis, or at minimum, for a very small fee, say for "restocking." That said, at this level of the game, if swapping isn't an option, then I don't think $160 is outrageous.
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03-21-24, 09:46 AM
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I think when a bike is selling at full retail price, a shop is motivated to provide items like this at a discount or no charge, but when the bike is already heavily discounted I don’t blame them for not wanting to shoulder more cost.
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03-23-24, 04:06 AM
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With the limited frame sizes available today, I won't question Steve B.'s sizing requirements. Sounds like he's been around the block enough to know what fits him (unlike others here who shall remain nameless, but whose initials are LS). Ideally the shop should swap out the seat posts gratis, or at minimum, for a very small fee, say for "restocking." That said, at this level of the game, if swapping isn't an option, then I don't think $160 is outrageous.
The bike Steve B is looking at, the Trek Emonda, comes in eight sizes.
03-23-24, 08:36 AM
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03-23-24, 09:36 AM
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03-23-24, 10:45 AM
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More accurately, you could buy frames in 18 sizes - but not complete bikes, sold by the bike manufacturer as such. (Except Torpados, briefly.)
The Emonda is sold as a complete bike. Back in the day, the minimum size increments for complete bikes were 1.5 cm (for Cannondale racing bikes, and only in the middle of the size range; 2 cm otherwise) and 2 cm (for a number of higher-end models of various brands). Even then, many companies stuck to 2"/5-mm increments.
The Emonda is sold as a complete bike. Back in the day, the minimum size increments for complete bikes were 1.5 cm (for Cannondale racing bikes, and only in the middle of the size range; 2 cm otherwise) and 2 cm (for a number of higher-end models of various brands). Even then, many companies stuck to 2"/5-mm increments.
03-23-24, 12:02 PM
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More accurately, you could buy frames in 18 sizes - but not complete bikes, sold by the bike manufacturer as such. (Except Torpados, briefly.)
The Emonda is sold as a complete bike. Back in the day, the minimum size increments for complete bikes were 1.5 cm (for Cannondale racing bikes, and only in the middle of the size range; 2 cm otherwise) and 2 cm (for a number of higher-end models of various brands). Even then, many companies stuck to 2"/5-mm increments.
The Emonda is sold as a complete bike. Back in the day, the minimum size increments for complete bikes were 1.5 cm (for Cannondale racing bikes, and only in the middle of the size range; 2 cm otherwise) and 2 cm (for a number of higher-end models of various brands). Even then, many companies stuck to 2"/5-mm increments.
Of course you could buy complete bikes from the manufacturer—including pedals, I might add—sized in one centimeter increments
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03-23-24, 12:11 PM
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03-23-24, 12:36 PM
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03-23-24, 12:56 PM
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Thanks. Shows what I know. We carried Italian framesets and the complete Bianchi line, but I had no idea that the companies you listed sold those models as complete bikes in 1-cm increments. Don't know how I missed that.
03-23-24, 02:02 PM
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For any of the 19 sizes, from Merlin, you could then pick your trim level for a complete. This is how it should still be IMO. Have final assembly of frame with component group done at the distributors or even in the LBS.
This is just the road double choices, there's another page outlining the road triple options (which were 'limited' to DA, Ultegra or Campy Record)
This is just the road double choices, there's another page outlining the road triple options (which were 'limited' to DA, Ultegra or Campy Record)
03-27-24, 11:04 AM
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If the bike is PERFECT otherwise, I'd probably pay the extra $160.
If not, find a bike that fits better stock or doesn't charge extra to fit properly.
Alternately, can you find the post used somewhere, like ebay or FaceBook Marketplace?
To me, there's something about a Trek... they get the details right and have fair pricing. Good quality throughout. ...but there are other brands like this too, ex. Specialized.
If not, find a bike that fits better stock or doesn't charge extra to fit properly.
Alternately, can you find the post used somewhere, like ebay or FaceBook Marketplace?
To me, there's something about a Trek... they get the details right and have fair pricing. Good quality throughout. ...but there are other brands like this too, ex. Specialized.
03-27-24, 11:20 AM
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How does this apply to the OP, who knows the size he needs, and chose it. Because of his body proportions, he simply needed a shorter seat post, and because of the bike's design, he could not cut down the one it came with. In other words, the salesman did nothing wrong, and the OP chose the correct size for his needs.
03-27-24, 11:24 AM
#97
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I'm am potentially buying a new Trek Emonda road bike, it's a very good deal at an otherwise nice local shop. A quickie test ride tells me the bike fits perfectly in terms of top tube length and stem. That's dead on the same as my other road bikes. Problem develops in that Trek ships this size 56 with a proprietary 175mm carbon seat post, which puts the seat about 4 cm too high for my use. It goes no lower. Shop and Trek tells me they make a shorter post that would likely put the post pretty much where I need the seat, and Trek charges $160 for the shorter post.
My initial attitude is Trek should just allow a free post swap to get the bike to fit the customer. This is another reason I hate proprietary crap like this
If I choose to pony up the $160, what am I supposed to do with the longer post ?, can't imagine I will recoup my cost by selling on e-bay.
Thoughts appreciated.
My initial attitude is Trek should just allow a free post swap to get the bike to fit the customer. This is another reason I hate proprietary crap like this
If I choose to pony up the $160, what am I supposed to do with the longer post ?, can't imagine I will recoup my cost by selling on e-bay.
Thoughts appreciated.
It is worth asking, since it will be a new take-off.
03-27-24, 11:38 AM
#98
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Another way of looking at it (assuming they won't swap): Would the bike be a good deal if it was $160 more? If so, just suck it up, stop worrying about it, and sell the other one (or keep it) at your leisure. I assume Long Island is like where I live, in that you can't get out of a grocery store for under $160.
03-27-24, 12:03 PM
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