evren

Hello all,

Hope everyone on here is keeping well. This is probably an age old question which ultimately comes back to "get a bike fit", but I'm trying to get advice on whether all 5'9" (175cm) of me with 83cm (32.5in) inseam would be fine on a 54cm or 56cm 2022 Trek Madone. They have none for me to try as all have been sold and won't be in until March at the earliest. They do have a 54 and 56cm on order though, I put a deposit on a 54, they said I can have the 56 if I want.
Typically Trek recommend a 56cm, but a few Trek dealers and bike shops have said id defo be a 54cm so I'm a bit confused. I don't have alien arms, and will probably change the stem to an aero one afterwards so can swap the 90cm stock one to a 100/110cm one. The 56cm comes with a 100cm set, stock so maaaaybe it's a tad long but I'm bot sure. As I say, they have none to try so I can't jump on one sadly.
I currently ride a 54cm 2017 Trek Emonda with a 100mm stem which is fine, my Checkpoint is a 56cm which is also fine but they're different geometries so probably a irrelevant.

Anyway, you input would be welcome and needed.

Thanks,
Ev

Kabuto

With your height and inseam, you could set up either size to work for you. Your saddle is going to be pretty much the same height from the BB with either size but the 54 bars can obviously be setup to be lower than the 56 bars. How much saddle to bar drop do you want / are comfortable with? For me that would probably be the deciding factor.

evren

Hi Kabuto,

Thanks for the response - I won't have a very aggressive set up - not sure about the actual numbers, but the drop would be sporty to say the least, if not aggressive. That's why I was thinking if a 56 wont be too big do I go for that and stick with a 100mm stem, or get a 54 and change the stem afterwards. It's difficult without riding the bike. 54 seems to be a safe bet - my only potential worry would be if its too small which I doubt it'd be.
I'm hoping there might be someone here with the same height/inseam who may have a Madone and offer advice.

Thanks,
Evren

Iride01 

Can you try them out for more than just a ride in the parking lot? I'm 180 cm and right in the overlap of a 56 cm and 58 cm Tarmac as shown in the manufacturers sizing recommendation. I wound up getting the smaller 56 cm frame and it's great. But now I'm wishing I'd tried out one of the 54 cm frames. The mechanic that sold me the bike told me he thought I ought to get the 54 cm. But I was pig headed as I'd always rode over size bikes comfortably for most of my life.

You do need to double check that you can get enough bar height on the smaller frame though if you don't like a low position. But on my Tarmac, I have only a 10 mm spacer under the stem, of the 30 mm of spacers it came with new.

evren

Sadly they don't have a single one in stock I can try - the lbs guy did say next time they get one in for service/work he'll give me a bell to quickly try it out, but after some research it looks like a 54 should be fine for me. Mind you it looks like I'll be waiting quite some time for the bike!

Carbonfiberboy 

Look at the stack and reach of your current bike and then those of the candidate bikes. That should tell you if if the stock cockpit on one or the other will be closer to what you have now and what spacers if any you'll want.

Mojo31

My experience with Trek and their carbon bikes is that their recommendation is a size too big. When I was shopping for my Domane SL5, the recommended size for my 6' bod was 58cm. It was way too big, and I really had to stretch to reach the pedals and bars. 56cm fits very nicely.

SquishyBiker

I'd be more inclined to go with a 56cm, and put a 90mm stem on it almost right away.
The 56cm will give you a little bit more room for bottles, and you're less likely to get a toe strike on the front wheel.

Calsun

The seat tube length is only a partial indicator of frame size and fork rake and reach (seat to handlebars) is more important. With old criterium racing bikes the geometry was essentially the same but with other and newer bikes the geometery varies considerably. I am the same size as you are and with an off the rack bike with a 54cm frame I am OK so long as I change out the stem to get the reach that I like for the handlebars. For touring I prefer a larger frame and more room for rear panniers that do I do not hit with my feet.

The new Specialized sizing seems better to me and provides a better fit with a factory built bike. With the Trek Madone there is only a 1.6 cm difference in what Trek refers to as the "effective top tube" and this is from the 54 having a steeper seat tube and a less steep head tube angle. Both size bikes have the same chainstay length and so no difference in climbing performance. Changing the handlebar stem can make the 54 or the 56 have the same fit to your body. Standover height is the main difference with the 56cm frame adding 2.4 cm or nearly 1 inch. As you need to wait for either size frame I myself would go with the 54.

Leisesturm

This thread is reason #118 why, if you look through my nearing 5,000 posts count, you will not see one single solicitation for suggestions on satisfactory solutions to salient and sundry matters pertaining to ME.. It just isn't possible to get consensus on anything here. I would get the bigger bike, but that's ME.

Bosconian83

I was faced with the same situation on a Cervelo. I'm 5'9" and the recommendation is 56 cm. They don't have a 56 cm but a 54 cm was available on the spot. I had a vintage that is proper for my height but I felt too stretched out on it. For me, a smaller bike was more comfortable and I don't feel too stretched out. I did change the stem for one that's longer(by a little bit). It feels more comfortable for me, though the toe overlap is something I got to deal with.