Camilo

Not a big fan of Trek in general, but that's just personal. But a "proprietary" seat post that can't be adjusted downward enough would be a non starter for me.

Why not look at a different brand? There's more brands in the world than Trek (and Specialized, and Giant) although often seems to me that a lot of buyers on these forums look at the Trek options as if they're all that's available.

I see that the most sensible solution is not practical - just cut some CMs off the bottom of the post to allow it to go down further.

I the long run, it seems you know that the bike will be great for you if only it had the shorter seat post. $160 is no big deal in that case. Would the price cause you to seriously reconsider if it were in fact $160 more than what you're being quoted? Probably not. It's still a good deal. Heck, some people spend that much on pedals or tires.

PLUS.... it won't be $160. It will be significantly less because you'll sell that longer post as "NEW, TAKE OFF, NEVER USED" on EBay. Those kind of items are gems, really in demand generally. People really like to pay used prices for carbon fiber items that haven't been used because there's a higher degree of confidence in lack of any damage. I've bought some posts and handlebars that way. You might get up $75-100, greatly defraying the cost of the new post.

asgelle

How to say I didn't read the thread without ... Well, you know.

Camilo

Or we can trust that he knows what he wants and needs and understands that the issue - for him - is simply the stupid seat post.

Camilo

Yea, I edited my response.

mpetry912 

you're getting the bike at a discount. As somebody said above, sell the take off part on ebay and enjoy the ride

/markp

Steve B.

This

Mtracer

If it's a good deal and the shop won't swap or discount the seat mast cap, then I'd pay the extra $160. Sometimes good deals are deals for a reason. And yeah, you could sell the longer cap for a few dollars, or just stick it aside and maybe make the difference if you wanted to resell.

Last summer I bought a Domane from a Trek store. Seat height was fine when I picked it up. Months later when I pulled the seatpost and then reset it, I discovered it had been in almost as far as it could go. I asked if they could swap it out for the shorter post so I would have room if I later felt I needed to drop it. And yes it wold have been easy enough to cut it. They swapped it, no issue. I think being a Trek store helped, I think the fact it was a $9,000+ bike helped, and for myself and family I've spent a lot on bikes at that store in the last 5 years.

As for the frame size, I'm tall at 6' 2", but have an inseam (measured correctly for bike fitting) at just under 33". So, for me I get the larger frame, and run the seat lower. I also end up slamming the stem. This way I get the reach I need for my long torso, and if anything running the seat lower, for my relatively short legs, reduces the drop for a less aggressive position. It works well for me. The OP sounds like they have a very similar situation.

Something the OP can do is use the following site to compare bikes geometries. It has a rather large database. You should be able to compare the road bikes you have to the proposed new bike and see how they match up. However, be warned that from what I've seen, the dimensions will be for a raw frame, and in the case of my Domane, there is a "bearing cover" on the top of the head tube that has significant height. This is not factored into published dimensions. I.E., it effectively makes the head tube taller. Of course, all bikes of something up there, but they may be different heights. Obviously not an issue if you don't expect to slam the stem as you can adjust spacers as needed. Of course, be sure to factor in stem length, and handle bar dimensions as well.

99spokes.com

Russ Roth

I would also check out Merrick Cycles, they've had some great sale prices starting last week and they keep a lot of inventory in stock across 3 shops, so if they don't have it in Merrick it might be elsewhere. Nothing against Brands, I've given them plenty of money over the years, but I'd check if there's a better deal in stock. I'd also point out that although 1cm or 2/5" doesn't seem like a lot, when its what you're trying to drop yourself down to it can be. It isn't the same as just being able to use a longer or shorter stem, and while a different angle stem can deal with it to some extent, on a bike that has to real steerer tube to allow height adjustment with spacers, that difference can matter.

Although the sale price would mean there isn't a good margin, Brands is big enough of a trek dealer that they're probably an upper tier level and probably still making 800-1000 on that bike. Not great in the grand scheme, but not hideous, but they're also not spending 160 on the stem, which is probably closer to 100 wholesale. If you have to buy the post I would expect them/ ask them to offer it for the wholesale price. They've got a customer with cash in hand and quibbling that they're not making money on the post would be silly since they're still making money on the bike and the bike is useless without the post. In the past, when I worked in a shop, I had no problem showing the customer that this is my price for the item and that's what you'll pay if it was something to make it whole. The only time that didn't happen was when we would exchange a like for like type item that we could use, then we often gave half off, ie a 90mm stem for a 110mm stem since we could always use the other stem as a lower price swap for someone else later. I wouldn't anticipate that with this post since the shop probably doesn't want to sit on an expensive proprietary post.

Garthr

Do you really want to buy a bike with such proprietary parts ? What else is also proprietary about it ? Do ask or find out for yourself. Are proprietary frames/parts acceptable in the long run, if you intend to keep it ? Only you can answer that.

Myself, give it's the correct frame size to begin with, if a dealer is unwilling to swap the post so you can ever ride it, it's no deal. Saying "it's only $160" is what dealers count on, that the buyer won't call them out on it and ask for a proper fitting post for n/c. Trek is selling a frame with very limited fit range. That's great if you fit in that range, not if you don't. It's not a "good deal" unless that "good deal" fits as defined a "good deal". Once you start adding costs to a "good deal" , it's no longer the "good deal" once thought of as such.

It's a buyers market

PeteHski

If it’s still a good deal with the added $160 and you are confident about the fit then I would take it.

The only alternative is a different bike which may not be such a good deal overall or simply less to your liking. If the $160 is going to ruin your enjoyment then maybe it was already too much of a budget stretch?

Proprietary parts can be a pain, but they are also what makes it a bit more unique. If it had a standard generic round seatpost you wouldn’t have this problem, but then you might not like the bike as much. Only you can decide.

Steve B.

I have already commented on this. The seat post is the only proprietary part. Stem and bar are standard stuff, just Trek branded carbon bar.

And as final note, I e-mailed the shop and instructed to order the Trek post. Too good a price on a great bike to nickel and dime over $160. I am expecting the shorter 135 post will put the seat where it needs to be and will likely follow thru with the purchase,

wheelreason

I like it when folks come in with their cost margin calculation logic, kinda like a flat earth video, I listen, then I ask "what do you do for a living?" Then I ask them for a similar discount on whatever it is they do, I seldom get a taker on that, and I make the sale most of the time, eiither way the look on their faces is worth it, and keeps the other guys in the shop entertained. To be cllear, if I have a good customer who is in this situation, yeah, i'll eat the $100 on the silly seat mast thing, and the like on fitting items, but the guy (it's always a guy) who comes in with the entitled "I am doing you a favor by buying from you" attitude, I tell him, what what he wants costs, and let him decide, he buys from me, he buys from someone else, or he doesn't buy at all, life goes on...

McFlyRides

My new bike has a proprietary stem, probably a bit long for my taste. I’m giving it a go for now, but may need to buy a shorter stem from them. I’ll ask if they can sell it to me at dealer cost.

As said above, if the seat can’t be adjusted down enough with the stock capper, maybe the bike is too small? Maybe size up the bike and do a shorter stem? The seat adjustment needs to be able to get you oriented to the pedals properly, then the stem and steerer length handles the reach and drop fit.

keep in mind one brand or model in a certain size may not fit like another’s.

Russ Roth

You misinterpreted, I said that I would sell the post for the wholesale cost which is probably around 100, I wouldn't expect the shop to eat a 100 on something like that. The bike shops I worked in, as I explained later, would do trades on things like stems, saddles, or items that were being changed with usually a charge of 50% of the items price knowing we could recoup the money by selling or exchanging the take-off later. I also explained that a shop couldn't be expected to do that either as the post is proprietary and the shop might never sell it but no reason they shouldn't let it go at wholesale cost to make the bike work. That's from 15 years in the bike industry, and ever shop I worked at would do that since it doesn't cost us anything but helps make the sale. As to a discount on what I do, I'm a minister and have been for the last 14 years, if you're not a member of my church and you need a funeral and can't afford the typical minister's fee that the funeral home charges than I give a 100% discount. I take the time to meet with the family, chat about their loved ones, arrange the order of worship and take the time from my family and life to perform the service at no cost, you'd look fairly stupid asking me your question, and I do this multiple times a year because the person matters. Weddings I will discount if it isn't a formal wedding and have even managed to get the church to provide free/heavily reduced costs of the space for young broke couples.
Unless things have changed drastically in the 10 years since I last worked directly for a shop, trek operates on a 40 margin, slightly better (42 margin?) if you're a platinum level dealer, and so the 20% off does hit into that a lot and that sucks when trying to unload excess or previous years bikes. I'm aware that this may mean they may be making back their costs into the bike and only a touch more, but the loss gets worse the longer the bike sits and breaking even on a post seems like a small price to pay to get the stored value of the bike back out of it to get new inventory in, but hey, you do you.

wheelreason

Nope, didn't ministerpret anything (ha), and darn, I was hoping you were a roofer...

Mojo31

Next, get the RSL bar/stem for it. Game changer.

Russ Roth

That was my first job back in HS working for the family business, quit that for college after dangling off the edge of a building 3 stories up. There's a reason its one of the most dangerous professions.

Steve B.

They don’t show this on the Trek website, not that I want or need a $400 integrated bar/stem system, which I think is a useless concept to begin with.

Mojo31

It's there: Bontrager Aeolus RSL VR-C Handlebar/Stem - Trek Bikes

Nobody needs such things, but it sure looks sweet.

Steve B.

Oh, that’s much better, it’s only $650

Sy Reene

Since it's been said the margins are really low on all of this stuff, I imagine then you should be able to just sell the unused longer post back to the shop for say $140 ?

wheelreason

For sure, specially in the middle of summer. There are some crews around here that have it down to a science. You can tell the good ones by the cadence of the nailer.

genejockey 

Needs? What is this "need" ****? We're talking BICYCLES.

Camilo

I did three or four roofing jobs in my 20s. Carrying shingles up a ladder, hammer and nails... There are a lot of construction-related things I learned to do over the years which I continue to do and generally enjoy and can do competently enough (although slowly!). Roofing, never, ever. even with modern equipment. Oh, and baling hay from field to barn.... even more so never.

biker128pedal

Use the longer post for clamping in a bike stand. $160 is a good deal compared to the Domane Gen 3 seat post. My SL 6 58cm came with a long post/ The 56cm comes with a short which was too short for me in that size frame. Anyway for my 58cm frame with the long post the screw to tighten the post was at the very bottom of the access slot. It slipped once and was hidden. I had to use a rubber hammer to drive the post back up. Choked and bough ta short post. I think I paid $250 for the short post. Correct color (black) but the only one available was the one for the ebike. It has a small holes for a rear light wire. The rear ligtht bracket specific for the seat post was then a little loose and I had to shim with tape. As for the longer post. I use it to clamp the bike on my bike stand. The short post does not have enough exposure for my old stand.

Oh while you are at it think about if you want to change the seat set back.

Edit: Looks like for the Elmonda there is a not really a choice for set back. Also the seat mast would not have the same lack of space as with the Domane.