Need Help- New frame or not

Markdg991

I recently bought a 2007 Trek Madone 6.5 SSL back in August. I put about 150-200 miles on it. It felt great but the fit was a little off. I went to LBS and had them take measurments and correctly position myself on the bike. They discovered that the bike was to large. I am 5'7.5" and I purchased a 54 and should have gotten a 52. The shop that sold me the bike was having an inventory sale and the 54 was the only one left. The bike was "fit" to me, by swapping out the seat post to one without an offset. The fit felt good, but wasn't altogether perfect. The angles could not be optimized due to a larger frame. Should I pull the components and sell the frame, it's in excellent shape, or should I keep what I've got?

mafpolo

If you can live with it comfortably...just stick with it. If not then go ahead and swap frames. If you do the new frame you can go 2008 Madone.

swampy1970

If you can get your bars and stem where you need them I wouldn't worry. I'd be more concerned if the bike was too small. The extra weight would be negligable.

rparedes

What is it that does not fit? is it the reach? handlebar height relative to saddle?
Try different stems length and rise; also handlebar reach can be adjusted by getting different geometry bars with different reach and drop. I don't think there is a magic "frame size that fits". For example some riders may prefer a smaller frame for racing but a larger one for touring. Look at:
http://www.competitivecyclist.com/z...ALCULATOR_INTRO
read the info on the different types of fit for an idea on frame "fits". For a given individual, there could be several "correct frame sizes".

garage sale GT

I think it's better to mess with the stem than the seatpost because it won't force more of your weight onto your arms and wrists.

__________________
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alfeng

FWIW. Bike fit isn't a precise science ... and, just because the most recent shop thinks a smaller frame might be better for you, a third shop might concur with the first.

Further, with two frames of the same model within 2cm of the seat tube length it may be really more of a cosmetic issue for some, and comfort for others.

In the former case, some people like to have more exposed seatpost (this is a relative expression with the new integrated seat masts on some frames), and in the latter, the larger frame makes having a higher handlebar easier to manage ...

Alternatively, a slightly smaller frame allows a competitive rider/racer to set his/her handlebars lower and thereby get more aero when in the drops ... at that point, the size is not a cosmetic issue.

Specifically, with YOUR frame, the difference is 0.9cm in the top tube length, so you can simply fit a 1.0cm shorter stem and/or adjust the reach to the brakes with a different handlebar (i.e., different handlebars have a different bend and MAY thereby give your bike a different feel, too).

I have/ride many frames whose size range from 52cm (c-c) to 57cm (c-c) whose top tubes vary between about 54cm to 57cm -- ALL are set up so that the saddle has the SAME orientation to the cranks ... and the stem & handlebar length/reach were subsequently adjusted from an arbitrary position on the saddle (in this case, the center of the rear edge) so that there is less than a half-inch variation between the way the various frames fit beneath me. On the larger frame, I have a handelbar with more drop.

BTW. A 54cm TREK is really equivalent to a 52cm (c-c) "traditional" frame which often has a top tube that is approximately 54cm. A 52cm traditional frame would not be too large for you; so, the 54cm Trek wasn't necessarily sized improperly by the first LBS from whom you bought the bike ...

Based on your height, but without knowing your inseam length, I would nonetheless reckon that the top of your saddle should probably be about 27" above the center of the BB as measured along the seat tube. Is it? If it is close to that, then your frame's size is definitely "okay" and you probably just have to address the stem length (which will be influenced by your flexibility/fitness) -- a 9-or-10cm stem should work for you.

I think you can/should probably keep the frame ... having said that, IMO, even if the saddle were sitting directly atop the frame's seatpost clamp, it doesn't mean it isn't a frame you can't be made to fit you while you are riding it (vs. standing still, astride the bike with your feet on the ground)!

If you get a chance, post a picture as the bike's frame, stem & saddle are corrently oriented ...