My wife and I were out shopping for a new bike for her. She fell in love with the looks of the Binachi Milano (who could blame her) but she prefers a more upright riding position. The Milano comes with a very long reach stem with almost no rise.

When I suggested a taller stem with less reach, the salesperson acted like I was crazy. Am I out of line asking for a modification on a new bike? He proceeded to tell me that I was looking at the wrong bike and that she should be considering a comfort bike. I have looked at many comfort offerings, but I want a better component set than that which is generally offered.

Is there anything inherently wrong with buying a right-sized frame and adjusting it for fit preference, even if it means swapping components? Even my wife said that she was happy never going back to that shop again.