Originally Posted by
garysol1
So what your saying is that you made the wrong size frame work for you. Having a seat post almost all the way out and having to use a 120 would be a clue to me (I have been a fitter for 5 or 6 years now) that maybe your on the wrong size bike. I guarantee to you that I can duplicate your position that you like so much now on a 58 without having the post and stem almost maxed out.
I went to a very compact handle bar which is why the stem was taken to 120. Anything close to standard and the original bar were just fine. I don't think I chose "the wrong size frame and made it work"... Everything that was part of my fit was within the specs of the bike. The 172.5mm cranks work just fine... the move to 175mm again is by personal choice... the 172.5mm again is perfectly within the specs...
And sure a 58 wouldn't quite be maxed out... but the top tube is only 1/4" longer I believe... the 120mm stem might needed with that size frame as well.
My point is that going with a smaller frame size is just fine as long as your fit works with it. Plenty of options for changing bars, stem lengths, crank lengths, seat setback etc... etc.. regardless what frame size you go with.