Originally Posted by
06muller
I'm still curious what the un-changeable differences between the two bikes are -- such as, if I were to get a Medium, and try to make it into a Large in all possible ways, what would be left that I couldn't realistically change? I could get a longer stem, larger handlebars, a longer seat post...
Although you can reposition two of the three key touch points (handlebar and saddle) within reason, you cannot change the distance between the bottom bracket (i.e., the center of the circle formed when you pedal) and the front wheel axle unless you buy a different fork. This affects how much toe overlap you have, i.e., the overlap between the front tire and the front of your shoe when the corresponding pedal is as far forward as possible.
Originally Posted by
06muller
But the frame itself would be both shorter and not as tall, right? By how much?
Comparing M vs. L on the geometry chart for the Verve, the M has a 2.3 cm shorter Effective Top Tube (E), and a 1 cm lower Frame Stack (N) than the L.