Originally Posted by
Raven87
Well, it does look better. But - looks do not matter; your comfort and fit do.
+1
When I was talking about how it "should look", I meant that if it's set up wildly different than the
typical setup shown in Treks own pictures, it's probably either simply set up incorrectly (again, easy to do with a sloping top tube) or it's the wrong size.
In other words, with the bars back at the top of the steerer and the saddle about the same height as the bars, the bike will ride fine -- IF it's the right size for you.
IMO (and it is ONLY an opinion) I think you might want to consider going back to your shop and seeing if they would let you try the next size down (15?). It's certainly your call but unless you have long legs, you may have an issue with the seat that high on a 17.5.
Good luck.
Yup, definitely try another size if you can. It wasn't until about ten years ago that I first tried various sizes of one bike model, and I was surprised that they felt as different as they did, even with just a ride around the block. I tried three sizes, riding the smallest first. It seemed fine, honestly. Then I tried the middle size -- wow, everything was in the perfect spot. The bigger size just felt too big, so I went with the middle of the three. I still can put a lot of hours on that bike.