Steve B.

I'm am potentially buying a new Trek Emonda road bike, it's a very good deal at an otherwise nice local shop. A quickie test ride tells me the bike fits perfectly in terms of top tube length and stem. That's dead on the same as my other road bikes. Problem develops in that Trek ships this size 56 with a proprietary 175mm carbon seat post, which puts the seat about 4 cm too high for my use. It goes no lower. Shop and Trek tells me they make a shorter post that would likely put the post pretty much where I need the seat, and Trek charges $160 for the shorter post.

My initial attitude is Trek should just allow a free post swap to get the bike to fit the customer. This is another reason I hate proprietary crap like this

If I choose to pony up the $160, what am I supposed to do with the longer post ?, can't imagine I will recoup my cost by selling on e-bay.

Thoughts appreciated.

Iride01 

Four centimeters too high? Are you certain that's the correct size bike for you? Maybe you need the 54 cm bike for your leg length.

Top tube length is not any better to judge a bike size by than is seat tube length. You need to consider stack height as well. And take all three of those things in consideration. Seat tube length being the least useful, IMO.

If you are getting a larger size than recommended because you are trying to minimize bar drop, then by reducing the seat post length sticking out above the top tube you might be making the bike not able to absorb some of the road bumps and more will be going into your butt to fatigue you on longer rides.

Emonda is a great bike and screams "ride me" more than any other model of Trek to me. But it's also made for a aggressive position. If you don't want that, I'd think you'd be better off with a different model of bike.

slow rollin

I almost don't want to post that this is a problem with proprietary seatposts on some new bikes but.......... You need the bike to fit. Unless you want to change your riding style of say, heel dropping to pointed toe action it's just not going to ride right with 4cm too high seatpost. Trek should allow a seatpost swap. Iride is right in that you should check the 54/smaller size, however if this bike has a one piece cockpit the smaller frame may be too short on reach/tt+stem+bar length.
If you really like the bike just bite the bullet.

asgelle

Why can't the standard post be cut down?

VegasJen

That's what I was thinking. If there's space to drop it that far, what would stop the OP from doing that.

First thing I did on my Shiv to get it to fit me correctly. No regerts.

bboy314

The clamp is part of the mast so it can’t be shortened.

asgelle

So it's not a traditional seat post but a seat mast topper? That would make sense, but wasn't clear from the wording in the original post.

Mojo31

Yes, it’s a mast cap that fits over a molded seat post that is part of the frame.

I’d ask the shop to swap it so you can buy the bike. Or, you got two choices - pay the $160 or look at other bikes.

$160 is not really a deal breaker if you really like the bike. You’ll spend a lot more on other things for it as well.

SoSmellyAir

I agree with Mojo31; if the bike otherwise fits, I would rather pay $160 for the shorter seat mast cap than cut anything on the frame.

PeteHski

I’m a bit surprised that they didn’t offer to swap the post foc. But at least having the stock longer post will be useful on resale down the line. That’s presuming you don’t keep the bike forever.

VegasJen

For me, something that simple would be a deal breaker. Not so much for the $160, but what other proprietary $**t are you going ro have to deal with later on down the line?

Way back in another life, I sold industrial equipment. I often came up on customers that would throw a competing bid at me and ask if I could match it. Most times I could not. I would explain to my customer those sellers were giving it away on the front end for the back end sales. The way I phrased it was, it's like getting married and you're the b****.

Fahrenheit531 

Pricey bike. If they're unwilling to make this change at cost (or less) to make the sale, try another shop. They're mostly all Trek dealers now anyway.

3alarmer 

...

Calsun

Some mounts allow for flipping over the top section that connects to the saddle rails and provides a different base height. There is also the option of buying a non Trek seat post. Third option is to get the bike shop to sell you the Trek post at their cost and install it for free.

Steve B.

As thanks to all the replies.

I have ridden 5 other road bikes with identical dimensions of ETT of 56 with a 10cm stem. I test rode this bike, reach and bike seemed fine and comfortable. The seat is too high is all. The next size down is an ETT of 54, which I am reasonably sure would be too small. I am 5’10, but long torso, short legs, thus I went to 56 ETT bikes a long time ago, this would be my 5th, thus reasonably sure of this size. Trek ships with the larger seat post, they can provide a shorter seat post, if the customer desires to pay $160 (stupid ******g idea) The post can not be trimmed, the design doesn’t allow for that. I could in theory trim the carbon mast which sticks about 4” above the TT junction, but that would certainly void a warranty, nit going there and the price on this bike is very good. The shop indicated I could source a shorter post on E-bay and save about $50 or so. Not sure the history on a used post, begs the question of why as no Treks in this line and Madones ships with smaller 135 posts, they all come with 175, thus wondering how and why a shorter post is for sale used. Part of my dilemma is it’s a great looking bike with a great discount thus am tempted to just cough up the $160 as I am saving a lot more on the discount and if I just pay for the post it’s also under warranty. Thing with seatposts is you set it and leave it. I take it out once a year to clean and re-lube.

bboy314

My guess is the shop is making minimal markup, since they probably bought the bike at it’s original wholesale price and are forced to sell it at the discounted retail price set by Trek, so they aren’t too motivated to offer further discount on their end.

Have you tried the 54? Could that, along with a longer stem be an option?

Steve B.

The post is really the only proprietary item on the bike. Any 1-18” stem and any 31.8 handlebar works in this bike. components are all Shimano otherwise. It has hydro brake cables run internally that would be a pain to change, that’s pretty common these days, and as I said in another post, a post just sits there, you set it once, take it out once per year to clean and lube, put it back in the same place, it’s a 2 bolt so less likely to have issues and Trek is a source.

Steve B.

I can do that, a different shop has a 54 on the floor, same color also discounted. Concern is I would likely need a 12 or 13 stem to get the reach into the range of bikes I already ride. 13 gets into handling questions.

zymphad

Tough times buying bikes with proprietary nonsense, that sucks.

VegasJen

If that's the case, then see how badly the shop wants to move it. See if they'll work with you to get the post you need either as a direct exchange or at least with some kind of trade in discount. If not, then the consideration is cost comparison between buying this seat post outright versus setting up the 54cm bike to fit correctly. Or, just sigh, shell out the $160 and move on.

Barry2 

What do plan of doing that would warrant changing them?
They are a hard plastic tube.
If you need to change them, poke a wire through the old one, leaving the wire in the frame slide out the old one, thread the new one on the wire.

Hydro brakes are great and mineral oil ones (Shimano) are even better.

Barry

zymphad

I agree with above posters, seems little suspect that you're having this problem and the frame is the correct size. Sure it's not because it's a really good deal?

Also I highly doubt top tube length being same on one frame to another is a good reason to decide the frame is right size since there are other factors that affect fit like stack, rake, etc.

Steve B.

H-br is a 42, I generally use a 46. There might be too little slack to use the wider bar (which I have) which would require changing cables to make the wider bar fit. Thx, good method to swap housings.

Russ Roth

If its one of the trek shops that seem to be taking over all the shops on the island, I'd pass on the deal if they're too cheap to replace their own proprietary parts. Bugs me to no end that companies come up with this BS and expect the customer to just fork over the cash. If its a independent retailer that's selling trek I'd have to consider spending the cash. I like most of the shops here and really dislike that trek is taking over so many of the small places. Stopped up to a shop in East Northport and its now a trek shop, and I used to really like shopping Sunrise but they were bought out too.

Steve B.

My thought on this is that possibly Trek is sending the wrong seatpost size out originally. This website from an LBS shows the bike and you can see how high the seat is compared to the bar. Granted this is a bike where many would want a very aggressive position with a low bar. I don’t need that. I don’t know if you were yo start with the shorter 135 post, can you raise it to get the more aggressive position. Or would you need to order the 175. Which begs the question am I getting the wrong bike ?. Which is a possible yes. And yes it’s a great deal which colors the decision making process. Much to ponder

https://www.brandscycle.com/product/...7-397046-1.htm