my new bike?

[goldfinch]

Antaresia I'm sorry if I am missing it but what is the manufacturer size on your frame? I think dont go into the shop with guns blazing bc I can tell u r getting frustrated, rightly so. But just to get the shop to do what you need I would point out how tight you r over the top tube and just tell them u are not comfortable and won't be able to ride the bike like that. I'm hoping they will just go ahead and order u a smaller frame size after they double check ur inseam. Be persistent on this.

I agree, polite but persistent.

[pll]

I would be concerned about laura*'s comment about the parts -- if they put lower grade ones that those promised, I'd be upset. It can be a mistake (when I bought mine, they put the wrong pedals, but swapped them right away after checking the original order).

Regarding the saddle position, it seems a bit high. However, in my bike, while in the saddle, I can barely put the tip of one foot on the ground, leaning the bike a bit. The key issue is how your leg is positioned while you are on the pedals, and your comfort on the bike while riding (not so much stand over height). I only tried this barefoot, by my heel does not touch the pedal at the bottom of the stroke. I cannot see it myself, but if I had to guess, I think my pedal was about 1cm away from my heel.

You could try lowering the saddle yourself (maybe as much as an inch), ride again to see how it feels. Then go to the bike shop and request a proper fit of the new bike. The reason I suggest tinkering with the saddle height yourself is that you will then "collect" more information about the fit. Else, the first thing the will do is lower the saddle and send you off. It does not sound like you connected with the right people in the bike shop (assuming that not everyone in it is obnoxious).

ETA: Re the components, if they upgraded the shifters and rear derailleur to 105 and downgraded the front derailleur and cranks, perhaps it is fair deal? I'd look up the values and I'm sure others here can provide some guidance on fairness...

[westtexas]

I am late to the game, but I wanted to put my voice in as one of those people who cannot stand over their bikes completely (my crotch touches the top tube of both) but my bikes fit me very well. Since you don't get on your bicycle by sitting on the seat and then pedaling off into the distance, I don't think that it really matters. I get on my platform pedal bike the same as I do the clipless - right foot slightly raised and resting on the pedal, bike leaned slightly towards me, push down on right pedal while lifting body off ground, sit down, connect left foot to pedal; get off in reverse order.

What DOES matter is you foot position on your pedals and thus your butt's distance from the end of the crank arm. I'm not sure if your heel should touch the pedals, but definitely the ball of your foot should (my heel does not touch my pedals). When you are at the bottom of the pedal stroke, with the ball of your foot on the pedal, your knee should be at approximately a 20˚ bend (I think that's the correct one). This is where you get maximum power and you aren't damaging your knees internal structure. You can measure and adjust your bike yourself to get to this level - I was professionally fitted on one bike and now I go from those baselines and tinker with my bikes myself. However, you did pay for a fitting and so I would definitely be upset if I were you.

The last thing I might mention is - even with all the numbers in the world, a "perfect" fitting may still not actually fit you. You are you - not some numbers - and if you are still uncomfortable on the bike, you aren't fit properly. It's just like in medicine - the lab can give you all kinds of numbers from the blood, but you have to look at the patient, not the numbers, to get a true picture of what's going on. Have them fit you again, on this bike, and don't leave until you are really comfortable.