Test ride tips & advice

andyeb
andyeb Posts: 407
edited August 2013 in Road buying advice
Any tips or specific advice for test riding a new road bike? I'm looking to make the leap from my entry-level sportive bike to something with a kinder ride and a more aero riding position.

I intend to test ride a variety of different makes/models. But I'm worried about just liking everything a take out for a spin, rather than discerning which is the best bike for me, right now. Any specific ideas around achieving this?

Comments

  • chrisaonabike
    chrisaonabike Posts: 1,914
    andyeb wrote:
    But I'm worried about just liking everything a take out for a spin, rather than discerning which is the best bike for me, right now. Any specific ideas around achieving this?
    Ride them a second time.
    Is the gorilla tired yet?
  • supermurph09
    supermurph09 Posts: 2,471
    "Kinder ride with more aero position" seems an odd statement?
    Trainer Road Blog: https://hitthesweetspot.home.blog/

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  • andyeb
    andyeb Posts: 407
    Supermurph09 wrote:
    "Kinder ride with more aero position" seems an odd statement?

    The current ride quality is very harsh and I get a lot of road buzz through the saddle. This improved to some extent when I upgraded the wheels, but it's still far from ideal. The upright riding position puts almost all of my weight on the saddle, making for a sore behind after a few hours of riding.
  • amaferanga
    amaferanga Posts: 6,789
    Lowering the bars and lower tyres pressures might be worth trying.
    More problems but still living....
  • mfin
    mfin Posts: 6,729
    Post a photo of the current bike setup (even better if you have one of you on it), that would give people an idea if there are any good fixes on your current one regarding the harsh ride. I assume that by saying you are 'sat up' (in combination with wanting a bike with a more aero position) that your stem is as low as it can go, slammed, and the stem length is also dead on for you and is not too short.

    What bike are you currently riding? What size? Do you know the effective top tube length, head tube length, and seat post angle?

    Nothing wrong with wanting a new bike though if you just want one.
  • EpicTri
    EpicTri Posts: 7
    Do a search on YouTube for 'Bike Fit' so you get an idea of what to look for when trying out various bikes. Some bike shops let you borrow them for a week or so. What ever bike you go for, more often than not a different size stem and saddle is usually necessary after a while to fine tune your position.

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