So who's bought a bike without a test ride??

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Comments

  • marcusjb
    marcusjb Posts: 2,412
    Only ever taken bikes I am buying second hand for a test ride.
    Stuff about riding a bike a long way
  • focuz
    focuz Posts: 150
    Never test ridden one. Looked at the size guide on the RT58, and ordered. Perfect fit.
  • gethinceri
    gethinceri Posts: 1,663
    I fancied a Rose but was worried about ordering the wrong style or frame without redress so I rang them. Within a fortnight I had met with the UK representative and test ridden 3 bikes. Then I ordered one.
    When I bought my other road bike (Trek) I didn't test ride it though.
  • Father Faff
    Father Faff Posts: 1,176
    It might depend how fussy you are and whether you are a standard-sized, flexible person or not.
    Commencal Meta 5.5.1
    Scott CR1
  • northpole
    northpole Posts: 1,499
    Many years ago I bought a Condor. No test ride but they put me on a mule and figured out sizing. It was perfect. Next up after doing my back in was a Spesh Roubaix. Took the advice of a Cycle Surgery manager and ended up with a frame and bars which I am convinced are too large. I blame it on my dicky back that I blindly took the advice offered. The Wilier I bought without test riding and it was perfect. As others have said, once you know the size best suited to you, there should be no need to test ride. I am just about to build a new bike and what I've decided to do is have a shop build it and have a proper bike fit session with them the same day - hopefully just for very minor tweaks! (They came highly recommended).

    Peter
  • Bar Shaker
    Bar Shaker Posts: 2,313
    Test rides are for tyre kickers.

    Know what numbers you need and buy a frame that will fit your body size after a bike fit.
    Boardman Elite SLR 9.2S
    Boardman FS Pro
  • littledove44
    littledove44 Posts: 871
    Bar Shaker wrote:
    Test rides are for tyre kickers.

    Know what numbers you need and buy a frame that will fit your body size after a bike fit.
    Any suggestions how to find out your numbers from someone who doesn't have a vested interest in selling you a bike?

    South coast ideally.
  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    littledove44 wrote:
    Bar Shaker wrote:
    Test rides are for tyre kickers.

    Know what numbers you need and buy a frame that will fit your body size after a bike fit.
    Any suggestions how to find out your numbers from someone who doesn't have a vested interest in selling you a bike?

    South coast ideally.

    You've never measured your position? How have you manged to translate fit from one bike to the next up until now?
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • ManOfKent
    ManOfKent Posts: 392
    Slowbike wrote:
    ManOfKent wrote:
    It was too long, but not so much that I'd have noticed it in 10 minutes around the block.
    So far out that a shorter stem wouldn't correct it?

    IIRC it had an 80 or 90mm stem and I'd have needed a 30. I had a young family and didn't ride it much for a few years, so it was more or less obsolete by the time I realised it was the wrong size. It's now on long-term loan to a slightly taller mate with gorilla arms who uses it on his turbo.

    Good excuse to buy a newer, nicer bike. :)

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