Originally Posted by
no1mad
Frame material is a 'Holy War' topic on these boards. They all have their pros and cons, but at your price point, the ergonomics, the overall fit of the bike, and the width and air pressure of the tires will be more noticeable than frame material.
Put it this way: what manufacturer is going to use an unsafe material in the building process?
Agree! Get the bike that you enjoy riding the most. They are all fine choices. Is it worth it to ride 30 miles out of your way? Yes, if you want to find the right bike for you and that's the closest dealer. Definitely go without the wife, don't be rushed, and take as long as you need to get a feel for the bike. I've had many shops offer to let me take a bike out and ride on some local path, or around the neighborhood for as long as I wanted or needed to. The shops that want money before they bring a bike in for you to try are being unreasonable, imo, and not fair to their customers. Most really good shops will bring a bike in because they can always sell it to someone else if you don't like it. I know money is tight in this economy, and they don't want to have excess inventory, but if they don't have the size and model you want then they already have a gap in their inventory. These are popular, low priced bikes and easy to sell. And the Quick 5 rides nothing like the Quick 3 or 4 so it wouldn't tell you a thing about those bikes. Find another shop!