Fifty Plus (50+) - Do You Test Drive a New Bike Before You Buy It?

I went to a Schwinn Bike shop back in 1985 and bought a Mountain Bike. I had never road a Mt bike. I seen an ad in a magazine for this Schwinn Mountain Bike and decided I had to have one. Back then I was so uninformed about bikes, I did not know that bikes came in different size frames. I thought all 26 inch bikes were basically the same size. The shop I bought the bike from never offered to let me ride the bike and they didn’t say a word about size. It turns out that I bought a bike that is way too big for me. So I have been riding a bike that is too big for 25 years. When I was younger that was ok but at my age I am tired of riding a bike that I have to almost lay it down to get off of it.

Today I went into six bike shops looking at bikes. The last shop I went to was a Trek Shop. A lady waited on me at the Trek shop and I told her I was looking for a comfort type bike that was easy to get on and off of. She showed me a, Pure Sport 21 speed. This model bike only comes in one size, 16 inch. I asked her if I could sit on it and she said “You can take it outside and ride it.” None of the other shops I went to today offered to let me ride a bike. In fact this was the first time in my life a bike shop has offered to let me ride a bike before I bought it. The more I looked at this bike the more I liked it and I really wanted to ride it. I didn’t because I was afraid I might get a scratch on it or damage it in some way. I always test drive a car before I buy it but I know the car as insurance on it if I damage it. Now this lady was serious about letting me ride the bike because she tried to get me to take it outside three times. I didn’t buy it because before I spend $615.00 (that’s with sales tax) I wanted more time to think about it.

Do most people test drive New bikes before buying?

I have never had a shop offer to let me ride a bike before buying, so I was a little shocked when the Lady told me 3 times that it was ok for me to ride it.

I test drove my current bike. The shop offered to let me take it out. Didn't even ask me for my license.

Test drive the bike. You don't have to buy it.

You simply cannot tell a bikes fit without riding it. Is it even close? If I were buying a medium to expensive bike, I'd want to try it out several times before buying. It's pretty hard to fix a bad fit after you paid for it. You have to be careful about shops selling you what they have rather than what you need. bk

I not only test rode my last bike twice before I bought it, I also rode a half dozen other bikes as well. Don't pick a bike by it's looks, you have to see if it fits.

Take that bike out for a test drive before you buy it:thumb:

My bike shop is a Trek dealer, too. When I purchased my road bike he let me take it for 3 days just to be sure it fit and was what I wanted before I spent the money for it.

I just bought a new bike in March and you can believe I rode it before I bought it.
Any bike shop should allow you to ride a bike before you buy.
In fact they should let you ride a couple of different bikes as long as you are a serious customer.
You just have to ask. And, if you're not sure about something, like "How do I shift the gears?" Or, "How do I adjust the seat?" be sure to ask that before you set off on a test ride.

My LBS lets me take the bike for a weekend for a thorough test ride. If I'm spending $$$ I'm going to check it out as well as I can. Of course I have a very good relationship with my LBS so I can't say they would do the same for everyone but they do allow good test rides.

Bike shops I have visited freely allow you to test ride their bikes. My problem is that they rarely have my size to try. I ended up driving a 160 miles for a hybrid in my size to test. My road bike I never got to road test and bought it without first trying it. I didn't have much of a choice. But I did my homework first and was pretty comfortable that the bike I ordered would work.

Price of being 4'10.5" :)

Back in the early 80's I bought a new Peugeot 501 (yes I test road it a few times). When I decided this was the bike I wanted I was able to make payments on it. The bike shop wouldn't let anyone who was buying on payments take the bike home with them until it was paid off but they would let you come in and ride your bike on their Saturday and Sunday rides. I thought that was pretty cool.

I would suggest you always test ride multiple bikes before you buy!

Always try before you buy.

Welcome to the forum Grandaddy! Don't be bashful about the testride... Go for it!

I don't always try the exact bike before I buy, because it is often not available in my size or in the model I want, but I ride enough of what is available to get a good idea what I want.
I have never heard of a bike shop that does not allow test rides. Most encourage it. The LBS in my town has a small fleet of very nice test bikes that they loan out frequently and it has really paid off in increased sales of higher end bikes. Don't hesitate, ride the bike. Ride a few.

The LBS I use didn't have a bike I was interested in my size put together--so, they went in the back and put one together for me to test ride.

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Do you test drive New bikes before buying?

No I test drive OLD*bikes before buying them. *Don't know what I would do with a new bike.

I test drove everyone I was interested in as I have never had a road. Bike I made my choice and going for a fitting tomorrow.

I went to a Trek demo held in a High school parking lot where they had a full line of bikes. They made me sign an insurance waiver and handed over the bike. I put about 10 miles on the bike.
I would always take a test ride if I were considering buying the bike.

Do you try on a new pair of shoes before you buy them?

The test ride is what I do once I've finished building it.

Before I bought my bike I went to a number of shops that were brand specific. The larger shops like Bike America had a "path" in the store to try out the bike. Thought it was a joke and moved on. The smaller shops and particularly the LBS I had dealt with with my mountain bikes over the years insisted I take out more than one bike for as long a ride as I wanted. Now i'm looking to upgrade my wheelset and he is offering me different wheelset to use over a weekend.

I wouldnt be too worried about scratching a new bike during a test ride. the shop can easily return it to the mfg if its damaged. with that being said, ride as many as you can. if a shop doesnt offer you a good long test ride, go elsewhere. you can even bring your own pedals and shoes if you ride clipless. if the testride feels weird most shops will swap stems with another bike in stock so you can try different lengths and angles, seats too.

I'm surprised you found any bike shops that didn't offer a test ride. I can't remember ever not getting such an offer. Last two times I've purchased a new bike, I've gone to multiple shops, test ridden bikes at each, narrowed it down to my top two, and gone back for 2nd test rides on those.

First road bike and it would not have mattered if I rode it or not. After 16 years of MTB's I did not know what a road bike should feel like so the LBS set two bikes up for me for size and I took the one that fitted better. 1 year later and I knew what I wanted and tested quite a few and not only from my LBS. The owner had a Boreas as his bike so I borrowed it and WOW. None of the others I test rode were right but this was- so got one built up. 6 months later and the first bike had to be replaced as it was no longer up to my standard. I had test ridden a Giant TCR-C3 and just ordered one but with a twist. They had a lightweight frame and for an extra charge they would swop the frames. Everything else would do except the wheels so changed those aswell. That bike was bad until I changed the wheels back to something more compliant. I can't take a stiff frame with stiff wheels and could not keep it on the road. It took a year to get it sorted but has turned into the long or hilly road bike and is good.

Now latest bike and I test rode several last Autumn. Went back to the LBS to order the bike I wanted. A CX but it was not available and would not be for a while. Not only the CX- every Giant that was in my style and price range was "Not Available". But that testing last Autumn and two other bikes stood out and one was a Cervello and the other a Pinarrelo FP1. They were Pinnie dealers so sat down with the geometry tables and worked out what I wanted in size. The FP1 was no longer available but the replacement was the FP UNO. Similar spec except a few upgrades but also $300 more. It was only going to be a runaround bike and was a bit heavier than my others and only Tiagra Groupset. Still looking for a runaround cos the Pinnie is superb.

I have never had a problem in getting test rides --once I have convinced shops that I am a serious buyer. When I got Boreas- I went back to one of the shops that did not treat me right. They were into triathlon and competition bikes and I just wheeled the bike into the shop-They allow it for their customers- and started looking at Gloves. The sales assistant looked hard at Boreas- realised who I was and then asked why I had not come to them and I pointed out I had but they did not seem to take "Old Gits" who were just browsing as possible customers.

The lady sounds like she was a good sales person. It does a bike shop little good to send a customer out the door having purchased a bike he or she ends up not liking. It's in the shop's best interest to facilitate a good marriage between riders and bikes. You "time to think about it" will be much richer if included in what you are thinking about is how one bike handled/felt compared to another, based on an actual rides of the bike considered.

I have test ridden every bike I have purchased except for my first and last bike. The first bike was a birthday present and my wife had already purchased it. Lucky for me that the LBS was able to calculate the correct size from her description of me. I didn't get a chance to test ride the Colnago because neither of the two dealers in Tampa had that bike in stock. But since the frame dimensions were almost dead on to my Defy's frame, I went for it without a test ride and the bike fits like a glove.

Some riders get this notion that a certain bike, when ridden, will somehow "speak to you, buy me".

I'd go with the pro's. They simply ride for the money and the team supplies whatever, especially the paycheck. If you're good enough, you'll ride most any top level bike (no test rides). If you're not, then you get to be picky. Sounds silly but that's the way it is.

Most of the bikes I had over the years I've built from the frame up so no test ride. I have been happy with all of them, some I wish I still had:(

I asked her if I could sit on it and she said “You can take it outside and ride it.” None of the other shops I went to today offered to let me ride a bike. In fact this was the first time in my life a bike shop has offered to let me ride a bike before I bought it.
Strange story. :rolleyes:
I've never been to a shop where the prospective buyer was allowed to test ride any and all bikes being considered.


As a side point -- don't you try on clothes before buying them?

Granddaddy

I'm with you. Until I changed the focus of my bicycling I just sat on the bike in the store. If my feet reached the floor without the top bar pushing on my crotch it was the "right size". Now, I won't buy unless the store lets me do an unlimited mileage test ride. In fact one of the shops I went to wouldn't let me do that so out the door I went.

Unfortunately, testing out a prospective ride isn't always possible. To wit, I had to order my Rans Cruz (no real alternative choice if you're looking for this type of bike, IMHO) without having ever even seeing one in person. The experience gained in trying out as many bikes as I could beforehand at many bike shops, however, allowed me to make an informed leap of faith (with fingers firmly crossed) that fortunately worked out for me. If given the opportunity, though, I definitely would give any bike I'm considering a thorough going over before laying my money down..... 25 years on an uncomfortable mount could be the result of failing to do so.

In all my years of bicycling I can remember test riding only 3 bikes before I bought them. Even in those cases, the test rides were pretty short, certainly less than a mile.

So to all of those folks who talked about test riding bicycles, what were you looking for and how did you evaluate it?

No one local had what my wife wanted so we went to another city to test one. We tested a number of bikes both locally and out of town when we bought so we could get a full range of makes and models. And that taught me I would never buy without a test ride. Bikes I thought would be very similar felt very different on the road. Bikes I thought would be perfect did not feel right for me and bikes I might have thought I wouldn't like made my short list. At least for people with limited experience, there's no way to know until you test. And every shop we visited offered us test rides. One said 'take 'em home for the weekend and get a good trial.'

Any good bike shop encourages test riding, in my experience. I rode both of my bikes, a Specialized and a Kona, before buying. In fact, the Kona shop built a bike in my size just for me -- with no obligation to buy -- and let me take it all over the neighborhood, on and off the road, to make sure it met my needs. Then they adjusted it for size and sent me out again, just to be sure. I loved and bought it. Going the extra mile is just good business.

I test rode bikes that were in stock at a couple of different shops. Unfortunately, I was also interested in something that would have to be ordered, so I could not test ride that one before ordering if I wanted it. In a happy coincidence, the owner of the LBS that distributes the brand I was looking at owns the model I was interested in, and in my size. He let me test ride his own bike! There are some minor differences in the way his is built and the way mine will be built, but close enough. I'm probably placing my order tomorrow or Sunday.

In all my years of bicycling I can remember test riding only 3 bikes before I bought them. Even in those cases, the test rides were pretty short, certainly less than a mile.

So to all of those folks who talked about test riding bicycles, what were you looking for and how did you evaluate it?

First, the fit. I have a short torso and certain bikes cause me to be stretched out too much when in certain riding positions. Even with a pro fit, those bikes would be very uncomfortable without changing a bunch of parts to compensate for it. Second, the components. If I had to choose between 105's and Ultegra's on a new bike, I would want to be able to see if I could tell the difference between them before putting out the extra money, especially if I have never ridden a bike with either group. Third, the handling. Some bikes are quicker to respond, especially carbon bikes, and can be a bit more difficult to handle when riding into headwinds or going down a decent. I equate test riding a bike to test driving a car.

Hadn't in the past, but now would never buy without a test ride.

Test rode several bikes before getting my Defy 1 back in March.

Update; First of all let me thank everyone for their advice.

I went back to the Trek Shop this morning and test rode 2 Bikes. The sales lady that I talked to yesterday was not there today. In fact there were no sales people in the store. I didn’t realize that the only 2 sales men were both waiting on customers that were looking at bikes that were in racks outside the store. After about 5 minutes of looking around the store one of the store’s mechanics came out and asked if he could help me. I told him I wanted to test ride a bike. He said, “Sure, just let me check the tires for proper air pressure first.” So I actually test road 2 bikes. I didn’t get the one the sales lady first showed me but I did buy the Calypso model. I was looking for a comfort bike (if I want to go fast I ride my old bike) and this is the most comfortable bike I have ever ridden.

Once again, thanks everyone for telling me I shouldn’t hesitate to ask to take the bike for a spin.

249639
My new Calypso Bike:)

Nice bike, now ride the wheels off her!

None of the LBS in my vicinity allow “test rides”, so it’s nearly as bad as purchasing a bicycle from the Internet sight unseen. It’s why I’ll likely purchase some future bicycles directly from the Internet. I’m not worried about LBS services, as I’ve always performed my own work (it’s the only way to get the job done with exceeding precision).

LBS or Big Box Store? Hard to believe that an local bike shop won't allow test rides. Where are you, NYC?

Yes Would you buy a pair of shoes without trying them on?

Nice bike!!

Have fun.

Now the fun begins. Enjoy!

Love The Blue.
Have much fun riding it.

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=249637&d=1336767607

Last 4 bikes bought remotely, 2 Brompton Folding bikes, they only make 1 size.
i've since resold one when I got the 2nd., they were 2nd hand..
and a Bike friday, Pocket Llama , bike fridays have a number of sizes,
but the dimension is top tube length ..
it was a custom order refused by not liking the color so a new-old-new.. bike .

Prior to that another remote bike buy, also from previous owner,
we emailed back and forth about it for 6 months, I understood the bike
size dimensions, and, had the brand Reputation well researched.
I suppose by the time it all wound up he trusted me ,
He shipped the bike across the country, on the honor system
then after it arrived , I sent him the check.

several bikes built from the frame up,
but as I've Been a wrench serf, off and on, in shops for 40 years
it all worked out .. good to know what fits .. by the numbers.

LBS or Big Box Store? Hard to believe that an local bike shop won't allow test rides. Where are you, NYC?

Every bike shop that I know of around NYC encourages test rides.

Read the thread title and thought "Of course! Who would buy a bike without a test drive?" and skipped down the page of a Whats New search before I realized that 6 of the last 7 bikes I bought to ride myself or for my wife to ride I bought without a test drive. Ordered one limited edition Schwinn new based on a picture in the catalog because they had never had one in stock at my LBS. One used bike I bought having heard a description from the seller and sent my buddy over to buy it and deliver it to me. Granted, I knew what size I needed and what the wife uses, I am not "flipping" bikes. If I don't like it when I am done I donate it to a charity to sell or give away to someone who can use it. I just like to wrench on them, it makes me happy and there is a limit to how much you can keep wrenching on bikes that I ride daily once I like the build.

I just bought a 74 Raleigh Pro that I did not test ride, looked at it for about 2 minutes and handed the cash over. The 84 Motobecane Grand Touring, 3 minutes to determine a ballpark estimate on the year and it was cash out. I rode with a guy who said his roommate never rode his Maruishi BRC and was leaving school in a few days and might sell it, and two minutes in the dorm room with a cash deal I was out the door with the bike. The only bike I rode before buying in the last seven was an early 70's Schwinn Collegiate with the SA hubs - wanted to make sure that drivetrain was decent. Funny, I would have sworn I would not buy a bike without test driving it, certainly not a car or a motorcycle, but there you are - it must be because I don't spend a lot of money on the bikes like some do on this forum. I like the older and cheaper ones usually, but always something with character.