janellewilson

Forgive me for asking such a "girly" question. I'm searching for the perfect hybrid. I've gone to a couple of places, and the first time I was wearing shorts & a t-shirt. I felt like the sales people didn't quite believe I would want a bike for fitness. In fact, at one shop they had be try an Electra Townie which was ridiculously heavy/slow. The second time I went shopping, I wore athletic shorts and a tech shirt from a run I did. I felt like I was taken slightly more seriously in terms of seeing the type of bikes I am interested in.

So, out of curiosity, what do you wear when bike shopping? Any suggestions for me?

Thanks everyone!

arny56

No idea what you should wear, but any shop you feel doesn't take you seriously is a shop I wouldn't do business with.

rebel1916

Pearls.

janellewilson

Funny!

giantcfr1

Tshirt, shorts and flip flops.

kingsqueak

Wear whatever you would be comfortable riding in so testing the bike for comfort will work for you.

Bad service? Bounce them, don't buy there, period.

daihard 

+100.

I'd just wear what's comfortable for test rides.

rebel1916

Pearls are always appropriate. Especially for a southern woman!

wblatt

wear whatever the hell you feel like and tell the dork salesperson to show you whatever the hell you want or you're outta there.

kensic

what he said

SLazz

If you wanna a great deal on a bike....wear a thong. It worked for me and I'm a guy.

i_wanna_giraffe

It sounds like the troubles I've had buying a car. I walked into one dealership with a pre approved loan and they wouldn't help me. Keep looking until you find someone that takes you seriously.

I did my bike shopping in shorts, tshirt and sandals with 2 wet kids worn out from swim lessons.

bbbean 

+1

ChanceG

I doesn't matter what you wear. Be you and stay true

janellewilson

I've decided semi-sporty clothes make more sense. Went back to the place I wasn't sure of before and had no problems. I think before it's because my husband is convinced I want a comfort hybrid, and I am convinced I want a performance hybrid!

i_wanna_giraffe

So, you took your husband with you and they listened to him instead of you?

MickeyMaguire

When I bought my Fuji Absolute2, the salesman brought down exactly what I wanted. I just simply told him that I wanted that bike. He didn't try to convince me otherwise. I did all the research ahead of time. It is a performance-oriented frame with 700x28c tires, Tiagra rear and a good FSA crack. Mine had the carbon fork on it. I love the bike.

dynaryder

This. I pride myself on treating the women who come to my clinic better than most of the local shops do. It amazes me some of the stories I hear from them. First,why would you not want more women on bikes,and second,why would you not want to make sales with the economy the way it is?

SPiN 360

Sounds more like co-incidence than a trend. I don't think 2 experiences make a trend.

I was shopping and I wore some shorts, running shoes and a t-shirt. People took me seriously.

I find that when dealing with salespeople, it's the little things about how you carry yourself that determine how they see you. I come across as both both a serious shopper (i.e. not window shopping) and as having the money to sink into a nice bike. This comes from having a very serious personality and actually having the money... Sales people can sense it.

Also, I was challenging them with technical questions about the attenuation for different types of brakes, quick release mechanisms, handlebar types, maintenance tools, etc, (based on info I had read on many bike forums) so they knew I had done my homework and was not some window shopper.

daihard 

To me, a great salesperson takes every single potential customer seriously. Someone who's in a T-shirt and torn jeans and looks like they're just window-shopping may be a millionaire who wouldn't blink twice before buying a $10K bicycle.

Isaiahc72

Haha. I've went into a bike shop(shopping for a hybrid) wearing a t-shirt with some sort of picture on it, camo jeans and steel toe work shoes. I didn't feel like I got looked at very strangely.

SPiN 360

True enough, however, most people in (NAME ANY PROFESSION) are not "great" at it, and therefore, most interactions you'll have are with the bottom 90% who will be "good" at best.

daihard 

True enough; however, you may be able to find a (rare yet existent) great salesperson by sticking to my principles.

overbyte

"If you wanna a great deal on a bike....wear a thong. It worked for me and I'm a guy."

Me too. I wear just underwear. I shop online.

jsdavis

Wear what you're gonna wear when you ride the bike after you buy it. I think that's the only way you're gonna figure out what the bike is really like when you own it. For example are your pants going to catch inside the chain though many people just roll up their pants or use ankle bands to get around that. Or is the bike somehow too restrictive when you are riding or trying to get on, etc.

Me personally, I went in jeans and a hoodie which is pretty much what I ride in most of the time. Well jeans and button-up or polo shirt plus jacket or whatever.