Can I test ride this bike? Sorry no it has no pedals.
08-13-13, 08:01 AM
#26
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fwiw, when I tested my last bike purchase I brought in my existing bike and had them transfer the pedals, wheels & saddle to the test bike.
08-13-13, 08:07 AM
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I 100% agree with you on the above point. This is often the issue in bike shops. These guys love working on bikes and detest working on people.
08-13-13, 08:07 AM
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08-13-13, 08:08 AM
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08-13-13, 08:14 AM
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i don't own bike shoes and pedals. what if he didn't either? what if it's someone new to this?
however i do agree that having every tom dick and harry test ride an uber expensive bike could be...dangerous, BUT, it's retail. people want to test things before they buy it.
however i do agree that having every tom dick and harry test ride an uber expensive bike could be...dangerous, BUT, it's retail. people want to test things before they buy it.
08-13-13, 08:19 AM
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This is why some people go to a bike shop. Not everyone that goes to a bike shop already owns a bike nor do they know their way around a bike.
Most of the reponses here that rationalize why a bike shop does not want you to test ride speak from the point of view of someone who already knows their way around a bicycle.
Most of the reponses here that rationalize why a bike shop does not want you to test ride speak from the point of view of someone who already knows their way around a bicycle.
08-13-13, 08:19 AM
#32
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no i do, i just wear flip flops and only roll down hills.
fair enough. fwiw, i do understand this point, i just think it's bad business.
as a normal person/customer i would assume anywhere i went that involves a testing of any product that there is an unspoken "you break it, you bought it" rule always in effect.
Most people don't just jump on a mid-level tri bike. I'd also argue most folks who are at least somewhat serious about tri have shoes and pedals. Trust me. If this fella would have shown up with a pair of speedplays in hand, none of us would be having this conversation right now...
as a normal person/customer i would assume anywhere i went that involves a testing of any product that there is an unspoken "you break it, you bought it" rule always in effect.
08-13-13, 08:23 AM
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This is why some people go to a bike shop. Not everyone that goes to a bike shop already owns a bike nor do they know their way around a bike.
Most of the reponses here that rationalize why a bike shop does not want you to test ride speak from the point of view of someone who already knows their way around a bicycle.
Most of the reponses here that rationalize why a bike shop does not want you to test ride speak from the point of view of someone who already knows their way around a bicycle.
I've also never encountered a bicycle shop that didn't have pedals for "test" bicycle if people felt that was necessary.
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08-13-13, 08:34 AM
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08-13-13, 08:36 AM
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I agree. But as a LBS owner I doubt I'd want an inexperienced rider test riding an expensive tri bike just because it looks different. Sure, I'll lose the sale, and they should have handled it better, but I still would want some indication of experience before sending them off on a tri bike.
08-13-13, 08:38 AM
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guys, let's remember that LBS, like a car dealer, needs to cater to the lowest common denominator. they may not like it, but that's just the way it is.
08-13-13, 08:39 AM
#38
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While I agree it's not the most common thing, some people do. Friend of mine got her tri bike right out the gate, she had never owned a road bike before that and she was more interested in doing tri's than road riding. This same thing happened to her, she went to three different shops and because she didn't know much of what she was talking about she was blown off. The one shop that did welcome her and treat her like a CUSTOMER she bought the bike, shoes, pedals, helmet, water bottles, and all from them...
Last edited by seymour1910; 08-13-13 at 09:20 AM.
08-13-13, 08:45 AM
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i don't own bike shoes and pedals. what if he didn't either? what if it's someone new to this?
however i do agree that having every tom dick and harry test ride an uber expensive bike could be...dangerous, BUT, it's retail. people want to test things before they buy it.
however i do agree that having every tom dick and harry test ride an uber expensive bike could be...dangerous, BUT, it's retail. people want to test things before they buy it.
08-13-13, 09:11 AM
#42
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Do people really find a set of shoes set up for one bike works for another? Granted, the Q-factor is pretty different on the two bikes I have SPDs on, but I can't set up shoes on one of them and have them be always comfortable on the other. Though I had some serious ankle issues for a while, and thus was very fussy about cleats for a long time. Thankfully, that's gotten much better. But it means I generally wouldn't expect to try to take cleated shoes and pedals and do a test ride, because I might spend the entire ride fighting with my ankles and knees about cleat position rather than test riding the bike.
08-13-13, 09:12 AM
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For every reasonable argument here, someone will always be the contrarian and put up an outlier example. That's just goes with 41.
But I agree, for the most part, very few people start cycling right out of the gate with a tri bike, and if someone wants to demo ride a tri bike, the shop should expect them to be a serious cyclist with their own shoe/pedal preferences. The LBS is simply making a judgement in how best use their resources - time and equipment, and in this case, they decided it's not worth it. You can question their calculation, but I don't think that makes them a bad LBS.
But I agree, for the most part, very few people start cycling right out of the gate with a tri bike, and if someone wants to demo ride a tri bike, the shop should expect them to be a serious cyclist with their own shoe/pedal preferences. The LBS is simply making a judgement in how best use their resources - time and equipment, and in this case, they decided it's not worth it. You can question their calculation, but I don't think that makes them a bad LBS.
08-13-13, 09:29 AM
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I think it depends on the type of bike shop. In NYC a normal bike shop would deter people from coming in an test riding a really expensive bike, but at a tri-specific store like Swim Bike Run that caters to high end clientele, a person with the means can show up and spend over 5 grand on a bike because they want to compete in a race. They probably wouldn't object to someone in that scenario testing a bike.
08-13-13, 09:35 AM
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Oh well. The other LBSs here have the cheapie plastic pedals for the quick spin around the block. I guess that is too much of a bother for this particular LBS. The Trek dealer is knocking $500 off of a Speed Concept 7 and while I am ordering it sight unseen, I was assured that if the size we want doesn't fit me then they'll order a different size.
A test ride is necessary for me. I rode my custom bike around the shop while we dialed in the final fit.
A test ride is necessary for me. I rode my custom bike around the shop while we dialed in the final fit.
The reason the original LBS didn't want you to test ride their bike was they determined you weren't serious about buying their bike. Whether they were correct or not, only you will know. To properly assess a bike you would really need to be fit to the bike first; if done properly, a fitting is a relatively costly operation for a bike shop and not something they would 'give away' to anyone walking into a shop.
08-13-13, 09:38 AM
#47
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For every reasonable argument here, someone will always be the contrarian and put up an outlier example. That's just goes with 41.
But I agree, for the most part, very few people start cycling right out of the gate with a tri bike, and if someone wants to demo ride a tri bike, the shop should expect them to be a serious cyclist with their own shoe/pedal preferences. The LBS is simply making a judgement in how best use their resources - time and equipment, and in this case, they decided it's not worth it. You can question their calculation, but I don't think that makes them a bad LBS.
But I agree, for the most part, very few people start cycling right out of the gate with a tri bike, and if someone wants to demo ride a tri bike, the shop should expect them to be a serious cyclist with their own shoe/pedal preferences. The LBS is simply making a judgement in how best use their resources - time and equipment, and in this case, they decided it's not worth it. You can question their calculation, but I don't think that makes them a bad LBS.
If the guys at that shop want to judge every customer that comes in, they deserve to go out of business.
08-13-13, 09:41 AM
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I will say it takes a people person to own/run/work a shop. Then theres everything else that comes with it. I get along with most people who aren't super heroes but 30 years of "Im just looking" by most takes it out of you.
08-13-13, 09:49 AM
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My general thought would be that if I'm too much of a random, unprepared goofball to test ride one of their bikes, I'm clearly too much of a random, unprepared goofball to buy one.