newbie101

Fast road rides.

It would be great if it could double as a commuter/errand workhorse, but I'd be likely to buy a second bike especially for that purpose.

Avispa

Personally i had to learn my fitment and bike preference the expensive way. I had some tips over time from dealers, fitters etc.
But i think i have stems in rows, several bars, saddles aso. I always measured alot to understand, discussed with different builders on what affects the feel of the bike in terms of fit, layups and tubes shapes. It is quite funny but very expensive. I find many bike stores/ dealers have a narrow window of knowledge and/ or often knowledge around the products they carry. Better keep to facts as subjective things is hard to rely on.
All in all i deem comfort and fit highest. If bad fit or painful(bad comfort), i find that it's tougher to develop.
When we try new bikes, it's quite easy to fall in love with new aspects. Question is if it is just "the new" which is a nice feature or experience, or if it is a step up in long term.
Around here we have no super long hills or descents, it's quite windy and often it feels like side and swirl winds.
I have a few buddies i use to discuss with. What i find funny is that most of them only rely on sales talk and sales propaganda.
I think manufacturers test is best done with a third part company. Like stiffness to weight and technical benefits in compairson to other similar products/ brands. When we see inhouse tests showing that brand A is better than brand B and C, and brands B has a similar test it's a bit fishy.
An open mind is always good to have.

UnfilteredDregs

IF you know your fit a test ride can tell you a lot about a bike. 10 miles+. Ride characteristics. Good shops will accommodate.

Knowing your fit is an evolving process. It pays to have some guidance in this area if making a considerable investment is an option.

Most important is knowing how to dial in your saddle height and setback to ensure the "motor" is in the right position. You can then evaluate the reach to the drops and hoods from there.

Kai Winters

Depends...
If you're buying a multi thousand dollar bike you have probably done tons of homework, researched the hell out of the frame dimensions compared to your preferred dimensions, etc. and made your decision...I've read threads where the buyer didn't like the end result and either "learned to love it" or wound up selling it. That is hard to deal with but sometimes necessary.

I generally prefer to test ride the bike...not for the drive train or wheels but for the feel of the frame. I was once interested in a Vitus...long, long time ago...and was lucky to find one in my size with the same pedals I used...it was at a "century". I asked the owner if I could give it a try and she agreed. I didn't even get out of the parking lot...it was awful, like riding a wet noodle compared to my Colnago with Columbus SL tubing...same thing happened when I was interested in a Canondale...again a long time ago...their old "crit" model. I ride a 48cm frame and that frame in that size was like riding an "I" beam...I had bought the frame...working in a bike shop and bought at cost as a left over frame so very short bucks...I rode it for one week and never had a worse ride experience...tried to convert it to a cross bike...took a hammer to the chain stays to open them up...worked ok but wound up trading it back to C'dale for a different frame which I then sold.

All my other frame purchases were based on frame specs, tubing materials, etc. and rode as expected with no complaints.

Short test rides generally don't tell you much more than how you fit in the cockpit and a general feeling of "fit". This is more important to people that haven't ridden before...generally buying a "hybrid" etc...don't have much, any experience and/or aren't sure of what to expect. I generally tell them to get a feel for how they feel on the bike and if it feels good it is a good fit...fancier or more costly won't make much of a difference one way or another for general, now and then rides.

I've generally always suggested that the "test rider" bring his/her saddle and pedals for the test ride as, in my opinion, you want to feel the bike not the new saddle or platform pedals, etc. I'd also ask them to bring their bike if able so I could adjust the new bike to their basic measurements...if the frame was the same size, etc...This also removes ride differences allowing for a better feel for the new frame and sometimes wheels.

It took me awhile to develop and practice this method but it was usually always successful even if that success meant that when done they felt their bike was just fine and did not buy...usually always resulted in future purchases and positive referrals...20 years of shop experience...sometimes you learn something that is helpful lol

rpenmanparker 

Heck, your fit itself evolves as you age.

UnfilteredDregs

Yup, and condition...I have recently confirmed that I need a smidge more reach with a corresponding rise in handlebar height. I'll be able to lay down flatter while not craning my neck nearly as much.

Fred Smedley

Or lose-gain weight.

StanSeven

I find it really strange people are willing to spend anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000 on a frame they never test rode. What if the bike flexes more than you like, what if it's too stiff, what if it just doesn't feel right? You are out that money. The fit can be perfect but you are stuck with it.

Machka 

Or if you've had an accident/injury.

Machka 

Measurements, geometry, and material can tell you quite a bit about the flex or stiffness of a bicycle.

Many of us build our bicycles up from parts ... we can't test ride them. But we get a frame with the right measurements/geometry and in the material we want ... we get a fork with the right rake for our purposes ... and we're on the way to another good bicycle.

Also, as I'm mentioned several times ... riding lots of different bicycles, whenever the opportunity presents itself, helps too.

Machka 

This is good!

I'll also add that even something as simple as what psi the tires are filled to can make a difference. If the "test rider" is used to riding rock hard tires and gets onto a bicycle with slightly softer tires, the feel of the bicycle will be different. Or the other way around, if the "test rider" is used to underinflated tires, and gets onto a bicycle with rock hard tires, they may come back with comments about the harshness of the ride.

Machka 

I got to endurance cycling via racing -- I joined a club and raced for 3 years. During my first year of racing, I didn't have a bicycle suitable for racing, so club members loaned me bicycles to allow me to participate. They also let me try out their bicycles. And I picked up a lot of information just listening to my fellow club members during training rides and to members of other clubs at races.


[HR][/HR]

If the OP is interested in "fast road rides", I'd suggest that he just get whatever bicycle fits him and is within his budget ... then join a club. And then make friends and pay attention to the bicycle conversations around him.


Of course he may be having difficulty finding something that feels just right because of his reluctance to spend money on a new bicycle ...
https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycli...-new-bike.html

rpenmanparker 

You have drunk the marketing Kool-Aid. The differences among bikes that the reviewers can dissect with such precision don't even phase most of us. I think the popular expression for it is, "Meh!" And truth be told, I don't think they know what they are talking about either. Just sayin'.

Avispa

There is something to consider more. Most reviews, the reviewers have probably used the review subject more than a mere test ride.
I can only think of my Scott Foil. I liked it at first, but after a while i realized i did not. I also had another bike i liked at first, but in time i had some small complaints and changed it for another size. Having had a few hobbies, i see that this has happened in other situations.
Sure, there are people who will say opposite, but if you think of other things in life you may come to see that a short encounter can both tell you yes and no. I don't know if that is to say misleading. I think it might also be different for different people. I think it's time pending. It might take some time to fully absorb and get a true sense for what is what. I mean, who can really fit the bike perfectly when test riding?
Say you like your pedals, wheels and saddle, your bar and perhaps a similar stem to get the fit. I don't see it happening.
I guess it could be done, but i have never encountered that dealer or experience. I think it is very difficult. A sense you can get, but that can also be misleading. There are people who have fitted and re-fitted themselves, bought loads of components to their bikes and finally they just get that it is not the bike for them. Some people seems to love specific brands and perhaps that helps them. It is a difficult question really.
I have come to understand i probably will never buy a ready built factory bike ever again. I don't think anyone can say that something is a no go or yes go on this, only you. There are small things which develops over time. Some things i can personally get happy about and some is a great disturbance. It is a learning curve which is different for different people. I also believe we expect different things. It's like pro riders.
Some are very picky and some "just ride". Even bike mechanics say this of the team/ pro riders. There are people who swear some wheels or tires make a new bike of their ride, some say differences are so small they could ride most bikes if they can be fitted to them.
At my work we have an older guy who has done same race 23 year in a row. He ride frames atleast 2 sizes larger than recommended.
I know of persons who are different in different ways and i don't care or argue. We are different. I currently own one titanium/carbon frame which is quite heavy, i also own a super light carbon frame. I hope you find out enough on a test ride to tell if you are statisfied.

StanSeven

Between two bikes I have, one is amazingly stiff especially in the bottom bracket. The other flexes a lot. When I do steep climbs, stand and really push, the bike doesn't flinch. I've occasionally caused the other to shift from the movement.

It's not Kool aid and the difference is clearly noticeable.

Machka 

Have you done some analysis to determine why they are or seem to be so different? Have you done some measurements, checked the angles, etc.? Are the two bicycles different materials? What about the fork on each ... what's different?

StanSeven

The stiffer bike has a huge bottom bracket area by proportion and much thicker stays

Machka 

And everything else about the bicycles is identical? Identical geometry, identical forks?

If so, then if you were to buy a frame and build the bicycle up, and if you wanted a stiff bicycle, you'd look for a frame with the identical geometry to what you have now but with "a huge bottom bracket area by proportion and much thicker stays".

You might also start a thread asking what features make a stiff bicycle and see if there are any kernals of information you could use when you select a frame from the flood of comments you get.

StanSeven

I know what worked for me when I had a Ti frame built. The builder used thicker tube set on the lower part of the frame.

Back to the point of this thread, I could just test ride a bike to find the one i like

bt

I don't buy bikes, I buy frames for 1,000 or so dollars.

usually last years.

newbie101

I test rode two treks: 1.1 and 2.1, 52 and 54 cm, respectively. These are the first two bikes I've test ridden recently that I've.....disliked. As in, wanted to turn around and return the bikes after taking the first turn out of the parking lot.

on the path

I wouldn't call a test ride a waste of time. My test ride went beyond the parking lot and out for about a half mile on roads. I found out a couple of important things. One, the bike really responded to pedal input, resulting in quick acceleration. Also, I learned that the bike was FUN to ride. Both are biggies to me, and I've never regretting buying the bike.