Non sequitur. Even if I agreed with your premise that an LBS should refuse a tri test-ride if the rider is new to the sport (which I don't), you're still equating not bringing shoes/pedals to not having them and/or being new to the sport. That is not true and wasn't the case for the OP. If I went to test ride a bike today, I wouldn't go through the hassle of removing my pedals from my carbon crank and taking them with me either (I don't have a torque tool). And it makes no difference whether I plan to test ride a road bike or a tri bike. Clipping in is not necessary for me to test ride a bike and that's true for many others.