Originally Posted by
DreamRider85
So the Madone isn't a good quality bike then compared to the expensive ones? Just really confused here. You have one guy saying that Fuji is inferior, then others saying to take it with a grain of salt. There is a rider named DurianRider on youtube that said for about 1k, you can get a bike that works just as well as the 10 thousand dollar bikes and that you don't need an expensive one. And now people are saying that I might wanna change the saddle right away on the Madone. If that's the case, why wouldn't Madone just come with a comfortable saddle?
So when you go for these test rides, do the bike shops try to close you or sell you right then and there like car salesmen? Just asking. That's probably why I've been hesitant to try some.
Because everyone does not have the same size buttocks. The size and shape of your buttocks and sit bones will determine which seat is the most comfortable. Since everyone is not the same, then different seats will be more comfortable for different people.
Also, it take a little while for your body to get used to sitting on a bicycle seat. So what may be uncomfortable at first, may be more comfortable as you ride it. Also, there may be some issues that show up on 20-40 mile ride that don't show up on 10-15 mile rides. But until you get to riding that distance regularly, you may not notice that you need a new seat.
The Fuji is a perfectly good bike. So is the Trek. So are Specialized, Cannondale, Giant, Felt, Raleigh, etc.
Test ride the bikes. Let the salespeople know that you are trying to road test a lot of bikes at different LBS's, so that you'll know which bike will fit you best. They'll probably be less pushy then, and they'll probably try to find a bike that fits you very well, if they know that you are road testing bikes at different shops (as there have been many posts where people only went to one shop, and they pushed a bike that they were trying to get rid of, that was an ok fit, instead of trying to find the best fitting bike for the person). The shops will probably require that you leave your driver's license or a credit card behind, to make sure you bring the bike back. Most of the shops that I road tested with were backed up to residential neighborhoods, so you could take a couple mile ride.
Also, they may not have the exact bike in your size, so don't be afraid to road test a bike with the same frame/fork as you want, but a different groupset, and if you like it, order the bike with the right groupset (but the same frame/fork).
The big thing is to ride several bikes from different brands before you buy, so you'll have other bikes to compare to.
GH