Originally Posted by
AlmostTrick
This is mostly a newbie problem, since they often don't know what they fit, or even what they necessarily want/need. In this case actually riding the bike is quite important... much more so than the minor differences in details between manufactures and models that many noobs end up fretting over. The "solution" would be to only buy what you could try... even if it means choosing from less options.
+1
When I bought my Fuji a few years ago, after riding big box store bikes for too many years, I must have tried out 5 or 6 different bikes that day, some being taken for test rides more than once. I think I spent about three hours at the LBS that day. I had to. I was tired of riding crappy bikes and wanted to make sure I was buying the best bike that I could afford (had about a $500 budget). In the end, the Fuji won out and it hasn't disappointed me yet.
