I went to two bike shops yesterday to pick my first 'real' bike (the other ones had been department store bmx-types - )

...the first one only had a few bikes, and only one that would have been ok for commuting...And they reluctantly let me take it for a test ride (after taking my drivers licence)

The next shop was a lot bigger, had too many choices of bike! But the wouldn't let me take any for a test ride.

I found it really hard to decide what bike i want, when i cant try them out and compare!

So what should i do? These are the only bike shops in town i think....

Should i just have a guess and pick the one that i think will be best for me?

ps. The bike i was thinking of getting is a Giant crx4....what do you guys think of it?
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-AU/...ad/1127/28921/

Thanks!

Walk right out the door. Test rides are a big part of picking a new bike. Any shop that won't let you take a ride is going to be nothing but trouble.

Ride off theft is a problem, but most shops have a system.

Take a train, car, subway, whatever to some other town with bikes hops that have this thing called customer service. Expect to have to leave your ID and credit card while you test ride.

The issue is, that this shop offers free lifetime servicing of the bike when you buy one from them....which i think would be really handy for me (i know nothing about bike mechanics).

But i think i'll go to some more shops and try out some bikes there....then buy from the nearby shop when i really know what i want.
thanks!

If they won't let you take a test ride, I would bet they are going to be a pain about any post sale service. Seriously, just walk away (and tell them why).

I wouldn't buy anything from a shop that wouldn't let me test ride. Heck when I was shopping for a new bike I showed up on my bike. Never had any issues, and I was test riding ~2k bikes.

If you can't test ride the bike, then you'll never know if you are comfortable on it. Did they do a professional fitting on the bike? If they're serious about selling you a bike, they'll put you on it and measure your bends - back, knees, elbows, etc. Then, they adjust the bike to fit you and you take it for a test ride and see how it feels. Go back to the shop with the free maintenance and ask for a manager. I can't believe they won't let you ride one!! It's not uncommon (nor unreasonable, IMO) for them to ask you to leave either a credit card or a drivers license, or both. I wouldn't get upset about it. They're just protecting themselves..

My LBS does all of the above...measures, fit test, and test ride. I know what sized bikes I can ride and seldom buy brand new...maybe 3 in the past 20 years But I have bought plenty of used stuff from them. Test rides are a non issue with them. In my case I take it for about a half hour ride, no issues. I don't know what they do with the "normal" public but they do allow test rides. There is no way I would spend much more than $100 without a test ride regardless of how good the service is supposed to be.

Aaron

Find another bike shop. I would never buy a machine I plan to ride on the road for years and thousands of miles without test riding it first. Would you buy a car without test driving it? I'd question the quality of service you'd recieve afterwards too. A LBS that will not allow test rides makes as much sense as a clothing store that refuses to let customers try on clothes before buying them. If they sell high end road bikes, their no test policy is all the more absurd. Who would drop 2-6K or more without riding the bike first?
I've never had a problem test riding a bike. Expect to leave a driver's lisence with them or to have them copy it. Hopefully you will find a reputable shop where you'll become a familiar face. Then it won't be an issue. Several of our local shops know us on sight and I wouldn't anticipate a problem testing any bike in the shop. Our favorite LBS has a 'as long as it's back before closing' test policy with frequent customers.

I'm sure they would if any of them actually stocked something in my size...

I an find an XL mountain bike, but a road bike larger than a 58 seems to be impossible. I guess they know I'm not going to buy new anyway

No test ride = no bike

Maybe they did not like the OP for some reason or the other. Too young, etc

Where I bought mine, they insisted I took a ride. They made me sit on the bike, and made sure the seat, pedals, and handlebars were all where they should be. I have to say, they made me feel like they really wanted my business.

My lbs made me ride the bikes. They also sold me not the one I wanted, but the one that fit me the best.
I ended up liking it better after consideration anyway.

Is 20 too young?

Maybe i didnt look serious enough...i am though!

Maybe they just didnt need my business!

The only time I could not test ride a bike is when I bought a frameset. But to decide which size to order the LBS took more measurements off of me than an Italian taylor.

Find another shop. Lifetime tune-ups is for the life of the shop, not the bike, and by the sound of their customer service it may not be around for long.

20 is just fine. They sound like idiots.

+1

run, do not walk

They don't need your business, since they didn't act as if they wanted it. Go elsewhere.

Screw that. My LBS of choice let me take home a test bike for a week when I was a brand new customer. Then, after I bought a bike, he let me take home 2 different trainers for another week to decide which kind I liked.

If they won't let you test ride, you may as well buy a bike on eBay.

Test rides are just as important when buying a bike as with any other vehicle, IMO. What if you buy the bike, and the first day you ride it you discover you hate it and you just wasted a few hundred bucks?

hay seafoamer.....i remember you from the seymour duncan forum.

always dug ya tunes...written any new stuff?

Yeah but you have to leave an ID and credit card

First off, things are much different in Australia, don't listen to what most of these guys are telling you. None of the shops in town will give you a test ride. If you test ride a bike, that bike could then be considered a used bike. Hadley's doesn't have a license to sell 2nd hand, so it would be unsellable. And yes, they do have to worry about bogans from Edgeworth taking a lifelong test ride.

[edit] I think there was also the issue of liability.

That said, they will spend as much time as needed to find you the right bike, without a hard sell. They'll also put it on a trainer in the back so you can get a feel for it. After the sale, Rob or Bret will invite you to come in when you have an hour or two, and they will do an extensive fitting to make sure bars and seat are adjusted for you.

Hmm. I think they've only been in business 30 years so far... The lifetime service is no hassle, as long as you take care of the bike, and follow routine maintenance. They did not get that big by screwing people over, rather they got that big by building relationships with their customers.

Forget the boutique stores at the other end of town. Two Wheel Industries is way overpriced. I bought two Electra cruisers from the other bigger shop in town, and in 6 weeks, they couldn't replace a stripped fender bolt. Hopeless.

Rob and Bret will take care of you. You can also ask for (big )Dave. There is no better shop in Newcastle.

Yes, my shop(s) allow test rides. No shop would ever get my business if it were otherwise.

Looks like you won't be buying a bike in Australia then, will you?