Hi all, on Monday I'm going to be popping into the city to check out some road bikes. I'll be looking @ the Trek1000, Specialized AllezA1 24, Dawes Giro, Cannondale RW400, Giant OCR1 and anything else that catches my eye ( )

Anyway, this'll be my first roadbike since I about 13, and the conditions of the city (low speeds, stop-start traffic, awkward roads) are far removed from what it'll be seeing when I get home. So, aside from quality/feel of components, which should be pretty obvious, is there anything I can do to squeeze the most from a testride?

In my experience, this is ideal for testing a new bike .. these are the conditions when it is important everything work well (brakes, steering, etc.). Try to get somewhere where you can stomp on the pedals, take some fast corners and see how many positions you can switch between on a long cruise (i.e., maintain comfort). Wish I was in your shoes!

yeah, but there are some bike store, you fall on the bike being tested you buy it, and there bike store that will let you ride their bike if you leave your mastercard or visa card at the store, you know just in case.....