Test riding bikes?

EPONOTENOUGH

Last week I went to test a few bikes i was there to buy not time waste i just wanted to make right choice, now if I buy a new car I don't just drive it around the car park,

The bike i decided on was cervelo S3 I'd cash in 50s in my pocket no time waster , so I say I want to give a 10/15 min ride just to be certain of fit as you would, i won't name the shop but the guy literally said I could ride it in the car park with him almost holding on to me! I'd left my driving licence and a cash deposit of 10% just in case I damaged it, is this normal these days? Neendless to say I told him keep it and no I don't look like a scumbag or junkie just a normal beautifully handsome man lol

My current bike is a tarmac s works bought few years back lad in shop said take it for good spin wouldn't take a deposit of any type and I bought

Is bikes being stolen on test rides a thing? I never heard of ithe!

robyntmorton

When I bought my Giant hybrid last year, I did test ride a couple of bikes, and I was asked to leave something of value behind, just to ensure my return. I had no problem with this, and left my bag with my phone with them for the 10 minutes.

I can understand them looking for some surety, but it is unfortunate that it has come to it, where someone can't try to find a decent bike for them without being suspected of being ready to ride off into the sunset without paying for it.

EPONOTENOUGH

Of course i understand the importance of a security i left my driving licence and a deposit guy was just unbearable, last year I bought a new car and guy told me take it for weekend and give it good drive no id no deposit maybe it's a city thing but to day I was shocked is putting it mildly

stecleary

I'd say you done right walking away from the shop. I get they need security and you left that with them. You are never going to get a feel for a bike in a car park. I have to laugh when I hear the adds for css and they mention a test area out the back of the shop. If it ain't a decent climb how are you going to know how you feel on a bike you are about to drop 2 grand on

robyntmorton

Some people are just difficult to deal with. In a small community like this though, being difficult to deal with can easily lead word of mouth and business going elsewhere quite rapidly.

alexinkildare

I bought my LaPierre from CSS in June and was only let cycle it in the crappy pot holed car park. Bought the bike but they set it up wrong. Anyway...don't start me off about them...

dragratchet

when i was buying my last bike the lads in the shop urged me to take it for a 15/20 minute spin before putting any money down, tbh i went about 2km up the road and came right back afraid id crash the thing before i even bought it. they were surprised i was back as soon as i was.

EPONOTENOUGH

I wouldn't even buy a gel off this guy again a right asshole

EPONOTENOUGH

Do you mind me asking the shope? I'd still leave a deposit just in case I did damage or else I'd have to keep going lol

C3PO

The problem for most bike shops is that they are not given "Demo" bikes by the manufacturers so any bikes that they have are actually "in stock" and are there to be sold as new bikes to customers. I personally wouldn't be happy buying a "new" bike that had been test ridden by other people! This probably wouldn't be the case for the Giant Store or CSS but it definitely is for smaller shops. They are also not covered by insurance so if you just ride off on the bike or crash it - they will be out of pocket!
The comparison to buying a new car is not really valid because car showrooms have Demo models, are covered by insurance and would nearly always send a salesman to accompany you on a test drive!

sin_26

C3PO wrote: »

The problem for most bike shops is that they are not given "Demo" bikes by the manufacturers so any bikes that they have are actually "in stock" and are there to be sold as new bikes to customers. I personally wouldn't be happy buying a "new" bike that had been test ridden by other people! This probably wouldn't be the case for the Giant Store or CSS but it definitely is for smaller shops. They are also not covered by insurance so if you just ride off on the bike or crash it - they will be out of pocket!
The comparison to buying a new car is not really valid because car showrooms have Demo models, are covered by insurance and would nearly always send a salesman to accompany you on a test drive!

Its pretty clear but... Sometimes is just a matter of person who you deal with. Friend of mine tried to buy lowest spec Giant Defy. Needless to say that seller sold her bike 2-3 sizes to big literally. Luckily ive seen this minutes after she came back from shop.Let alone for test drive.
Never ever Garys cycles.

nak

Bought loads of bikes over the years, have never test ridden one and still managed to get the right size. The last few bikes I've purchased were ordered in for me. There are occasionally demo days here run by the bike manufacturer.

You cannot compare a car dealership to a bike shop.

magicbastarder

dragratchet wrote: »

when i was buying my last bike the lads in the shop urged me to take it for a 15/20 minute spin before putting any money down, tbh i went about 2km up the road and came right back afraid id crash the thing before i even bought it. they were surprised i was back as soon as i was.

i don't think there'd be any issue naming the shop, this is good publicity!

magicbastarder

anyway, this is one reason i avoid buying online as much as possible, and shop in bricks and mortar shops (not just for cycling gear).

if the staff know you, they will be much more willing to let you test kit.
e.g. i was once dithering over buying a secondhand medium format camera from the (now defunct) dublin camera exchange, and they let me borrow it for a week to decide if i wanted it.

quozl

ThinkBike in Rathmines will let you try a bike out for a couple of days. At least they do with many models, I'm not sure if it's across the whole range. I didn't take them up on that long of a test but I did wander off on my own for a while on the bike unsupervised.

They also lent me a nice Trek mountain bike to commute on for a couple of days after a car drove over my front wheel and my bike (that I'd bought from them) was therefore in for repair. That was pretty nice as I was clearly showing up with a track record of wrecked bikes

They also let my sister try a road-bike out for a couple of days because she was new to cycling and wasn't sure that she'd be able for a road-bike - she was of course.

You don't have to put up with ****e service, you can get word-of-mouth recommendations. I'm sure there's plenty of other really good bike shops around, I just have personal experience with ThinkBike.

Weepsie

An S3 costs around 3-3.5 grand does it not. I could understand the reluctance of letting someone take it out too far for a test spin.

And as C3PO pointed out, they wouldn't be covered insurance wise and mightn't have the staffing to accompany you.

Some places will of course, and go above and beyond but it's understandable that some would'nt. Contrary to popular opinion, the customer is not always right.

phil

was choosing between two models of bike in Fitzcycles in Stillorgan and the lads just let me out with both of them for a "proper" ride, even encouraged me to take them up a couple of inclines to get a feel for them. Think this is pretty short sighted not letting you out on it, I woulda walked away.

magicbastarder

phil wrote: »

Think this is pretty short sighted not letting you out on it, I woulda walked away.

very much depends on how well they knew the OP. as Weepsie mentioned, the insurance company would laugh at them if they reported a stolen bike, which they'd waved the thief out the front door with.

greened

Was buying a 3K bike a couple of years ago. The bike had been riden by the shop owner for a few week so I suppose it is a little differnt. I asked could I take it for a spin and he gave me the bike for the weekend. I did a charity sprotive on it and brought it back on the Monday.Bought it from the shop.
I upgraded the wheels about a year later and was unsure if I wanted a deep section carbon. He put my cassestte on the wheels and gave me the wheels to take home (and carbon pads) and try them out. I came back a few days later and bought the wheels. I suppose it all comes down to what the shop owner is willing to do to secure a sale.

aFlabbyPanda

magicbastarder wrote: »

anyway, this is one reason i avoid buying online as much as possible, and shop in bricks and mortar shops (not just for cycling gear).

if the staff know you, they will be much more willing to let you test kit.
e.g. i was once dithering over buying a secondhand medium format camera from the (now defunct) dublin camera exchange, and they let me borrow it for a week to decide if i wanted it.

But don't most online retailers offer a return/exchange service? How many brick & mortar shops offer the same?

magicbastarder

a return/exchange service clearly implies the bike has already been bought. we're talking about test rides here, which online retailers don't offer. well, maybe they have and i've not heard of it.

aFlabbyPanda

yes but I know of no bricks & mortar shop that will let me take a bike for a proper test ride (and in my opinion that's at least 20 mins, not up & down the road).

If I've narrowed down my list to one or two bikes I can purchase online, ride for a number of days and exchange for another if not satisfied (subject to their T&Cs).

robyntmorton

I guess this shows just how important a good relationship with your LBS can be. If you know they're serious about bikes, and they know you're serious, you will get on well.

A randomer walking in and saying they want to test an expensive piece of kit will of course be viewed suspiciously.

Atlantic dream

Did the op not say they left a good deposit and driving permit? Here in USA even mom and pop stores let you test a bike properly, as for the buying car thing it's the exact same all bike stores selling off demo bikes at year end! I think anyone who'd pay $3500 for a bike they rode around a parking lot needs to get their heads checked or else more money than brains, when I lived in ireland i could even get wheels to try out, the problem is sheeple will just say ok take my money and buy a bike they discover they don't like. Vote with your feet or wallet in this case.

nak

Atlantic dream wrote: »

Did the op not say they left a good deposit and driving permit? Here in USA even mom and pop stores let you test a bike properly, as for the buying car thing it's the exact same all bike stores selling off demo bikes at year end! I think anyone who'd pay $3500 for a bike they rode around a parking lot needs to get their heads checked or else more money than brains, when I lived in ireland i could even get wheels to try out, the problem is sheeple will just say ok take my money and buy a bike they discover they don't like. Vote with your feet or wallet in this case.

Most of the shops here don't have demo bikes. Bike theft has increased massively here, plus bike shops seem to be struggling financially despite the success of bike to work.

Atlantic dream

I'm not surprised they struggle if you can't test the goods beforehand! Would you buy a car without test drive? Even used one? If they expect people to lay out alot of cash the need to allow tests and not parking lot 5mph rides, and I don't believe for one second they do not have demonstration bikes maybe not top spec but enough to give you the feeling of the bike. If I do quick Google of irish stores I'll see ex demo bikes on discount

magicbastarder

it may be partly down to an expectation of how willing the gardai are to assist in dealing with the theft. especially if they get the 'you let them cycle it away?' reaction i expect a lot of gardai would give.

Atlantic dream

I understand that but is it a thing test ride theift?

check_six

robyntmorton wrote: »

I guess this shows just how important a good relationship with your LBS can be. If you know they're serious about bikes, and they know you're serious, you will get on well.

A randomer walking in and saying they want to test an expensive piece of kit will of course be viewed suspiciously.

My own experience in my LBS down the years is being more or less pushed out the door with the potential new bikes for a test spin whether I wanted to or not! However, I've always been too nervous of something happening to a bike that I didn't own to do anything more than a few minutes worth of a spin. A good relationship with the LBS helps a lot.

Atlantic dream

But lest just say your usual store don't sell the bike you want and you got to town over where they sell the brand but don't know you, is a drivers permit and large cash deposit not enough to prove identity and intention to buy?

I sold a bike last year trough a donedeal type thing met the guy and he rode the bike for 20/25 min which I was happy with all he left was his phone and car which could have been stolen but all was legit he bought with $100 bills i never thought he'd ride off , a big thing here is fake money in private sales so I'd always carry a fake check pen just in case but yet to be caught out, I think the cycling types are not as dodgey as some but sure there's some bad apples

darkvalley

Have bought bikes from 2 different shops in Sligo and both of them let me off on the bike, one for the whole day. Told me to be back by 6pm, shop closing time. That bike I bought and it was a 3k plus bike, but they had no issue with me having it for the day.
In fairness that is in a regional town and they would have known me from getting bit and pieces from the shop over the previous year or so. Can imagine it might be different in a city but would have thought proper ID and a deposit should be enough to let someone have a decent test spin on it.