• This topic has 23 replies, 23 voices, and was last updated 14 years ago by D0NK.
Viewing 24 posts - 1 through 24 (of 24 total)
  • Buying a bike (or frame) without riding it
  • vinnyeh
    Full Member

    So, one of the staff reviewers here has said he wouldn't buy a bike (well, frame in this instance) without riding it.

    Sensible advice or silly?
    Considering the difficulty of obtaining a lot of bikes for test rides, and the nigh on impossibility of getting hold of a frame only with the same build you or I might be considering the advice seems a bit silly to me.

    And surely the reviewers job is only necessary because of the credibility of the review.

    uplink
    Free Member

    I don't think I've ever test ridden any bike or frame I've ever bought

    Never had cause to regret any of them

    buzz-lightyear
    Free Member

    I would, and have, based on reviews by Steve Worland. The reviews were spot-on IMO. I realise there is some risk, but it's just not practical for busy people to organise lots of test rides.

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    RealMan
    Free Member

    I don't think I've ever test ridden any bike or frame I've ever bought

    Never had cause to regret any of them

    Yeah, same here.

    chakaping
    Free Member

    At full price – never.

    At a hefty discount – yep, every time. Had more hits than misses.

    forge197
    Free Member

    I don't normally test ride before I buy, so far only had a couple of wronguns the rest have been spot on.

    It's a risk but it's fun 🙂

    grahamt1980
    Full Member

    never pre-ridden any of mine, so far a meta, mini dh and a PA, all total gems so not got any reason to change yet

    jim
    Free Member

    So, one of the staff reviewers here has said he wouldn't buy a bike (well, frame in this instance) without riding it.

    As a magazine reviewer that's probably a pretty sensible opinion, for everyone else it seems pretty tricky without limiting your choices quite heavily.

    Stoner
    Free Member

    Ive never test ridden a frame. But since all but the first Ive had a good idea what Im getting: I own 7 On-one frames. My second MTB frame was a s/h inbred. That gave me faith in the designer. And with that faith I bought other frames and haven't been disappointed.

    Along the way Ive also bought a Tomac Eli FS from CRC which, by fluke, was a wonderful ride, but structurally flawed. Replaced, again without testing, by a Mountain Cycles Zen which was utter gash.

    I have no idea where my next frame will come from, but I wouldnt bet against a Shedfire designed one.

    stuartlangwilson
    Free Member

    testing bikes is OK if you want to ride a medium sized frame.

    I've been lucky with most of my frames i have not test ridden, only turkeys were a Soul and a silly carbon roadie i bought when drunk.

    mamadirt
    Free Member

    I could probably have saved myself a shedload of cash over the years if I'd been able to test even half the frames I've 'bought' (read: short-term tested). That said, I don't regret a penny of it – sure I've 'lost' a lot of money on sales but I don't look at it that way . . . just a rather expensive few weeks' hire before the inevitable sale 😉

    That said, is a test ride really long enough to get to know a bike?

    Swiftacular
    Free Member

    Never tested one, and only had one that i felt i wouldnt buy if id tested it before (PA, not my cup of tea).

    Plus in my neck of the woods, and being a non-driver, it is hard to test anything.

    Munqe-chick
    Free Member

    Mr MC posting) ditto never tested one first, have rated all my bikes to various degrees but all positive, and IMHO different bikes take some acclimatising to so a brief test ride is of limited use as you could bond with a bike you took a while to figure out, and grow to hate a bike you were initially impressed by. That's happened with motorbikes I've test ridden and owned-the bike that most blew me away on a test ride I kept for the shortest amount of time as it felt too extreme for long term regular use.

    Was initially really sceptical of an I-drive I was given as insurance replacement for a stolen FSR, but was stunned how well it rode and 10 years on its still being used and loved by its new owner (a riding mate's riding g/f). Got a Coiler dirt cheap at year-end 5 years ago (has anyone ever bought one at full RRP?!) and absolutely love it-will keep it even though Ive just bought my dream bike (Nomad) as I'd probably regret selling it. Looking forward to getting to know (and hopefully love) the Nomad.

    stonemonkey
    Free Member

    Vin the reply was in response to a question i asked and it wasnt the most helpful, said i had to wait till september to buy the mag to read the review as he was not a liberty to pass comment . Whats the point in doing reviews then we should all just go and test every product instead of reading mags maybe. Anyway f$ck it

    petrieboy
    Full Member

    never tested any bike. just do plenty of research to ensure what i'm considering will be the best for what i want to do with it.

    sunchaser
    Free Member

    Personally I'd never buy without a test ride first. In the past I've been convinced I'd need a certain size frame, purely from reading specs & dimemsions but, more often than not I've come away with a different size.

    Most recently I bought a rather spendy road bike. I was convinced I'd need a 56cm. Ended up with a 54cm. This would have been a very costly mistake.

    Still it's not alway easy to get a test ride if your LBS doesn't stock the bikes you like. I travelled nearly 350 miles (round trip) to get my last bike but, for me it was worth the hassle.

    BillyBull
    Free Member

    Never rode 5 spot frame I bought second hand. First second hand bike I bought and best one I have ever had, Shame I broke my wrist at Glentress and now it's sat in the garage.

    convert
    Full Member

    I think also unless you have the other bikes you are considering to ride side by side it is pretty pointless. The experience on top of said bike is made up of so many variables apart from frame – other components – tyres – tyre pressure – nature of trail – trail conditions etc. You have to be quite an expert to dissect which bits of that experience were related to the frame and which to other factors. With your "I want to buy it" head on I'm sure you'll twist the experience to suit your preconceptions in any case!

    Its the same in many sports. In my sailing days I used to run the beach at a sailing centre. We mashed a laser dingy and bodged the repair to such an extent we had to spray a stripe on the hull to disguise the problem. The pernicketty guests would refuse to sail this runt so we started spinning a line that it was a new prototype hull designed to twist in gusts (no idea why this was a good thing!). It then became the boat of choice for regatta day. In the end we had to stop after a phone call from Laser UK complaining that they had had loads of calls from our ex clients requesting an update of when the new hull would be ready to buy. People feel what they want to feel, especially when they have just spent (or want to spend) a wedge of cash.

    racefaceec90
    Full Member

    when i p/x'ed my 2006 stumpy fsr comp frame for my 2008 s works carbon hardtail,the only test ride that i did,was on the managers,aluminium s works hardtail,just to see if a 17" would be the right size.i don't think that i have ever tested a bike before buying it.

    jfeb
    Free Member

    I have tested lots of bikes I didn't end up buying and none of the bikes I did end up buying. But I wouldn't recommend my approach 😉

    saxabar
    Free Member

    I've tested a few in my recent endeavours and whilst I can see why it might appear a hassle to get test rides sorted, all it takes is a call and pick-up/drop-off at relevant stores. I think tests are particularly useful if you do not want to be playing about with stems or replacing parts post-purchase. It also goes without saying that a pootle around the block is not enough, but I reckon a good one day blast on a bike is enough to get the measure of it and whether it suits. Convert's point about isolating specific effects is a fair one, but "sum of the parts" impressions between bikes is good enough for me. Testing bikes is fun anyhow – a new ride every weekend!

    nickc
    Full Member

    Never test ridden any frame, but then I tend to buy hardtails with either pretty standard or very tried and tested geometry. Current bike is a Chameleon, I had a pretty good idea how it'd ride, and I was pretty much spot on.

    nuke
    Full Member

    Only bike I've tested was a 2005 Spesh Stumpjumper FSR alongside a Wolf Ridge but that was only around the streets surrounding Rayment Cyles down in Brighton. Aside that haven't tested any other and my only complete fail has been a Marin Rift Zone.

    😆 @ Convert and the dingy story

    D0NK
    Full Member

    only bought 2 cheap frames without swinging a leg over first (and both had had good reviews) anything I'm paying out in a big way for gets atleast a run round the shop car park. While this could never be called a proper test I atleast know the frame is the right size.

    But yeah lots of places don't do proper demo bikes, even less do bigger or smaller than 18" and no online obviously. When you're after a pricey frame/bike I reckon it's worth paying extra to try before you buy.

    Vinnyeh, do you really expect to get a review before it's published in the mag?

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