....have a few HT frames in mind but none of them would be available as 'built up bikes' to test ride 
Assume that (apart from pixie dust) the 'only' variation is in the geometry so measurements/angles can be compared to something I know the fit/feel of ??
What's your question please, caller?
Don't do it! Test ride.
There's more to it than gemoetry. Even when geometry is typed correctly.
I bought an Inbred unridden but there was a big body of opinion on those to base a decision on.
Askign on here abotu specific models will often get people to offer a ride otherwise if there's any local groups to you who ride regularly it might be worth seeign what they're on and throwing a leg over soemthign to see if it fits.
I've only ever test ridden one bike I've bought. Can't say it's ever been a problem, because there's not much I can tell you about a bike/frame until I've ridden it for a couple of months at least. Usually takes me 2-3 rides just to get everything set up right personally.
The only bikes I've sold because I didn't like them for some reason or other, it took me a year for one and 18 months for the other to work it out! (Both of those bikes are quite popular on STW too! 
)
Ditto PP - I'm tall so test rides are almost impossible to get. FWIW though unless you can get a proper off-road test ride it's pretty pointless anyway I reckon as you can always tell the basics from the geometry. The more suble difference will only make themselves apparent when you're riding proper off-road.
I hardly ever test ride bikes. It's part of the fun.
Anyway, you can always pretend you really like it, even if you don't.
Just stick a list of frames and your location up- you're almost certain to find somebody volunteering up their bike for a test.
On the other hand, I reckon the build on a hardtail, especially something like a 456 can greatly influence the feel of the bike- you're not going to learn much riding something with an xc build if you want to put 140 forks and big wheels on the same frame.In fact it's probably counterproductive.
TBH, unless it's high end or odd geometry framesets you're looking at, I'd just bite the bullet and buy one- if you don't like it, chances are either that playing with the build will get it in line with your wants, or failing that, you're not going to lose much selling the frame and getting another, probably won't cost you much more than the test ride would have.
I bought my Dialled Bikes Alpine without trying one out. Had alot of feedback from STW and Dialled Mike to feel i could get away with it, and i did. Fits perfect.
Worse case scenario is the frame does not fit so you just swap it out and get a different size.
I don't think I've ever bought a bike I previously tested, that said I don't tend to spend much on bikes, I simply agonise over which of the bargain bin frames available fits what I think I need best, Beggars can't be choosers...
Having said that I think you can test ride a few "frame only" options these days, Dialled for instance have a Test fleet which you can have a ride on just can't remember which shop it is that holds them...
Otherwise ask for peoples previous experiences of the bike you're thinking about and if anyone is trusting enough to let you have a bimble on their own take them up on it...
Trouble with basing a purchase on STW opinion, is they are usually wrong they can be biased simply by ownership.
I demoed about 4-5 hardtails and they were all very different. I also bought a cheap Merlin frame and though it was a perfect fit, it wasn't a bad ride, just dull and uninspiring.
I was almost definitely going to buy a Charge Duster 'til I rode one.
Must add - the demos have most definitely paid off for me as I have had my Yeti nearly 4 years and my Cove 3 and have no desire to change them.
They are exactly what I want.
(Now how long did PP keep his undemoed Yeti? hmm?)
I would try to ride someones. Asking people what they think is not very usefull. It takes a brave person to admit that the bike they have bought is shite. I bought a shite one, but wouldnt admit to it till Id bought a better one. Some people will not know its shite till they ride a better one. Also dont forget a lot of it is down to your style and personal preference and its very subjective.
Test ride one.
The only bike I've ever test ridden was a sunn with those mad obsyss forks that were so flexible it wouldn't turn the corner outside bikefix in Chelsea. Since then I've never test ridden anything - done a bit of riding since and it's never been a problem.
Every bike/frame I've test-ridden and subsequently bought I've ended up hating. Every frame I've bought sight-unseen I've loved. Go figure.
not sure i've ever test riden anybike i've bought.
when i was looking for a 5" full suss. went to a demo day with a marin, specialized and commencal ride booked. commencal demo truck never made it (snowed in!) rode the specialized and marin - bought the commencal.
Meh - I've bought 3 bikes in the last 10 years. 2 were ace (Kona, Cotic), and one wasn't (Setavento). I tested none of them, although by the time I bought the Cotic I knew researching the geometry plus numerous reviews was important if I couldn't take it for a ride.
A test ride doesn't tell you much. Unless the stem, forks, handlebars, seat post, saddle and everything else are the same as you're planning to use.
Ditto PP. Aside from a test ride around a couple of roads in Brighton on a Spesh FSR back in 2004, I've never test ridden another bike. Only bike I didn't get on with was a Marin Rift Zone...didn't matter though as I got it cheap brand new so I stripped it, sold the frame and put all the components on a ti hardtail.
5thElefant - Member
A test ride doesn't tell you much
Maybe it doesn't tell you much.
(Now how long did PP keep his undemoed Yeti? hmm?)
I wasn't going to say, but since you asked that was the "18 monther" I referred to. 
I'd have still bought it if I'd demoed it though (And the shop did have one avaiable too) It took me well over a year of faffing with settings and changing tyres before I worked out that the carbon rear end was too flexy for me. I bought it's replacement (Pitch) untested and that's simply a better bike than the Yeti for the riding I do with it now: Tauter, more stable, faster, more fun.
The Yeti was superb on the Trans Wales though. 350 miles riding at 70-80% was right up it's street.
yer test rides are important - convicned me not to buy a 09 gary fisher 29er full sus as the back end was so bendy and it bobbed
So do any of you (nomral sized) lot buy full-price bikes without testing?
I always buy blind because there's a hefty discount on offer, but if I was paying full whack it would seem a bit silly.
i have never test ridden a bike/frame
I only had a car park test on Trance, TranceX and Reign before buying a TranceX but I did a lot of Internet research. I think Steve Worland's review of the Trance/Maestro swung it for me, but I bought a TranceX2 because I preferred the fully anodised black finish.
My only real complaint is that the effective TT is a tad short when you fit a shorter stem, while the wheelbase is quite long. You get used to it.
There aren't many dogs out there but there are quite a few different styles of frame, and lots of brands. A lot of it comes down to whose gang you want (or don't want) to be in.
So do any of you (nomral sized) lot buy full-price bikes without testing?
I've only ever bought one bike at full price, in 1991.
Bought a few full priced frames (3-4??) but they've all been hung with some very creatively sourced parts.
(For instance, I built MrsPP a Kona King Kikapu. Full XT right down to the pedals and chain, Hope/DT wheels, King headset, RaceFace bits, Easton carbon bars, Rebas, Nobby Nics. All brand new apart from seatpost and stem - £1600)
Never test ridden a frame/bike before I bought it.
Never test ridden a bike.
There's too much variation & we all interpret things differently.
Guess if you were buying off-the-peg & keeping it to bog std spec, but how many of us do that ?
A lot of it comes down to whose gang you want (or don't want) to be in.
That again depends who you're talking about.
I only knew Yeti had been around a while, but didn't know much about their bikes, certainly didn't know there was a "tribe", wasn't a regular on STW, so I just wanted a mountain bike that suited me. Demoed the 575 along with loads of other bikes at MM, after talking to the bloke on the Yeti stand.
Nothing to do with trends, gangs, etc.
Only thing I've test ridden I think was my ST4. That was specifically because I wanted to convince myself I really didn't want one. But I ended up buying it anyway.
Of the other *ahem* 20+ frames I've bought, never test rode one. I always felt the high water mark of my riding experience was likely to be me, not the bike.
So most buy on spec then - my list is pretty much the 'usual suspects' of 'stw approved' HT (some of which I've scrounged a quick ride on) plus the Chumba HX1 and Mythic Viento which I haven't even seen let alone ridden !
Best to regret trying something than not trying it eh - probably decide based on colour in the end 
Never test ridden a Frame / Bike in my life. I've bought and sold frames consistently over the last couple of years and have prob been through 15 different incarnations within this time. I'm now at a point where I can pretty much judge which frames I like and the suttle differences that make a huge difference. Now at a point where I love the 3 bikes I have and not bothered about swapping..... for now
Just bite the bullet and if it doesn't work sell on here for what you'll lose you would have paid for in one or two test weekends anyways
I bought a Prophet as it was cheap and they did free delivery to Sweden but never rode it or even saw one and thought they where ugly. When I got it I thought oh my god its awful then played around with the set up and now its a might fine bike.
chakaping - Premier Member
So do any of you (nomral sized) lot buy full-price bikes without testing?I always buy blind because there's a hefty discount on offer, but if I was paying full whack it would seem a bit silly.
part of PP's problems with the Yeti were related to him being quite generously sized (and it being flexy).
Oi! 14.5 stone, so not as big as some! 
I should have had the alloy rear end. I was seduced by a bling carbon upgrade for £50, when there were already reports of it not being as stiff as the alloy. My own fault mostly.
I said at the time, and I still do, that the Yeti 575 was the most 'fickle' bike I've ever ridden. The tiniest change in set up had a marked effect on the ride. Air pressures, tyres, stems, that sort of thing. A faffers delight really. By the time I sold it, it was running as well as it was ever going to TBH. Up to 90% it was fine, but then I'd press on a bit and the back end went all vague and soggy in fast corners. Not what you need really. I did get my money's worth out of it though.
But on going back to a true 4-bar bike I did notice it was better in other ways too.
I've only 'test ridden' 2 sizes of the original riftzone years ago that I was interested in around the shop car park.
Obviously from that 'extensive' test .....all that was offered by the shop, I couldn't tell which was best and the mechanic said the bigger looked 'right', ended up selling it and got a smaller sized frame in the end. 
I've been glad of test rides in the past. Bought an 07 Anthem without a test ride and only discovered later it likes to throw you over the bars going downhill :p Last 3 bikes I've bought I've all test ridden (properly off-road) just to make sure it climbs and descends OK without any weird stuff (too much bob, too steep head angle, too cramped etc.). Some stuff is easily fixed by replacing bits but not everything.
No chance if you're a girlie! I've made some mistakes but, in fact, now all my bikes are men's.
Must resist having a rantette about demo bikes and corresponding lack of smaller sizes, don't they realise that some girlies are bike tarts etc etc.
Bought an 07 Anthem without a test ride and only discovered later it likes to throw you over the bars going downhill
My old Anthem was the only bike I did ever test ride - for about three weeks!
Eventually came to same conclusion as you, but it was a fantastic bike when I wasn't going over the bars.
I've probably test ridden 15 odd bikes over the years, and never bought one I've test ridden.
All the bikes I've actually owned have been bought based on reviews, mates feedback, forums, and sitting on in the shop / riding around a carpark!
The only test bike that really sticks in my mind was a £4k (before price hikes) carbon scott hardtail that absolutely flew up a climb at QE I'd never made before with surprisingly little effort - I would of bought it on the spot if I could afford it (oh and I was looking for a full/sus!)
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