I’m looking at buying a new bike shortly and just tried some of the biggest dealers in Yorkshire and NONE of them can get me a Demo bike in a small size for:

Giant Anthem
Scott Spark
Cube AMS 110

The only that could get me a bike is Stiff who can get me a Santa Cruz Superlight 🙂

I cant beleive that manufacturers want you to spend £2.5k on a bike without ever riding it!!

What do I do now then, is it worth contacting the main distributors for the above in the UK?

I think I will try the distributors… except already stuck trying to find who they are. Does anyone know for the above?

Ta

I had the same problem trying to get hold of XL/20″ demo bikes. No one seemed that interested in trying to get them either.

Lunge – so what did you do, just read the reviews and plump for the one which is the best colour ?!?!

SCOTT Sports Ltd.
Northumberland
NE23 1WL
Tel: 0044 1 670 712 129

I’ve had demo bikes before and its nice but…. imo the difference in frames between one similar performing frame and the next (i.e. one xc hard tail and another xc hardtail or one 6″ trail bike and another 6″ trail bike) is subtle enough that the difference in other components can mask everything to the point that’s its quite a pointless exercise. Then there is the difference in riding conditions to consider to try and remember what it was like on another bike and how the test one compares. The 5 spot I test rode for example had a stem 4cm longer than I’d want and bars 6cm narrower with narrow rubbish tyres. I’ve also found it takes me 4 or 5 hours of riding and experimenting with pressures before I have it as I like. There is also the fact that first impressions will quite often be that it’s different to what you are used to – but the relatively short length of the test is not long enough to tell if that’s different good or different bad.

The only test ride I found useful was the specialized epic I got to keep for 9 days which was long enough to take it to pieces and change all the contact points and tyres and play with the pressures.

I’m with convert on this – it’s next to impossible to actually learn much from riding a demo bike, given there aren’t any rubbish bikes around nowadays, and things other than the frame tend to dominate the experience unless you have all of them dialled. That’s unless there’s some specific unusual feature of the bike you want to try out (eg Scott shock).

I’ve never demoed a bike, relying instead on reviews (and been happy with my choices).

I didn’t bother and bought something second hand.

I’m having a similar problem with road bikes at the moment. No one seems interested in even letting me sit on a bike that fits me. They want me to pay a deposit just to sit on one.

Part of my problem is that I might be some way between a small and medium frame.

I have luckily sat on an Anthem S & M and I am pretty certain I want a small, but the other 2 brands I havent a clue because no one even has a bike in stock…

Ironically the one thing that put me off buying a Canyon Nerve MR, the fact that you couldn’t see them is now making me think they are an option! They will send you the bike and as long as you dont damage it they will take it back if you dont like it and even pay the postage.

Thats actually appearing to be a better service than any other manufacturer now.

Dig up the geometry diagrams for the other bikes you are considering and use the Anthem as your “datum” bike. As long as you are reasonably numerate you should be able to tell how they will fit in comparison.

I managed to get a Merida 96 and AM3000 down on demo a couple of years ago for a customer.

If you can’t get a demo then get the tape measure out and spend a lot of time measuring bikes you like and others that you don’t to work out what’s going to work for you.

its balls, im 6ft 5 and i tried giant uk and i would of even travelled down to go get a glory and they refused to get one in my size when i was at home in the uk, so i contacted giant at and they got 1 sent in from holland and i went up fitted nicely and i bought it haha..

dont know why they arent more adaptable considering we are looking at spending thousands in some cases.

got mine for 4800!