Wheelbase demo day took out a Trek Stache 29 plus and was more than happy with the way it rode, then i took this out and rode it like I stole it down Garburn Pass earning a PB down there and i have probably rode Garburn around 20 times,wow what a bike no chance of getting £5.5 K to buy it
[url=https://flic.kr/p/EicfSS]Untitled[/url] by Richard Munro, on Flickr

😯 plastic

Yes and no, I liked my first Scandal til I testrode a Soul but afterwards, that was it ruined- I think I rode it once afterwards and all I could think, all the time was “This is shit”. I actually glowered at it in the garage.

On the plus side, I bought a Soul and it was fantastic.

Yep, Scott Genius 650b+.

Totally pointless sort of fat tyres. If that’s what fat bike is like, I’m glad I’ve never bothered even trying to ride one.

Total sh1t.

Had a very similar epiphany to Northwind. Had a test ride on a Soul while out for a ride on my 456. Couldn’t get into the 456 again and did everything I could to afford a Soul which I finally did. After four years we are still together!

rode it like I stole it

Hmmmm… Bargain 🙂

OP describes why my first ‘proper bike’ was a Sub 5. A demo in The Peaks for a weekend and that was it. Over £3k in 2002 splurged on a new toy. Mrs S was not impressed.

The new nomad…. Having some serious wants now, might see if I can get on the new enduro next weekend

I love my Soul, one of the Mk1s, but not long afterwards I went to a Cotic event Sherwood Pines and got to take the prototype Soda for a spin round the car park.

10 years on the Soul is on it’s third different build, and I still love it. Kind of like the way you love your wife but sometimes think about previous relationships and think “what if…?”

Yep, trek remedy 29er at BPW, was an absolute pig of a bike which nothing felt right on..def wrong place to test ride as I think they take to much abuse on a regular basis…was gutted as well as I really liked the look of it.

Just tell yourself that Fox/Yeti switch infinity system won’t last a winter !

I borrowed the shops S-works Epic whilst they were doing work on my bike.
I was blown away by it. It weighed nothing and rode like a much bigger travel bike. I’ve never ridden anything like it. Shame I can’t justify spending £10k 😯 .

I guess it’s like test driving a super car and then getting back in your Golf.

Pivot Mach 6 with utterly useless Fox 34mm forks, I had it for the day,took it back after 3 hours after trying everything to make the forks work. The guy in shop was not surprised saying yep the forks are rubbish, our customers always fit Pikes ! I gave him a withering look and asked him why he had not said this earlier, he said he didn’t want to put ideas in my head. After a short terse discussion he gave me 50% of the test fee back. I also tried a Spesh 29″ full suss a few years back. Under specced ,over priced lifeless junk.

The only one I really enjoyed was a Trek day at the bike shop in Kendal (sorry names escapes me)Wanted the 29″ but the whole UK large stock had sold out a few weeks earlier which was very frustrating.

Quite why bike shops nearly always throw buying opportunities away is a mystery, dreadful routes on organised days,wrong tyres,suspension badly set up the list goes on and on.

Had a go on a Kona Unit 29er ss about 10 years ago.
Spent the next 6 years with no suspension or gears…..think of all the fun I missed.

No, every demo day I have been on has resulted in a purchase. Or two.

Anyone with any sort of care for my finances hates me going on demo days

I’ve had this problem, now, I don’t do on demo days, or ride my friends bikes.
It’s saved me a fortune.

I’ve restricted myself to 1 a year. This years was in Feb…

The good thing about my riding mates is that if they are the same height, they weigh more than me, and if the are the same weight, they are shorter, so any bike I try of theirs feels shit

Have to say no – but only because I am not brave enough to try a dream bike knowing I can’t afford it! Love the look if the hightower but…..

Slightly OT –Took a Harley out for a test ride salesman told me I could have it for only 2hrs, 10 minutes was enough – load of sh!te!!

What is it with Harleys, they don’t go, they don’t stop and they don’t go round corners.
Still you get to stand around looking menacing with other middle aged men at seaside resorts .

I had a new bike itch, tried a couple of bikes (one in budget, one double my budget) and left just wanting to ride my bike more. It turns out I wasn’t itchy after all.

Slightly OT –Took a Harley out for a test ride salesman told me I could have it for only 2hrs, 10 minutes was enough – load of sh!te!!

Mrs PP did that with a BMW F800. She just gave it back to a bewildered salesman, I shrugged, and we went off for her to buy a Ducati.

Hmm, this bodes rather badly for my ‘just going to have a look’ at some surfski’s next month. 😀

What is it with Harleys, they don’t go, they don’t stop and they don’t go round corners.
Still you get to stand around looking menacing with other middle aged men at seaside resorts .

Like these 3? They all ride Harleys & the one on the right’s a mate of mine!

[url=https://flic.kr/p/fUQGN5]Stu[/url] by jimmyg352, on Flickr

S-works Epic at MM2005 with flappy dual brake/gears (rapid rise as well for added WTF).

So wanted to love it as I had the similar (visually) Merida LRS but the controls ruined it for me.

Fags 😉

Scott Ransom – it was soooo comfortable and fitted so well. But always knew I couldn’t afford one.
Later that day rode a Yeti 575, so the Ransom was forgotten! 2005 that was. Still got a 575.

Fags!

You tell them! 😉

All ex Royal Marines so you never know.

Yep, rode a Kona Process 111 and wished I hadn’t because it was really good. Then road a 153 that was a large instead of XL and I STILL really enjoyed it. I’m glad I’ve not tried an XL

Cannondale Slate yesterday , so good I am considering paying full price !!

I never test anything I can’t afford – that’s why I only test what I buy.

Trek Slash 9 at BPW, quite a lot more bike than my 2010 Superlight in all respects. WANT.

“S-works Epic at MM2005 with flappy dual brake/gears (rapid rise as well for added WTF).”

I think I rode the same bike. Interesting bike -I went for a Brained stumpy. but terrible flappy gear bollocks.

Tried a Enduro the one with dual crown forks, went down hill very fast, very fast……. right up until the front blow, proper tyre off the rim job at 35mph+.
I were cutting carrots!