Doing a demo day this weekend. Any obscure rules of etiquette that One needs to respect?
I know we're not roadies, but don't want to come across as an ill educated MTB dullard. Organiser has told me to bring my own pedals and ID etc.
Don't be a dick
Have done a few in my time, from my experience of what's annoyed me.
If it was like one I did in the Surrey Hills, where the LBS leads a ride with you (and others) on their trial bike (actually mine was organised by the LBS but the riding was 'contracted out' to another local training / guided rides company but it amounts to the same). As above, don't be a dick, moaning at the choice of trails / at people that want to stop and adjust shock settings, etc. People are deciding whether to drop a large sum of money on a bike and want to know if it suits them. If you wanted to just show off/just wanted a free guided ride, don't waste the shop's time on it.
And if it's the type where they have multiple demo bikes and people for a day, and you turn up, leave some ID and a CC deposit or something and then take a bike out for an hour. Don't take it out for 90 minutes instead because you liked it so much. Someone else is waiting for it and now I only get 30 mins on it before my next appt with another one. If everyone does that it royally ****s up the whole process. Dick.
don't ride it like you stole it but also make sure you don't hold back. You want to see how it behaves at your (sensible) limits to really see if it is the right bike for you.
If you like it try and strike a deal by trying to get the best spec you can there and then, don't fanny about.
Always been fun IME
Best to tell them in advance which bikes you want to ride but be prepared to be flexible
In each case we have had standard loop of about 30/40 mins so you ride the same round on the different bikes and hopefully a good mix of terrain
Ride sensiblyand chat to others - oh and don't tell the guys from whyte that you didn't enjoy riding any of these bikes!
Thank the host inc the guys getting the bikes ready. It's hard work
Where is it BTW?
Just has a quick google - is it next Sun in P with CW?
If so they do a very well organised day with good back up and grub in the past IIRC. Might join you
It's at Hamsterley with WetRockandride, going to try out a couple of Cotics. 😀
Significant number birthday coming up, might be a present to myself. Don't want to spend a lot of dosh on a bike thats not quite right.
The Cotic demo rides are great. Sam is a top guy.
You'll have a good day with Sam running the show. If he's got it in the van he'll sort it for you - even if whatever you want to ride wasn't what you thought you wanted when you booked.
Its a shame the weather was crap for us at Rivington last weekend though...
Cotic will do private demo days if you can get 4 of you together too. So you could use this to check and then do a proper demo with Sam at a later date.
Thank you all, dont want to rock up and having to have everything explainec to me...
