[Closed] Would you buy a bike without testing it?

I pretty much always do. The last bike I bought after riding one was a Cube road bike - and that only because I'd had to take a customers bike for a post-service test ride and was gobsmacked at how comfortable it was.

Yes. Last 3 mtbs I've had were bought "blind" after a bit of consideration of geometry and reviews. All 3 were great and I don't regret buying them.

I always do.

Yes, can't remember the last time I did. And with shocks and set up being fairly individual a typical test is fairly pointless. I spent a day at BPW getting my suspension as I wanted it and by the end of it the bike felt hugely different.

Yup

It's not a problem if you know what you're looking for

*gallops off on high horse*

Hardtail - yes and have done

Full suss - I'd at least want to know what the suspension was like. I liked how santa cruz used the single pivot on the 2002 heckler but didn't like 5's of the same era. Likewise all of the minilink designs behave very differently to me.

You can make an informed guess but I wouldn't drop the amount of money required for a full suss without having some idea of what I was buying.

Yes.

Of the 5 bike/frame purchases I've made I only test rode 2. What I would say is that they where both the more expensive purchases, a full bike Reign and a Covert frame. My Cotic and Dialed frames where bought untried as was my fist mtb a basic Hardrock. I would always try and test something but not being able to would not prevent me buying

Yup pretty much always have. Demo days weren't a thing when I bought new and I don't buy new anymore so....

Yep, limited amounts of testrides available so that limits choice so much. And testrides aren't always that informative either, some bikes feel amazing instantly, some you grow with. I wasn't at all convinced with a couple of my bikes after a couple of rides but familiarity and setup sorted that.

I will say though I'm pretty happy to buy cheap, and resell if I don't like it.

Yep. I've never test ridden any bikes. Last two purchases I was a bit nervous about but they are spot on.
I would like to test ride if I was going for something wildly different like a 29'er, or something with a very long reach as in my head these are both all sorts of wrong (but may turn out to be right? probably not though 🙂 )

I've not tested any I've purchased.

I always did but lately I really lusted after a new Trek Stache 7. I kept going in the trek store to oogle and such and eventually ended up with a test ride. I took it out as soon as I got home and never gelled with it and knew I never would . I loved the concept but to me it was a halfway house execution so back it went and disappointed was I !!! ( but £1800 better off ).

Yes - I've bought HT,FS, CX, Road bikes without riding them. But, I've been lucky to test a lot of bikes that I know I've been interested in and ended up not liking or buying.

Usually, if I'm buying something it's based on geometry and ironing out the ones I think may work. Odd way to do it now that I write it...

Yep, every single time.

I once test rode a bike, they shop gave me a lower spec version which was the model from the year before as that's all they had and I rode it up and down the road for a bit - sadly it turned out that the older, lower spec bike was actually better than the one I bought..

There's a lot more opportunity to test ride bikes than there was 10 years ago I think, but even still it's hard work, my next bike will likely be a Capra, I did actually see a YT test day at FOD by total fluke and they let me sit on one, but the test bikes were all booked.

Never tested one yet although about to buy the 3rd one in a row from the same manucfacturer 🙂

I bought my nomad without riding one. I tested a large Bronson and a medium old nomad and guessed from that along with the sizes of my other bikes one of which is a large chameleon. I did manage to sit on one a few weeks before mine arrived and thankfully it felt right.

I've never tested a bike. Never had a major issue with any Size or geometry wise, only 2 have been FS'ers though and both were second hand.

Yep have done for the last 4 out of 5 bikes. Might have sat on one of those in the shop, but certainly didn't ride it. I even bought my 29er without ever having ridden any 29er let alone the specific brand and/or bike.

If you know what you are after and what size then no quick demo is going to tell you anymore IME.

usually my principle would be always to test ride what you are buying. However I splashed out £2k on a YT Capra AL1 back in March without even sitting on one and haven't regretted it.

YMMV

Only once I think.There's enough in the numbers to give you an idea of fit (there's certainly bikes I'd not touch based on printed geometry).
You're either not good enough to know the difference or good enough that it does'nt matter.
Or deluded enough to think there is a 'perfect' bike.

Ideally, no.

However I usually buy on special offer, and even then I'll give it a quick spin first.

However buying it is only the start of a long process of fettling and tuning it - most bikes if they are the right size can be sorted out, for me - I just adapt to what it gives me to get the best out of it - I'm a flexible guy.

Haven't done recently, or to be honest in the past.

When I bought my first "proper HT" it was a Cove Handjob and it's kinda tricky to test ride a frame only, much like when I bought my old Nicolai Helius CC.

Went of recommendation for my Anthem 29'er (and rode it round the car park), same applied to one road bike.

After that I've just bought either frames or bikes where i know the fit will be right and the Geo is pretty much what I wanted, either that or I liked the colour

Yes. I didn't test my most recent purchase (a Transition TrasAM). I saw a nice green one somewhere in the Highlands during June and after months of ultimately pointless rationalising to myself, and now that I think about it not even considering finding a test, finally got one a couple of weeks ago!! I'm glad I did because it's an outrageously fun bike to ride.
On the other hand I did take a full day test before buying my Spitfire, which was lucky as I tested a similarly specced Bronson at the same time which I had assumed I would end up buying.

Yup ,had a good read of the geo / size figures first .

yep...as long as I think it'll fit and geo looks ok. I'm far to rubbish to notice subtle differences in suspension design etc.

Only ever tested one bike before I bought it, and I bought the wrong bike.
I have always bought bikes based on frame geo and it has served me well.

I think one of the plus points about suspension these days is that there is so much you can do to the damping and the air springs to make it feel totally different. Take the RockShox tokens and air can spacers, 5 years ago it was he realm of suspension tuners to put an extra 5cc of oil in your air spring so it would ramp up more, now its actively encouraged.

FWIW I bought my road bike because I liked the colour.

When I bought my first full suss yes did quite a bit of testing. I hadn't used full suss before so didn't have clue about all the different platforms etc. I also didn't know what kind of bike I wanted, trail bike or something more burly.

It was useful to find out the characteristics of each bike brand, eg Transition bikes seemed fun and poppy to ride, Spec and Trek seemed very composed almost stuck to the ground.

Not sure if I'll do the same when it comes to replacing the bike. It's still good for a few years at least, so maybe everything will have changed by then and I need new reference points? I'll probably try out a couple bikes but won't stress so much if I can easily sort out a demo.

Yep, never tested a bike. Mainly as finding XL/21"/60cm test bikes is almost impossible.

I'll look at the spec, the geometry and reviews but ultimately it's a bit of a leap of faith.

Of the 3 MTBs I've bought in the last 3 years, only 1 got ridden

But of the 2 biggest bike purchases recently, buying new, both got ridden.

up to a certain price point then yes but only if unavoidable

Twice in 20+ years - both MTBs - out of the 20-odd bikes that have passed through my hands in that time

Everything else I've built from the frame-up. Quite a few of my bikes I've designed the frames myself and had them custom built abroad - last was a 5"-tyred fatbike having never ridden one previously! Luckily it was near perfect, only having to adjust the bar angle a touch.

Yes, always. When you get to a certain point in the market, test rides can be very hard to come by. Also, given variables in seatpost, saddle, stem, bars, tyres, suspension, I start to query the value of a test ride.

Nah
Like the Spitfire.... "If it looks right, it is right"

As a large bloke, can rarely find a bike to test ride in the right size anyway. So, no, always bought unseen.

Hits: chumba XL 29er, Cube XL CX race, XL mukluk, XL stumpjumper EVO, XL NP Mega

Misses (too small = stupidity): L Stumpy FSR (too small), L NP Mega (too small - bought the XL frame to replace)

Misses (just didn't like the ride): XL Krampus (hated!), Cotic Roadrat (bit flexy!!!)

So, aside from stupidity/wishful thinking on sizing, the only 2 bikes that I should have taken a test ride on were the Krampus and the Roadrat. Krampus was the only one that I really hated almost everything about.

Yep, I think I've bought all my mountain bikes without testing. GT something or other, Kona hardtail, custom Ti frame, Cotic.

Some worked out (Kona, Cotic); others less so (custom Ti). Weirdly it still feels easier than, y'know, arranging test rides...

Tested my road bike outside the shop. This test informed me that I was indeed riding....a bike

Yeah, s'only a bike innit - usually get mine secondhand/from the bargain bin after a fair bit of thought but generally no actual time on one. 0.003 degrees on head angle or 2mm on a chainstay wouldn't register with a philistine like me anyway

Never tested before buying. Been very happy with all (3) of them. First 2 each lasted 7 years with a few upgrades along the way. Last time I went for a 160mm travel bike having never even ridden any bike with that much travel. Love it. Haven't got the time to wander about demoing right left and centre!

i buy everything without testing, surfboards, windsurfs, hifi, bikes, everything. i look, i might read, if it interests me i'll buy it and then figure it out. thats half the fun for me.

Yep, I always do.

I know what sort of characteristics I might like, so can narrow it down to a few bikes, then read reviews (both professional and end user) and can usually work out which will suit me best. Havent bought a bike I didnt like.

I also feel that you cant get a bike (certainly a full suss anyway) set up right in just one ride, so a test ride is largely pointless apart from to confirm whether the bike fits you.

I've only ever tested 2 bikes - a Sunn in 1998 which confirmed that the forks were made of cheese - so I bought a Cannondale instead, and a classic Blur which was too small for me, but I bought the right size and it was fine. All my other bikes have either been on long delivery leads (ie frames measured and built for me, or just long lead times - Merlin, Intense). The Intense Spyder FRO was a frame that I never really go on with - still got it though, might have to use it sometime I suppose.
Everything else I've got on with.

I'm on Mtb number 4 and I've test ridden one around the carpark. 2 came as bits and I built them myself.

I've owned 3 road bikes. One I sat on in the shop the other 2 I borrowed someone else's bike from the same manufacturer (different models though) then bought without seeing them.

Cross bike and commuters, ever ridden, bought as bits.

I'd want to test ride a second hand bike just to make sure it worked!

I got my fatbike without testing it or even seeing one up close.......best bike ever!!