At some point in the next couple of years (definitely not this year) I’m going to look at getting a new bike. Despite being a out and out hardtail advocate I’m beginning to think a full suss would be good. There’s a demo day coming up locally, is it wrong to book a test knowing full well I won’t be buying anything for at least a year? Part of me thinks i’m wasting their time/taking a slot from someone who might have the cash now, part of me thinks demo days are probably full of timewasters like me and its what they are for!

Definitely the latter 🙂

Demo days are really about manufacturers getting exposure for their product. If, for example, you rode a few and posted your experiences up here you’d already be doing them a favour (free advertising of the best sort). So, don’t worry about it.

I don’t see a problem. If they only want people who will definitely buy a bike I’m sure they could do more to filter people out. You never know, you might like it so much you sign up on the day anyway.

Go do the ride, but be aware that if somebody is ready to part with cash then maybe be flexible about getting the only ride on the bike you will never buy 🙂

One of the best things about demo’s for me is being able to compare and contrast things, admit you could be wrong and try all sorts of things from drivetrains to suspension – as for bikes if you then read or talk about a comparison of something you have ridden you have a frame of reference.

If your going from HT to full sus then the first couple of demo’s will be pointless for deciding what bike you want as it’s just a different ride.

Fill yer boots.

If the organiser wanted to cut out time wasters they’d charge a demo fee that would be deductible from a purchase (as shops often do).

I went on a demo day with no intention at all of buying a bike for over a year. Two weeks later however…

I went on a demo day with no intention at all of buying a bike for over a year. Two weeks later however…

This. If the bike’s right for you, there really is no better form of marketing!

If I were in the market, I know I’d want to try a few bikes, probably for a decent ride each so I could have a bit of a tweak and then see if it worked well for me post tweaking!

Mixed feeling of the worth of demo days. They are fun but to be honest the small stuff like the pressures in the suspension not being fine tuned, the width of the bars, the drivetrain and brakes being different to what you are used to tend to mask the difference between two very similar bikes from different manufacturers. Great opportunity to decide if FS is for you though.

The best test I had was when a local shop lent me a trek for a week for £30 (refundable on purchase). I changed the bars, saddle, wheels and got it just right….then didn’t buy it!

The best test I had was when a local shop lent me a trek for a week for £30

Was this in about 1980? Going rate seems to be £50 for a day now

I think they have their place for sure. MBR do one which is a paid for event with a reasonable number of manufacturers attending – if your potential is on the list then it’s probably worth looking at.

My issue having seen other demo days is 20 minutes on a rubbish loop doesn’t give me the time to decide whether I like a bike or not. Set up changes etc will all totally change the feel of the bike.

I ride for a shop which does quite a few brands & I was getting a new bike for last season, I spent the best part of a month on 3 different bikes deciding which one was the one for me. I appreciate that’s not possible for everyone, but it certainly gave me the chance to try a few which I haven’t done before. Usually I’ve bought based on what I thought I might like, which hasn’t always worked out 🙂

It’s demo day – I’m sure they don’t really care who rides the bikes – one or 2 sales out of the day probably all they can hope for. The QECP demo day just gets loads of people titting around on eBikes they have no intention of buying!

That damn Transition Throttle I demoed has bugged the hell out of me ever since. No way (well, I could, I suppose!) I’m going to buy one.. but I really loved that bike!

Here it is, just cos I took the cheeky little tart’s photo, looking all doe eyed at me in the woods

They are fun but to be honest the small stuff like the pressures in the suspension not being fine tuned, the width of the bars, the drivetrain and brakes being different to what you are used to tend to mask the difference between two very similar bikes from different manufacturers

This is what I was trying to get at – things like the width of the bars could be a selling point though if one has what you want and the other would require more splashing of the cash.

If you can spend a good couple of hours on a bike, get the suspension set up right, that’s a good test. It’ll take a while to get through a meaningful number of bikes like that though, so by the time you buy you should have an idea what you like/don’t like/doesn’t bother you and therefore what you might end up buying.

Yep, demo days are dangerous for the wallet. I was looking at a new bike or frame this July. Went on an SC demo (Hightower/Tallboy) in October.

I had a Hightower in November….

Demo days are a marketing tool that works.  Even if you don’t buy one of the bikes you rode you may well suggest it to a friend who is also looking at a new bike.

I did the whole multiple demos thing at the beginning of the year and had to pay for two of them.  I just treated it as a rental bike, so if I didn’t buy it was just a fun day on a bike where I didn’t have to worry about wearing it out!  Cost me £85 but that was money well spent as I then knew what did and didn’t work for me, much better than wasting £k’s on a bike that was wrong.  I also wasn’t looking to buy for a year or so but ended ordering 2 weeks after finishing my demo tour, when you find a bike that works for you why waste time?

I organise demos and as long as you’re vaguely interested in the bike, you’re welcome to come along and try it out. I’d rather have a full demo calendar than one thats half full even if you’re not buying any bike for a year, let alone mine.

Now I really must get back to organising that independent UK manufacturers demo day where you can try loads of UK based brands all in one amazing spot with cool trails and camping on site and its all free bar the camping. Oops, did I type that out loud? 😉

Sounds like I’ll give it a crack.. but as the cx bike i bought from them before last season isnt yet paid off I’m definitely not signing my life away yet… I think

We (Silverfish) attend a heap of demos throughout the year, mainly in conjunction with dealers around the country.

Its obviously always nice to be talking to someone who is in the market for a new bike and we see great results from giving them the chance to ride different models and ride them back-to-back with other brands.

However, we’d be naive to think that’s the only people who attend. We’re more than happy for anyone vaguely considering a bike to come and have a chat, let us talk you through our products and get you out on a bike.

If you have a good time then we’ve done a great job of ensuring you consider one of our brands when it does come round to new bike time. In addition, if we’ve done it well, you’ll probably tell your riding buddies how good the bike was and how knowledgeable/friendly/passionate/etc the guys at Silverfish were.

In short – fill yer boots. No brand worth its salt is going to begrudge you doing so.

Cyclist magazine organises a road bike demo day every year and last weekend we went to our third, in York. The demo teams can’t take orders as they don’t want to upset the existing dealers.

On the first demo day, two years ago in that Laaandon, one bike so blew us away that I bought one from the very excellent Ride On in Rawtenstall. Anthony the mechanic built it and set it up so perfectly that in 2 years of summer riding I have never had to do anything other than adjust the brakes for wear. Top bloke.

Benpinnick

…all free bar…

I’m in.

Was this in about 1980? Going rate seems to be £50 for a day now

two years ago. Same deal now I believe.

Etiquette – don’t kit your family out with a range of e-bikes, ride up the hill and have a picnic for 2 hours when the suggested demo time is 30-40 mins, leaving a queue of frustrated people who have booked a demo.

Also sends the organiser into a frenzy thinking £15k of bikes has been nicked! My bro was organizing the QECP demo day, gave him quite a headache!