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Old 12-29-18, 06:09 PM
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NomarsGirl
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Originally Posted by pdlamb
Mike J. put together a good page on test riding a road bike at: How to evaluate a road bike on a test ride | Almost-Daily Diary

Insist on getting a decently long test ride and a good fit. Those are part of why you're often advised to buy the bike shop first, then the actual bike.
Thank you! That was helpful. The salesman did spend time with me (there was no one else in the shop) getting the seat height right. It was dark, so he threw lights on the front and back. (More to be seen. I could see fine with the lights in the parking lot). The bikes didn't have pedals, so if I had brought my shoes, I'm sure he would have put on SPD pedals instead of platforms. I did have tights and a helmet. Learned that my helmet was much too large, so they lent me one that fit properly. Definitely buying that.

I think I"m mostly nervous about making the transition from a flat-bar hybrid to a drop-bar bike. I have very little experience with road bikes, but I think I have outgrown my hybrid (and I don't mean the frame size). I want to do more than ride the rail trail to the coffee shop, turn around and come back. Thanks to cycling, I'm probably in the best shape I've been in since college. But I'm 50. I'm not about to take up racing or triathlons. I envision long rides in scenic places with lots of interesting things to stop and see. It's fine if it takes all day (including the stops).
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