Originally Posted by
cyclist2000
Not quite the reason to not like his bike, just that he didn't give you proper instruction before trying his bike.
are you the same size as your husband?
I'm actually taller than he is. His bike may be too small - just like the hand-me-down I'm riding now is. (He bought it new 15 years ago and never liked it).
I figured out the shifters. Just didn't see the second set of levers because they were hidden. And I didn't feel them because I had gloves on. I will just have to get used to putting air in the tires. I'm sure anything new I get will have presta valves - and I do know about the little thingie you have to loosen at the top.
Did 12 miles on his Trek FX3. It was a good test because it was up and down hills along a route I am likely to ride many times (from my house to town). Definitely an upgrade over my current bike, but if I'm going to do an N+1, I want something different. Get the drop bar bike for the longer road rides I want to do and keep my hybrid to crash through the trails in the state park down the road.
I'm sure I can negotiate a longer test ride from the bike store. They can hold the gift card and put a hold on my credit card for the balance. If I don't come back - I bought a bike. I'd have to come back for my car anyway. It's worth more than the bike, but maybe not worth more than the carbon bike they had me try first.
I just don't think the parking lot is a good test for anything except size. I live in New England. We have rolling hills. I need to be able to go up and down them, unless I want to limit myself strictly to the rail trails.