Originally Posted by
rubiksoval
You don't need to test ride a bike. Riding it around a parking lot isn't going to tell you a single thing about it.
I respectfully disagree. You can learn a lot from a brief test ride, and a lot more from a longer ride. Short rides are a great way to narrow down several possible bites to the two or three that are contenders in your price/feature range. At that point longer rides are a great way to figure out which bike is the one for you and to confirm that everything is fitted properly and in working order.
Any information is better than no information, IMHO.