Originally Posted by
Sorg67
The test ride programs I have found require buying a bike and returning if you do not like it. I do not have a problem with that. But they are not the ones who have the good deal I am interested in. I do not feel right about test riding at one place and buying at another place.
Of course I have no idea on what your LBS shops offer, but earlier this year I RENTED a bike for a day and basically got a 24-hour test ride period with the provision that the rental fee would apply toward purchase if I bought it. I didn't buy that bike, but I felt no obligation to buy it . . . I paid $50, had 2 good rides, definitely enough to test the bike well. I ended up buying a very different bike at a different shop, but the rental / test ride helped me narrow down my decision and helped me avoid buying the wrong bike. The scarcity of bikes right now makes this all less-than-ideal . . . I had never before paid for a test ride, I just took the option I had and it ended up helping me. Now some shops don't even conduct rentals because of concerns with the virus, but you can ask / check to see whether there is a rental option that might help you get closer to your decision.