Old 12-02-19, 10:11 AM
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maartendc
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Bikes: BMC SLC01, Trek Checkpoint ALR5

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Have you ever had a shop refuse a test ride?

So I hear one piece of advice on this forum ad nauseum: " test ride the bike, see if it fits. "

Well, I went to a local bike shop over the weekend that sells Trek bikes, Ridley, and high end electric bikes and scooters, etc. Very nice looking high-end shop.

I am in the market for a gravel bike, so when I inquired about test riding a Trek Checkpoint AL4, the guy was like "sure, you could take it around the block some time, when the weather is nice". He seemed very reluctant. Then when I asked him: Do you have my size in stock, he said "No, we would have to order it". Then, all this led me to ask: "So do most people just buy a bike without test riding it?" He said "Yes. "

SO this leads me to my question: How common is it REALLY to test ride a bike before you buy it? Have you ever encountered a shop that would not let you test ride a bike? Just curious.

In my opinion, this shop provides ZERO added value over ordering online, so I will most definitely not be buying from them. I can look at a geometry chart at home, thank you very much.

Thanks!
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