ArchEtech

It almost cost my LBS two sales.
Situation #1
1) I test drove a bike at shop A and liked it. A lot! I had already sort of made my mind up about a bike at shop B. Bike shop A uses toe clips so you can get on it a bit. shop B uses crappy BMX walmart pedals no clips.

I test drove the bike I really wanted at shop B for a long ride. It was nice, but hard to compare exactly to the other bike while riding on the crappy pedals. I did buy the bike at shop B was was having buyers remorse and thinking about the other bike.... Until I got my pedals on and really could ride. ITs PERFECT.

My point is, that even if many people aren't buying, a bike shop could lose a sale for that 5% that is ready to buy that day. Seems a simple thing.

Situation #2

My buddy goes in to get his frame checked out after getting hit by a car. it was a bike purchased at the same store 2-3 years prior. He's a Trek loyalist and falls for a madone in a big way and wants to upgrade his 2005 bike. He'd been thinking a bit already. So I tell him take it for a ride. ( I bought my bike two days prior). He may not have seemed serious but he was. I grabbed a sales guy, he got the right size, they there the cheap ass pedals on the bike and my buddy process to rack himself when the pedal breaks off. It's some cheap BMX pedal with the wrong threads. So we come back in and Get another pedal put on. We go outside and BANG the pedal comes off again and he's hurting! So is get out my wrench and make sure both pedal are secure. He rides on but by this time is in too much pain and scared to ride! His impulse buy urge is gone.

Having pedals already ready tomgo with toe clips would have sold the bike.

kenji666

Bring our own pedals in to test ride it.

North of You

Who goes shopping for a bike without bringing his own shoes and pedals....... Ohhhhhhh wait..... You do.

Never mind.....

kenji666

Do you go to car dealerships to test drive cars without your driver's license?

Walter

Winner, winner chicken dinner!

LBS puts cheap pedals with clips on bikes so anyone in street shoes can try out a bike. Experienced cyclist will bring pedals and I'm sure the shop will be happy to spin them on.

phee

+1. I just picked up a leftover Look, and if it hadn't already had Looks on it (what's the chance of a Look having Look pedals already mounted :-), I would have brought pedals with me. The person I deal with at the LBS gave me a little good natured ribbing that I didn't know my measurements so he could set the bike up correctly for the test ride too.

StanSeven

My LBS asked what kind of pedals I ride and put a pair on the demo bike before I went out.

KD5NRH

I don't take my chrome bare foot gas pedal, steering wheel cover or my seat to do a test drive.

Why not take handlebars, saddle and a better wheelset to the bike shop and make them mount those on everything you want to try out too?

bianchi10

plain and simple, bring your own shoes, pedals and helmet when test riding a bike.

Your buddy having 2 pedals fall off on him, thats just the fault of the salesman who put them on. but if he is now scared because of that and lost interest in the purchase, he shouldn't be looking to upgrade anyway, let alone be on the one he currently has.

kenji666

Good point. Why not?

NathanL

Been shopping for my first road bike lately. The first shop I went to they asked and put on what matched my mountain bike shoes. After that I started taking my own pedals when I go shopping.

bianchi10

if you were in the market for buying a new house and went looking at houses for sale would you bring your couch and dining table to see how it would look in the house? no, of course not. Bringing your own shoes pedals and helmet to test ride a bike is customary. Even if the LBS you went to had pedals available for you, you should still bring your shoes.

and if you wanted to have your wheels and saddle put on, I'm sure they would accomadate that.

DropDeadFred

alls you gotsta doooo is ASSSSSK

thenomad

Just because YOU don't know the best way to test a bike doesn't mean the best way is dumb.

You test "ride" a bike, and you bring your pedals, shoes and helmet.

If your friend is scared to ride now, he has no business looking at the Madone.

iheartbenben

Tell your friend to not be scurd.

banerjek

I went to the shop for a test ride, and they wouldn't even provide me with a pair of shorts. Those jerks lost a sale...

Walter

Your shop doesn't keep a bin of bibs for people to dig through and put on when trying out a new bike?

What losers!

Commodus

It would be nice if shops had some pedals to stick on. I mean a small collection; some 105s, some speedplays, Looks, and Time would cover most people and we wouldn't have to take the pedals off our bikes.

mortenfyhn

Not a big deal, though. It's a good way to make people regrease their pedal threads.

MikeyBoyAz

they should even have re-usable chamois cream, that would make it worth while...

on another note, the lbs I buy frequent has test pedals of every type.

DC_United_Fan

Because those things don't attach your @ss to the bike. Always take your pedals and shoes when you want to test ride a road bike at your LBS. Not only is it the right way to test ride a new bike, it shows your LBS guys that you might have a freakin' clue as to what you're doing.

The LBS that I work part time at does have a small selection of pedals, problem is, no one ever remembers to bring their shoes. Bottom line, bring both and we'll be happy to get you set up for a test ride.

datlas 

+1

wrr1020

Since hes already a cyclist he should of brought his own pedals and shoes. If he was a brand new rider and didn't know a thing about cycling its understandable to not have the gear to bring in to test ride.

shouldberiding

You're doing it wrong. Sarcasm is supposed to be funny.

Asking the shop to take 30 seconds to put a set of pedals on a bike isn't an unreasonable request, you buffoon.

Minion1

Ride your bike to the shop. Then they can set your saddle height and bar height in about ten minutes. And Huzzah! your own pedals are there and the shoes are on your feet. Can't lose.