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Local bike shop

Old 03-05-11, 08:25 PM
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lennyparis
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Local bike shop

Local bike shop will not let me test ride any bike outside of parking lot
Thoughts?
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Old 03-05-11, 08:29 PM
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That is how some shops operate unfortunately. Depending on the area it can certainly be understandable.
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Old 03-05-11, 08:31 PM
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Offer to leave something of value, or a person? I let them hold my mum hostage for a bit.
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Old 03-05-11, 08:34 PM
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I plan on spending 5-6 grand on a bike so I would like to ride it up some hills and get it up to speed
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Old 03-05-11, 08:37 PM
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Originally Posted by lennyparis
I plan on spending 5-6 grand on a bike so I would like to ride it up some hills and get it up to speed
You should probably tell them that then. If they don't agree then you should probably find another shop.
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Old 03-05-11, 08:41 PM
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Go to another one.
https://www.google.com/#hl=en&sugexp=...a05a4063eb4b83
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Old 03-05-11, 08:43 PM
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Originally Posted by lennyparis
I plan on spending 5-6 grand on a bike so I would like to ride it up some hills and get it up to speed
Leave your Corvette and keys with them while your ride.
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Old 03-05-11, 08:44 PM
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Originally Posted by 10 Wheels
This.
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Old 03-05-11, 08:49 PM
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Go to another shop, usually some shops will want to hold onto your ID or even some i've been to your credit card and ID.
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Old 03-05-11, 09:11 PM
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Why?? Sounds bizarre unless this is a super high crime area or they have been burned by theft.

If they are totally inflexible about it I suggest you take your business elsewhere.
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Old 03-05-11, 10:36 PM
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Seems unreasonable for them to have no flexibility on this.

This time of year, bike shops aren't that busy yet. If the salesperson won't go for the collateral ideas, ask him to come along with you.

As an aside, there was a doctor (yes, a medical doctor) in the Seattle area that would walk in to a shop in scrubs, ask to do a test ride on whatever the nicest bike was on the sales floor, and never come back. He was only busted because he through his coffee cup away in a shop's wastebasket and they pulled a print off of it.
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Old 03-05-11, 11:13 PM
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Another vote for finding another shop. I can't imagine them being scarce in or around Long Island. Here in LA, most shops have no problem with you taking a decent test ride as long as you leave ID and a credit card. Some shops even let the high rollers test ride a bike all day where ever they want to.
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Old 03-05-11, 11:34 PM
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I don't see why the LBS couldn't just take your licence AND credit card. Have the test rider sign a form that says they could charge you if you don't show up or damage stuff. Problem Solved.
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Old 03-05-11, 11:43 PM
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Originally Posted by lennyparis
I plan on spending 5-6 grand on a bike so I would like to ride it up some hills and get it up to speed
Is it a shop that knows you?
Do you look like a guy who just wants to ride it and then go buy one cheaper online?
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Old 03-06-11, 04:24 AM
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test rides are mostly useless.
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Old 03-06-11, 04:52 AM
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Originally Posted by pdedes
test rides are mostly useless.
+1
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Old 03-06-11, 04:56 AM
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Originally Posted by oban_kobi
Offer to leave something of value, or a person? I let them hold my mum hostage for a bit.
how did you prove it was your mum

Originally Posted by pdedes
test rides are mostly useless.
They are if they're around a car park. I've taken bikes for 30-50km rides. These were useful rides.

Originally Posted by znomit
Is it a shop that knows you?
Do you look like a guy who just wants to ride it and then go buy one cheaper online?
what does that "guy" look like? I take your point, that might be their assumption. Sad thing is people do this all of the time.

OP - good advice on shopping around. If they don't have a test model and you want to test a floor model then I'd understand their point. How would you feel about buying a bike as new that had been tested in the hills? So find a shop with test bikes.
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Old 03-06-11, 05:42 AM
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Originally Posted by rollin
They are if they're around a car park. I've taken bikes for 30-50km rides. These were useful rides.
Why were the longer ones useful? What did you learn?
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Old 03-06-11, 05:50 AM
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Originally Posted by oban_kobi
Offer to leave something of value, or a person? I let them hold my mum hostage for a bit.
Are you also willing to pay for cleaning the bike afterward and any depreciation on the bike which can no longer be sold as new?
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Old 03-06-11, 06:59 AM
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Originally Posted by Machka
Why were the longer ones useful? What did you learn?
You are kidding, right???
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Old 03-06-11, 07:13 AM
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I would offer to pay a few bucks to drag along one of the staff (maybe the cheap kid that sweeps the floors). Swing by and drop off a six-pack later that afternoon.
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Old 03-06-11, 07:17 AM
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Find another bike shop!
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Old 03-06-11, 07:31 AM
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Originally Posted by urbanknight
Another vote for finding another shop. I can't imagine them being scarce in or around Long Island. Here in LA, most shops have no problem with you taking a decent test ride as long as you leave ID and a credit card. Some shops even let the high rollers test ride a bike all day where ever they want to.
The credit card needs to have enough room on it so if you wreck the bike we can charge it to your card. So if you are riding an expensive bike, make sure that your card is clear.

"This bike you are taking on a test ride has had 8 test rides on it that have averaged 25 miles." Are you going to buy that bike? Or will you want a "fresh" one. Like buying a new car that has a hundred or so "test miles" on it. Will you pay retail for the bike? We have a helluva time with MTB's. We have a little shock testing track and if it's wet, the tires get dirty. No one wants that bike.

It's a simple world when you don't live in it.

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Old 03-06-11, 07:33 AM
  #24  
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Originally Posted by Bob Dopolina
Are you also willing to pay for cleaning the bike afterward and any depreciation on the bike which can no longer be sold as new?
Thank you.

Like I said, it's a simple world when you don't live in it.

I had a guy do the "I'll go to another shop" deal on me...I just shrugged and took the bike back inside.

It cracks me....you are buying a $30,000 car, and there's a breath of gas in it and you might get 2-3 test miles on it. Somehow that's ok.

BTW...there's also a liability factor with test rides. Damn lawyers.
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Old 03-06-11, 07:58 AM
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Originally Posted by rollin
If they don't have a test model and you want to test a floor model then I'd understand their point. How would you feel about buying a bike as new that had been tested in the hills? So find a shop with test bikes.
I sell (in road bikes) Trek, Giant, and Cannondale. Trek makes two aluminum frames, and the 3, 4, 5 and 6 Madones.

Giant makes one aluminum frame and the Defy and TCR Advanced, and the TCR SL.

Cannondale makes the 8, 10, and Synpase aluminum frames, plus the Synapse carbon and SL, and the Super Six and SUper Six High mod.

Then there are the WSD and Femmine bikes all three make as well.

Trek makes about 8 sizes (I say about because there are fewer on the WSD's), as does Cannondale, and Giant makes six.

To have a "test model" I'd need one of each in each size so the customer can ride it. I'd have to buy the bikes and stock them and then sell them later at a deep discount since they will have miles on them.

I'd wonder how much of an outlay of cash that would be? And I'm in a multimillion dollar shop. Or are you willing to ride a 56 when you need a 60, or a 52 (which would be unsafe). The vast majority of shops would need more test bikes than what they sell, even if they do business with fewer manufacturers. How will the test ride feel if you are riding a bike 2cm smaller than what you need?

We do parking lot test rides. At several million in bikes and accessories, it's not ever really been a problem. And we have a wonderful test area, safe from traffic.

Hey, he could go to Bikesdirect, get a great deal, and never see the bike until it arrives on his doorstep.

Last edited by roadwarrior; 03-06-11 at 08:05 AM.
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