[Closed] Buying without a test ride, what's your biggest spend? Any regrets or errors?

Very rarely get to test ride a bike before I buy. I would if I could but I can't.

I demo'd a Fiveling Cabinet & made my mind up there was no point trying owt else, & bought one.

So just one test ride for me.

Live in HK where there is usually zero chance of getting a demo ride unless you happen to know someone with a bike that your are interested in, and in your size, so buying blind is par of the course.
Tend to look at reviews when I decide on a new bike or component but try to wait at least 6 months after product launch so you get past the usually fantastic launch reviews and then start getting real reviews by actual owners.
Sites like this and other are a godsend to simply ask real owners and TBH most bikes are pretty good these days, I would say your biggest concern is fit and is it suitable for your day to day riding.
For reference I usually get a new bike every 12-18 months, in the 6k price range.

I paid an eye watering amount for a Mondraker Foxy Carbon without a demo. No regrets. Love it.

I do change the contact points on my bikes so they're all the same so they all have the same bars, saddles, grips and brake levers. Spendy but that helps me.

I've only managed a test ride on 2 of the bikes I've owned and it's alwatys worked out really, it's just not always as well as others. Like, my 26er scandal definitely served a purpose, in the end it wasn't right for me but I learned a lot from that. My Ellsworth was totally shit but it was also dirt cheap and a testride was impossible. My SX Trail wasn't much good either but I split it and sold it for a profit soooo. Basically I quite like trying new things so even one that doesn't work out is usually fine

And the other thing is, test rides don't always help- some bikes shine on a test ride then never get better, some need some work to get the best out of. I'd've probably not bought my Hemlock if I'd testridden it but once I'd got it how I liked it was #1 bike for years and couldn't have done better. I got my Remedy 29 on the strength of a testride but now it's very different and tbh the thing that made me choose it is more or less gone. But other stuff has made it better

I suppose the real failure was my Last Herb DH. I lusted after one of these for so long, ever since it was in the Dirt 100. CRC got some end of year stock so I jumped on it but in the end it was a pure race bike and I wanted something to have fun on. I was faster on it than any other bike I've had but I replaced it with a 224 Evo that I was like 30 seconds slower down fort william on, but had way more fun. So it wasn't so much the expense, as the missed opportunity, I spent a year trying to make it work.

Oh and my Onza Bird, I just can't ride the thing, 20 inch mod is not for me. But it cost nothing.

Bought approximately 10 bikes in the last ten years and never test ridden any of them. Make of that what you will.

I've never test rode anything but I'd like to try a five just to see

My two most expensive new purchases are polar opposites..

Bought a DW link Turner 5 spot, absolutely hated it. Never did work out why it felt wrong but it was promptly sold.

I think it was too short amongst other things.

Bought a yeti sb6c, I will be keeping it until it breaks or I can't get spares. Love the thing!

I've never had a proper test ride - bimble round a car park surely can't count, and I mostly don't even do that

I don't spend masses on bikes though; last few I've bought have been frames only and at reduced prices so I suppose it's no big deal. I've also either been lucky or else I'm not very choosy as I've never had one that I hated

Virtually impossible when you're a woman!

Oh yeah, note geometry figs from existing steed and apply to any contenders. For me that means tt.

I ride a Canyon Nerve. Not silly money, but probably the most I'd spend on a bike unless I won the lotto.

TBH, I'm not the sort of rider who would know what an extra 2 degrees of whatever-angle would make so I just went off standover height for guessing the right size.

Custom built Cove, no demo fleet, no one else had one, Held an unbuilt frame of the wrong size in my hands and handed over £3500 to have one built for me, loved it.

2011 Spicy 516, Shop didn't have any, test rode a 2010 316 which seemed great, the newer, lighter, slightly slacker bike with higher end kit should be better still eh? Wrong, I tried a few things, but it rode like a jittery teenager on 15 cans of Monster, all over the shop. Ironically when it got nicked I have to spend what little I had left on a S/h 2010 316, it was better in every way. Largely because despite the spec level, the fork was better and the wheels were better suited to a 160mm bike.

Never test rode anything, but there have been a few that I didn't get on with.

SC Chameleon - too hard but the geometry was spot on
Cotic Soda - Too Long (large) Too small (medium) too flexy (All)
Cover Hummer - for a Ti bike, it was a dead lump.
Ti456 - front end was waay too low.
Independent fabrication - Very nice, but twitchy on technical stuff.
On-One Pompetamine - HEAVY and dull
Genesis Day One (...and a Croix De Fer) Heavy and slightly less dull.
Singular Puffin - Long, heavy, cumbersome and NOT fun.

I think only the Genesis might I have been able to test ride.

I I'm not sure comparing geometry on a 2004 bike will see me right.
I have been trying to look at what are classed as "benchmark" bikes, T130 etc, and using their angles as a guide but I'm sceptical about half a degree here and there as what matters most sometimes seems to be what is plugged into the headtube!

I've never test ridden any of my bikes - no regrets either. I either still have them or I've broken them. I don't really see the benefit of test riding unless you haven't got a clue what will fit you or what you want. Every bike I've ridden has required a period of adaptation, and I don't think that you can get a true feel for a bike within a limited testing period. A test ride on a new bike might feel great simply because it's close to what you already have and therefore feels more natural to ride than other options.

Even going from a 2010 Five to a 2017 version required several extended rides to feel at home on it - same basic design, largely the same components (I bought frame, forks and wheels, not full bike). However, after a few rides, and once I had the suspension tune dialled, I was much faster than on the old bike.

If you know what you want from a bike in terms of handling characteristics, geometry, sizing, etc. then you can probably gain just as good an insight from doing some research as you can from a test ride.

I've purchased all of my bikes (13 - without a test ride )
Most expensive 7k - only one I don't like is a synapse carbon di2 disc.

Never test rode a bike, being 6'4" and needing XL/20"/60cm bikes means that no-one has demo bikes in the right size even if I wanted to try them.
Thankfully I know roughly the kind of geometry I like so I can take fairly well educated guesses.

Marin B17 back in the day. Wanted a Rift Zone, so went in to Extreme and took one round the block, I had a bad back at the time and this was going to make it worse, or not get ridden. Bloke in the shop could see it too and said the downhill version is coming in next week, you'll be all right on that. Ok, I says, put my name on one and the deal was done.

Wouldn't spend on a new bike without at least trying something similar from the same model range these days, way too many variations in geometry and claims of magical characteristics.

Every bike I've ridden has required a period of adaptation, ... However, after a few rides, ...

... you can probably gain just as good an insight from doing some research as you can from a test ride

I have had one proper test ride: I rented a Pivot switchblade for a day last summer and expected to be massively conflicted when it turned out to be something expensive that I really wanted, but it wasn't. Felt too short and also the "super-short" chainstays seemed to allow the rear to hang up on biggish squareish lumps, even with 29" wheels compared to my bike's 26". Didn't like, though admittedly the suspension was great compared to my old tranceX.

Next year I may be going to buy some daft long thing (like a geometron) because I came to the conclusion that my current bike (and the Pivot) is too short at both ends - I do quite a bit of road riding so long stretches feel right for me and the mtbs felt cramped. Whether one of those things will actually help climbing I've no idea and whether a bimbler like me can ride one properly down hills is also in some doubt.

Might need an actual test for that

Bought a specialzed rhyme for a large amount, with the ohlins and wheels it should have been twice a much. It seems a silly no try buy as it's woman specific. But the geometry is perfect for me. Will ride until it is no longer feasible to fix or repair.

But, in the absence of demoing everything, am I likely to regret my decision.

Maybe.

I didn't used to bother with demo-ing bikes, but I've come round to the idea in recent years and it's definitely helped me avoid a couple of expensive "mistakes".

It's also challenged my preconceptions and I'm now riding (and loving) a Mega 290 that I mainly demo-ed to fill a gap between bikes I was actually thinking of buying.

If it were me I'd take a punt on the Jeffsy, as all the owners seem to agree that they pedal well and the geometry is comparable to other bikes I've ridden.

i would want to demo the s150 though as my pal was almost set to buy one but wasn't impressed with his demo ride.

I've bought a few bikes without test riding, but I seem to have a different approach to some.

An off the shelf bike is a starting point. The designers know what they are doing, and have implemented a design with a certain style of bike in mind. So identify what their aim is and make sure it matches what you want. Generally that's the 'ooh that looks right' test IME.

Then if it's not quite right for some reason when you get it, you customise - stem length and height, bar position and saddle position are the key ones. I've never had a bike that couldn't be properly dialled in with a few tweaks. I don't understand the people who buy a flash bike then get rid of it soon after cos it's not 'quite right'. That's the equivalent of buying a well respected car like say an RS4 and then selling it because the seat is too far from the steering wheel.

In 2007 I spent 2.5k on a 5 because 1) my bikes had all been nicked and I had an insurance payout 2) I needed an MTB pronto to keep my fitness up 3) I'd been familiar with Oranges for years and 4) the LBS with loads of stock is an Orange dealer so I knew I could walk in and wheel the bike out.

I think that having highly specific requirements for a bike is generally a bit silly. They're all good - you just look for the good in the one you have, rather than search for what you think you want. I'm flexible, I can get the best out of most things. That's why I don't think I'll ever buy a custom frame because I don't have any particular specific requirements.

Thinking about it, the only time I shopped with specific requirements was when I got the Salsa, and the only stipulations were 29er, rack mounts and a steep HA.

With the time it takes to really get to grips with suspension settings, control positions, tyres, etc a single test ride is fairly pointless imo. Add on to that you might want a bike to work on big long rocky descents and flat forest singletrack then being able to get a feel in the time you get on a demo is just unrealistic.

Guess when somebody just started with mountain biking there are chances he regrets his buy quick.

So there might be a "learning phase"...

No test rides for me either. In fact, I've had custom frames made that obviously preclude the option before try before I buy. A bit like the whole "bike fit" thing - if you have enough experience to know what you like then getting that shouldn't be too much of a problem.

A custom Parlee road bike! Had a bike fit first, but ride feel etc was all unknown.

First Enduro S-Works was purchased after a 2 min spin in the seller’s back garden.

CAAD road bike purchased after rocking up to sellers’s house having done the PayPal thru EBay.

Whyte HT purchased again via EBay but posted this time.

V v happy with all of them.

My PYGA 650b 120, think I probably bought the first one to arrive in the UK, it just looked and felt right.

My intuition vindicated during my first ride, fortunately.

Think I'll demo before I buy now after a few I've had...

2016 Stumpjumper Comp Alloy - First full suspension bike, bought blind from Tredz. Never gelled with it and too small.

Mk1.5 Bird Aeris (frame only) - Once the honeymoon period wore off, I just didn't seem to get on with it. It felt ok, just not amazing.

Commencal Meta AM HT 2016 (Frame + Fork) - Too tall/short. Felt mega harsh too.

2016 Stumpjumper Carbon (Frame Only) - Apparently I don't learn my lesson...

I decided to go on a demo day. Tried an SC Tallboy 3 and a Hightower. Loved them both and couldn't really decide which was my favourite.

Went to buy a Tallboy, but a decent price on a Hightower with a better spec ended up getting my money. Got the 27.5+ version because the price was keen and it has a longer fork.

Just need to swap the wheels for some 29" now and I think this is the one that will be kept for the foreseeable 🙂

During my serial bike buying years, I rarely had any test rides and most I got on with. A couple of dogs that I didn't like including

Turner 5-Spot, sold a heckler for it and just didn't like it.
Giant Glory 8 - too short and steep for me.
Intense 6.6- steep and flexi back end
Nicolai Helius- felt like i was perched on top of it

Nope never bothered, but then I tend to stick to the big-ish brands Cannondale, Trek, Focus, Specalized etc. where you know their bikes are sorted. So provided you know the size you want it's pretty easy.

Only bike I didn't like was Giant NRS but I think that was partly down to it being slightly too small, and it having awful flexy Manitou forks. I don't think I'd have spotted these issues on a test ride, it took a few rides to start getting a proper feel.

The only bike I ever test-rode first also happened to be the only bike that never suited me well long-term.

Instinct, and willingness to adjust until it feels good, is a better way (or at least as good a way) to shop, I reckon.

2016 Stumpjumper Comp Alloy - First full suspension bike, bought blind from Tredz. Never gelled with it and too small.

I never bothered with test rides. Went to pick up a medium Stumpjumper I’d reserved, most I’d ever spent on a bike by a LONG way. I’m 5’8” and sitting on it in the shop it felt SO short. Really worried me, took it round the shop ( had a 2yr old with me) way too short. Ended up with a large Camber because it was green...

After that experience I wouldn’t buy a bike without sitting on it first again. All the size charts for Specialized are way off from what I think is comfortable to ride.

Camber is mint in large though. 8)

Norco Torrent 7.2 ordered and collected on the back of the reviews. its been my go to bike for the last 2 years beyond brilliant ..well now the forks are 140mm and the tyres were changed...

And again my Whyte g160rs bought off the back i loved my old 150 ..my only regret is if i had waited 4 weeks it would have been a S150rs ..thats Whyte you kept that quiet !

Anyone who's 5'8" and riding a large frame is a very weird shape.

Both my bikes were built from bare frames, just do some research and be realistic about your riding style and ability. Saying that, I rode a bird auris a while back, i know people love them but that is one dead bike, I can usually manual anything, but not that heap of guff, how do you even get it off the floor?

Shame really, as I was quite fancying one.

Anyone who's 5'8" and riding a large frame is a very weird shape.

Well I'm 5ft 8in and ride a medium AND a large with almost exactly the same geometry.

So maybe it's the bikes that are a weird shape?

Well I'm 5ft 8in and ride a medium AND a large with almost exactly the same geometry

You short people are all so feisty

It takes me ages to get used to a new bike so test rides are a waste of time. I still try to have one if possible

being 6ft 4'' and being a 'bear of a man' (brant's words) i can honestly say that i have never test ridden a bike prior to buying it. most shops do not seem to like to orfer a xl/xxl in for you to test ride.
and through the dozens of bikes i have owned, the only one i regret buying without a test ride was a Jones Plus.
it was bought when i was not healthy enough to ride it and do it justice. my fault, not the bikes incapability.

Depends on whether you’re aiming for a bike for life (or a while at least) or happy to buy and try, and punt on if not for you.

I’m in the latter camp and part of the fun is the gamble of trying something. £1700 on a used jones spaceframe build was at the extreme end of blind purchase for me. Nice but not for keeps, but got my money back selling on.

Anyone who's 5'8" and riding a large frame is a very weird shape.

😆

But, it does somewhat answer the OP’s question. If I’d bought it without at least sitting on it then it would have been a bloody expensive mistake...

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I'm actually going to test ride a bike for the first time after Christmas. It's the bike I think I should ride if you know what I mean?! And a test ride is a good excuse to skive a Monday off work to go riding!

I've only ever test ridden a couple of bikes before buying. One of those was a huge mistake, a Whyte 46 which I quickly grew to hate. I get all my bikes now without test riding, from Orbea, and I just use their online size calculator and the bikes fit perfectly. There is so much information out there in terms of reviews and tests and opinions that I think you have a good idea before you buy. Maybe a better idea than a short test ride gives you, especially if the bike isn't well set up. I've only had one other mistake and that was ordering the wrong size from Orbea after I failed to read the sizing chart! The bike was a little small but no big deal and I rode it loads and this year have ordered the next size up.

Commencal meta's have been an expensive mistake in the past. However test riding a sc bronson & hightower will prove more expensive I feel as they were both so bloody brilliant.

Bought a Santa Cruz Heckler in 2009 without a test ride..
No matter what I tried, I couldn’t get on with it.
Sold it, but should’ve sold it long before I did.

I demo'ed loads before buying my Yeti 575, which I rode for about 10 years and was perfect... then, my last bike I sat on one in a shop, a bit later bought online. I think it might be slightly too small, but the large felt too big in the shop. Fantastic ride though, so no regrets.
I would try to demo next time, especially if it's a Cannondale, cos they do tend to have weird sizing IME.
These days, don't most online shops let you try the bike and return it if it's not right? Hassle, but worth it if you're not sure.

DezB - Member
[b]then, my last bike I sat on one in a shop, a bit later bought online.[/b] I think it might be slightly too small, but the large felt too big in the shop. Fantastic ride though, so no regrets.

Classy.

Bought both of my alpines blind. Checked the geometry out pretty carefully but other than that I'd not sat on them until they arrived in their big cardboard boxes. Fell in love instantly both times.

I recently attempted to ride a mate's 5, which apart from a longer stem, was ostensibly the same as my first alpine. It was bloody awful.

When the original Santa Cruz Blur came out . I bought into all the press VPP hype,, pedals like a hardtail, descends like a downhill bike blah, blah ,blah
Was and still is the most I've paid for a complete bike, Full XTR inc wheels.
.
Used to fold in half, blow thru all its travel when you hit a compression, even on a climb. Wheels needed truing almost every ride!

I tried everything to sort out the rear shock to no avail.
Persevered with it for about 6 months, before selling

Bought a Coitc Bfe after reading so much abt the Bfe's on here years ago. In the end the bike was too small for me and not the best for long days in the saddle.

Bought a Knolly cos I just wanted one and when a frame came up for sale in the US just bought it blind and built it up. Could do with some refinements but overall love the bike.

Doubt I'd be able to get a decent demo due to being on the wrong side of 6ft

DezB - Member
then, my last bike I sat on one in a shop, a bit later bought online. I think it might be slightly too small, but the large felt too big in the shop. Fantastic ride though, so no regrets.

Classy.

Maybe they couldn't get the medium the poster wanted as the large felt to big ?
But just popping into a shop and sitting on a bike is hardly a commitment to buy it.

I've never demoed a bike before buying.

I generally look at geometry, maybe read some reviews, and decide from there.

Spesh Rockhopper. It ticked the boxes. Frame is still hung in the workshop.
Commencal Absolut hardtail. Original frame was a complete impulse buy, but brilliant fun to ride. Replaced it twice, after killing the first two.
Commencal Furious. Another impulse buy. Loved that bike, and is the only one I really miss. Definitely not a downhill bike, but brilliant on uplift days.
Yeti AS-X. Got this at pretty much cost price, after another german frame I'd ordered never materialised. Hated it (it's the worst bike I've ever had for brake jack. Touch the back brake and the suspension just stopped working!), but got my money back when I sold it 6 weeks later.
Commencal Ramones. Had had the previous Absolut for over 4 years, and this was the nearest replacement.
YT Tues 2.0. Wanted a proper downhill bike, and the price/spec couldn't be beat. Never really got on with it for a good while, as although it handled speed fine and wanted to go fast far better than the Furious, it never really felt stable regardless of how it was setup. Eventually the RockShox rear shock spat it guts, so got an ex-demo Fox Van, and it was like riding a totally different bike!
Devince Django. I had been umming and arring over a pedalable full suss for a while, and happened to be sat in the LBS chatting to the owner/mate, and he suggested it. I've never liked long travel trail bikes (one of the reasons the AS-X lasted only weeks), and anything short travel I'd seen at that point I'd of probably quickly destroyed. A bit number crunching and review checking, and it was ordered. It's still one of my favourite bikes. Twitchy as **** at speed, and only enough travel to take the sting out things, but brilliant fun to ride.

So yeah, never demoed anything before purchase.

@pictonroad, totally agree with the Specialized sizing. I reckon a 29" XL Stumpy would have probably been great!

In the last 5 years I've bought 5 bikes

My entry level Spesh hardtail, to get back into MTB. No test ride, I just wanted a bike - bought it from my LBS. Hadn't really considered a test ride back then

My Solaris, Arkose and Brompton were all test ridden and bought new (from the dealer I test rode it from)

My El Mariachi was bought used so I couldn't test ride that, but reviews were so good I was happy going with it

I'd prefer to test ride if possible

I think I've now had five mountain bikes and three road bikes in over 30 years (I tend to keep them.

Never tested any of them first and never had an issue I couldn't just fix with a little tweaking.

Happy to buy without a test ride. [b]But I would not buy without knowing the geometry of a bike[/b]. Bought a Medium Trance and a 19" Genesis IO without a test ride. Bought a Giant Propel too, but then I was already riding a TCR and knew the geometry.

Oh and I bought a recumbent trike too 😉

Only bikes i've test ridden with an eye to buying (many many years ago) i soon realised that they'd been hyped by the reviewers and owners to such a degree that every single word of any of the reviews had to be double checked. So all the evidence i'd gathered to create my shortlist was rubbish. (This is both road and MTB)

Now i've got my own list of needs (have done for 10+ years) and just buy (usually online) based on that. Only bikes i've actually test ridden recently during the process of buying were so new that i had no idea what to expect, and they both disappointed massively. Would have wasted over £3500.

Spent less on line and got a far nicer bike, which actually meets my needs.

ChunkyMTB

Classy.

Clueless. You have no idea of the situation or circumstances, so why would you even respond?
Twonk.

Not really sure if riding for 30 seconds in a car park counts as a test ride, but i've done that twice. Bought them both - my first FS bike (L) and a jump bike (they'll all the same size 😀 ). My first mtb was a medium hardtail bought blind. My latest bike is an XL FS bought ultrablind i.e no test ride and no reviews as it was only out. Despite being 6'5" they've all felt perfect. I probably looked ridiculous on the 18" HT but i loved riding it*.

*Spent a loooong time riding BMX bikes so every mtb was huge in comparison

A custom Parlee road bike!

I know 3 people who have bought them.... and sold them quite soon after because they dont fit right.

one of them was a retul bike fitter to trade .

i dont think id bother buying a parlee ...

reminds me when my mate bought a serotta custom TI for his 40th and they built it with a BB so low you couldnt really go round corners....

I bought my Salsa Horsethief blind as it was £1150 down from £2300.
Great bike, no regrets.

I bought a Rose DX Cross Pro without a test ride. £1450 I think.
Great bike and have been very happy for 1000s of miles.

My #PeptoCrush [url= ]Chromag Surface[/url] was bought without a test ride. It cost more than I care to recall, and I picked it up from Chromag in Whistler. The lovely Chromag people were proud of it, they spent a few minutes fine-tuning the set-up with me and I rode it up the valley and off onto the Lost Lake trails for the afternoon. That was over a year ago and I haven't had a moment's regret. I'd had Chromags before and knew it was going to be pretty good.

Some day, I'm going to turn up in Talent, Oregon and ride away on a Jones. 🙂

Never really had a test ride on a road bike, though I did send one internet purchase straight back as it was too short (we'd discussed sizing) and the frame felt harsh just rolling up and down my road.

I've found the feel of road bikes changes so much with different wheels and tyres that I'm not sure a demo ride of lower end models would be much use (assuming I'm gonna use my nice wheels).

bought a liteville 301 off here for about £1400, iirc. I built it up, took it for a quick ride and crashed after 2 minutes. I went straight to A&E.

Since that, I've never felt comfortable on it. I'm glad i've tried it though.

£6900 for me!

I dropped £2k on a YT Capra AL1 in 2015 without ever slinging a leg over one.

The bikes reputation seemed rock solid based on the internet without seemingly too much hype.

Key was the sizing which i was pretty happy I got correct. Still going strong.

same thing with my Canyon road bike last year; similar price, similar internet warm, fuzzy feeling. Just used the online tool to get the right size and super-happy with the outcome.

Give me the geometry chart and tubing specs of any frame, and I'll tell you exactly how it'll ride.

Compression damping; suspension kinematics; head angle; they're all words in my encyclopedia.

After logging thousands of hours in the saddle, along with thousands of posts on internet forums, in a cycling career spanning decades; I have built up such a wealth of knowledge and experience that I can now carry out "virtual" test rides by simply using the power of my own mind.

Most expensive non demoed bike? Obscenely bling spec MK3 Nomad, bought on release date, before any reviews were published etc. Based on how good my 5010 is. Not been disappointed.

I’ve never wanted to buy a bike, then demoed it, then bought it. It’s always demo, want, buy. I now try to limit the number of demos I do, as they cost a fortune....

Stuff I haven’t demoed, only had one miss, so not the end of the world, given the number of hits.

Loving your work DTF 😉

After logging thousands of hours in the saddle, along with thousands of posts on internet forums, in a cycling career spanning decades; I have built up such a wealth of knowledge and experience that I can now carry out "virtual" test rides by simply using the power of my own mind.

😆

After logging thousands of hours in the saddle, along with thousands of posts on internet forums, in a cycling career spanning decades; I have built up such a wealth of knowledge and experience that I can now carry out "virtual" test rides by simply using the power of my own mind.

Now *that* is the funniest thing I've read in ages..

Top Trolling Sir, Chapeau!

late entry for post of the year there David

😆