[Closed] How far would you travel

Where the value is worth it

Well not having a car, I cap it at about 75 miles but it'd have to be almost perfect etc

With decent trails and a days riding on the test, 200 miles.

Never bothered.

After buying my first proper mtb at lbs, I wanted a Cotic Soul, but in 2003 nowhere had any for demo, so I just bought it, then swapped it for a Bfe, still no demo and then added a heckler to the stable, no demo of them locally either.

Since then, I've known what I want from a bike, and haven't ever been disappointed. If I stuck to the demo bikes that are available in central Scotland, I'd have been on Trek or Giant for years, and that would have been about it.

So, in answer to your question, I wouldn't!. 😆

With decent trails and a days riding on the test, 200 miles.

Yes, i've done that twice before - well worth it.
Went to test a Scott CR1 and ended up with the Addict instead as it just suited me better.
Also went to test a Scott Scale and Specialized Carve/Crave and this time found that neither were quite what I was looking for.

Lets say this trip would be a fair bit further

Between them, my LBSs can get to a demo model in of anything I'd want to buy, and I used to live 10 miles from stainburn. (Still only 20 now).

depends howe much the demo is 'worth'

full sus can be so complex that i wouldn't buy new without a test ride. Rigid bikes not so much.

Having said that i also shouldn't buy anything without at least sitting on it. I had to have my headtube cut down on my gravel bike as i didn't quite appreciate the geo tables.

Try and turn a longer trip into a weekend/ mini break and it doesn't seem so bad...

I wouldn't... i'd just buy it.

I've not Demo'd a bike before purchasing in my life.

Me neither, I've demoed bikes at demo days, but never one I've actually bought.

The map says 153 miles exactly. First new bike I've ever demoed, turned out just right. I've gotten lucky (and unlucky) before when buying used bikes, but this was for me a large purchase and a new 'type' of bike for me, so it was worth every mile and some. The fact it was to be my only bike (except for the shopper) had a lot to do with the choosing carefully and being as sure as possible.

I went North North Yorkshire to Surrey (Bird HQ) - about 4 hours each way. Don't regret it.

Depends on the testride too- it's not always that useful, an hour on a demo day with an unfamiliar bike doesn't really tell you that much. Some bikes are great immediately but never get better, others take a while to find the best of, and setup's important too (and I don't just mean setting the sag, I mean everything- testriding an Orange Five with the rubbish OEM tyres stopped me from really testing it at all...

I think of all my bikes, I only actually testrode 2 before. I'd probably not have got the remedy without the demo as it just wasn't really on my radar, and actually might not have got the soul either as I thought it was too expensive before I rode it. But my two longest lasting bikes with the most happy faces, I didn't testride, and probably couldn't have done.

Make a day of it. Couple of hours each way max I suppose.

I went from the IoW to Cwmcarn to test ride a pair of Oranges.

So to speak.

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Or... 100'ish miles each way.

Lots of folks braver than me by the looks of it.
Thats not to say i haven't bought without test rides, but tends to be cheaper bikes that limit the risk as it were.

This time looking at spending in the region of £3.5k, but 600mi each way for a test ride. Considering making it into a bit of a road trip and visiting BPW and a couple of other places in the process.