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Buying a bike without trying it first?
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 2010-10-26 8:28 AM |
Veteran  444  |  Subject: Buying a bike without trying it first?I know this is probably a stupid question, so I apologize in advance, as I'm new to all of this. I'm looking at buying my first tri bike but the local bike shop doesn't have any in stock to try out. Secondly, I would prefer to buy used and living in a small town means I'll probably have to buy one site unseen and have it shipped. The bike shop did do a quick measurement and determined I would need an XS in the Trek Equinox WSD. I'm looking at bikes in the 48cm range, my question is... would you feel comfortable buying a bike without riding it and just having a bike shop do a fitting? I'm looking at inexpensive used bikes in the low-mid $1000 range. Thanks and sorry for asking a question that has probably been asked before. Tiffany |
| 2010-10-26 8:35 AM in reply to: #3172237 |
Master 1996   Woodbridge , Virginia | Subject: RE: Buying a bike without trying it first? Thats kinda risky.. but you could get lucky all bikes are different in someway in geometry.. so go out and test ride several bikes.. find your top three.. make a decision from there.. I would hate for you to buy a bike, and you hate it.. biking buying is like purchasing a car.. its takes some thought and planning.. im sure you can a pretty decent bike for the amount you are trying to spend. BUT, GO TEST RIDE SOME BIKES... |
| 2010-10-26 8:38 AM in reply to: #3172237 |
Iron Donkey 38643  , Wisconsin | Subject: RE: Buying a bike without trying it first? I got fitted on a particular bike, noted that I needed size "YZ", then found a bike I liked from the same vendor/manufacturer (different model), and was fitted on that bike when it came in. It's a little different comparing one manufacturer to a different manufacturer, though (Cervelo vs. Trek) since they have a slightly different geometric setup. |
| 2010-10-26 8:47 AM in reply to: #3172237 |
Melon Presser 52116 | Subject: RE: Buying a bike without trying it first? By low-mid $1000, do you mean $1000-$1500? Because for that price, you can get a VERY nice new road bike that you, even in a small town, can probably try out several different models of. (Not, to be completely honest, that I think that's that important. None of them will be fit to you while you try them anyway, and if you're new to all this, it's not going to make that much difference). Then you can slap aerobars on it and maybe a type of seat post that puts you in a triathlon configuration anyway. If it were me I'd much rather buy a very nice, high-performing new road bike for that price than be trying to buy a used tri bike sight unseen. It is VERY tricky if you don't know what you're doing. |
| 2010-10-26 8:48 AM in reply to: #3172237 |
Champion 7233 | Subject: RE: Buying a bike without trying it first? If you know the correct numbers/measurements that you need to look for/know which bikes in what sizes you need, certainly you can do this. I've raced on 5 different bikes in the past and never test rode any of them (in fact i've never test rode a bike outside of a friends). |
| 2010-10-26 8:52 AM in reply to: #3172237 |
Regular 168 Southern Maryland | Subject: RE: Buying a bike without trying it first? Can you travel to another bike shop with a larger selection for you to test ride / fit / buy? Will the local bike shop assume the risk? They obviously "think" they know what frame is the correct size for you. Will they order it on their dime so you can test ride? If it fits, great you've got a new bike locally. If not, they can sell it to another customer? That's pretty much what my local shop did. We did initial measurements, determined they didn't have the model I wanted in the correct frame size. They brought it in from a warehouse somewhere or something. We did an rough fit, I test rode it, they did a more detailed fit, I bought it. Note, I didn't give them any cash until I was staring at the exact bike I knew I would be walking out the door with. |
| 2010-10-26 9:00 AM in reply to: #3172286 |
Extreme Veteran 521 Coldstream ,BC | Subject: RE: Buying a bike without trying it first? newbz - 2010-10-26 8:48 AM If you know the correct numbers/measurements that you need to look for/know which bikes in what sizes you need, certainly you can do this. I've raced on 5 different bikes in the past and never test rode any of them (in fact i've never test rode a bike outside of a friends). ^^^^^ Listen to newbz... The test ride you are going to get at most (not all) bike shops or even buying used is a ride around the block, or maybe a 1hr test ride. Unless they fit the bike to you before you test it, you will not get a proper feel for the bike anyway. Take your measurements, find a bike that will fit and then go get it fitted. I would bet that if you look at bike shops in neighboring towns or on-line you will be able to find some decent deals in you size and price range. The 2010s are on sale and the 2011s are slowly coming in. You can probably find this bike: http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=231856&posts=31&start=1 for around $1500 or less. It is a cervelo P1 |
| 2010-10-26 9:08 AM in reply to: #3172237 |
Expert 898 Plano, National Capital Region | Subject: RE: Buying a bike without trying it first? Except for my first bike that I bought from a friend, I've bought my other bikes without trying them first. The key is knowing what size you are. The stem length on all my bikes had to be changed after my fitting (and my LBS changes them over as part of the fit process- I didn't have anything fancy so it wasn't a big deal to exchange it). When I first buy a bike, I don't even ride it unless I get a professional fitting (I budget for the fitting when buying the bike). As long as you've got the right frame, it can be adjusted to fit you - and sometimes, a couple of frame sizes may work (as long as it's not on the large side...). |
| 2010-10-26 9:12 AM in reply to: #3172237 |
Veteran 444 | Subject: RE: Buying a bike without trying it first? Thanks for all the help guys. My main worry was what some of you brought up, the fact that different manufacturers have different geometry. The shop here in town only carries Trek. To be honest they weren't very nice and weren't helpful. She didn't even want to measure me as she says they don't do the measurements or fitting until you buy the bike. They didn't' have one in stock and she wanted to order one for me that wouldn't be here until sometime in December. They finally measured my height and inseam to determine what size I needed. She also pushed me to buy a road bike and a tri bike, since the tri bike isn't all that comfortable and isn't good for group riding. My personal feeling is if I'm going to be putting in 4-6 hours on a tri bike in a race then I should probably train 4-6 hours on it to get used to it. Maybe I'm wrong on that. There is another bike shop 1.5hrs away that seems to carry many more brands, I may visit them this weekend to see if they have any tri bikes in stock I can look at. |
| 2010-10-26 9:21 AM in reply to: #3172356 |
Extreme Veteran 521 Coldstream ,BC | Subject: RE: Buying a bike without trying it first? Tiffanator - 2010-10-26 9:12 AM Thanks for all the help guys. My main worry was what some of you brought up, the fact that different manufacturers have different geometry. The shop here in town only carries Trek. To be honest they weren't very nice and weren't helpful. She didn't even want to measure me as she says they don't do the measurements or fitting until you buy the bike. They didn't' have one in stock and she wanted to order one for me that wouldn't be here until sometime in December. They finally measured my height and inseam to determine what size I needed. She also pushed me to buy a road bike and a tri bike, since the tri bike isn't all that comfortable and isn't good for group riding. My personal feeling is if I'm going to be putting in 4-6 hours on a tri bike in a race then I should probably train 4-6 hours on it to get used to it. Maybe I'm wrong on that. There is another bike shop 1.5hrs away that seems to carry many more brands, I may visit them this weekend to see if they have any tri bikes in stock I can look at. Go to the shop 1.5hrs away. Once fitted a tri bike should be every bit as comfortable as a road bike. If not more so. She is right that tri bike are sometimes frowned upon on group rides as they harder to control and you don't have quick access to the brakes when in aero. |
| 2010-10-26 9:30 AM in reply to: #3172237 |
Veteran 444 | Subject: RE: Buying a bike without trying it first? Thanks guys, you have all made me feel better about this. I guess since this will be my first "high quality" bike (I did all the training for my first tri on a walmart bike and borrowed a friend's Trek 2.3 for the tri) I will get used to whatever I get. I will take a trip down to the other bike shop this weekend, they offer professional fitting and hopefully will have a decent selection. Looking forward to getting the bike, which is odd because I have never really liked biking. I am more in tune with the two wheeled vehicles that use a motor. :-) |
| 2010-10-26 9:39 AM in reply to: #3172356 |
| Iron Donkey 38643 , Wisconsin | Subject: RE: Buying a bike without trying it first? Tiffanator - 2010-10-26 9:12 AM Thanks for all the help guys. My main worry was what some of you brought up, the fact that different manufacturers have different geometry. The shop here in town only carries Trek. To be honest they weren't very nice and weren't helpful. She didn't even want to measure me as she says they don't do the measurements or fitting until you buy the bike. They didn't' have one in stock and she wanted to order one for me that wouldn't be here until sometime in December. They finally measured my height and inseam to determine what size I needed. She also pushed me to buy a road bike and a tri bike, since the tri bike isn't all that comfortable and isn't good for group riding. My personal feeling is if I'm going to be putting in 4-6 hours on a tri bike in a race then I should probably train 4-6 hours on it to get used to it. Maybe I'm wrong on that. There is another bike shop 1.5hrs away that seems to carry many more brands, I may visit them this weekend to see if they have any tri bikes in stock I can look at. I live 6 miles from Trek's HQ. I find it VERY frustrating and am really let down hearing about this type of sale. I was even turned off by the salesperson I encountered at their East-side store here in Madison back in 2006 when I was buying my tribike - ran into the same situation. After hearing the word "carbon", the sales guy focused on one thing and tried to sell me something that I wasn't going to fit in. I haven't been a fan of Trek since. which is too bad. |
| 2010-10-26 9:42 AM in reply to: #3172414 |
Champion 7233 | Subject: RE: Buying a bike without trying it first? agreed, if you are dropping 1500 on a bike, is a 90min drive going to kill you? One of the main reasons i feel test riding a bike is next to worthless most of the time is that A) if you take it out, its likely no more adjusted to you than seat height. There are so many other things in your fit that need to/can be changed that even if you end up on that exact bike, it will feel WILDLY dif later on. a stem or bar change can make the bike handle totally dif, a new saddle can change the feel, as can tires, etc. B) how the bike feels on a 10 min test ride is not how its going to feel 3 hours down the road. My bike feels AWFUL on the trainer, and if i have to ride it there i normally end up changing the position a bit. Outside i love it. but how i feel sitting on it for 10 min, and 3-4 hours is not the same. thing can start to bug you that you never noticed going around the parking lot. And if this if your first, you really wont know a lot of what you are looking for/what is right/what is not in a quick test. Trust someone that actually knows what they are doing to get you setup right (and it sounds like your local shop will not). When you find a shop that gives you a bike recommendation based on your numbers, and not what they sell, and will even recommend against one of their bikes, you've truly found a shop to stick with. |
| 2010-10-26 9:54 AM in reply to: #3172237 |
Extreme Veteran 487 | Subject: RE: Buying a bike without trying it first? Tiffanator - 2010-10-26 9:28 AM I know this is probably a stupid question, so I apologize in advance, as I'm new to all of this. I'm looking at buying my first tri bike but the local bike shop doesn't have any in stock to try out. Secondly, I would prefer to buy used and living in a small town means I'll probably have to buy one site unseen and have it shipped. The bike shop did do a quick measurement and determined I would need an XS in the Trek Equinox WSD. I'm looking at bikes in the 48cm range, my question is... would you feel comfortable buying a bike without riding it and just having a bike shop do a fitting? I'm looking at inexpensive used bikes in the low-mid $1000 range. Thanks and sorry for asking a question that has probably been asked before. Tiffany I just made the same decision in the same price range. I went to my town's LBS, which focuses on Cannondale, and tried the CAAD9-6, CAAD9-5 and Carbon 6 ($1200-$2000). I didn't love any of those, but it helped me get a better idea of fit and what I wanted and what I didn't like. I kept an eye on eBay for bikes in the materials and sizes I was interested in, and when an older Eddy Merckx Ti-frame came up in my size, I jumped on it. I haven't dialed in the fit yet, but so far I'm very happy with it. I may need to swap out the stem for a shorter one, but it's great bike that will last forever, I got it at a good value, and I like that I bought it used and have a unique bike. Maybe I just got lucky, but the eBay route worked well for me. Short of getting a real ($150) fitting, I'm not sure I would have done any better at the LBS, and I certainly would have gotten less value. |
| 2010-10-26 9:55 AM in reply to: #3172356 |
Melon Presser 52116 | Subject: RE: Buying a bike without trying it first? Tiffanator - 2010-10-26 10:12 PM Thanks for all the help guys. My main worry was what some of you brought up, the fact that different manufacturers have different geometry. The shop here in town only carries Trek. To be honest they weren't very nice and weren't helpful. She didn't even want to measure me as she says they don't do the measurements or fitting until you buy the bike. They didn't' have one in stock and she wanted to order one for me that wouldn't be here until sometime in December. They finally measured my height and inseam to determine what size I needed. She also pushed me to buy a road bike and a tri bike, since the tri bike isn't all that comfortable and isn't good for group riding. My personal feeling is if I'm going to be putting in 4-6 hours on a tri bike in a race then I should probably train 4-6 hours on it to get used to it. Maybe I'm wrong on that. There is another bike shop 1.5hrs away that seems to carry many more brands, I may visit them this weekend to see if they have any tri bikes in stock I can look at. A-ha! All very important information! Must offer first.  Yeah, as everyone said: testing isn't that important, but SELECTION, what FITS YOU, and what YOU WANT is. Also, 1.5 hrs, sure, a hike ... but at some point you're going to need a decent bike store and clearly it's not going to be the one in your town! Even if this other store can't outfit you with a tri bike you want, they're going to be the ones helping you put it together, doing the fitting* *this is important. Is there a good TRI BIKE fitter there? It's a very different art than a general cycling fit. It's also really not easy to do your own tri-bike fitting. and where you might be buying other stuff you don't want to just order online. Good luck! |
| 2010-10-26 9:57 AM in reply to: #3172237 |
Champion 7547 Albuquerque, New Mexico Bronze member | Subject: RE: Buying a bike without trying it first? I've bought all 3 of my bikes remotely (2 via Ebay, one direct from the manufacturer). Would I have been better served buying one off the floor? Possibly...For me, the advantages of buying remotely outweighted the advantages of buying locally. In the first case, I bought a used road bike. It was larger than advertised (which was on the large end of what I needed) so really "too big" for me, but I rode it for a year (and a 20 mph HIM bike split) before passing it along to a friend. The second bike (a used tri bike) is maybe a bit large still, but I'd rather be a bit stretched out. I've swapped out the stem for a shorter reach and that has helped. I did pay for a fitting/setup on this bike with the LBS. The third is also a bit big, but since that is my preference, I'm OK with how it's working. In all 3 cases, I was prepared to junk or resell the bike if it really didn't work for me. If you're buying remotely, that should be a consideration. For what I paid to get the last road bike, I could buy a smaller frame remotely, swap components and still have less invested than buying at the LBS. |
| 2010-10-26 10:15 AM in reply to: #3172237 |
Extreme Veteran 829 Tennessee | Subject: RE: Buying a bike without trying it first? Why do LBS seem to try to steer folks away from tri-bikes? My 1st tri-bike was purchased about 9 years ago. I went to the local bike shop that sold Trek. Told the guy what I wanted and he said "you don't want a tri-bike you need a nice road bike to use in tris". So I left and bought a Softride from Cobb Cyclery. I didnt test ride either. Just did the measurements and Cobb "fitted" me long distance. Yeah I know it wasn't exact but it worked. The bike was great!. Edited by rbishop01 2010-10-26 10:16 AM |
| 2010-10-26 10:34 AM in reply to: #3172528 |
Veteran 444 | Subject: RE: Buying a bike without trying it first? McFuzz - 2010-10-26 9:57 AM You SHOULD be able to go into the local shop and pay for a fitting. Fittings can be anywhere from $50-200 and take anywhere from 20-30 minutes up to several hours. Go prepared to ride for at least an hour (so wear your bike shorts, a jersey, and take your bike shoes). The might use a Serotta(?) fit-bike or they might set you up on a floor-model on a trainer. They should start with some basic measurements (search bike fit calculator) before putting you on anything. There is a bit of art to go along with the science. If you buy a bike from the shop, they should include a basic fit as part of the transaction. If you pay for a more comprehensive fit, you should get a copy of the results and they *might* give you a list of bikes close to what the fit suggests. A good fitter should tell you based on the fit whether you're likely to prefer a Cervelo over a Trek (which would be a better fit without significant changes to the setup). This is what I was hoping for. Being a small shop that only carried Trek I was hoping that they would do the fitting and just be able to tell me what frames would fit me best. I asked for that and she said they fit the bike once you buy it, its included if you buy it from them, otherwise you pay. Paying isn't a problem... but after I convinced her that I just wanted a tri bike she took me straight over to their catalog to look at the Trek tri bikes, then picked one out and went to the back to see when they could get it. I kinda felt pushed into it. I know times are tough and they are a specialty shop so really want to make the sale, but it was like asking about fuel mileage on a car and the dealer taking you inside to start paperwork. The shop I'll visit this weekend seems more professional. They also carry trek, but also cannondale, giant and some other mountain and leisure bike brands. They also offer fittings for $150 that take an hour to hour and a half. I would be buying pedals and shoes from them as I don't have any. |
| 2010-10-26 10:41 AM in reply to: #3172237 |
Pro 5011 Twin Cities | Subject: RE: Buying a bike without trying it first? If you know what you're looking for, and you know your measurements and what dimensions you need... then sure. Totally possible. Out of the last 7 bikes I bought, I only sat on one beforehand. (my first) But again, you need to know what you're looking for, and either have confidence that you or someone you know can assemble it and fit you to it. (And if you're buying used, you need to know what questions to ask, what answers you need, what makes a good deal, and what to be wary of.) |
| 2010-10-26 11:14 AM in reply to: #3172237 |
| Regular 180 Babylon | Subject: RE: Buying a bike without trying it first? If it is a good LBS the measurements should be good. Then you need to get fit to the bike. Also, if it does not fit, your LBS should order you the right size without any fee. |
| 2010-10-26 1:11 PM in reply to: #3172237 |
Master 2426 Central Indiana | Subject: RE: Buying a bike without trying it first? If you pay for a fitting make sure they provide you with all your important measurements, and be familiar with tri bike fitting. I know one LBS here whose intro (~$75) fitting means giving you a list of makes/model/sizes they sell that "fit" you along with advice for stem length for each. IMHO that's crap. Paying for a fit means much more than "this bike we carry should fit you". You should be getting info on your body (lengths of legs/arms/torso), as well as recommended measurements of seat height, reach, etc. Keep in mind that fit may change some over months/years as your bike fitness (& flexibility) improves. BTW- Nothing necessarily wrong with getting a road bike with clip-on aerobars, esp as a first "tri" bike. Check out his article by very experienced tri bike "guru" http://slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/techctr/bikefit.html Edited by Oldteen 2010-10-26 1:12 PM |
| 2010-10-26 1:26 PM in reply to: #3173156 |
Veteran 444 | Subject: RE: Buying a bike without trying it first? Oldteen - 2010-10-26 1:11 PM If you pay for a fitting make sure they provide you with all your important measurements, and be familiar with tri bike fitting. I know one LBS here whose intro (~$75) fitting means giving you a list of makes/model/sizes they sell that "fit" you along with advice for stem length for each. IMHO that's crap. Paying for a fit means much more than "this bike we carry should fit you". You should be getting info on your body (lengths of legs/arms/torso), as well as recommended measurements of seat height, reach, etc. Keep in mind that fit may change some over months/years as your bike fitness (& flexibility) improves. BTW- Nothing necessarily wrong with getting a road bike with clip-on aerobars, esp as a first "tri" bike. Check out his article by very experienced tri bike "guru" http://slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/techctr/bikefit.html My LBS didn't seem worried if the Trek would fit me or not, they wanted me to buy it then work from there. Is there any way that I can do a full body measurement to get a better idea of what size? Originally I thought I needed a 50-52, but the bike shop said extra small, I looked that up and it is 46-48. I know that getting a smaller frame is better than a bigger frame. Geez... I have so many questions about all of this stuff and don't really know anyone who does triathlons. Thanks everyone for the help. |
| 2010-10-26 1:46 PM in reply to: #3172237 |
| Veteran 405 New York, Connecticut | Subject: RE: Buying a bike without trying it first? I just ordered a Specialized Transition Pro without ever sitting on it. HIGH RISK, HIGH REWARD. Got an insane deal on it. $2000 |
| 2010-10-26 4:01 PM in reply to: #3172237 |
| Master 2460 | Subject: RE: Buying a bike without trying it first? Odds are very high you'll be just fine if you use the estimates that the LBS gave you and/or use an online size estimator. While it's true that fit is important, as a beginner new to cycling, you don't need a pro fit to squeeze out every last percent. Even more importantly, you'll likely adapt to the bike so long as it's not really off, and any LBS worth their salt can easily eyeball you and tell if you're far off. I've owned 3 prior bikes that I rode the heck out of with no special fit other than the LBS guesstimate as well as looking up my rough size on an online calculator. I found that by far, the most important thing was adapting to the bike. I've since been trying out various different positions of seatpost, aerobars, etc., and found that there's definitely a significant range of bike sizes that will work, and work very well. Also keep in mind that as a newbie, you will get back pains to some degree when you start going on long rides past your comfort zone. (Usually 45mins+, if not hours!) There's a normal adaptation process that you need to get tuned into the bike position. Don't expect to get on your bike as a newb and be totally comfortable on a 3hr ride ride off the getgo. |
| 2010-10-26 4:06 PM in reply to: #3172237 |
Extreme Veteran 590 Seattle | Subject: RE: Buying a bike without trying it first? I bought both of my bikes used and without trying them first. One was sight unseen! This certainly has its risks, but the ability to get a much nicer bike for the money outweighs the costs, in my opinion. However, if this is your first bike ever and it's going to be a tri bike, then shopping around might be a good idea. Stores will frown on fitting you first because they know you just want to buy used or online to save money. |
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