Would you expect a new bike to be road tested?

[IncoherentJeff]

Depends where you're buying it from.
A local bike shop is probably less likely to make mistakes compared to a larger sports/motoring stores with staff trained in various departments/product types.

I bought my Carrera Virtuoso from the local Halfords, they did their pre-delivery inspection & 22 point safety check. So I didn't take it for a test ride and put it straight in the car.

First ride out and bang! The crank had absolutely mangled the front mech, I bent it back and tired to adjust it. When I couldn't get the set up right I took it to a LBS. Turns out Halfords forgot to fully tighten the front mech to the frame. As I changed gear it swung round & fouled the crank.

Lesson learnt, I will always go for a quick spin before taking a new bike home, if it fails there & then at least it's easier to sort with the retailer.

 

[young Ed]

I agree with points above...a decent shop should set it up perfectly...unfortunately I've been on the wrong end of a poor build...it just made sure never to go back to that chain of stores again!

mind naming and shaming?
i wouldn't want mine road tested so long as i had faith in the build quality and the builder
tbh if i ever bought a bike brand new and went to collect it if it wasn't too far away i would have someone else drive me there and me ride it home if anything goes wrong on the ride home bike shop can't argue really!
Cheers Ed

 

[Easytigers]

When I first started out I bought hybrid from Halfords. On my first ride out the back wheel came out going down a hill...sounds worse than it was but a passing cyclist stopped to help me and he pointed out that they hadn't even taken off the plastic caps that cover the nuts that hold the back wheel on ( I suppose they're put on when the bike is shipped and then taken off when the bike is set up).
I ended taking the bike back a number of times due to various issues...one time the duty manager said that unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to adjust it so that all the gears worked and that I should expect that with cheaper bikes!

 

[young Ed]

When I first started out I bought hybrid from Halfords. On my first ride out the back wheel came out going down a hill...sounds worse than it was but a passing cyclist stopped to help me and he pointed out that they hadn't even taken off the plastic caps that cover the nuts that hold the back wheel on ( I suppose they're put on when the bike is shipped and then taken off when the bike is set up).
I ended taking the bike back a number of times due to various issues...one time the duty manager said that unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to adjust it so that all the gears worked and that I should expect that with cheaper bikes!

hellfrauds are called hellfrauds for a reason!
Cheers Ed

 

[biggs682]

my new bike i picked up today has been on road test with its 2 previous owners since the mid 70's does that count ?

 

[young Ed]

my new bike i picked up today has been on road test with its 2 previous owners since the mid 70's does that count ?

OP did say NEW BIKE FROM A STORE!
Cheers Ed

 

[young Ed]

pics by any chance? we need to see how tested it is!
Cheers Ed

 

[biggs682]

pics by any chance? we need to see how tested it is!
Cheers Ed

see http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/latest-arrival.147754/

 

[young Ed]

see http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/latest-arrival.147754/

oh that one already seen it! darn nice bike that
Cheers Ed

 

[young Ed]

see http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/latest-arrival.147754/

oh that one already seen it! darn nice bike that
Cheers Ed

 

[Old Plodder]

No, I would not expect it to have been 'road tested'. I expect any competent mechanic to assemble it properly - that & the fact that if it isn't, when I collect it, I will certainly say so, & in front of other customers, if they happen to have any, because I always go over it with their tools in the shop before giving it a test ride up the road before riding off home on it.

 

[mossj88]

I was talking to the LBS owner the other day about how to encourage shops to record frame numbers for customers, during the conversation he said all retailers have to conduct a test (not a test ride, I'm afraid the specific name fails me) by law to make sure the bike is safe. He said that all the details of said tests are recorded simply because if someone has an accident on that bike due to component failure his mechanics are personally liable if they haven't done the test correctly.

If your interested I can speak to him and find out the specific name for the test...

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

I voted "yes" but perhaps that was wrong. I wouldn't expect it to be done, but I SHOULD be able to expect it being offered.

Al my second-hand bikes (apart from 20" wheel kids ones) get taken out for 10 miles - that's not enough to dirty or wear any new tyres etc but it is enough to highlight any issues if there are any that don't show up on the stand. Even if its a £50 "bitsa" made up of the lowest grade usable parts accumulated from spares removed from the better ones.

So if I provide that for a £50 bike, a £1000 bike should certainly have that option...



...On a more serious note, a Sheffield brand that I worked for briefly back in the '90s brought out a bonded frame. They were recalled without public incident, although one of the technicians did end up in hospital. These were all handbuilt, then test ridden before going to the customer, and one of the new frames' tubing separated during the fast downhill (down one of Sheffield's longest straightest hills) unfortunately putting a junior member of the workshop staff in hospital. Definitely a case for test-riding from the consumer POV, although maybe not from the staff's view!!

 

[e-rider]

Hi guys

I've had an interesting discussion today regarding the road testing of new bikes.

My question: if you were purchasing a new bike from a store, would you expect it to be road tested?

I'm talking about a short ride up the road to to check gears, brakes and generally make sure that everything works properly.

The two sides of the argument:
For the test - a road test is essential in checking that the bike works as it should on the road (as opposed to a work stand).
Against the test ride - Once the bike's been on the ride, it's not 'brand new'.

the real answer is, all bikes fresh from the shop are in a horrendous condition. The factory will do a poor job of most things, and then the LBS will just fark it up a little bit more for you.

If I ever buy a complete bike (I try and avoid doing this) the first thing I do is completely take everything apart and rebuild it properly - this usually take several hours. You always find absolutely nothing greased, usually not a single bolt. Most bolts over or under torqued. Gear / brake cables not greased, cut poorly to length and the end caps crimped badly......... the list is very long. Remember, straight from the shop it will be a poor job every time. I might not be as fit or fast as a professional rider, nor use top end kit, however, I do like my bikes to be in the condition of a pro bike and tuned to perfection.

 

[young Ed]

the real answer is, all bikes fresh from the shop are in a horrendous condition. The factory will do a poor job of most things, and then the LBS will just f*** it up a little bit more for you.

If I ever buy a complete bike (I try and avoid doing this) the first thing I do is completely take everything apart and rebuild it properly - this usually take several hours. You always find absolutely nothing greased, usually not a single bolt. Most bolts over or under torqued. Gear / brake cables not greased, cut poorly to length and the end caps crimped badly......... the list is very long. Remember, straight from the shop it will be a poor job every time. I might not be as fit or fast as a professional rider, nor use top end kit, however, I do like my bikes to be in the condition of a pro bike and tuned to perfection.

don't by from hellfrauds!
Cheers Ed