Thien Che
Speeding Up
- Sep 14, 2020
- 58
- 76
Hey folks!
I happily purchased a Canyon Endurace online at the onset of Covid, but part of me regrets not test riding before getting my first road bike, as well as feeling guilty for the perception it may give to hard-working LBS owners in the area when coming in for routine or complex maintenance.
Now that I've been riding more seriously for some time, I have a good idea of the kind of cycling that I might commit to and thus am looking to purchase my dream bike in the near future. As a young person, I don't necessarily have much disposable income for hobbies, so anything in the typical sweet spot (i.e. Shimano 105/Ultegra, ~200k JPY, entry-level carbon and hydraulic discs) and higher is already a considerable investment. The main factors that I'm trying to assess are fit/position, aero vs lightweight, rim vs disc, etc. which all seem to culminate in subjective ride feel despite all of the existing quantitative data (a la GCN).
Does anyone know of any shops that allow for proper test rides? From what I can find online, test rides in Tokyo are scarce or limited to a few dedicated test models on a small track. I'm also trying to understand what an acceptable balance is between consumer expectation and loyalty and support for the local ecosystem. Is it unreasonable or selfish to want to try everything out at different shops before making an informed purchase at only one (or even online)?
Sorry for the long read and thank you in advance for the wisdom!
Cheers,
Thien
I happily purchased a Canyon Endurace online at the onset of Covid, but part of me regrets not test riding before getting my first road bike, as well as feeling guilty for the perception it may give to hard-working LBS owners in the area when coming in for routine or complex maintenance.
Now that I've been riding more seriously for some time, I have a good idea of the kind of cycling that I might commit to and thus am looking to purchase my dream bike in the near future. As a young person, I don't necessarily have much disposable income for hobbies, so anything in the typical sweet spot (i.e. Shimano 105/Ultegra, ~200k JPY, entry-level carbon and hydraulic discs) and higher is already a considerable investment. The main factors that I'm trying to assess are fit/position, aero vs lightweight, rim vs disc, etc. which all seem to culminate in subjective ride feel despite all of the existing quantitative data (a la GCN).
Does anyone know of any shops that allow for proper test rides? From what I can find online, test rides in Tokyo are scarce or limited to a few dedicated test models on a small track. I'm also trying to understand what an acceptable balance is between consumer expectation and loyalty and support for the local ecosystem. Is it unreasonable or selfish to want to try everything out at different shops before making an informed purchase at only one (or even online)?
Sorry for the long read and thank you in advance for the wisdom!
Cheers,
Thien
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