Demo Day!!!!!

[hookookadoo]

Going to my first demo day and plan to walk away with a new bike order or darn near close to that. I've been stewing over the new bike purchase for at least 1 1/2 years and have been hesitant because I don't want to buy something I've never ridden. Demo day solves that problem. Any tips on how I should approach demo day? I plan to take a notepad so I can record my thoughts for each bike but any other suggestions. There will be at least five manufacturers there but the one I am mainly interested is the Look frame.

For the record I am flying from North Carolina to California on Saturday afternoon just to do the demo day on Sunday. Can't believe I got a hall pass. :banana:

[Lifelover]

Wow! That is a long way to fly to test a bike.

Good luck with the search.

[dekindy]

Unless you take a significant ride on a bike, demo rides are not very productive as far as truly telling you which bike you will like best. 20-40 miles is recommended.

Also differences in wheels and tire inflation makes comparisions worthless.

You also need the proper stem length and seat post setback to be positioned properly on the bike for weight distribution purposes to know how it will handle.

At least if will be fun! Good luck!

[ahumblecycler]

Have fun, keep an open mind, and don't be so determined to buy a bike. If the right one is there, you will know it. DO NOT SETTLE! I apologize for the all-caps, but I felt better writing it like that ... :banana:

Again, have fun!

[jblande]

try to use the same wheels, or at least very similar ones, on all the bikes.

[SEABREEZE]

Wow,when you make a stew, you really let it cook.

As another has sad, dont settle, and try to take a good long ride, especially on the one you are zeroing in on.

Best of luck, and enjoy your trip.

[Hai H. Ho]

I would bring my own pedals and shoes. Don't forget about your riding gear as well. Best of luck.

[Dave B]

not a criticism, just a question. Could you find dealers in your area that have the same bikes you are flying across the country to see? Maybe you could try each one for a little bit more time and not have to spend so much on a plane ticket and hotel etc.

Then again, flying to cali to ride sounds pretty sweet!

[Ken Robb]

where is demo day?

Here's something that might be interesting to try:try brief rides on bikes bikes a little bigger and smaller than what you have been riding. You may find that there is a better size than what you have been on before.

[SoCalSteve]

Where in CA is this demo days taking place?

Thanks,

Steve

[hookookadoo]

Busy, busy at work so am just now getting to these. I believe the line up is roughly Look, Ellsworth, Kuota, Scott, Speedplay & Cannondale.

Really honing in on the Look and they plan to have two of the frames I am looking at in the exact sizes. Can't find any Look's in my size within 100 miles of me. Also, I've ridden the same bike(Serotta TG) for the last 15 years so I have no feel whatsoever for what other bikes ride like or carbon for that matter.

Agree this trip is a little over the top but it's in Cali, weather is going to be nice, I can ride all day, they say their offering big discounts(TBD) and it will help build me up to Gold status on USAIR...is that not enough reason??

[Ken Robb]

I'll have to look at a map to find Acton. It is almost record-breaking cold here for this time of year so remember a jacket.

[oldpotatoe]

Going to my first demo day and plan to walk away with a new bike order or darn near close to that. I've been stewing over the new bike purchase for at least 1 1/2 years and have been hesitant because I don't want to buy something I've never ridden. Demo day solves that problem. Any tips on how I should approach demo day? I plan to take a notepad so I can record my thoughts for each bike but any other suggestions. There will be at least five manufacturers there but the one I am mainly interested is the Look frame.

For the record I am flying from North Carolina to California on Saturday afternoon just to do the demo day on Sunday. Can't believe I got a hall pass. :banana:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130384609733

[hookookadoo]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130384609733

I need a S or M but that is the target. Going to keep an open mind and see how the other bikes ride but if the day plays out like I plan the contenders will be between the:

Look 566 - monocoque, low-end of the line up but best off-the-shelf geo for me.

Look 585 Optimum - carbon lug, mid-range, tall head tube (164 for a 53.5 TT). Maybe too tall which is a concern but this is the one I've been researching both online and talking to those that have ridden one and it is the one to beat.

Look 585 - same as Optimum but with a traditional HT at 125ish which I think is too low(flexibility not one of my strengths) without stacking things up and massive stem rise which is why they built the optimum.

So its like the three little bears: the 585 is too low, the Optimum maybe too high and the 566 is just right...but I really want a lugged frame. Open mind, open mind.....

For all you southerners they are serving BBQ for lunch. Should be interesting. To me BBQ in Cali sounds like eating quiche in Japan. ;)

Boarding plane at 2:30 today :D

[SoCalSteve]

Bicycle Johns is a very high end store and they have been in businesss a long time. Their Acton location is pretty far removed from Los Angeles. Plan on giving yourself lots of time to get there...

Good luck!

Steve

[djg]

Busy, busy at work so am just now getting to these. I believe the line up is roughly Look, Ellsworth, Kuota, Scott, Speedplay & Cannondale.

Really honing in on the Look and they plan to have two of the frames I am looking at in the exact sizes. Can't find any Look's in my size within 100 miles of me. Also, I've ridden the same bike(Serotta TG) for the last 15 years so I have no feel whatsoever for what other bikes ride like or carbon for that matter.

Agree this trip is a little over the top but it's in Cali, weather is going to be nice, I can ride all day, they say their offering big discounts(TBD) and it will help build me up to Gold status on USAIR...is that not enough reason??

Over the top?

If I had time off from work and a hall pass from the wife to fly out to California, I'd do it, even if it meant test riding a 1973 Schwinn Varsity and sampling some 2010 Mogen David sitting in the dirt just outside the entrance to the Sea Smoke winery.

Bring your pedals and YOUR saddle, and a tape measure and your contact points. There are all sorts of limitations to a test ride, but I think the saddle thing matters because it's not just about comfort -- it really can change how you sit on the bike.

[NRRider]

I need a S or M but that is the target.

Look 585 Optimum - carbon lug, mid-range, tall head tube (164 for a 53.5 TT). Maybe too tall which is a concern but this is the one I've been researching both online and talking to those that have ridden one and it is the one to beat.

I'm watching this to get a sense of the market for these frames.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150436212927#ht_4049wt_1026

[hookookadoo]

I'm watching this to get a sense of the market for these frames.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150436212927#ht_4049wt_1026

How about that? USAir has Wifi on board. Pulled it up for work stuff but thougt a little excursion to the forum would be nice.

I brought pedals but did not think to bring a saddle but sort of wish I did now.

NRRider - You may already know this but that bike I believe is the regular 585(not the optimum). It is also an older model -1-3 yrs maybe. The geo at the bottom of the page is definitely not the optimum. Not sure how closely you are tracking but wanted to save you some trouble if you were thinking about pulling the trigger. Just double check.

[NRRider]

You may want to email him and ask. Both the title of the ad and the text of the ad say it's an Optimum. He may have incorrectly posted a geo table for the regular 585. Not sure. I'm not interested in this size anyway, but thought it could work for you.

[dnades]

Hookookadoo,

Have a great time! I'm with djg observation about the demo ride. don't worry about the saddle - just find one that is comfortable for you on the bike you like.

If they have any Time frames give those a shot. Try and run the same wheel set on all the frames as different pressures,rim weight, tire width etc can really make a significant difference in ride quality.

Keep us updated. Man - California, nice weather, good food, hall pass, and lots of bikes to try out. Getting a little green with envy back here in the northeast.

Good luck choosing.

[hookookadoo]

Sorry for the delayed report....it has been a long week. The day was unfortunately below expectations.

Rode(all were carbon):
Look 566
Scott CR1
Cannondale Six(?)
Cannondale Synapse

Notice something missing???? They didn't bring the 585 Optimum - the one I went out there to ride.

The Bad News(in addition to not riding the Optimum)
- Windy - 10-20mph. Made it really difficult to focus on the bike
- Broke my $150 sunglasses somehow
- All the bikes felt generally same. The exception was the Scott which was more of a racing frame so felt snappier, a little more road feel and turned quicker. All bikes were in the $3k range as complete builds so in hindsight not surprising they felt the same but honestly made me question if i would have felt the difference in a nicer frame.
- Had to leave early to make it back to my hotel in Burbank(35 minutes away) for a conference call only to discover that when I arrived back in Burbank I had left my credit card and license back at the bike store(they were holding them as a security deposit). So yes, I had to drive back(ARGH!)
- Fender bender in the rental car(ok, that was in Dallas on Monday)

The Good News:
- Got to ride 105, Ultegra and Dura Ace in the same day. 105 is clearly a strong value, didn't feel much difference in Ultegra, Dura Ace was crisper.
- Got a better feel for various handlebar styles. I have classic bending bars circa 1995. A lot has changed.
- Bought a new home - yep, placed an offer on a house the day before the trip so spent half of Sunday crafting counter-offers between rides.
- Going to give the Look rep an earful later this week. The guy on-site said they would like to make it up to me by sending a 585 Optimum to my LBS. We'll see.
- I rode bikes with shorter TT's than mine and it confirmed that a shorter TT is a better fit for me.

While not a complete disaster it was well below expectations and I am no closer to buying a bike. It taught me that a lower-end bike and components are probably just as good for my needs as a higher end bike as long as I get the fit right. Also, I would argue that my current bike(except for being too long) rode just as nicely though heavier and did not have the power transfer that these bikes had. Steel is real.

[avalonracing]

Sounds like you might be happy on a properly sized, new, steel Serotta with Ultegra! Seriously.

Congrats on the new home!