Thanks to everyone who replied to my hybrid questions

Random said:

When "trying a bike on for size" how long should a test ride last?

I'd give it 10 mins to get the feel unless you are a regular rider in
which case you will pick up what you need much quicker

Tony

in message <[email hidden]>, Random

(') said:

Thanks to all who confirmed what I was thinking which was "If it feels
right, it is right" regarding size.
I'm going to buy the Trek 7300FX hopefully on Monday (if it fits!)

Final quick Q if I may -

When "trying a bike on for size" how long should a test ride last?

Hoo!

As long as possible, obviously. Having said that, I bought my Cannondale
- seventeen hundred quids worth of supremely capable mountain bike - on
the strength of a five minutes ride around the manicured lawns of
Edinburgh's meadows. And I adore it - it's far and away my favourite
bike.

Quoted message said:

I don't want the shop to think I'm taking the mick by going off on a
ten mile jaunt nor do I want to go to "the post box and back"

From the shop's point of view they _really_ don't want you to get it
dirty. It's never possible (or at least extremely difficult) to clean
it back to new-out-of-the-box clean. You may get a slightly longer ride
on a dry day than a wet one. Having said that, ten mile jaunts are not
going to be on. Round the block a couple of times is as much as you're
likely to get.

Quoted message said:

Or is bike buying usually one of those "our eyes and rear mech met
across a crowded bike shop" moments and I'll "just know that it's the
one"

Sometimes.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; when in the [censored], the wise man plants courgettes