Test rides

[danleik]

I'm looking at a Merckx Team SC and a Giant TCR Composite 0.
Everybody says test ride the bikes.
I live in Central IL. My local dealer gets Giants but doesn't have a Composite in the store. To order, he tells me Ihave to commit to buy. Is that BS? To test a Merckx, who knows where I go. I was in Minneapolis (St Paul actually)recently, but the shop that sold merckx didn't have Team SCs and the Merckx they did have were frame only. Plus it was bloody cold.
So whats a chap to do? Anybody from the big city about 6'1" 165 lbs, 52 years, cat 4 that could go test these for me and help me make up my waffling mind?

 

[boudreaux]

Originally posted by danleik
I'm looking at a Merckx Team SC and a Giant TCR Composite 0.
Everybody says test ride the bikes.
I live in Central IL. My local dealer gets Giants but doesn't have a Composite in the store. To order, he tells me Ihave to commit to buy. Is that BS? To test a Merckx, who knows where I go. I was in Minneapolis (St Paul actually)recently, but the shop that sold merckx didn't have Team SCs and the Merckx they did have were frame only. Plus it was bloody cold.
So whats a chap to do? Anybody from the big city about 6'1" 165 lbs, 52 years, cat 4 that could go test these for me and help me make up my waffling mind?

The commit to buy stuff is Hooey. Good luck on finding a built Merckx...What good would someone elses subjective opinion do you?

 

[dhk]

Originally posted by danleik
I'm looking at a Merckx Team SC and a Giant TCR Composite 0.
Everybody says test ride the bikes.
I live in Central IL. My local dealer gets Giants but doesn't have a Composite in the store. To order, he tells me Ihave to commit to buy. Is that BS? To test a Merckx, who knows where I go. I was in Minneapolis (St Paul actually)recently, but the shop that sold merckx didn't have Team SCs and the Merckx they did have were frame only. Plus it was bloody cold.
So whats a chap to do? Anybody from the big city about 6'1" 165 lbs, 52 years, cat 4 that could go test these for me and help me make up my waffling mind?

I used to live in St Louis; only 100 miles away from you. The Touring Cyclist, near I64 exit, is a Giant dealer. Maplewood Bicycles, just down Big Bend, is a great shop. They have Trek, Colnago and Merlin. They offer a 2 day test ride for $50 charge plus deposit. Lots of shops in Chicago also of course.

Dan