Trek Madone 2.1

[WobblyBob]

I've just get my Domane 4.3 & i love it.....it would be well boring if we all likd the same bikes would'nt it !

 

[Rob3rt]

I've just get my Domane 4.3 & i love it.....it would be well boring if we all likd the same bikes would'nt it !

It would be less interesting than solving the cipher your post was written in, I'll give you that.

 

[WobblyBob]

It would be less interesting than solving the cipher your post was written in, I'll give you that.

Eh ??

 

[Powely]

Can any who didn't like the Madone 2.1 say what it was you weren't so enamoured with? I've been to look at one today and was going to order one this weekend until I read this thread. Also looked at a Spesh Tarmac but the Trek seemed better spec'd even though it's carbon v's aluminium.

 

[Broadside]

I took a Madone 3.1 (full carbon) out for a test ride last month and thought it was a lovely bike, agile, spritely and surprisingly comfortable. I ended up buying a Tarmac Sport last week because I found it accelerated better and felt a bit more like riding a missile which is what I was after.

I like the Madones but I like the Tarmacs more :-)

 

[Powely]

Hmmm got to test ride them haven't I? I can borrow a Specialized for the day for £30 but not sure about the Trek as it's in a different store. I've found not many of my LBS's do test riding though.

 

[Broadside]

My local Trek dealer wanted £50 for me to take a Madone out for a test ride so obviously I went elsewhere... I was pretty shocked when they asked for this.

Evans Cycles will get a couple of different bikes in to a store and allow you to try them back to back for free, I found them amazingly helpful.

Riding the various bikes is the only way you are going to know the difference, I tried out a Pinarello FP Due, Cube Agree GTC Pro, Trek Madone and a Spesh Roubaix before settling on the Tarmac.

 

[Kestevan]

You've got to ride them.... When buying my first road bike a few years ago I had decided to on a Spesh Allez, right up until I rode one..... it was horrible. The equivalent Trek fited me much, much better.

Other people have had a similar experience, but prefer the Specialized/Felt/whatever. We're all different.

 

[Rob3rt]

Can any who didn't like the Madone 2.1 say what it was you weren't so enamoured with? I've been to look at one today and was going to order one this weekend until I read this thread. Also looked at a Spesh Tarmac but the Trek seemed better spec'd even though it's carbon v's aluminium.

To me, I just didn't like the way it felt to ride, the best way I can describe the sensation of riding it was that, to me, it felt like a toy.

 

[Rob3rt]

My local Trek dealer wanted £50 for me to take a Madone out for a test ride so obviously I went elsewhere... I was pretty shocked when they asked for this.

Evans Cycles will get a couple of different bikes in to a store and allow you to try them back to back for free, I found them amazingly helpful.

Riding the various bikes is the only way you are going to know the difference, I tried out a Pinarello FP Due, Cube Agree GTC Pro, Trek Madone and a Spesh Roubaix before settling on the Tarmac.

Are you sure the £50 was not just a security deposit? i.e. you get it back once you hand the bike back. Much like Evans charge your card for £0.01 so that they have your details.

 

[Tommy2]

A lot of places charge £50 which is deducted off the price of a bike if you decide to buy.
I think £50 is a ridiculous amount.
If you test ride 4 bikes and buy one its cost £150 to find the right one on top if the hundreds if not thousands of £'s the bike already costs.

Some may say its worth it to find the right bike first time round but think of what you could buy for £150!

 

[Broadside]

Are you sure the £50 was not just a security deposit? i.e. you get it back once you hand the bike back. Much like Evans charge your card for £0.01 so that they have your details.

I am absolutely sure because I had a long discussion with them about it. As I walked away he came running after me and said they would make an exception in this case but I found it so off putting that I didn't fancy going any further with a shop like this.

The £50 would be refunded if i bought the bike, but it is effectively a commitment to buy because if you don't take the bike then you lose it.

 

[Rob3rt]

Odd, never ever come across this before and I have had test rides at almost all of the bike shops within a 5 mile range (which is a lot considering my location). Not saying it doesn't happen, but it's a new one to me!

I have only ever left my keys and phone behind or paid £0.01 on my card, at some, they didn't take anything, just gave me the bike and said "have at it".

 

[Pale Rider]

One of the shops in York asked me for £50 for a test ride which was refundable only against a bike purchase.

Further inquiries revealed you could take one of their demo bikes for the weekend, and they may have allowed you to test more than one bike.

That's their customer offer, which is fine, but I declined it.

 

[Broadside]

I agree Rob, it is really odd. He opened the conversation by asking if I knew that lots of bike shops now charge for test rides and the conversation went quickly downhill from there! They tried to justify it saying they invest in demo bikes but that is their call if they want to do that. All I wanted to do was take a display bike out for the usual 15 min spin. I think that particular shop do it because they can get away with it, they are in a pretty affluent area. I was tempted to post a thread when it happened to see if anyone else had come across it but didn't in the end.

The shop that I ended up buying from gave me the bike for a test ride on good faith, admittedly though it was the third bike I had bought off them in the last couple of years.