Help! I'm test-riding 2 Sevens

[bikerz]

My LBS is a Seven dealer and they have 2 Sevens in the shop for test rides that are my size, so I'm test-riding them tomorrow - I'm so excited! One is the Ti Alaris and the other is a steel Elium.

I've never test-ridden a bike before (I didn't even test ride my current bike before I bought it - too self-conscious! ). My current bike is a Specialized Sequoia Elite with 24-38-52/11-37 (yikes! But it gets me up the hills!) - aluminum frame, carbon fork, Mavic Ksyrium wheels.

The LBS will swap my saddle and pedals over, and make a few quick adjustments for basic fit, and I'm going to ask them to put my current front wheel on the test bikes also.

Melissam sent me a link to a site about test riding and they suggested climbing and descending, standing up on a climb, and riding on some rough roads, so I'll definitely do all these things.

I'm going to get there early and ride my bike around to try and "lock in" what it feels like. And I'll try the hill on my bike in the gear equivalent to the Seven's granny gear.

I've heard people say that as soon as they got on their bike they "knew" it was the right one for them. I'm hoping for the "Eureka!" experience, but I'd also like to have a slightly more methodical approach.

Any other things I should be thinking of and feeling for on these test rides?

Seven-owners in particular - any tips?

Thanks!

[Trekhawk]

No tips from me Ann - just have fun.

I will need to see pictures asap if you get a new bike.

[bikerz]

Ha! Thanks Leslie!

I'll probably be so excited I'll probably end up posting pictures of the test bikes!

(And if I get a Seven, the wait time will be a couple of months...)

[Trekhawk]

Ha! Thanks Leslie!

I'll probably be so excited I'll probably end up posting pictures of the test bikes!

(And if I get a Seven, the wait time will be a couple of months...)

Well then - if you buy a Seven we had better plan a ride for just after delivery so I can oggle. You know I will need to be on your back wheel to do that so you will be pulling.

[jenxxs]

Hi,
I've recently been in the same position as you - found a store demo of a custom bike in my size, but in my case, I couldn't test ride it, because it was on eBay. But since I've extensively researched the geometry that I need, I was willing to go for it.

My experience with it so far - it's definitely the right size, but I am going to be tweaking with it for a while, so I certainly didn't have a "Eureka" first ride. My store demo appears to have been put together with a few random leftover-type parts, so one of them was really wrong - crankset way too big for me. This has definitely affected my experience with the bike so far, and I am working to fix this ASAP.

Even for parts that I know are appropriate, like the WSD-style handlebars: they are a new style of handlebar for me, so I've been tweaking the angle a lot, trying to get the best hand positions.

To summarize: Try to observe if the various parts on the bike (that you're not going to swap for your test ride) are ones that would make sense for you. Those could affect how you feel on your test ride, but can be fixed later if the frame is a good fit. Ditto for parts that are significantly different from your old bike in some way - it may take some time to figure out how they work for you.

Have fun - and if you're thinking of buying one of these demos, good luck with it, b/c opportunities like that don't come around very often!

[Adventure Girl]

Help! I'm test-riding 2 Sevens

Is that like test riding a 14??

My current bike is a Specialized Sequoia Elite with 24-38-52/11-37

Do you know what the gear ratios will be on the test bikes? It most likely won't be geared that low. Remember that you're just test riding for fit, not gearing. You could always change the gears if you find a Seven that fits you. Have a good time!

[jenxxs]

oh, I see that you think you might go full-custom with it - even better My suggestions still hold for the test ride, though. Have fun!

[Trek420]

Chris and Tim will have to wrestle one of those bikes away from you.

Since Macarthur's been redesigned and narrowed (grrrrrr) I'd ride outa the shop 1 block, take a left on Estudillo and head right uphill!! Have fun.

Does he have a Mondonico in your size ;-) I'd be interested in how you thought that compares with a 7.

[bikerz]

Is that like test riding a 14??

AG - I knew I could count on you to pick up on that!

The test bikes have standard triples and 11-27 cassettes. My only concern on the gearing is being able to get far enough up the hill on the test bikes to get a little descending experience too.

Jenxxs - thanks for the info - yes, I would be getting a full custom Seven, if we get that far, and if I feel I can justify the expense (my friend Scott, who's been after me for a year to get a Seven, said "just think about the miles you'll earn!")

Trek420 - Chris has a route for me to ride, and it does include that hill up Estudillo. I'll also see what else he has in the shop for me to try that is more or less my size, for comparison, if he has the time to do all that pedal changing and tweaking.

[DebW]

Melissam sent me a link to a site about test riding and they suggested climbing and descending, standing up on a climb, and riding on some rough roads, so I'll definitely do all these things.

For this test ride, you need to concentrate on the difference in frame feel and flexibility of the 2 Seven frames (one Ti, one steel). The fit will be customized later if you buy a Seven, so try not to dwell on how well one or the other frame fits you. Likewise the components will be customized for you, so try to ignore differences in components as you test ride. I used to test ride about a dozen bikes a day when I worked in a shop, so know how to ride for maximum stress on the machine (these were test rides after repair, to make sure the bike wouldn't break for the customer).

Drivetrain stiffness: The best way to test drivetrain stiffness is to pound as hard as you can up a hill in a gear as big as you can manage. This will flex the frame (mainly the chainstays) to its max (or to your max - a larger stronger person could flex it more). Do you feel like all of your power is going into forward propulsion? Does it feel snappy, like it responds immediately to pedal power? Part of the stiffness you feel will include any flex in the cranks as well, but most crankset these days are adequately stiff. (With old steel cranksets of the 70s, you could see them bend when you mashed the pedals hard.) Go up the hill as hard as you can and again with whatever gear/cadence would be normal for you. Generally stiffer is better here, but it needs to be balanced with the comfort of the overall ride.

Frame comfort: Here's the bumpy road test. Ride the bumps sitting, on hoods and on drops, and standing. Does it soak up the road shocks or transmit them directly to your hands, feet, and butt? Can you pedal over the bumps with minimal interference in your pedal stroke? Does road comfort come at the expense of drivetrain stiffness? Part of the shock absorption here comes from the wheelset, so try to ride both bikes with similar wheels if you can.

Descending: The bike should feel stable, you should be able to transfer weight to the front wheel, and the steering should be responsive - quick but not twitchy. Find out if the head angle, fork rake, and trail differ in the 2 bikes you test. That should affect the steering feel and then you'll have an idea of the geometry you want in your custom.

Remember that Seven will customize not just the frame angles, but the tubing, so they can dial in the stiffness and flex that you want for either a Ti or steel frame to some extent. Let us know how much difference you can feel.

[bikerz]

Wow Deb - thanks for all of this great info - I wasn't sure what I should be looking for with the frame material differences - this has been very helpful! I'm going to print it out and keep it in my jersey pocket!

It sounds like moving my current front wheel to each test bike would be a good thing to help isolate frame vs. wheel stiffness, right? I think moving the back wheel also would be too much of a pain.

Again thanks! I'll definitely report back.

[DebW]

It sounds like moving my current front wheel to each test bike would be a good thing to help isolate frame vs. wheel stiffness, right? I think moving the back wheel also would be too much of a pain.

Yes, moving your front wheel is a good idea. Hopefully the shop can set you up with rear wheels that have the same number of spokes for each bike. Or maybe they can transfer wheels from bike A to bike B when you test them.

[CyclChyk]

...geez. You can tell I'm new to the world of biking.... my first thought was "DAMN! I wish I was skinny enough to fit in a pair of Seven Jeans (the designer jeans)....

[Trek420]

that's ok CyclChyk, she means these

www.sevencycles.com

[CyclChyk]

Oh geezz....... You had to go and show me the bikes! I'm drooling so badly rght now my dogs are CONVINCED that I have a bone and I'm not sharing. My hubby is wondering what I am up to and the word/number "7" has taken on a whole new meaning.................

Giant?? Giant who....?????