Quote Originally Posted by Ana View Post
  1. The bike staff should ask you questions about the type and frequency of riding you will be doing to determine the best bike for you. They should be happy to answer your "newbie" questions and not be condescending or make you feel stupid Nice staff will delight in your interest in bikes rather in your lack of knowledge.
  2. The seat height should be adjusted for you to test ride it.
  3. A good bike shop will offer to order you the size that will fit you best if they do not have it in stock instead of pushing their floor models on you.
  4. A good LBS willl fit the bike to you when you purchase it: this means checking handlebar width, saddle position (or even better, a saddle swap), stem swap, etc.
  5. A good LBS will tell you the best time to bring your bicycle in for it's "break in" tune up (should be free!)
  6. A good LBS will so also help you with fit issues a week up to a month after your purchase to ensure your bicycle is fitting you in the best way possible.


...and that is what I will be looking for when I can afford to purchase a new bike!
- A REALLY good bike shop will tweak your bike for fit issues beyond a month.
- A REALLY good bike shop will also do a mini-fitting before a test ride.

At the start of summer, I got my first drop-bar bike. My body has been adjusting to the new position the more I ride. The owner of my LBS actually has encouraged me to just keeping coming in if I have issues or if things need to be adjusted as I get more used to cycling. Right now, my bike is set up so that I ride in a fairly upright position (for a drop-bar bike). As my body gets into better shape, they have offered to swap out the stem for a more aggressive riding position. I know they mean this because they've tweaked a few things for me over the summer as I've taken longer rides and noticed different issues.