Navigating the waters of buying a new bike

[Becky]

I'm 5'4 and have had to purchase most of my bikes sight unseen. It's been a gamble for sure.

This. I'm also 5'4" and didn't get to test ride any of my current bikes, although I was able to ride similar models for a couple of them. Mostly, I've just compared the geometry of the new bike to that of my other bikes, and ordered accordingly.