How/Where to get a Test Ride High end Bikes Brisbane?

[yanjarra]

Hey Guys,

After racking up the km's on my 2009 Orbea Orca I am looking at making the jump to a nice shiny new high end roadie. Through extensive reading,talking and research I have narrowed it down to a handful of bikes. I feel I am at the stage now where to make the best decision I need to get a solid ride in on these bikes to form my decision. Most people advise when buying a bike to get a decent test ride and decide, but I have found that advice is not as easy to follow as it sounds -particularly with the higher end bikes. I have never been through the process having just had a 5minute stroll around a carpark on my last bike and feel I need a bit more decent time on the bikes I'm looking at for the amount of cash outlay.

What I have found so far in talking to a couple of dealers is (1) they either don't have the frame you are after in a demo model or (2) they are pretty reticent to allow you to do anything more than a fit or a quick ride around the local street. Now I undertsand it must be difficult for them to let someone they barely know take off with a $10k bike and that they would be pretty wary of window shoppers, but when someone is in my position and fair-dinkum, just how do i go about it?

Can anyone who has been through the process or know more about it share their ideas on here or via PM please? Any bike shops in particular that are well known to be good in this regard?

I guess at this stage it would be helfpful to list the bikes I am interested in:
1. Spesh Tarmac
2. Cervelo R5
3. Trek Emonda
4. BMC SLR01

So any advice on how to best go about organising a decent test on these in Brisbane would be great. Opinions on the bikes themselves also welcome, but I have probably read most the opinions out there already on these obviously.

Thanks
Matt

[jimh]

Does the Orbea fit you well ? If so get whatever is closest.

Keep an eye out for test ride days organised by the distributors.

Buy whatever they'll let you test / like / can get the best deal on - they are all good bikes

[yanjarra]

Orbrea did fit quite well. Ended up getting a decent ride in on the tarmacs and BMC. Got a 54cm SLR1 frame sitting on workstand now and waiting for componantry to come flooding in from all corners of the globe.