Even people who know me well, ostensibly friends, who seek out my advice as an “expert” in my field, make a regular practice of ignoring what I’ve told them, so don’t bat an eyelash of any of the following strikes you as wrong.
Buy your dream bike. It doesn’t matter if you already have your dream bike. Buy another one. I have a dream road bike. I have a dream mountain bike. See. Two dreams. Life is short and filled with responsibilities. Being able to ride a bike that is perfect for you and facilitates the best possible rides is an investment you should make at the earliest possible opportunity.
Don’t buy the wrong bike just because it’s a “good deal.” The wrong bike can actually never be a good deal. I’ve had friends who bought a size large or small, because it was cheaper than their size. I’ve seen people buy sale bikes just for the components, which they strip off, put in a bin and then…nothing. Maybe they sell the frame online. Maybe they hang it on the wall. All of this activity is distraction from acquiring the dream bike (see above).
Do buy a bike you can see having a relationship with. It’s not unlike dating. You have a pretty good sense, from the jump, whether there’s a relationship in the offing. It’s another reason I eschew buying bikes online. That’s a blind date, with all the same potential for long term success.
And so, do buy a bike you’ve ridden or been fitted to. There are things a geometry chart can’t tell you, assuming you know enough to look at a table of numbers and know real things about a bike. So much about bike sizing is focused on fit, and not enough is focused on handling. A bike that fits like a glove and handles like a dog sled is not the bike you’re looking for.
Do consider a custom bike, if only because they don’t cost more than non-custom bikes anymore. Sometimes.
I spent the weekend cleaning out my basement and garage. Old hockey skates. A genuine Stetson. A glue gun, still in its packaging. Windshield wipers that didn’t fit my car. We (or I anyway) have wasted a lot of money on the wrong thing.
Don’t let a bike be one of them.