Bike Test Rides - what should they include?

I am in the process of adjusting my bike after getting a fitting. The bike shop owner is great and wants me to try a ridgid frame as I have a softride which is a beam bike. He and my coach both agree you can lose power as yourseat height varies as the boom moves.

He has a demo bike he'll adjust to fit me and let me take it for a few days to see what I think. For me that is stage one in getting a new bike, that the geometry and adjustments work for me. From there he would recommend a bike that matches up well to my body and my budget.

First shop I went to a couple of years ago, measured me, then set up a time to come back and test ride a couple bikes. They had adjusted bikes I was to test ride to me by changing the stem and a number of other things so it was fit to me. Honestly I think any bike there would have felt great since they just didn't set it up and adjust the seat.  Other shops just take them off the floor and adjust the seat. It is harder to compare a bike from that shop to one that sets it up for you and your body.

Some bike shops let you take the bike to your favorite ride and go for a long ride or the distance of your choice. I don't like test riding bikes in areas I am not familar with. This one shop is on a super busy street so they sugget riding on this other road but to get there is all uphill for a long while.

I would want to ride maybe 20-30 miles once I narrowed it down to a bike or two or a typical ride, go on normal terrain for me...in doing that I would go through the gears, get a feel for the handling, but most importantly know how my body feels on it. If your current bike doesn't fit you well, test riding bikes may feel weird since it is so different than your current bike's set up.

I look forward to hearing from experts out there.

 Happy Road Testing!

FWIW, I agree with the Bikesport artcile above.  I know many here recommend test riding a bike, but I don't think you can really tell a difference in a short test ride (even 20-30mi is "short in my view) unless the fit is horrible.  And if the fitter is doing his/her job, this simply won't be the case.

So this means for me that I find a shop I trust up front to get me on the right frame size and then will continue to work with me to make sure the fit is dialed in right.  I don't think a test ride provides any real value-added feedback.