Can you comfortably come off the seat onto the top tube - in a hurry - and not tag your 'nads?
If so, does it matter if it fits *perfectly* and the price is right?
I've always been more comfortable on bikes that are theoretically to big for me. The 1200's top tube is going to be the limiting factor - it's parallel to the ground.
I'll do that. I've never really test ridden a road bike before. What would you more advanced riders suggest I look for in a test. This is from a friend trying to clean out a garage of some old stuff her ex left behind (why the bike got left is beyond me...), not a dealer or a used bike salesman or something like that.
