Isn’t that the whole point of direct consumer sales vs local bike shops?
If you want to save a buck, opt for direct consumer sales with the pros and cons of doing so. Otherwise find a LBS and test one of their bikes.
I know some of the direct consumer brands actually have road-shows and try to attend events to give us the opportunity to try their bikes. Asking them to open local sales offices in each market would be very expensive and would most certainly be reflected on the price.
Saying they don’t deserve the sales sounds a bit harsh. We are spending a lot of money here as consumers, maybe we need to put in some effort into our purchase, no?
I don’t have endless possibilities of testing all brands where I live. I’d say no one does.