BigFooty Bike Store (Bike Advice)

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blue gunslinger said:
oh surgeons know crap
they want to fuse my ankles
they have no idea
pain can be overcome
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Sounds like the cycle was far more eventful than planned.

How did you go in it? I had quite a few friends that finished anywhere between podium in AG, to just making it before the cut-off, but all finished and were generally happy with results considering training they did.

I like what you think about going on regardless of the medical advice. It's something I'm always wanting to work on, but need to balance that with time off when needed.
 
phantom13 said:
Car/Bike crash on an IM course? Did you see it? How in the hell does that happen?
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local resident in a ute doing 70km/h even though was supposed to be 5 clipped a rider and did a hit and run
how
people are pathetic
 
Andronicus said:
Sounds like the cycle was far more eventful than planned.

How did you go in it? I had quite a few friends that finished anywhere between podium in AG, to just making it before the cut-off, but all finished and were generally happy with results considering training they did.

I like what you think about going on regardless of the medical advice. It's something I'm always wanting to work on, but need to balance that with time off when needed.
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I had an OK day as it is really a lead in race to IM Cairns and IM Busso Dec
Issues with swim technique
Issue with chain falling off
Issues with a shoulder pain while on aero bars
Issue with being fat and slow on the run
So day went OK wife smashed me as she is in fine form
Great race in a great place with great conditions great volunteers run well
 

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blue gunslinger said:
local resident in a ute doing 70km/h even though was supposed to be 5 clipped a rider and did a hit and run
how
people are pathetic
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Disgraceful. Did anyone get rego? I sincerely hope he gets caught and punished, the attitude from some motorists towards hitting a cyclists is beyond disgraceful. Do you know if the cyclist is okay?
 
Search is out for driver - last I heard he was discharged from hospital next morning but female was still in plus 6 others
 
Eagle Empire said:
Steel-framed vintage bicycles mass-manufactured in Australia (eg. Malvern Star) are usually of low quality.

A beginner would be advised to buy an inexpensive and brand new frame such as a Mercier Kilo TT ($350 for the frameset). Reputable vintage framesets are usually very expensive.
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For $350 you can get a very nice vintage bike that will actually hold its value in the long term market. A beginer would be better to buy an uncomplicated bike that won't s**t the tin after 5 years.
 
Gus Poyet said:
For $350 you can get a very nice vintage bike that will actually hold its value in the long term market. A beginer would be better to buy an uncomplicated bike that won't s**t the tin after 5 years.
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Without wanting to sound like an idiot here, where can you get a "very nice vintage bike" thats ready to ride for $350? Converting my vintage shogun into a fixie cost me nearly $300 in parts and i already had the frame, go to some refurb places in the city and they will set you back $1000 for a vintage, even the Reid bikes (which have been discussed alot here) are $300.
 
phantom13 said:
Without wanting to sound like an idiot here, where can you get a "very nice vintage bike" thats ready to ride for $350? Converting my vintage shogun into a fixie cost me nearly $300 in parts and i already had the frame, go to some refurb places in the city and they will set you back $1000 for a vintage, even the Reid bikes (which have been discussed alot here) are $300.
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You can pick up really nice Repcos, Apollos, Raleighs, Centurions, Europas etc for well under $350 ready to ride.

To me though they are retro bikes.

The vintage bikes predate the 80's and often turn up in decent condition and jsut need a good service and a bit of a cosmetic touch up.

I've got a shed full of (35+) vintage bikes, the newest being a late 1950's Hartley.

I've not spent more than $150 on any bike I own nor more than $200 getting it back to perfect mechanical condition.

And some of those old bikes run as smooth as a new bike would, except they don't lose their value like a new bike does.
 
Gus Poyet said:
You can pick up really nice Repcos, Apollos, Raleighs, Centurions, Europas etc for well under $350 ready to ride.

To me though they are retro bikes.

The vintage bikes predate the 80's and often turn up in decent condition and jsut need a good service and a bit of a cosmetic touch up.

I've got a shed full of (35+) vintage bikes, the newest being a late 1950's Hartley.

I've not spent more than $150 on any bike I own nor more than $200 getting it back to perfect mechanical condition.

And some of those old bikes run as smooth as a new bike would, except they don't lose their value like a new bike does.
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Fair enough, im tipping if you took those to the right place and had a store you would turn a solid profit on everyone of them. Not doubting you but you would be the only person i have ever heard say that, especially in Melbourne.
 
phantom13 said:
Fair enough, im tipping if you took those to the right place and had a store you would turn a solid profit on everyone of them. Not doubting you but you would be the only person i have ever heard say that, especially in Melbourne.
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Knowledge is everything my friend.

You just have to know what you are looking for.
 
"Ready to ride" is the key here. It means different things to different people.

I ride retro steel and vintage. It's fun if you have time on your hands and can do your own maintenance. But finding cheap quality replacement parts and information can be a little difficult particularly for first timers. It can be cheap if you can DIY, but very expensive if you have to pay bike shops to do labour on your projects.

And if your ride objectives include keeping up with your mates on their new carbon frames in group rides - forget it.

If someone wanted to test see if they liked cycling I'd tell them to go to garage sales, tips or ask to borrow someone's old bike. If they wanted to buy something cheap and they weren't hands on I'd send them to Reid before I'd tell them to buy a vintage bike. Plus look at used modern bikes - an upside of new bikes losing their value so fast is that you can buy pretty good bikes 2nd or 3rd hand as starters.

A bike only loses value if you plan to sell it. Instead source bikes with the intention of riding them - a lot.
 
Hey guys,

I'm looking to invest in my first road bike. Something entry-level and preferably not too expensive (<$1000). I'm interested in potentially buying a second hand bike as it would be cheaper than retail but not entirely sure what I should be looking for when checking a bike out. Secondly, I also don't know what size bike I would need and that creates complications when searching for 2nd hand bikes. Are bike stores able to do fittings for you but not be expecting you to buy a bike?

I saw this bike and thought it was very reasonable in price. Just wondering what others thoughts are on the bike and whether or not its worth it as an entry level bike.
http://www.reidcycles.com.au/bicycles/flat-bar-road-bikes/2013-reid-osprey-flat-bar-road-bike.html
Thanks, James
 
James_Blues said:
Hey guys,

I'm looking to invest in my first road bike. Something entry-level and preferably not too expensive (<$1000). I'm interested in potentially buying a second hand bike as it would be cheaper than retail but not entirely sure what I should be looking for when checking a bike out. Secondly, I also don't know what size bike I would need and that creates complications when searching for 2nd hand bikes. Are bike stores able to do fittings for you but not be expecting you to buy a bike?

I saw this bike and thought it was very reasonable in price. Just wondering what others thoughts are on the bike and whether or not its worth it as an entry level bike.
http://www.reidcycles.com.au/bicycles/flat-bar-road-bikes/2013-reid-osprey-flat-bar-road-bike.html
Thanks, James
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Most bike stores would do a fit for you. Even a simple one to measure you up. How tall are you?

That bike is a flat bar so is not your traditional road bike - more a hybrid. What do you intend to do withyour riding? commute? fitness? hills etc?
 

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James_Blues said:
Hey guys,

I'm looking to invest in my first road bike. Something entry-level and preferably not too expensive (<$1000). I'm interested in potentially buying a second hand bike as it would be cheaper than retail but not entirely sure what I should be looking for when checking a bike out. Secondly, I also don't know what size bike I would need and that creates complications when searching for 2nd hand bikes. Are bike stores able to do fittings for you but not be expecting you to buy a bike?

I saw this bike and thought it was very reasonable in price. Just wondering what others thoughts are on the bike and whether or not its worth it as an entry level bike.
http://www.reidcycles.com.au/bicycles/flat-bar-road-bikes/2013-reid-osprey-flat-bar-road-bike.html
Thanks, James
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Entry level is OK but you need to detail what type of riding you want to do or might end up doing.

For example:
- commuting, getting fit, getting around, touring, racing, community rides,
- riding on your own or with friends,
- what surfaces will you be riding on,
- what regions and terrain - city or country, flat or hilly.
- do you want to cruise around and enjoy the view or go fast and get sweaty,
- what type of bikes and riding have you done before,
- do you have access to secure weatherproof storage - at home and at destinations?.

Sizing is important, proper bike shops will give you advice on fit and let you ride different bike/sizes. Reid will let you ride that bike in your size, plus they will have other types of bikes to try. There won't be much pressure to buy anything, just tell them theirs is first shop you've been to and you don't really know what you want and you want to look at a range of different bike options and aren't ready to decide yet.
 
Saladin sucks said:
Entry level is OK but you need to detail what type of riding you want to do or might end up doing.

For example:
- commuting, getting fit, getting around, touring, racing, community rides,
- riding on your own or with friends,
- what surfaces will you be riding on,
- what regions and terrain - city or country, flat or hilly.
- do you want to cruise around and enjoy the view or go fast and get sweaty,
- what type of bikes and riding have you done before,
- do you have access to secure weatherproof storage - at home and at destinations?.

Sizing is important, proper bike shops will give you advice on fit and let you ride different bike/sizes. Reid will let you ride that bike in your size, plus they will have other types of bikes to try. There won't be much pressure to buy anything, just tell them theirs is first shop you've been to and you don't really know what you want and you want to look at a range of different bike options and aren't ready to decide yet.
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It's mostly because I want to ride more for recreational/fitness purposes and my current bike is just slow in comparison to my friend who has a road bike. For example I'll be riding full pelt and he'll be taking it easy and still be much faster than I am, very frustrating at times haha. I'd mostly be riding on roads/bike paths and mostly within Melbourne so pretty flat areas but definitely interested in riding out of Melbourne as well. My bike riding experience has mostly been limited to a mountain bike and hybrid which is my current bike just commuting around Melbourne. I do have access to secure weatherproof storage at home.

Ok great, I'll go and check out Reid cycles in the next set of holidays. Thanks for the help!
 
James_Blues said:
It's mostly because I want to ride more for recreational/fitness purposes and my current bike is just slow in comparison to my friend who has a road bike. For example I'll be riding full pelt and he'll be taking it easy and still be much faster than I am, very frustrating at times haha. I'd mostly be riding on roads/bike paths and mostly within Melbourne so pretty flat areas but definitely interested in riding out of Melbourne as well. My bike riding experience has mostly been limited to a mountain bike and hybrid which is my current bike just commuting around Melbourne. I do have access to secure weatherproof storage at home.

Ok great, I'll go and check out Reid cycles in the next set of holidays. Thanks for the help!
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No worries. Just out of interest what type of road bike does your mate have? If you provide the brand, model, or materials (steel, aluminium, carbon?) we can advise what you need to smoke his butt.

Have a look at Reid to get your size - their bikes are a bit heavy but it isn't such a big deal if you aren't climbing lots of hills and for your budget you won't get a new bike that is much lighter. The bike you posted only has toe clip pedals. I'd also suggest you allow in your budget (or plan soon) to get some click-in pedals and spd cleat riding shoes. They will make you go faster and improve endurance on long rides.

Since you've been riding a hybrid, when they do the road bike fitting in the shop you will feel quite stretched forward and unstable. But that is just because bike is stationary. Once you get riding it will feel fine. The more you ride, the more you will want to bend forward and get your shoulders lower.

Once you get your size have a look at second hand stuff, you might get lucky and find a much better bike for similar money. They do come on the market, but often not when you might be looking.

Also if you are talking about next school holidays you might start running in to new season's bike models which will be full price. Bikes are a bit cheaper now and there are sales because it's the end of season.
 
Saladin sucks said:
No worries. Just out of interest what type of road bike does your mate have? If you provide the brand, model, or materials (steel, aluminium, carbon?) we can advise what you need to smoke his butt.

Have a look at Reid to get your size - their bikes are a bit heavy but it isn't such a big deal if you aren't climbing lots of hills and for your budget you won't get a new bike that is much lighter. The bike you posted only has toe clip pedals. I'd also suggest you allow in your budget (or plan soon) to get some click-in pedals and spd cleat riding shoes. They will make you go faster and improve endurance on long rides.

Since you've been riding a hybrid, when they do the road bike fitting in the shop you will feel quite stretched forward and unstable. But that is just because bike is stationary. Once you get riding it will feel fine. The more you ride, the more you will want to bend forward and get your shoulders lower.

Once you get your size have a look at second hand stuff, you might get lucky and find a much better bike for similar money. They do come on the market, but often not when you might be looking.

Also if you are talking about next school holidays you might start running in to new season's bike models which will be full price. Bikes are a bit cheaper now and there are sales because it's the end of season.
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Not entirely sure, I'll ask him and get back to you. I have a feeling its an aluminium frame.

Are click in pedals able to be bought afterwards and attached? They were something I definitely was interested in using as well.

I have exams coming up which is why I don't quite have time to do a massive amount of research into it at the moment but uni holidays are starting at the end of June. So hopefully that will be before the sales.

Thanks mate, really appreciate the response!
 
James_Blues said:
Not entirely sure, I'll ask him and get back to you. I have a feeling its an aluminium frame.

Are click in pedals able to be bought afterwards and attached? They were something I definitely was interested in using as well.

I have exams coming up which is why I don't quite have time to do a massive amount of research into it at the moment but uni holidays are starting at the end of June. So hopefully that will be before the sales.

Thanks mate, really appreciate the response!
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You can definitely buy them and fit them (yourself if you want, probably the easiest thing to fit on a bike) after you purchase the bike. Most bikes (at the higher end of the cost scale) come with no pedals.

Anyway i came in here to offer some advice, if you are in Sydney, head to Rapha in Surrey Hills. I just got back from a trip and went in, that stuff and that store are fantastic, first time i have felt spending silly amounts of money on bike clothing was worth it.
 
Anybody ever suffered shoulder troubles on aero bars? Anyway bike builder has tweaked my posi . 1 decent test ride before the rolling hills of Cairns on race day. Apparently I relaxed too much and the shoulder rolled out straining the pec attachment superspinatis and bursa
 
Picked up my new rig today!
1Nenmfz.jpg
 
phantom13 said:
You can definitely buy them and fit them (yourself if you want, probably the easiest thing to fit on a bike) after you purchase the bike. Most bikes (at the higher end of the cost scale) come with no pedals.

Anyway i came in here to offer some advice, if you are in Sydney, head to Rapha in Surrey Hills. I just got back from a trip and went in, that stuff and that store are fantastic, first time i have felt spending silly amounts of money on bike clothing was worth it.
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Ah great, so with the bike I posted above (the Reid Osprey Elite), I should be able to buy clipless pedals with it and get them fitted on?

Cheers mate but I'm not in Sydney. I'll have a bigger look round the stores in Melbourne when I get the chance.
 
James_Blues said:
Ah great, so with the bike I posted above (the Reid Osprey Elite), I should be able to buy clipless pedals with it and get them fitted on?

Cheers mate but I'm not in Sydney. I'll have a bigger look round the stores in Melbourne when I get the chance.
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Yes. Pedal thread is standard on almost every bike. So you can buy pedals and just screw them in. You can even get pedals with cleat on one side and platform on other so it is still easy to ride for short distances without worrying about putting on your cleated shoes.

The main thing is to match your shoes to your pedals. You will probably find shoes and pedals cheaper on net than at Reid. Also suggest you work out what sort of shoes you want first, and how much you want to pay as bike shoes can be pretty expensive. Maybe read this article ...
http://wheelworld.com/articles/buyers-guide-to-clipless-pedals-and-cycling-shoes-pg194.htm
Then get pedals to match the shoes.
 
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