Australia - New Zealand - The Aussie thread. . . part cinq.

How hard or shoft a saddle is has little bearing on how comfortable you will find it. It is how it fits your body that is the key thing.

If you want a nice touring saddle then you really should consider the Brooks - there's a reason it is so popular on the long distance cycling forums.

MrM has a Brooks B17 narrow and loves it. It was comfortable straight out of the box, and being leather it does soften and mould to your shape. He used it on the GVBR and had no problems at all. If you get one, then follow the instructions that Brooks include with the saddle and don't listen to any silly old wives tales about how to condition your saddle.

So you're one of the Brooks sponsored riders as well? Where will it stop! :p

So you really think they're the go for wet weather over in NZ?

Come on saccy, it never rains here! At least not today anyway :p

On the saddle side of things, I couldn't be arsed mucking about with all the saddle conditioning bollocks you seem to have to do with the Brooks jobbies. Something maintenance free like a Flite or a Concor if you want a traditional shape might be best.

What about this one? No leather to condition, plenty of ventilation :p
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Images/Models/Full/7432.jpg

So you're one of the Brooks sponsored riders as well? Where will it stop! :p

So you really think they're the go for wet weather over in NZ? No I'm not, I ride MrM's old Specialized Milano (the 6 month old saddle he replaced with the Brooks).:p

I'm just saying you should consider it.

If you're sitting on the saddle, rain isn't an issue and when you get off the bike, wipe off any obvious moisture and stick a shower cap over it or something. If you decide to seriously consider a Brooks, PM me and I'll give you MrM's email address so you can benefit from his experience.

And 'vette, the conditioning bollocks takes no time at all ..... basically you apply the supplied leather conditioner daily for a couple of days, then infrequently thereafter. Only problem is, it is kinda slippery for the first week or so, with all that conditioner on board. The months to break it in malarkey is a load of cobblers basically perpetuated by people who don't understand leather.

lol. is that thing for real vette? :lol:



If you're sitting on the saddle, rain isn't an issue

What about all the water running between my butt cheeks? :p

Nah, I'd just love to have a sit on one to see what they're like. You never know until you sit on one.

yep, AKA the Tioga patented butt cheek grater

lol. I rekon that would be perfect for NZ. I want one!

If you're sitting on the saddle, rain isn't an issue and when you get off the bike, wipe off any obvious moisture and stick a shower cap over it or something.


well, it is, as most of the crap that affects your brooks saddle in the rain gets there from under the saddle, flung up by the back wheel. sure, your arse might be covering the saddle, but there is still water on top of the saddle between the bum and the leather.

and even if it's not raining, you still get a wet saddle from sweat. or don't any of you guys sweat when you ride?

leather conditioner, top AND BOTTOM of the saddle. wipe down and then dry the saddle naturally when you get home: don't use a hair dryer, and DON'T cover the saddle with a shower cap, it'll go mouldy if it doesn't dry. and if you can't get brooks saddle conditioner, there are plenty of other usable oils out there like Kiwi Mink Oil (not made from minks any more, i don't think):D

Kiwi Mink Oil (not made from minks any more, i don't think):D

nor from kiwis either :p

well, it is, as most of the crap that affects your brooks saddle in the rain gets there from under the saddle, flung up by the back wheel. sure, your arse might be covering the saddle, but there is still water on top of the saddle between the bum and the leather.

and even if it's not raining, you still get a wet saddle from sweat. or don't any of you guys sweat when you ride?

leather conditioner, top AND BOTTOM of the saddle. wipe down and then dry the saddle naturally when you get home: don't use a hair dryer, and DON'T cover the saddle with a shower cap, it'll go mouldy if it doesn't dry. and if you can't get brooks saddle conditioner, there are plenty of other usable oils out there like Kiwi Mink Oil (not made from minks any more, i don't think):D
Yes, all that is quite correct, I just didn't feel like reproducing the entire saddle care guidelines from Brooks especially given Saccy hasn't actually committed to buying one.

never read them myself. i do have a really old leather san marco, though, on my single speed.

lots more rain riding here in taipei than i ever did back in sydney.

Benched 300 for reps on the weekend.

Pretty happy with that.

Benched 300 for reps on the weekend.

Pretty happy with that.

But it's Valentine's Day in Oz, and here you are posting. My condolences. Or is she basking in the afterglow, so you slipped away for a quick post?

But it's Valentine's Day in Oz, and here you are posting. My condolences. Or is she basking in the afterglow, so you slipped away for a quick post?


Mate...just been relieved of $125 for 1 doz. roses. Reckon they saw me coming....


The cheese & kisses better appreciate I could've bought a Corsa CX with that!!!

Mate...just been relieved of $125 for 1 doz. roses. Reckon they saw me coming....


The cheese & kisses better appreciate I could've bought a Corsa CX with that!!!
You could have bought 5 truffle innoculated oak trees with that!

MrM and I have never gone in for Valentine's day .... we both prefer the spontaneous romantic gesture.

You could have bought 5 truffle innoculated oak trees with that!

MrM and I have never gone in for Valentine's day .... we both prefer the spontaneous romantic gesture.


Me too. Though I haven't bought my wife flowers for over 5 years so maybe I'm not very spontaneous.

Me too. Though I haven't bought my wife flowers for over 5 years so maybe I'm not very spontaneous.
Well I wouldn't do it now, you'll just look like you're cashing in on cheap post-Valentine's flowers. :p

How about you mark April 5th in your diary and buy the missus some flowers then? Ok, it's hardly spontaneous, but I think you need some help in this area. :rolleyes:

Well I wouldn't do it now, you'll just look like you're cashing in on cheap post-Valentine's flowers. :p

How about you mark April 5th in your diary and buy the missus some flowers then? Ok, it's hardly spontaneous, but I think you need some help in this area. :rolleyes:


We're going to Belgium for the weekend so I promised her lots of Belgian chocolates and beer.

We're going to Belgium for the weekend so I promised her lots of Belgian chocolates and beer.

Where in Belgium?

Where in Belgium?


Bruges for 2 nights and Brussels for 1.

Do you know any good bike shops there? I'm after some rollers and a Garmin Edge 305.

Not in Bruges or Brussels. I have to admit we only did a quick flit through Belgium. I did check out Plum Vanquier and Goodefroots when I stayed in Gent.

Plums was slightly disappointing, probably because I was expecting to be blown away as it was the shop back in the day. All the Aussies coming back from Europe would have swags of all the latest gear they'd brought in Plums. Still worth checking out if you can sneak off to Gent.

Walter Godefroots shop is friggin awesome. When I was there it was still the T Mobile service de course, so all the team cars and trucks were parked there. The old shop apparently used to be smack bang in the middle of Gent near the big tram station but its on the outskirts now, on the Kortrijk road IIRC. It was funny because our friends took us to the old location because they still thought it was in the city, even when I said I didn't think it was. :) Their mad keen cycling fan friend knew that it had moved.

I wouldn't have thought the prices in Belgium would be any better than Geoffrey Butlers or some of the other big London shops?

edit: http://www.fietsengodefroot.be/04.route.aspx

The Garmin goes for about £245 here but I've seen it on ebay new for £199.

$120 Aust difference. Thats a good pair of tyres.

Crikey, imagine just hopping in the car and driving to Frenchland or Belgiania in a few hours!
Where do we get in 3hrs? Bloody Bairnsdale? :p

Crikey, imagine just hopping in the car and driving to Frenchland or Belgiania in a few hours!
Where do we get in 3hrs? Bloody Bairnsdale? :p


Actually just jump on a train. 2 1/4 hours to Brussels.

After November it will be 1 3/4 hours as they will have completed the high speed train line then. It will be 2 1/4 hours to Paris then as well.

$120 Aust difference. Thats a good pair of tyres.


I've stopped converting into AUD. It's too painful.

Benched 300 for reps on the weekend.

Pretty happy with that.

Nice work! So I take it you don't have a hill-climbers physique at the moment??:D :p

I just rejoined the gym after a 3 year layoff & it feels good!! :)

yeah....now got to work on the rest of the 300-400-500

400lb squat

500lb dead

Mate...just been relieved of $125 for 1 doz. roses. Reckon they saw me coming....


The cheese & kisses better appreciate I could've bought a Corsa CX with that!!!

OUCH!! I spent $14 on 10 short stem roses & the wife was stoked coz it's only the 2nd time in 12 years I've got her flowers on Valentines Day - sweet!! :D :D

Squats & deadlifts...make pain your friend :eek:

Have you read the book "Muscle - Confessions of an Unlikely Bodybuilder", by Sam Fussell?

OUCH!! I spent $14 on 10 short stem roses & the wife was stoked coz it's only the 2nd time in 12 years I've got her flowers on Valentines Day - sweet!! :D :D

My missus got a card.:p

My missus got a card.:p

Yeah, but was it from you??:lol: :p

Mine got a card and chocolate. From me. And I hired a barbershop quartet to stop by tonight and sing to her. They'll bring another card and a rose.

Yeah, but was it from you??:lol: :p

Good question. She came home at 1am from a friends house and told me she'd been with a boyfriend. I just said 'poor bastard'.

Actually just jump on a train. 2 1/4 hours to Brussels.

After November it will be 1 3/4 hours as they will have completed the high speed train line then. It will be 2 1/4 hours to Paris then as well.that's just not fair! :( I might actually be into traveling if we had those opportunities.

jeez, with my knackered pec, dodgey shoulder and elbow, I was happy with my 90lb inclines the other day! :p

She came home at 1am from a friends house and told me she'd been with a boyfriend. I just said 'poor bastard'.
:roflmao: Class!!

that's just not fair! :( I might actually be into traveling if we had those opportunities.


The only drawback is having to live in England. I'd prefer to live in France.

Actually just jump on a train. 2 1/4 hours to Brussels.

After November it will be 1 3/4 hours as they will have completed the high speed train line then. It will be 2 1/4 hours to Paris then as well.

That sucks. It takes me bloody 2 hours on the so called express train to get the piddling 150km to Melbourne. Longer if you get on the one that stops at Bunyip, Garfield, Yarra-farkin-gon and Bumsex central and everywhere else.

FARK THIS COUNTRY IS BACKWARD.

That's coz ya live in the boonies classic!:p

Funny tho - I saw a news article in the paper yesterday that mentioned "Morwell, in sth western Victoria":rolleyes: So based on that sort of geography then it would take you a long time to go anywhere :)

Morwell. I dunno where people think all their farking power comes from when they turn on a light. All they bloody do is whinge that power generators make pollution - until the power goes out. Then they ***** about that and scream for another power station. Farkin city and trendoid-suburb-centric heads up their arse lazy journos. There was one columnist in the Age a few years back who referred to the 'fictional Fountain Gate Shopping Centre' when reviewing a Kath and Kim episode. Dumbarse.

Been on Melbournes 1930's rail network lately? I dead set found it easier (and cleaner and better maintained) to use the Metros in Paris, Madrid and Rome - including their automated ticket systems - than the one in Melbourne. This is especially bad, as I learnt all my french off pepe le peu cartoons, my spanish off speedy gonzalez and my Italian off papa giuseppe and dolmio spaghetti sauce ads.

Mind you, the railway staff in Paris, Madrid and Rome speak better English than the ones in Melbourne. I dont speak urdu or punjabi at all due to the poor quality of animation to come out of the sub-continent.

Funny tho - I saw a news article in the paper yesterday that mentioned "Morwell, in sth western Victoria":rolleyes: So based on that sort of geography then it would take you a long time to go anywhere :)

lol. I just saw the article. The neighbours daughter witnessed that incident where the druggie knocked over the chemist. He was telling me last night. His daughter was driving past when the idiot came running out of the shop.:D

I'd hit it.

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/02/15/1171405334373.html?from=top5

Morwell. I dunno....rant rant...

Pisser!!

I'd hit it.

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/02/15/1171405334373.html?from=top5

Yep +1

I'd hit it.

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/02/15/1171405334373.html?from=top5

I like big butts I cannot lie.

Been on Melbournes 1930's rail network lately? I dead set found it easier (and cleaner and better maintained) to use the Metros in Paris, Madrid and Rome - including their automated ticket systems - than the one in Melbourne. This is especially bad, as I learnt all my french off pepe le peu cartoons, my spanish off speedy gonzalez and my Italian off papa giuseppe and dolmio spaghetti sauce ads.

Mind you, the railway staff in Paris, Madrid and Rome speak better English than the ones in Melbourne. I dont speak urdu or punjabi at all due to the poor quality of animation to come out of the sub-continent.
You should try the Sydney rail system. :( Was in Melbourne for the post-Christmas sales and thought I'd died and gone to heaven - riding the Melbourne train and tram system was a joy compared to the debacle that is Sydney public transport.

Yeah, but Sydney sucks. We keep trying to tell you Northerners but you wont believe us

Yeah, but Sydney sucks. We keep trying to tell you Northerners but you wont believe us
Yeah I know Sydney sucks, spending a few days in Melbourne reminded me of that fact (BTW, I'm a transplanted Southerner)

Just scooted down to Bike Now in my lunchbreak......it's about 40 degrees outside, BTW.

Last year's T-Mobile Giants have had the guts cut out of them. I reckon if you sounded a bit keen, they'd get another haircut.

I guess that's why 35% of Beach Roadians ride Giants; they're good value

last year's look HEAPS better than the new ones.