My impression of Omara is that they're a bit expensive. You shoulda popped into "my" shop, Bicycle Recycle, 672a South Rd., Moorabbin. They sell mostly 2nd hand stuff. They've got some great bikes there. The price tags are a bit above what you'd find in the Trading Post, but i'm sure they'd move on the older models.

What size are ya? What's your inseam and height?

what is the approx raceable lifespan on an alu frame anyways? 3 years? 5 years? more?

looking to the future as one has to when on combined finances, would a better plan of attack be to keep up to date and everythng servicable on a current bike then upgrade the frame when its had it, or just leave the current bike as is then buy a complete new rig when it packes it in?

personal thought puts the road bike up for replacement in 4 or so years, the mtb in about 4 - 5 years as well.

I agree jock, but in the last few months this thing has become so mushy... I've beaten guys on Madones and been beaten by guys on old steel.
3-4K might as well be 30-40K at the moment. The main problems I'm having are with the frame and wheels. Everything else works like a charm.

Oz, I was at Omara's cos they gave me a set of leg warmers fer 1st place on Sat but were the wrong size... never been there before.
I'm 5'11"ish 85cm inseam.
I just need something stiff between me legs.

My current plan is to buy cheapish aluminium frames (I've never bought a complete bike), and replace if necessary. I scrounge around for bargains, such as trade-ins, or whatever. I don't see the point (unless you're rich ) of spending big $$$ on aluminium if the rider is over 80kg, and the bike is just gunna be raced, thrashed and mashed. These guys spending $3000+ on alu Italian imports is rediculous, unless they're only "Sunday" bikes. I busted a Specialized Allez Comp and a crap Evolution in under 2 years, but my cheap 2 Dedacciai 7003 Taiwanese frames I bought of Kennedy are still going good after 3 years. I'll be amazed if I ever get more than 4 years out of an alu frame -- I'm too much of a masher

When the subject on breaking alu comes up on other threads on this forum, we hear cries of "oh, it's a myth", and this is backed by plenty of proud alu owners, but this leads me to think that 90% of people on this forum never race and never get off the saddle to mash! If the subject of breaking alu is brought up at a club race-meet, it's a completely different situation; everybody has a story! If aluminium is mashed, it's highly likely to eventually break.

if its the frame thats squish you always just buy a frame *insert plug for thy frames here* and just transfer everything across. Also there is usually a few good frames on ebay regularly
eg
large giant tcr frame

or

XL cinelli frame

i have nfi how stiff they are though

ha!! I have the Proxima, and I really like it. I got the frame-set brand new for $800!! Mainly coz is was 'old stock' at the importer (Bike Sportz were pissing them off), and the shop thought the BB thread was stuffed, but I cleaned it out by hand with an awl and a an old, steel bottom bracket.

why not just get a nice steel or ti frame that will outlast many alu/carbon frames in it's life ?

I can flex our tandem like you wouldn't believe. But I'm a big boy.

On a totally different note, it seems like I was able to get better deals on parts in the US when I lived in Oz. Go figure.

hey I was pointing out that maybe buying a frame may be a solution. And that decent frames can probably be had from ebay. I also threw in a plug for thy, so it aint all bad

Because when you were in Aus they could rort you on shipping maybe?

kott3r, i agree with you, just make it a good frame that will last a long time.

move back

ooops!!! I was thinking of the older Shimano wheels; the 540s

MAN, you wanna stiff rear wheel? Just get any old 30mm deep, 32 hole rim, such as an old Mavic CXP30, or a Velocity Deep V. They'd be heavier than your Shimanos, but I also bet the Mavic disc that Theo Bos cranks up to over 70kmh is heavier than the Shimanos! Sprinting speed is about stiffness, then aero, not weight. A couple of years ago, Robbie McEwen was using some 28-spoke things that were tied and soldered!!

I also had some 32-hole CXP33s that I thought were stiff enough.

John Kennedy is a big fan of the Campag wheel-sets.

Yeah. Did I mention we just bought a house? Or that my freight alone was something like $7k? I can't afford to move again.

so excuse my ignorance, but from what your saying steel is not affected by hard use like Alu is?

I think the wheels are just a bit flexy... (oi! where'd yer post go?) be nice to try something like Mavics. I don't think I overload the front when I'm sprinting... I'm an ex BMX racer - when I sprint, I tend to lift the front wheel orf the deck a bit. Probably bad road technique but that's just how I do it.

it's not measured in years but in units of thrash which are crank revolutions x pedal force applied. typical Al frame can only take a small amount of thrashing compared to other 'noble' material which can handle huge thrashing loads. there are tales of some well crafted steel frames surviving a severe beating (10E0 thrash).

After 25000km (2 years) my Al training bike frame is getting floppy around the BB. Replacement cost? ~$400. That's cheap considering it costs me over $300 every 3 months to replace the chainset and another $120-150 in tyres and tubes.

I gonna do that on my track bike. Just can't figure out how to do it on the radially spoked front wheel

without getting in to cheap crap versus well built etc., on my anecdotal eveidence, steel frames last, alu seems to fall apart and break too easy. Steel can be repaired, alu cannot etc...

hmm looks like steel is the way to go then. how doesit go for weight? obviously its not going to be CF light, but i have never really trusted CF anyways.

most of your weight savings can be made elsewhere. you can make good weight savings on groupo, WHEELS, tyres n tubes, saddle, but be prepared to mortgage the house.

Looks like I will be in for the Dirtworks.
No riding for last 3 weeks and avg 3hrs sleep a night = I'm gonna be in a world of pain. Think I will put my lights onQ

have fun! apparantly the course is a lot hillier than last years.

Preparation? I've only got 3 more sleeps until the big one were I've got to perform (in the sack).

It's not freaking out about the race that keeps me up. It's freaking out about not being able to get to sleep. It's a self fulfulling prophecy. Stress out about stress stopping me from sleeping and I don't sleep which makes me stress more. Finally about 4am I'm stressed out enough that I pass out only to have to wake up at 4:30 and drive (I'm staying at windsor) the rest of the way up for the race.

Aussie thread might work though.

Hrm. Maybe if I get myself up at 5am the morning before I'll be rooted enough to go to bed at a reasonable hour?

And those big brother sheila's are enough to keep anyone awake. Damn Big Bro up late. You been watching it this year? If there's not enough there to give you an itch then you should be watching David more.

Good work. You'll be right. 3 weeks off'll freshen you right up (ignores the no sleep bit).

Did anyone do the dirtworks last year?