4k will get you a frame, fork and headset in anything but the most exotic construction methods

Steel? Yep.
Scandium? Yep.
Ti? Almost. F,F & HS about 4200.
953? Yep.

I agree with you Odin. I can't tell the difference between carbon seatstays and Aluminium ones, I think they're pretty much a waste of time. The best thing about them though is that they save about 100g, and you only have to do one weld instead of 6, plus you can charge more for doing less work! :D

hmm never really had a problem there myself... have at plenty of other places :: cough:: Blackmans :: cough :: got my cannondale there for much less than retail, and ironicly they are the only ppl ill take my bike to for servicing (things that im not game to touch myself like wheel truing and headsets...) . horses for courses eh?

It's all TOO FARKIN MUCH, especially for steel or aluminium!! :p

I even reckon I paid too much for the Cervelo frame-set ($1700), and that's made in Taiwan. My Columbus Zonal alu was $800, my 531 Raleigh was $529 (in 1992), and my Kennedy Taiwanese Dedacciai 7003 (Norco? :)), was $400, which goes faster that ALL the carbon I've ever seen on Beach Rd, or is that just my big arse making it go fast :p:D

As Thylo said, retail IS for suckers. If you don't 'know' anyone is the biz, just go for the bargains, or haggle the crap out of someone with cash.

that shop at the top of Hampton St., just down from South Rd (a few doors down from Blockbuster), is selling some Cervelo and Look frame-sets for around $3000.


what else?.......ummm.....oh yeah, ACR (cnr Toorak Rd and Burwood Hwy) have at least 25 De Rosa alu frames that they can't sell. They're going for reasonable prices, for De Rosas (eg, approx $1700 for a De Rosa Vision, and ~$1400 for a De Rosa Vega), but I still reckon that's too much.


Kennedy does custom alu Columbus Zonal frames for ~$1300

Damn, I coulda started a "Help me pull the trigger" thread? ;)

SWMBO let me buy the carbon one. $4700 down to $3000

http://www2.trekbikes.com/images/bik...anthracite.jpg

how old is it?

and.....I've forgotton: Ultegra or 'Dura-Aces'

2006
Ultegra 10
It's a coupla months old.

It's not very lairy - which I like, but damn it's slick to ride.

Dun look nice. So what happened? Too much drugs 'n' alcohol? Little old lady? Road rage?

oh, brand new (pretty much). Yeah, that's pretty good....for Carbon :).

A 10sp Ultegra group-set is $1200 at Cecil Walker (probably the cheapest, unless you're one of Thylo's mates :p), so, you're getting the frame, wheels, etc, etc for $1800. That's a good price for that frame.

http://www.cecilwalker.com.au/category283_1.htm

I'm just going to have to go in tomorrow with an iron will and a steely resolve and hope to either walk out with an aluminium bike I'm happy with, a steel one I'm really happy with or no bike at all - despite the discounting.

If I am not crowing about a new bike here tomorrow, I will PM you for that number, pshaw, and possibly try Turramurra too. The other place that seems to definitely stock Tourmalets is a store just opposite Woy Woy station, which wouldn't be a bad train trip.

I am not compelled to buy Lemond, but at the moment admire their looks more than others in the $1500-$2500 range, and figure that one of my main motivations to ride won't simply be having a well fitted bike, but one that looks good. I'm not expecting a 'realistic' ride on a trainer, but I figure at least that would make sure the fit is pretty okay, and I'm just not experienced enough with road biking to work out from trainer or test ride whether the bike will really suit me more than any other anyway...

If I wasn't shopping for a Lemond, they seem to have Trek F5Cs in my frame size up at the Woy Woy place for less than $2000, so that might be my next stop.

South Australian tourist, traffic lights, eating station wagon, teeth through lip, neck x-rays. All the usual fun and games. Very lucky not to do any serious damage to me :o

Maxim, don't go there! Badsac is still having nightmares about that place :)

Ouch. Sounds like it could turn out to be an expensive holiday for someone then Dave

John Kennedy. He has one of those bike shops near the Black Rock clock tower on Beach Rd. Former track sprinter, and former world record holder for the outdoor, professional flying 200m (1990).

He's best know for his bike fitting, which can cost 200 bucks, then gets custom frames built to order from a guy named Kevin Wigham (Paconi). He's a big fan on aluminium, and hates shorts chain-stays :). Big (6ft4"), and can be imposing and intimidating, so it's sometimes easy to find yourself believing EVERYTHING he says. :)

hey Thylacine I just read that thread with ABH in it.
Nice work on pointing out where he is wrong. I have no tolerance for people like that. You are right as well. Its amazing how perceptions change over time. The Jap Crap is now some of the best built stuff in the world. I guess a lot of perception of Japanese stuff came from WWII. I know I wouldnt buy stuff from a country that we had a war with like that. Dad tells me about when he was growing up in a country town (in the Hunter Valley so its not totally red neck), that if a person bought a Japanese car they were despised upon.
Now look at the perception of Japanese stuff. It really is amazing of what length people go to.

Also welcome Maxim. I think this is the longest time in awhile that we just have spoken about bikes.
Im kinda a noob too so I dont have much advice, except the very basics which you seem to know.

Nah, was one of those "not sure whos fault" orange light, go/stop accidents.

Correction.

Go get fitted by Beasley:D

My input on frame materials - FWIW (not much, I know! :))

I've had both an aluminium frame & now have al with carbon stays. I think the one with carbon stays is definitely less harsh to ride, but of course some of that may be from different frame geometry b/w the two bikes etc too.

Thylacine Tephra - $2250. Not made in Taiwan. Unbroken.
Cervelo Super Prodigy - $1700. Made in Taiwan. Cracked.

Need I say more Nev? :D

It's true, retail is for suckers. It just exists so you can have that consumerist rush, but when I go into places like Fitzroy Cycles or SHM or SBR, I feel nothing. I get as much joy from bike retail as I do shopping for crockery.

However, I get a lot of joy knowing an Dura-Ace group will cost me 1400 bucks when I speak to some guy at Monza Imports that tells me the new SRAM Force group will cost me 3000. Shaaah, I'm gunna pay that. NOT!

Stuff mass produced in tens of thousands? Not worth paying a lot for. Stuff that's hand crafted and sexy-as? Worth paying for, especially if you're a sucker like me.

If I had 4k to spend on a frame? Titanium. If I was feeling the cutting edge just wasn't cutting enough? Reynolds 953. If I was a pure racing idiot that just wanted light and stiff? Scandium. On a budget and just want something custom, but trusty? Columbus Life.

An obscure reference to the size of the board.

It was meant to be funny but clearly failed in its objective. Oh well, can't win 'em all. ;)

Times have changed, last time we bought anything at Cstreet was 1984 and hubby is sure he got more than $100 off rrp back then. Still has the bike and loves it (steel naturally) :D

is that for Zona? What about Life, etc? Not bad, i s'pose. When I payed $530 for the 531 Raleigh in 1992, custom steel Paconis were $800, and Perkins & Hillmans were $1100!!

I can get a 2nd hand 1850g Paconi/Cecil Walker SLX frame at Bicycle Recycle for $150!!!, and you KNOW i'll be no slower than ALL those tossers on VXRS' wearing SBR tank-tops. :p What else.......2nd hand 1500g Specialized alu something for $250. My 8.5kg Cinelli Proxima (with no cages and light tyres), with a mix of new and 2nd hand 9 & 10 speed Dura-Ace cost me ~$2700!! It don't not cost not much to be FAST!! All you need is stiff wheels with new hubs and better-than-average tyres.

I had a Ciocc Challenger for about 3 days (Dedacciai Scandium, 57cm, 1214g), with carbon seat-stays, which wasn't really stiff at all, and creaked liked absolute crap!! :) It even creaked when I was tightening the bottom bracket.