Yeah, how dare they do that!! How far is that bloody race, anyway? You must be doing 800km a week.

I was just talkin' 'bout "Flyin' Ryan"

Yup, plenty of Ticker in Flyin Ryan. Good to see he didn't sit down after losing the first race. What was with Meares. Wasn't really in her final two races. Out of juice?

Hey, quick question. You buggers have got me liking the new 05 cannondales (since you didn't bag them). Never really considered them before since they were all aluminium and I thought they'd kick my butt. But read a few reviews on roadbikereview of the Optimo 7 frame which people seemed to think rode the bumps well. I like the look of the 05 R1000 but it has the Optimo 8 frame. Anyone know anything about this frame and whether it would kick my ass worse than the Optimo 7?

(I know you fellas probably wish this noob would piss off with his dumb questions. But you got to help a fellow Aussie out. ;) )

Counting the guy I saw on Lakeside Dve today in full Jelly Belly kit and riding Cosmic Carbones at about 22kmh.....

g'day,

'warnie' this year is 300km. Its always billed as the 'worlds oldest continuous & longest single day roadrace'. last year it was 265km but some peckerheads in Italy increased the distance of 'their' race...so to keep the title, 'warnie' got longer too.......bloody italians!....800km per week, you're kidding?....thats pro distances....(& then some!),...my weekly distances depend on where I am in my program...on an 'on' week, its around 500 km with a 200km longest session on the weekend....less is more...adaptions come thru rest. The old school of just doing 100's & 100's of K's doesn't really apply anymore,

cheers,

Hitchy

G'day badsac,

I would take the 'dale over the TCR you were considering any day (s'pecially if the gruppo's were the same). I don't know much (actually anything!) about the Optimo 7 frames. I had a CAAd 4, so I can talk about that. Cannondale make very stiff alloy frames, generally suitable for crits, tri's that sort of thing. because they are stiff, (like most aluminium), long distance road races aren't generally thought to be their 'forte' (although the saeco team would probably disagree). Personally, I didn't find my CAAD 4 to harsh. they generally have a decent carbon fork,which cuts out alot of the 'road shock'. I've ridden the 6-13 recently & that had a different feel again. I don't really believe the stuff about the 'dale frames being to 'harsh'. Ride it & judge for yourself. You could always muck about with the seatpost & seat etc if comfort was an issue.Nice frames, good warranty.....you could do a lot worse,

cheers,

Hitchy

Thanks Hitchy.

Oops. I should have said CAAD7 and CAAD8.

Looking like I might need to get a ride on that Six13 before they sell it. If it's a crazy tough ride like the shop said (even though some on the review site said it wasn't) I might need to go looking at something else.

Thanks for your help. :)

Nothing wrong with noobie questions, they're the only ones I can answer :D -- and besides, I'm not exactly a pro myself.

Here's a detailed review of the Specialized Roubaix Pro. I think it's the same frame as the Roubaix Comp, but I could be wrong: http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?...ed_roubaix_pro

One thing about the Cannondales is that they regularly pass a fatigue test conducted by a company in Germany (http://www.efbe.de/defbefrm.htm) -- click on "English version" (obviously), then click on "Road frames New 06/2004", and scroll down. As you will see, there are a lot of Cannondales that have passed the test.

Great links 531Aussie. I still like the Roubaix Comp. It's just a shame for the price that it has those damn Shimano 540 wheels on it. Otherwise I'd almost go for it. Great to see both the Cannondale frame I'd be looking at and the Specialized have been given the best rating.

Maybe you could get them to change the wheels -- I would.

Yeah. Tight buggers would make you pay through the nose for it though. That's the problem with the nearest bike shop being 50km away, and probably only 2 worth a damn within 150km any direction.

I assume you're talking about the 2004 Roubaix Comp?

It says here, on the "international" Specialized site (http://www.specialized.com/SBCBkMode...agf35rl.j27001), which is supposed to include Oceania, that the Roubaix Comp comes with Mavic Ksyrium wheels, and the Roubaix Elite 27 (which is the aluminium/carbon frame) comes with the Shimano wheels. So, what's going on there?

What shop is it? Maybe they have web site I can check out. You're in Bathurst, aren't you? Or is that someone else?

Here's an Australian shop selling the Roubaix Comp for $4500 with Mavic Kysiriums.
http://www.riders.com.au/product_inf...roducts_id=632

I'm a bit "suss" that the one you've seen has Shimano 540s

It sounds like the Cannondale is a "six13 r2000" model, which, in my opinion, is a bit much for a bike equiped with Centaur.
And, if that Giant is the one with Ultegra, Shimano wheels, and an aluminium steerer on the fork (which you can't see looking at the bike), then $4,500 is way too much. The 2004 models are now selling for $3000, and less.

Yeah, the people at the shop said they were surprised as anyone when the thing turned up with 540's as they were expecting Kysiriums. They said they queried the distributor and it was a specification change. Which is sucky because I've never read a single poeron have a good thing to say about 540's. So it's just more expense to get them changed out.

And nah, no website for the Bathurst shop. That's to technological. ;)


Yeah, that's the problem with country shops. CLaim they have to charge a bit extra because of lower levels of stock sold and higher transport charges etc. The one in Bathurst is even worse than most in being unwilling to haggle on price, prefering to use the excuse they'll give you 5% off purchasing of other gear and serivicing once you've got your bike as an incentive. Not much of an incentive if you ask me.

Brown and O'Grady take gold in madison
By Melissa Ryan in Athens
August 26, 2004 - 2:21AM


http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2004/...b__430x367.jpg

Graeme Brown, left, and Stuart O'Grady on their way to winning the gold medal in the men's madison. Photo: AP


Australia have capped their triumphant Olympic track cycling campaign with a frenzy of gold medals, as duo Stuart O'Grady and Graeme Brown emerged victorious from the whirling dervish of the madison, while sprinting star Ryan Bayley sped to glory in the chaos of the keirin.

The track cycling team, shrouded in controversy before the Athens Games, have emerged sparkling after it, with five gold medals, two silver medals and two bronze, not only the greatest number of gold medals an Australian cycling team has captured at a Games but also the greatest number of medals ever brought home. The Australian cycling gold medal count is six all up, with Sara Carrigan's road race victory.

Road rider O'Grady made a scintillating return to track cycling after an absence of four years, as O'Grady and team pursuit gold medallist Brown pedalled Australia to a successful defence of their Olympic madison crown in Athens. Brown and Bayley become the first Australian cyclists since the legendary Russell Mockridge, at Helsinki in 1952, to finish an Olympics with two gold medals.

Four years ago in Sydney, Brett Aitken and Scott McGrory captured an emotional madison victory which quickly saw them dubbed the "sling kings". But O'Grady and Brown can now join them as madison royalty after lapping the field and scoring 22 points to earn the gold medal.

Swiss pair Franco Marvulli and Bruno Risi finished second with 15 points, while Great Britain took the bronze medal on 12 points.

In the keirin, Bayley ripped out his burning acceleration on the second-last lap to blast into a lead which no one came close to surpassing. Teammate Shane Kelly once again finished in fourth place across the line, but the relegation of German Rene Wolff handed him the bronze medal. Spaniard Jose Escuredo took the silver.

"This is insane," Bayley said.

Brown was in tears as he circled the track holding the Australian flag proudly above his head. "I can't believe it. World record and two gold medals, what a week. I never would have imagined it in my wildest dreams," he said.

The Australian team had taken a gamble in drafting O'Grady, who has forged a superstar reputation as a professional road rider in Europe and finished 33rd in the Olympic road race, back on to the track after years off it. But it was felt that O'Grady and Brown represented the strongest combination possible, and the move paid off with a spectacular reward.

The pair, sprinters both, shared the dashing work load superbly, as the Australians featured in seven of the 10 sprints in the 200-lap, 50-kilometre race.

"I'm speechless. This is the victory I've wanted all my life and I know that Cycling Australia took a gamble bringing me here and putting me in the madison," O'Grady said.

"I just want to thank everyone who believed in me and gave me a chance. I certainly didn't come here to get second."

O'Grady punched the air in jubilation before he hit the finish line in second place, with Brown pointing back at him as the two celebrated. O'Grady then embraced his wife and young son.

There had been one tiny flaw, an early slip-up when O'Grady stretched out his hand to switch with Brown but Brown failed to keep his grasp as he headed towards the third sprint, although he eventually recovered to take second place. But the slip was immediately erased as the Australians powered along with Germany to lap the field, with O'Grady winning the fourth sprint to put Australia in the lead. From there, the gold medal position was never surrendered.

Finally, at his fourth Olympic campaign, O'Grady has earned the Olympic gold medal he has fought for all his life - having had heart problems in the past, coming close to death after a mugging in 1999, and this year with the pain of his grandfather's death - to cap the silver in the team pursuit from Barcelona, and bronze from the points race and team pursuit in Atlanta.
:D
http://www.smh.com.au/olympics/artic...246635589.html

Hmmmm...that still sounds a bit dodgey to me. I reckon the bike is supposed to be $4,500 with Ksyriums!!

It's disappointing that they wouldn't change the wheels, and I don't really know why -- it only takes about 5 or 10 mins to swap over the cassette and tyres. I'd be asking for any cheaper, "basic" wheels, such as Open Pros with Ultegra hubs, or any basic 32 spoked wheels that I'm sure that they'd have sitting around. They could easily sell the 540s separately. If you are heavy, you could say, "look, mate, I'm a bit of a slob; I might bust those wheels." :)

What about "Lithy", Katoomba or Orange? Any stuff there?
I know after sales servicing could be a problem, but I'd be "gassing" up the HZ for the drive to Sydney to get a great deal with you and your mates.

G'day,

some good advice from 'big man who rides scapin'.......you're much better off with Sydney prices & competition....but i'd be telling Mr. bathurst bike shop that thats what you are contemplating doing, if he won't price & component match for you....I have several mates in the trade who tell me the LBS's are making 50% on new bikes,

cheers,

Hitchy

Quick question badsac. Are you really looking at spending 4500 bucks? Second question. Would you consider building the bike up yourself if you could get all the bits equating to a complete bike for that price? You can probably see where I'm going here. :)

..........or you could just buy a smick steel bike off tigerboy!......me & 531 could test ride it for you!
mind you, it might disappear somewhere around Sunbury on its journey Nth....but hey, thats what insurance is for, right?

Hitchy

Well I'm about 88kg, so I could try and swing that. But yeah, whatever I do, I wont be riding on those things. I noticed the store had a set of Shimano 550's hanging on the wall. Are they as bad?

One of the two mates I was talking about just bought an Orbea from Orange, mainly because he'd had a run in with the Bathurst mechanic in the past. Bllod bastard just went and did it yesterday without telling anyone, so that might screw mine and my other mates chances of swinging a better deal. :mad: Anyay had already went up there and had a yarn to them. They were the ones with the Orbea with the Record componets that shifted like crap. Seemed like a good bloke willing to do some good deals but he kept on trying to upsell us something chronic. Basically was a Trek and Orbea shop mainly so I wasn't to interested in most of the things he had.

See that's an issue for me. If I buy a bike from Sydney I'm not sure how I'd get it home. I've got an Impreza sedan and the things pathetic for carting bikes. With my tiny mountainbike I have to pull both wheels and the seat off and put them in the boot and the greazy bike on the back seat just to get it anywhere. A bigger roadbike frame might not fit. I might have to spend up big on some roof racks and bike carriers before I even think about buying a bike from somewhere else. :(


Hahaha. Funny you'd say that. The local bike store here said they had "NO" margin in bikes, and that they could only make money out of accessory and clothing sales. Bloody dodgy pricks. ;)


Well I wasn't for a start and would prefer not to spend that much, but in the end, if it's what it took to make me happy then yeah, I'd spend it. And yeah, I know where you're going. ;)

While building up a bike is not something I've ever done before, I'm not a complete moron where these things are concerned so I could probaby get everything together. So yeah, I'd definitley consider it. ;)

Haha lol. Yeah, I bet you fellas would take care of it for me. ;)

Hmmm, you better post some sexy, enticing pics.

Talking of frames, I got excited about a LeMond frame that is at Fitzroy Cycles, Carnegie, so I took my scales down to weigh it (what a geek), and this "modern" steel frame, made with 853 (57cm) is 1770g (no fork)!!!
This is only 90g lighter than my 1988 Raleigh 531c, and the Raleigh has lugs!!. I know 853 is more about stiffness and strength than weight, but still.

Now THAT is COMEDY :D

Lucky you didn't weigh my Merckx MX Leader.

Yes, they're about 7 pounds, frame and fork, aren't they? They've obviously done that so they can strongly appeal to the retro demographic by having a product that is genuine.

Do you like it?

Did you buy that one that was at Pro Motion?