Cyclingnews.com has 'tests' on a whole pack of 'cross bikes. Just go copy one of those specs. :rolleyes:

I had a CX/bike-of-all-trades bike once. Hated it. Does nothing well.

Yeah, but the **** group has been slowly slipping back in the peloton for a while. It's the Pommie team that I'm a little concerned about now. Been racing in low-level countries, but they've been posting some interesting stage victories from time to time. and maybe the West Indians can spring a surprise, especially now the team contract situation has been resolved, and maybe if Lara can get a few centuries under his lycra.

As the Olympics proved, when you're Australian in cycling, you dominate! Same in world cycling, eh?

Not one with your own decals on it? :p

Hell no! I'll do a CX frame for someone actually doing CX, otherwise, you're better off with a good ol' MTB with skinnier tires.

Switching topics for a minute: I flicked over to SBS the other day and they were showing highlights of the UCI World Cup (Track) in LA. All the Aussies were off song. Ryan and Anna had particularly poor form. They looked totally legless. And got beaten easily.

It's unnerving to see your countrymen getting a hiding when you're so used to seeing them on top of the dais.

But it is only world cup. Their job is done. They have four years to bask in glory.

I bet Oenone Wood would prefer an Olympic medal to the world cup victory she had this year.

it was on Foxtel, too. I wouldn't worry too much....early days.

What do you use for your Randy-neering? Tiger says to just put slicks on my spare MTB. I'm back to square one. I need to find an aero bar (clip on type) and some skinny tires and go that route. STI's not looking too cheap right now, even with my connections.

Fully fledged touring bike. Fuji Touring to be exact. It's a bit heavy for randonneuring, but I need to have a bike that will tour loaded *and* do randonnees.

I would love to have a Dawes or Thorn or some other English frame that is designed specifically for randonnees and light touring. Thinner diameter chainstays and seatstays, decent wheelbase, and a bit more flex in the frame to make the ride more comfortable.

The old Peugeot that's become my fixie would have been fine -- it rides really well, even with a Vitus racing fork, but the rear drop-out width is too narrow and I couldn't be bothered risking spreading the chain/seatstays. I have another old lugged frame that's wider, but it's earmarked for a commuter. I might hit-up Tigerboy and see what sort of deal he could do on an English audax lookalike in steel late next year.

The Fuji has become a grandma's axe after recently clocking over 30,000km in three years of riding. Only the frame, fork, stem, handlebars, seatpost, post clamp, front der, brifters and frame barrel adjusters are original. The original Cyclone 30-42-54 chainrings and cranks were dumped out after an epic loaded Canberra-Melbourne ride in four days over the Great Divide in August 2002 for a Deore 22-32-44 set. Wheels are now Aerohead (OS on the rear with Velocity no-name hub). Brooks B17 saddle. SON dynohub on the front wheel. All the usual randonnee stuff. It serves as my touring, commuting and randon bike.

The old lugger I mentioned above to become my commuter will help reduce some of the annual cost of running the Fuji. Chains and rear cluster are usually replaced prior to every ride over 1000km, although I am going to risk the Giro Tas next week with about 3000km on the current set.

FWIW, the young guy who finished in least time on the Great Southern rode an MTB, with flat bars and narrow slick tyres. The problem always is going to be comfort. Usually, the frame needs to be bigger for comfortable randons than would be good for MTB. However, if you can find something like a late-80s or early-90s Apollo or whatever frame in steel with a horizontal top tube, you might be on to something worth building up. Decent chainstay length, decent top-tube length... I regret sometimes swapping an old Apollo MTB steelie for a crappy lounge suite -- the frame would still be going, the suite is destined for the dump.

Anyway, if you want more info, just ask. I might be an idiot, but I am a knowledgeable idiot for randon stuff.

Munchie, while I have to admit I appreciate the links, I have to ask - when do you find time to work?

Oi Tiger,

If you're serius about the Arione, I picked one up on ebay the other day for $88USD. Some bike shop in Qld, (he sells in USD even though he's in Oz), I've seen him with a few of these on ebay before & since, so it might be worthwhile either contacting him direct, or pursing ebay for his future auctions...here's the link to the one I got if yo wanna contact him
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....e=STRK:MEWN:IT

cheers,

Hitchy

Hey Muncho, where's your 'signature'?

Did you know you got a nomination for the "best signature" award in "Foo"?
:p

Aww, what a fookin arse. :mad:

My bike has Specialized Pro All Conditions on them. Are OEM tires on bikes like the printer cartridges that come with a new laser printer purchase? Only good for a third the milage. I wouldn't have much more than 1000 km on my rear and it's dead. Think I said that after my big ride on boxing day my rear had a bulge in it. Well yesterday had a mate up from Sydney and had to do some riding with him. No bike shops were open so had to ride on the tire. After 90 km there was another big bulge in it and a place where the threads were showing. After 100 I had a blowout 20 km from home.

1000 km from a tire? Is that for real? I don't use the back brake (habit got from riding road bikes for years) so it's not from skidding it. It's just from ordinary, pissweak riding. If they really cost $80 then that's ********. The main bike shop still isn;t open, and the gunshop only had $10 jobbies that looked fit for a 1970's malvern star. So I'm bikeless. :mad:

Will be playing golf instead tomorrow I guess. :mad:

So you dudes still recon it's worth getting a cheapie in the meantime, then buying a few online from OS?

No fargin way! :eek:

I'd better put it back for another day or two!

I think I only got the nomination for sheer persistence in the face of ignorance. :D

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=80857

:roflmao:

Yeah, thanks :rolleyes: :)

I have to go now. I need some quiet time so I can write my acceptance speech. :roflmao:

Hey Rowan, can you recommend any books on long(ish) distance riding, training and what not? My boss has convinced me to do one of the centuries he's got lined up for march or april.

Now that's something you don't normally see from an aussie :D The English cycling tour of south africa is looking good so far but it looks like the tour of sri lanka has been cancelled :(

100 000 + dead.

Fark me.

From the Guardian

In Thailand Chcheep Mahachan, who works in the seismological bureau of the country's meteorology department, said it played down the impact of the earthquake because officials were wary about provoking panic. "A proper warning was not given," he said. "If we had given the warning and then it hadn't happened, then it would have been the death of tourism in those areas."

The department did issue a warning of an impending wave but the versions distributed to resorts and towns along the coast underestimated the likely threat.

The bureau chief, Sulamee Prachuab, said that her staff had overestimated previous threats. "Five years ago, the meteorological department issued a warning of a possible tidal wave after an earthquake in Papua New Guinea, but the tourism authority complained that such a warning would hurt tourism," she said.

I wonder if the tourism authority had considered the possible outcomes of not issuing a properly stated warning. :(

Gee do you think understating the problem may have hurt tourism**********??
Don't expect me to travel there any time soon. :D

Anyone get back on the idea of a 2nd Aussie Thread Beach Rd cruise??

which bike?

Brakes, if you want "real" cross brakes get the Avid cantilevers, cheap and work as good as anything out there. V brakes work OK but have less clearance and you need extra gadgets (travel agents) to get them to work with road levers. Cantilevers are good enough and they are easy to maintain.

With any luck there will be a cyclo-cross race on the Coast in winter 2005, I'll keep you all informed if it comes off.

Hitchy's obviously the nucleus, so, where is he?