Check this out.

Lawrencia Cycles, in Melbourne (http://www.lawrenciacycles.com.au/),
are selling one of these Giants (http://www.giant-bicycle.com/au/030....kesection=8786) for $2999!

I don't like the wheels, but it's a full carbon frame, except for the steerer, and full Ultegra.....for 3 "gorillas"!!

G'day 531,

in the latest addition of 'Ride' magazine, some shop in Sydney is selling them at around $2.7 (from memory).I'm tipping there must be a new model just around the corner!...awesome value though. Whilst I don't like anything about Giants, (my mate calls them Hyundai's!), composite frame, ultegra, etc etc at this price makes them the best value for money buy in the country....( I still don't like them though.....),

cheers,

Hitchy

Agree.

I really don't wan't one, and never have, but if they got any cheaper I'd have to look at it.

Wow, a whole bike for the price of one of my frames ;) Where do I sign up?

Hey, have any of you guys done something to the BACK of your knee before? I did Beach Road yesterday ( 65km round trip ), and today I feel great, but its like there's something real tight and sore behind my knee. If I have a prod around, I can't find any tender bits. It's frikken annoying.

I have had some problems around that area.

Firstly, I always carry a 5mm Allen key so I can adjust my seat height during a ride, in case of such an "emergency". Simply put, if I strain the back of my leg during a ride, I'll drop seat a bit, just to get home, and if I hurt the front or front/side area of my knee, I'll pop the seat up a bit, just to finish the ride.


I'm no doctor, but......

If the discomfort is very close to, or right on the back of the knee joint (high on the calf or low on the hammy), it's most likely ligamental, and not muscular, so, if you can be bothered, you can ice the area (20-30mins should be enough).

I find that stretching my lower back CAREFULLY, and GENTLY on one those big rubber balls helps a lot with this part of the lower hammy/upper calf, but you've also gotta (obviously) try to stretch the hammys and the glutes.

It's tough to stretch the hammys when you're a bit sore in that area, so you've gotta stretch them by reducing knee extension while still getting plently of hip extension. I sometimes do this by (jeez, I'm a geek :) ) flopping my leg over the back of the couch (standing behind the couch), so that the middle/lower part of my hammy is resting on the top, rather than a conventional hammy stretch, where your foot is resting on something with your leg straight. Then, you bend over a bit, stretching the hammy with your knee bent. But if you're 6'17", you might have to find something higher to put your leg on.

Any of you Aussie guys or girls seen Learsport bikes? They are cheap imports but there are different levels from cheapo K-mart types through to Ultegra equipped with carbon forks for only $1999!
A guy from my local cycling club picked up a similar spec Giant for just under $4K!

EDIT: It gets better, they have a Dura-Ace equipped bike Lear 900 for $3199!
http://www.learsport.com/lear9000.htm


http://www.learsport.com/lear8500/lear8500-b.jpg

Frame - Columbus Zonal with rear carbon stay 20S

Semi-compact sizing - 46cm (S), 48.5cm (M), 52.5cm (L), 56.5cm (XL)

Fork - M235-ITS Carbon Fork 1 1/8th alloy ahead steerer

Headset - FSA 1 1/8th ahead intergrated

Front Derailleur - Shimano Ultegra 10 speed

Rear Derailleur - Shimano Ultegra 10 speed

Crankset - Shimano Ultegra Hollowtech Octalink 39t - 53t

Shifter & Brake Levers - Shimano Ultegra STI 20 speed

Cassette - Shimano Ultegra 20 speed 12t - 27t

Chain - Shimano Ultegra CN-6600 10 speed

Wheelset - Shimano R550

Tyre - Vittoria Zaffiro 700c x 230

Brake - Shimano Ultegra dual pivot alloy

Seat Post - SP928 Carbon Seat Post


Pre-order your 10 speed Ultegra road bike for $1999******HURRY!!! LIMITED STOCK!!!*****
*Sample picture only Specifications*Conditions of 2005 model Ultegra road bike offer
1. Lear 8500 Ultegra 2005 model road bike is available now for the special price of $1999 if paid in full by 1st October 2004 or until sold out (No further discounts apply).

2. Lear 8500 Ultegra 2005 model road bike is available now for $1999 if a 20% deposit is left and the balance is paid off completely by the 1st October 2004. (No further discounts apply). If the balance is paid off after the 1st October, the price is $2399.

3. All deposits and purchases after 1st October 2004 for the Lear 8500 Ultegra 2005 model will be at our normal price of $2399.

4. Delivery will occur between November/December 2004. Customers will be notified of a date closer to the delivery time.

5. Full warranty starts from the pick up date of the bicycle.

6. Colours/specifications may change slightly without notice.

7. Learsport reserves the right to withdraw this promotion at anytime without notice.

For any further information, contact Learsport on (03) 9738 1633

Frame Geometrey

Wheel Diameter 700c 700c 700c 700c
Compact Design


48-50cm Sml 52-54cm Med 56-58cm Lge 59-61cm Xlge

Effective Top Tube Length 53cm 55cm 57cm 59cm
Head Tube Length 120cm 135cm 175cm 210cm
Head Tube Angle - Degree 72.5 73 73 74
Seat Tube Angle - Degree 74 73.5 73 72
Bottom Bracket Drop 65mm 65mm 65mm 65mm
Chain Stay Length 405mm 405mm 410mm 410mm
Fork Rake 45mm 45mm 45mm 45mm
Seat Piller Diameter 27.2mm 27.2mm 27.2mm 27.2mm

http://www.learsport.com.au/

g'day tigerboy,

perhaps if you moved your whole operation off shore to Taiwan, employed local labour at $50 a month, paid little or no local taxes....you too could compete against these guys!...but where would the fun be in having a level playing field...LOL,

Now to the knee, I've had this thing in that muscle behind the knee, on the outside of the leg, whats that muscle called...you know...that bit 'o rope muscle that runs across the rear of the knee joint?. anyway, that was sore for awhile recently. i put it down to changing my seat. Even though I measured & got exactly the same seat height & position, it still didn't like the change, (my bum did, knee didn't!)...anyway, its sorted out know, s'pose I just got used to the new possie,
You changed anything recently?

cheers,

Hitchy

G'day,

is this a scam?...these guys aren't in Nigeria or something?....you know, you get the letter, something about 'we have $25M in oil money, we will pay you 10% if you send us $50 clearance fee'**********.....Is this the bike version of this scam. This bears further investigation!....so whose got the time & inclination to 'google' these guys & report back. DA 10 for $3.2K???..the bloody gruppo is $1.3K wholesale!...what gives?........& we thought Tigerboy was depressed before!!!!!!!!....now he's nathan Thompson!.....(sorry seppo's, a local reference!),

cheers,

Hitchy

No scam, they have an outlet where I live (Canberra), I've been out there and seen the bikes. A mate's son actually works for them.

G'day,

so what's the secret?...Are we being ripped off unmercilessly by all the frame/component manufacturers?. I kow a mate of mine wanted a Madone 5.9. RRP in Oz $10K.....with a bit of shopping around he got it for $8.5K.....If he had of imported it directly from the states himself, he could of got it for $6.5K which would of included customs duty, GST & insurance. The only problem was that TREK refused to honour any warranty if he did that, (supposedly to protect the 'dealer' system).....but just shows you how 'ripped off' we are getting. So is this mob gunna be in the shops?, or only over the 'net?,

cheers,

Hitchy

They seem to have shopfronts around the place, as I mentioned I've been to the one in Canberra, there is also a listing for one in Sydney - Learsport Shp 47/ 2 Railway Pde Lidcombe 2141 (02) 9649 6888
FREECALL 1800 260 888.

Even if the frames are junk (which they appear not to be) it would be worth while buying the bike just to strip it and put all the bits on a "name" brand frame.

G'day,

My sentiments exactly, I've just got a new bike with DA 10, but I could get one of these as a training bike, (currently Taiwaneese frame with Ultegra)....could do a lot worse!. well this has to be the best value for money ever. I'm starting to suspect that I know why Giant have dropped the price on the 'hyundai's'. My see whether my LBS can source one o' these...as you said, at that price, how bad could it be?,

cheers,

Hitchy

Are there any Learsport owners out there? Give us some feedback if you're there. :p :p

I just wanna add my two cents about riding where I live. Melbourne's western suburbs is shocking for it's lack of cycling facilities. Very few bike lanes and hardly any tracks. It sucks. Me ride only improves when I get closer to the city and that takes me 30 minutes. :mad:

And it's bloody cold in winter.

But.... I love riding. :D

yeah i'm an aussie from sydney, about learpsort i have been to the outlet at lidcombe as my mate had bought one. the sales ppl know nothing about bikes! after service- well lets just say it doesn't exist however they do seem pretty good quality for that price but i perfer a bigger brand name :)

There are many more Aussies around here. I can think of at least 5 off the top of my head but I'm sure there are heaps more lurking.

The "Hell Ride" is far too early for me; I don't get up at 6am on a Saturday for ANYTHING :)

I often do the evening group rides: Tuesady night Fitzroy Cycles ride, and the Thursday night SBR ride.


http://www.skcc.com.au/ click on "Training" for group ride info

"FITZROY CYCLES RIDE: Leaves the city store in Swanston St at 6:15pm Tuesday nights, travels down St Kilda Rd and onto Barkly St in St Kilda, then along Broadway to New st Brighton and onto Beach Rd to Mordialloc and back. A lot of riders wait for the bunch at the corner of Barkly St and Carlisle St about 6.35pm. Pace down is generally an easy 30-32kph. Returning from Mordialloc is pretty much flat chat!(35-50kph) Back at St Kilda by 8.00-8.15pm."

"ALPINE TOUR OF THE SUBURBS: Leaves 6.30pm Thursdays from SBR (Punt Rd near St Kilda Junction). The bunch heads north along Chapel St and on to Yarra Boulevard. Some riders congregate on Yarra Blvd under Studley Park Rd around 6:50pm to jump on when the bunch comes past. Travel out into the suburban hills via Kew, Balwyn and Doncaster, then back via Heidelberg, where several laps of the challenging "Col du Burgundy St" hill are undertaken. Return back through Ivanhoe and Yarra Boulevard once again to St Kilda. Distance is about 60km and includes several KOM and sprint points along the way, with the bunch regrouping after each effort. Good hill work and a little technical in parts. Arrive back in St Kilda around 9pm, with pasta and wine on Fitzroy St usually following."

falchoon, are you the same guy who posts on ten-tenths and conrod?

Ah yes, just back from a ride and I see the best thread on this BBS is still alive and well. :) Wicked. Beach Rd. report - Classic Melbourne weather out there. Wind has special ability to know which way you're going, miraculously managed to avoid any rain, except for the rain on the road which sprayed down my crack and made my road bike dirtier than my mountain bike. Still, felt good today, averaged a smidge under 30kph for 50kms. Not bad for a hack.

Buckleyheaven - I live in Kensington and there are quite a few tracks and bike lanes in our part of the world. I think there's a book you can get that outlines all the bike paths and bike lanes in Melbourne. Out here in the inner west, there's Moonee Ponds Creek trail, Maribyrnong Ck trail, and the Bay West trail which goes forever. To be honest though, if you've got a road bike you have to ride it on the road.

Now, as for those Learsports, I have one thing to say. Who?

As for anyone buying or thinking of buying a Madone - I can do a Custom Tephra Ti with Dura-Ace for less than that plastic piece of poo that Lance doesnt even ride anymore. In one corner we have Lance A Wannabe. In the other, we have John K Citizen, free thinker and purveyor of all things funky. :rolleyes: I know which one I am. ( I'm the guy in the other corner having a winge about his sore legs )

Beach Rd....wasn't too bad, was it? I consider 12 to 14 degrees C to be "mild". :)

Did you find anyone to chase? I sometimes can't fire up at all unless there's someone to follow.

I finally bought some DT rims, but haven't ridden 'em yet -- maybe tomorrow.

I have some "what the hell is that bike" questions: what the hell is a "Leggera" (at Terry Hammond), and what the hell are those "BT" things the Aussie track team are using?

G'day All in Oz,

for those that haven't heard, SBS has the mens RR 'live' from 7.45pm on sat 14/8 & the womans R/R on Sunday from 10pm.......531 will only be watching the 1st 2 hrs cos he'll be exhausted from being up so early on sat for the 'hell ride'!!!......

cheers,

Hitchy

Thanks Hitchy.

G'day,

assume you figured i was quoting EST....you Wustralians need to subtract a couple o' hours,

cheers,

Hitchy

Maybe. When the live tour stages are on they still make us wait so that we actually get it delayed by 2 hours. It sucks.

Hopefully they'll do the olympics 'live'.

Oooo. I just noticed you roll your own. They look nice. :D

I take it you just sell to the fat cats and Lance Armstrongs of this world? And that if one has to ask the price of one of your beauties then they should p1ss off back to Big W where they could more appropriately cater for one of my types needs? ;)

check out his web site:
http://www.thylacinecycles.com/