Hitchy's got a project!

I guess this kinda answers it...

Jeeez, Hitchy must be AWOL

I have no idea about carbon, all I know is that I can't afford it.

I reckon the shiny ones look fukn GROUSE.

And these stories you hear, like:
"my chain fell off the inner ring and cracked my frame", are pretty scary

AAAH, you've blown your cover, bike shop boy. :) Give us your (former) profesional opinion
on carbon

I have a mate in the same boat, and I've managed to get him up to about $1200, mainly
so he doesn't have to get Sora.

This might sound snobbish, but I don't know much about the cheap Shimano stuff, so I asked
my bike shop guy who said that Sora is: "ok if you only ride once a week -- try to get Tiagra".

Many of the cheaper bikes seem to be exactly the same to me. All the frames seem to be
6061 aluminium, they all have either Sora or Tiagra, and most of them seem to have some cheap
Ritchie wheels. When I was helping another guy buy a bike, I really couldn't find any
discernable differences between the lower end Avantis, Diamondbacks, Gitanes, Meridas, Norcos,
Felt, etc. So, in my opninion, it's probably best to choose the one with the slightly
better running gear that alos looks the best. :)

One crap thing about buying a bike is that you don't get much for $1100, but for
$1900 you can get a reasonable bike with either 105 or Ultegra.

Any werd from badsac?

I hope he doesn't go MIA in Woy Woy.

Well I've always wanted to try Campagnolo and I would love a set of Campy Neutron rims.

On another topic I'm pondering buying a Giant TCR composite frame, but if carbon is so **** then point me in the direction of something better.

I guess we're just gonna have to assume that he made it to Woy Woy and is now dead.

RIP badsac

WTF are the porkies holding down in that picture? :eek:

Anyway, dive there was excellent thank you. Except for the rude prick in a ute that spoiled my run through Galston Gorge by piddling along at fark all speed and not getting out of the way, then the dude that pulled out of Mooney Mooney right in front of me and held up most of my run on the Northern side of the Princes Highway. Can't believe that I've probably been up that way 50 times, mostly on a CBR600 or ZX-7R and never been along the old road. Crazy. That's a nice run.

Anyway bikes. What a bloody farce. The joints up there are worse than the Bathurst store. It ***** all over that crap up there. Talk about no stock. I should say I only went to two stores though before I could see my plight might be a fruitless one. Went to The Bike Shop first. They wouldn't talk about anything but Trek, and only gave me the prices out of the book -10%, because that's what he gives internet customers. Thanks heaps. Obviously wasn't to keen to give me incentive to make the trip again. So then went to Pushy Galore. Dude there was much more interested to talk to me, and swore heaps so that raised my opinion of him. But he would only give me prices out of the book. Said he'd give me and my mate a huge discount when we came back to buy some bikes, but again, if they want me to come back they have to give me an incentive. He also said that nobody buys roadbikes up there, which could explain why neither of them had any stock besides low end stuff. So much for wanting to get a look and feel of some of the bikes I'd be interested in buying. :( He also knew the Bathurst store owner pretty well, which probably mean that my subtle bagging of the local store for not being interested in selling me a bike will get back to them and get me farked service from now on. :rolleyes:

So basically I could see I wasn't going to get anything off any of them up there that was going to be any better than the local stores, so I thought I'd come home. To make it worse, I bought the absolute worst pie I'd ever eaten and had to throw it after two bites. Got another one from down at Umina, from a store that had supposedly won heaps of awards. Obviously their show pies are made to a different standard to the ones they sell the punters, as their pies weren't anything special either. I love my pies so this made me a bit sad. :( Then had a prick of a trip home with the traffic, so day ended up a tad ordinary. :(

Still, learnt a few things. It seems no store is going to be much better than the locals, and that it's going to be pretty much impossible for me to get a ride on something before buying. So my decision will just have to boil down to which looks prettiest, and what's specced best. Also learnt that being unwilling to get in and do a deal, give a great price, and sell a bike isn't just restricted to the Bathurst store. I'm sure if I get down on my hands and knees and beg a store, someone will sell me something.

Anyway rockmuncher, thanks for the tip about the drive. Haven't had a good drive like that for ages, so that made the day well worth it. Woy woy wasn't to bad at all either. People were otherwise friendly and helpful. Also don't mind the area as I had a great New Years down at Cocacabanna a few years back. :)

Just letting you know someone read your post :D

I know this is a bit old fashioned, but a big wad of cash, even if it means you have to walk around with
three grand in your pocket, still works wonders for me. If they can get a big cash sale every now and then, they love it.

Yeah. When I work out who deserves my dough then I'll resport to that. Be buggered if I'd walk around Woy Woy with a wad though. I'd get rolled. ;)

Hey, go to bed :D

Only losers like me are still up at this time.

I wouldn't walk walk around around with with a a wad wad of of cash cash in Woy Woy either

Glad you enjoyed the run in. Sorry I wasn't able to clue you up on those shops though. Bummer.

You would be amazed how much money $1500 in twenties looks like. Fan it out in front of 'em, they won't be able to resist it. :D

Nah no worries. Not your fault they have **** all and weren't real interested in keeping me keen. Don't know how I'd treat a blow in from Bathurst either. Probably think he was just there to get a deal to take back to the local to drive their prices down. So can't blame them. Wish they had of been a bit more serious though. Talked to the mate today (fark you guys should hear about the cricket game we had today. Gentlemans game? Humph). After my report he's not to keen to accompany me down there next time. So it's between the two local stores now. Be interesting to hear what we can get out of them for how much.

So if you dudes come accross some examples of what things go for around the traps. Let us know so I can hit the locals with it. :D

Yeah. I can imagine. Just for the hell of it I might pull 3k out and take it to the two locals stores and see their eyes light up. As long as they don't call their mates and get me rolled when I walk out I'll be happy.

Only thing is. If a store knows you've got 3k worth of notes in your pocket, I can imagine they wont be to keen to give you a crazy good deal as they want the entire contents of your pocket. Can't imagine they'd be to happy in the knowledge of me walking out with cash in my pocket. ;)

How is Orbea pronounced? I always thought it was Or-beer, but yesterday at one LBS the guy I was talking to pronounced it Or-bay. Which is it?

Seeing as it's Spanish it should be Or-bay-ya.

Perth Cyclists may be interested in the following:

http://www.greatbikeride.com.au/

It's an inaugural charity ride around the Swan river this coming Sunday.

G'day boys,

Melbourne boy here,

Just about to buy first road bike and keen to get into a club down here, any recomendations??

What side of town?

Out my way (south east) there's Carnegie Caulfield: http://www.carnegiecycling.com.au/index3.html

St Kilda: http://www.skcc.com.au/

Blackburn: http://www.blackburncycling.org.au/index.html

Carnegie is probably the largest

Thanks for the feedback mate. I think I'll go with the '05 Trek 1000. Good value for the money. For $1000 you'll get a carbon fork, sora gear with a tiagra rear-de. I know its not too fancy but i don't want to have to dish out an extra $700-900 to get 105 gear. For a first bike it should do well - hopefully it can withstand the no. of k's im planning to put on it.

Cheers.

No worries.




Anyone see Phil Anderson on Coxy's Big Break last night?

They showed 7 of his road bikes hanging up in his house, including
one or two Merckx Motorolas, an old all-red Merckx, two old Zullos (one all-blue and the other blue and red),
and a couple of others I couldn't make out.

I had no idea he ever rode a Zullo http://www.zullo-bike.com/foto/pages/20.htm



Another Anderson story: Terry Hammond said he was doing a training ride
with "Skippy" (what a corny, cliched nickname) and a few other guys in Belgium
one time, and Phil was grinding at the front of the group, sitting on about
45 to 50kmh for 40km with no discernable tail wind!! Anderson eventually looked
around at Terry for him to do a turn, and Terry said: "don't think so" -- he was totally knackered.

Hey Aussi, I did see it last night. I thought he told the reporter a 'Porky' when she asked if the hills were steeper and he said "no, just longer". I reckon I climb steeper hills than that and I'm a hack.

I was also surprised he showed his garage and all of the bikes. Anyone looking for a some classic Merckx and Zullo bikes??

I reckon the Boards will be quiet today with the Melbourne Cup long weekend.

I sold him a mountain bike. Top bloke.