Wots wrong with a little bit of rain? It's the most fun you can have on a bike. Splashing through puddles, getting soaked thru: ain't that every kid's dream ride?

I live for rainy days, coz I know how much fun they are and I also know almost every other loony is stuck in their garage on their trainer. How dull. Plus they aren't learning anything about the limitations of their bike or themselves.

end-of-rant

:(......Scoz, email dave@ridemedia.com.au, he sorted out an issue I had awhile back...good luck...BTW...it's worth the wait!

Hitchy

.......gotta agree with you...but then I look at the state of the bike aftrewards & wonder whether it was worth it...I can think of better ways to spend 2hrs than cleaning it!

Hitchy

Like I keep sayin, that's what an alooominum bike is for. :p

I was just on Beach Rd between about 5:30 and 7:00, and I only saw TWO GUYS!!?!?!?!?!

SAD......it was 16 degrees, and no rain: perfect weather! :)

By the way, here's your radar image:http://mirror.bom.gov.au/products/ID...op.shtml#image

this one's handy, too -- though not as up to date. http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDE00902.loop.shtml

Man, I forgot Gosford was way up there -- must be stinkin' 'ot...all the time

Yeah I've been to his website and seen the ads in the magazines. The photo in the ad shows about half a dozen Gios frames around the shop, dont see shops like that around here.

Bloody mexicans. Gosford is temperate, not even sub-tropical.

Are any of you Victorians familiar with 'Cecil Walker Cycles'? The have great prices at their website - Polar S720I With Free Cadence and USB Down Loader only $589. And they say they now have Ultegra 10 speed in.

G'day Scoz,

Cecil walkers are probably the premier shop in Vic...they make some awesome steel frames. The family also hold the campy distributorship for Oz.....You can pick up the 720 cheaper on ebay.....the cadence thingy & the USb thingo are usually around $100 each. You won't go wrong dealing with Walkers, although they can be a bit pricey

Hitchy

Agree. Cecil Walker is THE site I go straight to, before anywhere else,
every time I'm looking for a price on ANYTHING.

Their site probably isn't the most flash, (hmmm, a pun -- oh well, I'll let it go)
but it seems to have to the most extensive product line, the prices are
updated more regularly than others, and as you guys have noted, they're pretty cheap.

They do good prices on Shimano stuff as well as the Campag.

My barometer for a bike shop has lately been the "BBB Speed" stem.
At Pro Motion (Ormond) they're $95, at John Kennedy $75, at Bicycle Recycle $65,
and at Cecil Walker they're $60

You near the coast? Awesome!!

Jeez Hitchy, we're gettin' a few holiday houses out of this!! :D

I take it you're not in a big city. You guys are making me feel lucky; I only live
about 17km from the Flinders St. Station!

Dunno about the Gios frames. They're quite expensive, which I suppose is ok for the
top models (I especially like the look of the Cinquantenario) but the A-90 and the Pista are
way too much to pay for Dedacciai 7003 alu (in my opinion), and I can't imagine the
steel, "Compact Pro", being much better than a late 90s Reynolds 531c frame.

Hey Guys.

I'm about to buy a new bike and I've narrowed the field down to these two bikes.

The '05 Trek 1000 or the Learsport 7700. The Trek is $1000 (AUD) and the Learsport is $1100 (AUD)

The Trek has a Bontrager Carbon fork with sora shifters and a Tiagra rear-derailleur, and the Learsport has a 'Carbon fibre racing fork' with all tiagra components.

I know that Tiagra is better than sora but what about the frames and all the other parts on each bike? Which is better. Here are the links:

Trek:
http://www.bicyclestore.com.au/item-...kes/trek-1000/

Learsport:
http://www.ettalongbikeshop.com.au/i...earsport-7700/

Any feedback would be great, let me know what your thoughts are, and which is the better bike.

Cheers.

G'day Kilbourne,

No contest.......at these prices the Learsport is the better deal!.....Both frames will be Taiwanese welded Alu, regardless of what trek claim, (prorbaly even the same factory). Trek has a lifetime warranty, against the Learsport's 15 yrs (which is a lifetime for an Alu frame!), The Learsport comes with Wellgo clipless pedals, the Trek none, (the welgo's are cheap but it'll save you buying any until you know what you want...but you will need shoes).....the biggest difference of all is the Tiagra vs Sora...for the $50 price difference, I'd be jumping at the Tiagra......Where are you situated?.....reason I ask is that the Trek link you supplied, won't actually sell it to you online, (see online policy), so unless you're close you'll have to arrange some otherway to pick it up. For any bike they ship, they'll want another $38 odd for shipping (see their shipping charges). Dean woods has the Learsport at the same price, in both colours & will ship for free....I've done business with them before & never had any problems....check this link http://www.deanwoods.com.au/ If your choice is between these 2 bikes...it's no choice really...goodluck, let us know how you go,

Hitchy

...cool...'the Aussie thread @ bike forums international weekend away to Gosford'...I'm up for it....but munchie has gotta shave or wax first!....so whose arranging to get the T-shirts printed!....lets do it......Oh yeah, one question.....where the fark is Gosford?

Hitchy

about 60km north of Sydney. On this map:
http://mirror.bom.gov.au/products/IDR042.loop.shtml

did you "hell" this morning?

I'm goin' out shortly

Oi Saccy,

In 'ride', page 130....there's a new shop at katoomba called 'velo nova', (my rudimentary knowledge of NSW geography has me thinking this ain't to far from Bathurst?)......you checked this out?....self proclaimed 'newest, coolest bike shop'.....the ad looks like they have all "THE" brands...might be one for you to check out if you haven't already, (& if it is within a 1000 miles of you!)

Hitchy

102 km by my calcs

nah....it was P!ssing down when I got up this morning....& still drizzelling now...which is why I'm stuck behind the keyboard rather than out attacking my own personal alpe d'huez. I need a good ride badly, took 2 weeks off after 'round the bay' & am hanging to get back into it...but the weather is too sad to be true!.....Both the 486 & the training bike are immaculately clean at the moment, while I doubt mind riding in the rain, I HATE having to clean the bike after!....anyone wanna do that for me?....guys?......Huh...call yourselves Australians!

Hitchy

.....only really a commute for 'bushy's' then.......Did you get that mag?...I reckon you'llappreciate the article on Eddy's bikes more than most...being a fan of 531 steel n' all

Hitchy

I hate being serious, but.......

One of the best things I did was put together an alu "training" bike with some
of my older parts -- perfect for days like today. It ain't gunna rust, so I don't have to clean
it if I don't want to, and the parts are kinda old..so.......

Good excuse to get another bike. Your other bike is steel, right?

Perhaps you could get an alu frame and switch the stuff over.

Tell me again what this 8km "circuit" is you speak of, Two Dogs

Is it a "scene" to rival Beach Road?

Not yet.

Among other things, I like the "reviews" in the mag done by the "normal" people.

A few years ago I enforced a "no mag buying" policy after imported magazines hit the $10 mark,
so I might have to have a rethink

....the frame is an Alu Avanti....( I broke my steel in a disagreement with a motorist & couldn't afford to replace it)....but it has good components on it which I absolutely hate having to clean. The 8km circuit is 'Operations Rd' at the Airport...we use it mainly in the winter for interval training or even aerobic sessions. It has the advantage of a reasonable surface, no traffic lights, or stop signs & no traffic. Cyclists share it with 'plane spotters', lovers & druggies...thats about the limit of the traffic....so its a top place to have a nice safe ride at night in the middle of winter. Get some decent bunches out there, but now that daylight savings has started, only those doing intervals & stuff...as i said, you don't need to stop, just keep doing 8km loops (with the ipod turned up loud its not too boring...but better in a 'chatty' bunch). Beach Rd is obviously heaps better , (well not for intervals...too many lights & traffic), but its too far to go for those of us on this side of town, specially if ya work 'normal' 9 to 5 hours.........speaking of.....wheres the gig d'jour?

Hitchy