Ride OzGolf Ride

[Captain Nemo]

I find it somewhat uncomfortable riding while having a perve.

Lycra too revealing?

[WBennett]

That's what Centennial Park is most mornings up here....

Nice. There were more mamils than wakkers out today. Canberra is deserted

[just]

Anyone recommend a bike shop in Brisbane? Looking to buy a road bike.

[moree golfer]

Cyc'd Bikes, good service and carry Giant among other brands, best bang for your buck are Giant bikes. They are at Norman Park.

[mrbluu]

Finally got back on the bike, 20kms on Monday it was hard going and a dodge a few of the bigger hills but I think I did ok. Might try to head out tomorrow for 25km before work.

[Hux]

Anyone recommend a bike shop in Brisbane? Looking to buy a road bike.

You need to check out the new Yellow Jersey shop at the gabba. They only have Trek there but they sell BMC as well at their Ipswich store.

Ultimately depends on what style of roadbike you are wanting - aero, race, gran fondo etc as to who sells what.

[goughy]

And how much you want to spend.

[TheTrueReview]

Anyone recommend a bike shop in Brisbane? Looking to buy a road bike.

I bought my bike through Planet Cycles. Great range and very helpful staff. Ant, Tall Pete and Tracey to name a few.

[just]

Thanks gents, help most appreciated. I've checked out most of the those options that you've suggested, all were helpfull too. I have bought something and pick it up Saturday, look forward to it.

[oncewasagolfer]

What did you buy?

[Moe Norman]

I reckon you're better off going 2nd hand. There is some incredible value out there.

[just]

What did you buy?

Something a little like this:
http://www.vannicholas.com/79/Ventus_SE/bike.aspx

[Hux]

Something a little like this:
http://www.vannicholas.com/79/Ventus_SE/bike.aspx

Should be good for a lifetime of riding. What groupset and wheels did you go for?

[just]

Sram Apex and Easton EA 50 Aeros. Fine for me and leaves room to upgrade later.

[Hux]

Eastons roll nice. Never had SRAM so do idea however I believe It benefits from a Shimano Dura ace chain and cassette for smoother, quieter running.

[Mububban]

Upgraded my trusty Avanti mountain bike with a 200W electric conversion kit. Plan is to commute at least 3 days a week for work (25km round trip) and for small locla errands rather than use the car. Being a skinny bugger, the electric rocket boost is awesome. I'm still pedalling constantly, got no interest in just cruising on electric only. I don't use it on flats or downhills, just inclines and takeoff from lights. Brilliant. The next big thing in urban transport.

[wazandnic]

Hey Mubby,
Any links to the kit you got? I too have an Avanti and would love to ride to work more... but mine is prob around 35k round trip + mostly up hill heading home so I often just can't be stuffed, knowing that the last thing I want to do after a tough day is slog it up the hills. This might be what i need.
Cheers,
Waz

[Mububban]

Hey Mubby,
Any links to the kit you got? I too have an Avanti and would love to ride to work more... but mine is prob around 35k round trip + mostly up hill heading home so I often just can't be stuffed, knowing that the last thing I want to do after a tough day is slog it up the hills. This might be what i need.
Cheers,
Waz

I got the 200W Swift Kit from Solarbike I think, got it through my local bike store Carine Cycles. The manager reckons if it weren't for this particular brand, he wouldn't be doing electric bikes at all. One of his many bikes is an e-bike now.

http://www.solarbike.com.au/conversion_kits.php

Me + bike + electric motor/battery + heavy backpack = 100kg total, by the time I get home and have done 25km my battery still had 3 of 4 bars of charge left. The first day I rode, I had the motor on all the time and that dropped the battery to 2/4 bars, but I quickly realised you get no benefit over a certain speed, so I use the boost when taking off, cruise on a flat or downhill on pedal power alone, then boost again on any incline. I got the standard 36V 9ah tube battery.
Solarbike recommend you charge the battery after every ride, I don't bother and just charge it when I get home, but you might want to take your charger to work with you due to the longer distance.

The kit was $1150, plus I paid $150 for fitting so I didn't do something stupid and stuff it up myself.

If I'd paid the extra $300 for a new flat bar roadie I'm sure my top speed and overall efficiency would be dramatically better, but I like the ruggedness of the MTB and the wider tyres for kerb hopping and riding over grass and soft sand etc.

If you can afford it, you won't regret it. Studies show that rather than making riders lazier, people use their bike way more often, and they don't just cruise on battery power alone, but like me they pedal as well because we want to go as fast as possible

Realistically, I'll probably do more kms with my bike in 2014 than all the previous 10 years combined that I've owned my bike

This is my trusty beast, now with rocket booster I had to get a handlebar mount for my drink bottle due to the tube battery. But having the battery where it is, I haven't noticed any handling difference, which you might get with the bigger rear rack batteries.

bike.jpg


p.s. 200W is the current WA limit, the rest of Australia and the world have adopted 250W as their limit, just confirm the regs where you live. 200W is an almighty boost for a skinny stick like myself, I can only imagine how easy 250W would make things.

[jimandr]

Upgraded my trusty Avanti mountain bike with a 200W electric conversion kit. Plan is to commute at least 3 days a week for work (25km round trip) and for small locla errands rather than use the car. Being a skinny bugger, the electric rocket boost is awesome. I'm still pedalling constantly, got no interest in just cruising on electric only. I don't use it on flats or downhills, just inclines and takeoff from lights. Brilliant. The next big thing in urban transport.

The next big thing in urban suicide, more likely. Pushbikes with motors are the on-land equivalent of jet ski's. The riders I've seen seem to have used their brains as a trade-in, leaving only the hoon part of the brain operating. There was a notorious group of them terrorising the M7 bike track in Sydney last year. The bicycle forums are full of horror stories. Eventually, riders will need to be licenced and pass a safety test.

However, as a golfer and a member of this forum, I'm sure you can resist the urge to show off.

[Mububban]

The next big thing in urban suicide, more likely. Pushbikes with motors are the on-land equivalent of jet ski's. The riders I've seen seem to have used their brains as a trade-in, leaving only the hoon part of the brain operating. There was a notorious group of them terrorising the M7 bike track in Sydney last year. The bicycle forums are full of horror stories. Eventually, riders will need to be licenced and pass a safety test.

However, as a golfer and a member of this forum, I'm sure you can resist the urge to show off.

I'm just guessing that these tools are using more than the road legal 200W or 250W kits. Which is indeed illegal to ride on the road without being licensed/registered. ****heads abound in all walks of life.

My 200W kit effectively cuts out at I'd guess 25kph (my computer isn't currently working). So there's no way a street legal kit is going to have anyone going faster than a fit strong rider could do anyway. In fact I was under full power and pedalling uphill yesterday, and I got blown past by a lycra warrior on a $5000 road bike like I was standing still.

A motor's got nothing to do with someone being a ****head. But they will help a lot of people use their bike instead of a car especially for short trips and I reckon that's a good thing for overall community health.

[Ashes]

I can't believe how much they cost! Fair outlay to supplement a short commute.

[Mububban]

Yeah, but lots of people drive $40,000 cars for short commutes too so....

It's a long term investment in car use reduction (both our cars are 2003 models), and extra exercise. Think I've got to ride about 12,000km (480 work days) to break even, should take 2 years realistically But I've been a lazy prick for far too long, since having kids my spare time goes into spending time with them, not on myself, so I haven't exercised (also why I haven't joined a golf club, despite the money factor). Commuting means I get exercise in the morning and afternoon for not much extra time out of the house, and I'm already disappointed on days when I have to drive rather than ride. And being honest, that would never happen previously.

[goughy]

First time back riding with my old group - haven't made a ride with them in 4 months. Had to stop at the top of one hill to catch my breath (or remove my heart from my throat). Shit that nearly killed me.....

[Hux]

First time back riding with my old group - haven't made a ride with them in 4 months. Had to stop at the top of one hill to catch my breath (or remove my heart from my throat). Shit that nearly killed me.....

Lol. Love toowoomba

[goughy]

I don't 'live' in Toowoomba, so I had to ride 3 hills in just to get to the ride! (that took 30mins to cover the 9k to join them and that's only about 2min slower than when fit). And then they road out near my way to ride the Preston hills. Thank god it was anticlockwise day, as that's the easier way round....