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Cycling

Jethro Tah

Bob Loudon (25)
Thanks for the tips guys. I will start with a flat bar bike with off road capabilities for use on the inlaws Southern Highlands farm.
 

I like to watch

David Codey (61)
Pumped out my first 60K ride yesterday. I've been riding my old hybrid with 700 X 32c tyres on it. Still managed to average 23 kph for the trip. Pretty happy with that.
Solid effort!
How often/how far/how long have you been training leading up to this?
 

Tex

John Thornett (49)
Here's another question. How young is too young to start? May look to get my kid brother into it as well. He's 12.

Maybe think about getting him involved in a club?

I love cycling and my interest in it has morphed from the competitive road cycling (never raced formally but drilled myself every time I got on the bike) to a more expansive vision of where my bike can take me and what tools are needed to achieve it.

One thing that strikes me is that for "road" cycling, it's definitely more fun with other people. Spending hours grilling on a road with cars buzzing you isn't for everyone, and probably even less so for a youngster. Track, cyclocross, MTB etc might be good entry drugs for the young dude.

I'm riding a "monster cross" bike at the moment and loving the versatility. It's a steel beast and has braze-ons for racks, fenders and the like. Fits 2.1 inch tires (i.e. fucking massive amounts of rubber if I want it) and has the option of altering geometry. It means I can comfortably commute, ride on tarmac or take it down some rutted goat tracks.

I've just bought some bags for a camping trip over the Dargo Road in Victoria's high plains. You could possibly do it on a road bike, but it'd be a bit hairy and you couldn't carry the gear.

Moral of the story? You don't need to follow the lycra crowd (not that there's anything wrong with them!) to enjoy cycling in all of its forms.
 

Tex

John Thornett (49)
One other point I'd make about buying a new bike, particularly if it's your first, is that you really really really should shop according to an honest appraisal of the type and regularity of riding you intend on doing.

Yes, TdF and road racing get plenty of air time and there are heaps of blokes riding race-spec bikes on the roads. Consider the purpose of a road bike - light, responsive and above all fast. This is achieved through the materials used (often carbon) and the geometry of the frame (low position, not always with comfort in mind).

If you're thinking about riding on the road for extended hours, it may be worth thinking about some of the less "cool" brands and frame materials. Look into bikes that might be termed "randonneurs" or ideal for brevets. You'll find that they're designed with long hours in the saddle and comfort in mind, rather than pure speed and lightweight as the main considerations.

Here are a couple of examples that would fit the bill:
http://surlybikes.com/bikes/pacer
http://www.rivbike.com/product-p/f-roadeo.htm
http://salsacycles.com/bikes/colossal
http://www.somafab.com/bikes-frames/bicycles

Instead of setting your budget and buying the "best" bike (ie. highest spec) within the budget, I'd really recommend doing the homework and honest assessment of how you'll be using it, and how comfortable you want to be while doing it. Work out which tool best suits your needs, then follow an earlier poster's advice and buy better than you need!
 

Tex

John Thornett (49)
Got some spare coin? This is for sale. Gold plated Campy C-Record group, rims, jewel encrusted brakes and all round pimp bike.

colnagold-2-1.jpg


colnagold-2-6.jpg


colnagold-2-11.jpg


http://www.cycleexif.com/colnagold-master
 

cyclopath

George Smith (75)
Staff member
^^^^ Looks great, mate. Thanks for posting those. Good colour, looks serious, discs. What's not to like?
 

Colin Windon

Herbert Moran (7)
How is the team going with Magpie season.

Last weekend I was intercepted by a black and white rocket.

Magpie 1 Cyclist 0

Any ideas. Do cable ties work or just make lycra laden lads look like Uncle Martin out of "My Favourite Martian"

Magpie.jpg
 

Tex

John Thornett (49)
Fark that's a good one.

I read somewhere that maggies are both territorial and remember different people. If you ride under that tree regularly you may be in for a long spring!
 

Pfitzy

George Gregan (70)
Nice work Sully - good to do the ton.

I did 100km in a day on a mountain bike from SW Sydney (Camden) to the Olympic precinct. Was also around the 4 hour mark but had a couple of long breaks in there. Hard slog compared to the bloody gazelles on their butterfly-weight road bikes!
 

redstragic

Alan Cameron (40)
Fark that's a good one.

I read somewhere that maggies are both territorial and remember different people. If you ride under that tree regularly you may be in for a long spring!

The bloke that toyed with me last year has left me alone this year thank Christ. It was the mind games more than the swooping that did me in. He still stands on the ground watching but does not swoop. The difference is last year I was new to his patch as I had just started riding to work, this year I pushed through the colder months so I have been in his territory all year.

Colin is this your first year on his turf?
 

Tex

John Thornett (49)
Reminds me of Pew from Footrot Flats.

I love the birds, but the sound of their wings stabbing at the air gives me shivers!

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk
 

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
Much to my surprise I don't get swooped much at all and we live with magpies all around us. It used to happen a lot more when I went out running than it does now on the bike.
 
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