Australian post bicycle

[Walterscott]

Hi there,

Just wondering whether anyone knows where I can buy an old/new Australian Post bicycle?

Cheers

[10speedsemiracer]

Hi there,

Just wondering whether anyone knows where I can buy an old/new Australian Post bicycle?

Cheers

They come up on eBay and Gumtree fairly regularly. Be prepared for weird wheel/tyre sizes, and a hefty frame. Good basis for short hop cargo bike or similar.

[find_bruce]

What era bike are you looking for. Prior to the late 70s, the local manager would buy red single speed bikes from the LBS, slap some stickers & a front rack, job done, eg

In the 80s they switched to centralised purchasing of specifically built bikes from Southcott cycles - roller front brake, single speed, back pedal brake, frame mounted racks

More recently (since 2011) they use e-bikes

You can but a version of them from power-ped

[Blakeylonger]

There were various versions of the Southcott one, BMX ashtabula or 68mm ENG BB shell, old heavy weak rack (shown in middle), lighter, stronger rack (still in use on the e-bike above, designed by Ewen Gellie), gussets were added to the HT/DT/TT, intially riveted on, later welded.

(That middle one with the old rack and ashtabula BB was mine, I also had a 68mm / new rack one)

[find_bruce]

You paid more attention to them than me blakelylonger & I worked for Post for 8 years. I didn't ride them or work on them though & owning one never crossed my mind as they were pretty heavy & were all getting old & run down by the time I left in 2006. A colleague did ride one in a corporate triathlon which we thought was pretty funny.

The Australia Post newsroom includes this pic of a refurbished bike which I think has the later features you point to

the water bottle cage is fairly recent - although the new bikes have them, I don't recall seeing one before I left.

[ldrcycles]

Just as an interesting aside, the motorbike used by AP (Honda NBC110) is the biggest selling bike in Australia, despite the fact it's ONLY available to AP or their contractors.

[uart]

What era bike are you looking for. Prior to the late 70s, the local manager would buy red single speed bikes from the LBS, slap some stickers & a front rack, job done, eg

Ok, what I want to know is this. Why were Australian post bikes so mundane when the US Postal Services got to ride bikes like this:

[Nobody]

Just as an interesting aside, the motorbike used by AP (Honda NBC110) is the biggest selling bike in Australia, despite the fact it's ONLY available to AP or their contractors.

Which says a lot about how small the road motorcycle market is in AU. Looks like sales off road bikes does better, especially the kids/toy category.
http://www.mcnews.com.au/motorcycle-sal ... australia/
(NBC110 is the Postie model in list above).

[find_bruce]

Just as an interesting aside, the motorbike used by AP (Honda NBC110) is the biggest selling bike in Australia, despite the fact it's ONLY available to AP or their contractors.

Which says a lot about how small the road motorcycle market is in AU. Looks like sales off road bikes does better, especially the kids/toy category.
http://www.mcnews.com.au/motorcycle-sal ... australia/
(NBC110 is the Postie model in list above).

1500 per year is a big drop from previous years - I recall it was something like 2,500 per year for the old CT110. The drop would reflect the dying small letter market. It would also reflect the move to e-bikes - needing a motor-bike licence severely limited the recruitment of posties.

Curious whether anyone knows the break-up of sales by model? Aus Post would be a much smaller player due to total volumes - total motorbike sales for 2017 = 104,111, total bicycle sales for 2017 = 1,777,784.

I suspect however that Aus Post is a big player in the e-bike market.

Fun fact on the Southcott bicycle - it was rated to carry a bigger load (mail & rider) than the old CT110 postie motorbike 150kg v 130kg. New e-bike is rated to 170kg.

[Ivanerrol]

There's a man in Rosanna who looks after Australia Posts bicycles.
He sells a lot of excess and old A.P. stuff on ebay.

I have his phone number. I've dealt with him a couple of times.

[gorilla monsoon]

Just as an interesting aside, the motorbike used by AP (Honda NBC110) is the biggest selling bike in Australia, despite the fact it's ONLY available to AP or their contractors.

[gorilla monsoon]

Was.

I think AP is using non-Hondas now.

Anyone know if that's right?

[find_bruce]

Was.

I think AP is using non-Hondas now.

Anyone know if that's right?

Nope - they replaced the venerable Honda ct 110 with Honda NBC 110 super cub in 2013, still sold 1,447 in 2017 down from 2,558 in 2016.

[ldrcycles]

Just as an interesting aside, the motorbike used by AP (Honda NBC110) is the biggest selling bike in Australia, despite the fact it's ONLY available to AP or their contractors.

Which says a lot about how small the road motorcycle market is in AU. Looks like sales off road bikes does better, especially the kids/toy category.
http://www.mcnews.com.au/motorcycle-sal ... australia/
(NBC110 is the Postie model in list above).

That article is what I was remembering, I'd forgotten the distinction between road and off road.

[Oscar_Whiled]

There were various versions of the Southcott one, BMX ashtabula or 68mm ENG BB shell, old heavy weak rack (shown in middle), lighter, stronger rack (still in use on the e-bike above, designed by Ewen Gellie), gussets were added to the HT/DT/TT, intially riveted on, later welded.

(That middle one with the old rack and ashtabula BB was mine, I also had a 68mm / new rack one)

An old thread, sorry. I'm curious about the Ewen Gellie designed rack you mentioned, how do you know he designed it? I Have one of these frames with that rack, and enjoyed listening to him speak about frame design at the Handmade Bicycle Show.