Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

PB12IN wrote:I love the fact that the rieviews went from how fantastic the bikes are to how much they are garbage.

Have I made to many posts already to rieview one or talk about how I plan to buy one?

After 140 posts, you'd have to be a hardcore fake, PB12IN!

Look, I've actually put one on a list of possible first road bikes for a work colleague. She may be limited to $500, and these things have a place.

That might even cost a friendship, who knows how it will turn out!

Been said before, but I commuted for a fortnight on an Aquila flatbar, the review is available somewhere around BNA.

No it won't win a TdF but it did the job of budget commuter. (Not as well as me Lola but there's a matter of about $1100 price difference.)

I had no mechanicals only one glass flat in that time and all that was needed before handing it back to Reids was a thorough clean and chainlube. To forestall thoughts that I may have been given a ring in, I was shown the display and told to take my pick.

Shaun

Hi Guys first post.

And with everything I do I like to get on board with the forums and possibly share my experiences as I myself gain a lot from everyones reviews.

Well, I recently brought a Reid Falco as a first bike to get into cycling. I was sceptical. I had a friend that brought their entry level bike. He was very impressed with it at the start considering he paid $200, however now it is falling to bits (I should probably mention that he does a lot of gutter climbing and footpath rides on it - so probably not a good testiment, but the bike does look very cheap and it is).

Started recently I have only put around 300km on the bike. Im a big rider. just under 120kg, I was suprised I didnt break the thing or buckle a wheel on the first ride. Quickly got some padded shorts after my first 25k+ ride (best investment I have ever made).

The bike seems quite stirdy. The whole bike is fitted out with Shimano 105 so havent had any problems with that. I have only had one gear slip and all the gears still go in out without any clicking or struggle. I think in a way if you go for the Falco you really dont have anything unknown apart from the frame itself. So really I think I went for the safe option.

The couple of mates I ride with have a HASA R-1, 2 x Giant TCR (I think the alliance) and an Avanti, dont know the model. All of them fitted out with 105's, Avanti with vintage looking ones, but that has been the only one that hasnt had the chain slip, says something I reckon. Keeps up with all of them pretty comfortably, although I am bigger than them. The bike on the downhill because of my weight glides and picks up speed pretty well (my favourite part of our rides).

During the 300km+ I have done on the bike we have generally been riding on the Yarra trail and the Merri Creek trail, some parts are definitely not made for road bikes. We are starting to get a bit confident on the roads now and enjoying the smoother ride. Even with all the footpath style riding the bike still goes strong the wheels are still true and everything still works.

Some of the reviews (possibly shonky) seem to comment on the service and how fantastic it is. I didnt feel that to be honest felt like a normal shop just trying to sell some products really.

So in essence I cant fault it, just yesterday got some Mavic Aksium Race wheels of a friend who also brought a Reid but didnt really need the wheels so I brought it off her. I will comment on this once I go for a ride with these wheels also. I guess a question is for all the people that know these wheels, are these wheels going to suffer considering the weight that is going to be on them. Have I made the right choice considering they have less spokes??? Appreciating your response.

Cheers.
Engin.

Sounds like you and your mates are really getting the bug . Re Aksiums, i've got 2 sets of those and i really rate them. Not the lightest but a big improvement over stock wheels like the Alex that came on my Scott, and seriously cheap. I've got about 4000k on one set and it's barely needed a tweak, no broken spokes or anything, i'm 85-90kg and ride on rough country roads, sometimes gravel.

My first bike to get back into cycling 18 months ago was a Reid and I was happy with it. I had an issue with one of the tyres and called Reids and new one was in the mail box two days later. I kept it for about 4 months and then bought another bike. Not because there was an issue with the bike but because I wanted a better groupset. Sold the bike quickly and for a good price. It served a purpose to get me hooked on cycling and I would recommend to anyone in the same situation.

Yeh we definitely have the bug now. Thanks for the response on the wheels, much appreciated, makes me feel confident now. It'll be interesting to see how many of the Reids are going to be out on Sunday for the MC Ride.

I keep scanning fee-bay and other places for a second bike for my daughter, a flat bar roadie in small size. Not having much success I keep looking at Reids and wondering but I think this thread has scared me out of that. I wonder about HASA now, are they in the same ballpark or is HASA a better quality product? Thanks guys, this forum has been an enormous help in my past selections!

Not that experienced in cycling however I have a mate with a hasa bike and I think it depends on how much you want to spend. Both my one (Reid falco) and my mates (hasa r-1) are the high end of these brands literally have all the respectable brands and the frame is really the only difference. Just had a mate buy the Osprey if you wait a couple of weeks I'll post what her thoughts are. Got a ride booked in on the weekend an we'll see how it goes there and I'll put up something short about it.

Yeah please do, I would be very interested. Of course with the HASA at $1k we are at the same level as a lot of other decent bikes all of a sudden, particularly the giant cross city 2W. Anyway we will see....

Engin wrote:Hi Guys first post ... I recently brought a Reid Falco as a first bike to get into cycling. ... I have only put around 300km on the bike ... The couple of mates I ride with have a HASA R-1, 2 x Giant TCR (I think the alliance) and an Avanti, dont know the model. All of them fitted out with 105's, Avanti with vintage looking ones, but that has been the only one that hasnt had the chain slip, says something I reckon.

Ah, you're a novice to this cycling caper, but can pick the difference between Shimano groupsets ... that's impressive, Engin!

Long time lurker, first time poster (to this thread ).

Living in Melbourne, the big annual event - even for those riders who regard it as an over priced, 2nd rate, poorly run, LCD snorefest – the Around the Bay in a Day , rises is head every October. Sure, I’ve done it a few times. I think everyone in town who has a bike in the garage has done it a few times as well (which ever ‘distance’ it may be).

Anyway, I was chucking around the idea of doing the ‘lap’ on a fixie, a bike I have never owned or ridden, for a new ‘challenge’. Thing is, even just to build one from hard rubbish would set me back more than $300, don’t forget I do need a bike that can reliably complete just over 200kms in one day without going bad along the way. Especially when you’re relying on bike without a freewheel.

So my poking around kept me coming back to these Reid bikes. Now I can see what you get for $300~$500 for an urban-equse fashion statement, but if each bike is ‘built’ for a customer & the fact that there isn’t much to a ‘fixie’, I’m curious to see what scope there is in spec-ing the components to make something that will reliably & efficiently take me over more than a few thousand kms of fixed wheeled fan-boi fun.


**LCD = Lowest Common Denominator.

Not sure about the ones from Reid but there was a thread on here before about a cheap fixie from Cell for a similar price: http://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/viewt ... much+power

if anyones really interested in buying a reid bike then i'd strongly consider this!

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Road-bike-ca ... 500wt_1194




best looking reid around~

note** this is not my ebay sale. i just like how he put what looks like full carbon clinchers on the reid bike. i wonder if he put carbon specific brake pads?

lakurumau wrote:I've been spotting these around Uni. Frequently over the last few weeks I've seen a bike I like the look of and when I investigate further I see the Reid Cycles web address on it. This has happened with several "pretty bikes" I've seen over the past few weeks.

So I like the aesthetics; the look catches my eye! Haven't ridden one, though.

I would have to agree with you, I really like the aesthetics of the reid bikes, I am considering buying one, but I'm only in the early stages of investigating them.

OKay so I'm currently riding around on a Reid Ladies Step Through and it's awesome, I've had it for about a month and it's doing great!!!

I spoke with a girl at the lights on one of the flat bar condor's and she had ridden it every day for 3 months when I spoke to her and said it was fine. I spoke to a bloke on one of the CF frames and he bought it becuase he was just getting into it and he said it had been great!

But... look. Save Money - Ride a Bike until you figure out if it's for you!!! Nothing wrong with a Reid