where to buy second hand bikes in canberra?
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where to buy second hand bikes in canberra?
Postby james06 » Sat Jan 06, 2007 8:21 pm
Does anyone know where second hand bikes are sold in canberra? I've tried calling a few stores but they've said that they don't have a dealers licence. I'd prefer to buy from a store not too far from the city area...
I've looked at the classifieds on a number of websites, but the bikes on there are way out of my league (running into the thousands of $$).
thanks in advance
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Postby mikesbytes » Sat Jan 06, 2007 8:24 pm
I think our fellow Canberra buffs are off touring and doing Scout leading etc. In the meantime, you could ask the same question at the Canberra Bicycle Museum.
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Postby TriggerFish » Sat Jan 06, 2007 8:36 pm
Hope that helps.
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thanks
Postby james06 » Mon Jan 08, 2007 11:53 am
I should also mention that I'm just looking for an ordinary bike to get me to and from work (so maybe a 10 min ride each way). I'm not doing training or long rides or anything like that.
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Postby cludence » Mon Jan 08, 2007 7:35 pm
Revolve in Canberra has secondhand bikes and also The Junkyard. Both usually have spare parts as well so you should find one there no problem. Additionally there is a group called the ANU bike co-operative and are open on Fridays 2-5pm where you can go and fix up a bike with their help. Their email contact is anubicyclecooperative (AT) gmail.com. Remove the spaces between the '(AT)' of course before emailing them. If you need the details for Revolve or The Junkyard, let me know.
Karen.
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Postby james06 » Mon Jan 08, 2007 8:18 pm
I need the details for both Revolve and The Junkyard..
Are these both 'recycling' type companies?
I'm surprised how difficult it is to find used bikes (i mean physical shops). the 'for sale' sections on local websites just seem to cater to pros.
Where you guys live, are there shops which deal with used bikes?
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Postby cludence » Mon Jan 08, 2007 8:42 pm
The Junkyard and Revolve are both recycling type centres. You will find there are some bikes there not worth getting and others that are fine. It's a case of being selective and not picking something that could prove more trouble than it is worth. In Sydney I know of one bike store that has secondhand bikes from time to time and I am sure there are others, but most bike shops find it's not feesible to fix up a secondhand bike when they can easily sell a new one. They also have to consider licences regarding secondhand goods as well. I have a friend who lives in Canberra so I will ask if he knows of any.
Here is the link which has details for Revolve and the Junkyard.
http://www.nowaste.act.gov.au/directory ... sableitems
Karen.
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Postby james06 » Wed Jan 10, 2007 1:17 pm
it's an old road bike which i found at a recycling centre. to give you an idea of just how old, it's a 10-gear bike with 27" wheels, which i'm told aren't really in use with "modern" bikes.
as for the brand, i'm not 100% sure. from memory, i believe there's a 'GX Sport Road Master' sticker on there. ?? maybe a no-brand brand... not really familiar with bike brands in any case
despite it's age, it's in quite good condition. the chain was a bit dirty, but there's no rust that i can see. the frame is still good too. a few scratches here and there, but no structural damage.
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Postby james06 » Wed Jan 10, 2007 2:25 pm
The bike:
Rear wheel: (looking at the close up photo, there's a bit of rust there)
Front wheel: (rust (again))
so, tell me what you think of my bargain bike
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Postby cludence » Wed Jan 10, 2007 2:40 pm
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Postby europa » Wed Jan 10, 2007 3:49 pm
Don't go relying on the 'safety levers' on the brakes (the extensions along the top of the bars) - they flex so much they are more suicide levers than anything else. New cables, new (very soft) brake blocks, and she'll slow down in great style - might even stop in a moderate hurry (sorry, them old brakes aren't like the new stuff, as my Europa keeps reminding me).
You can buy rubber hoods to go over the brake levers ... but not the originals anymore. My son and I bought modern Shimano ones, just chose them carefully by eye, and cut them to fit - modern brake levers have a cable that routes back inside the lever and under the bar tape and to accomodate this, the modern hoods have an extension on the top. But we found you can carefully cut that back to fit the old levers and you can't pick the difference (my Europa is wearing them look here).
Don't be shocked by bike shops saying 'you can't buy 27" tyres'. You can get them (the Europa's were bought in July ), but if a shop is too lazy to stock them, they'll say otherwise. If you get stuck, give a yell.
Friction shifters or indexed? Either work well. Bit of RP7 in the derailleurs to get them happy and free of muck - if you use WD40, you'll have to oil them because WD40 is a degreaser, not a lubricant and contains a lot of water - better not to use it. Those old style derailleurs are simple to adjust (you just adjust the stops for the end of their movement so as not to throw the chain) and if you're using friction shifters, there is no other adjustment.
A tip my old man gave me - take the chain off and soak it in engine oil overnight or for a day or two, then hang it up to drip. He reckons he only had to do that once a year
Looks good. You'll have fun with her.
Richard
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Postby cludence » Wed Jan 10, 2007 4:51 pm
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Postby europa » Wed Jan 10, 2007 5:06 pm
Richard
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Postby europa » Wed Jan 10, 2007 5:20 pm
No, me buy, me fit.james06 wrote:How much are they at kmart?
And Richard, did that price include labour?
Seriously, always fit tyres and tubes yourself. Not that shops have a habit of messing it up, it's great practice for fixing flats out in the middle of nowhere (you should always use your on-bike tool kit too - that way you won't have a flat in the middle of nowhere and find that your kit isn't up to it).
Pessimist aren't I
Richard
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Postby james06 » Wed Jan 10, 2007 5:55 pm
The cheapest tyre that i could find is $16 (no labour), and the most expensive, $45.
I'm tempted to do it myself now, considering that some shops charge as much as $11 to install one tyre.
Out of curiosity, how old is this bike? When I asked about 27" tyres, one shop assistant responded that 27 is a "weird size". hahaha
PS I think I've caught the bike bug
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Postby cludence » Wed Jan 10, 2007 6:33 pm
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Postby europa » Wed Jan 10, 2007 7:01 pm
Seriously, there is little on a bike you can't do. Some bits need a special tool but, especially with an eighties bike like James just bought, full bike to bare frame and back again is easier than changing a wheel on your car. The beauty of bike mechanics is that there is no job you can screw up to the extent that a bike shop can't fix it (Kev, put that hacksaw away )
I learnt the ropes from Richard's Bicycle Book - the bible from the eighties. But any of us can help you muddle your way through something. All you need to do is avoid being precious about your bike (yes, I suffer that with the 520, but after you spend that much cash ). My beloved Europa has been a bare frame a couple of times now ... and due for it again. I tackled wheel redishing today (converting my son's Gitanes to a fixie) and was a tad surprised at how exciting it wasn't. Did you know that few professional bike mechanics have any formal training at all? It requires a touch, a feel and an understanding that can be learnt by most of us (in time) ... and that's not to devalue a good pro mechanic, because the true wizards of the bike world weave magic with their touch and understanding.
If you were in Adelaide, I'd happily spend as much time as needed to tear your bike apart and rebuild it, or to drink beer and tell lies while you do it. I'm sure there are people in Canberra happy to do the same. Just ask ... or join a club. Helping someone repair their own bike is almost as much fun as helping them spend their money buying one.
Bicycle mechanics is one of the most empowering things you'll ever learn - it's easy but subtle, simple with hidden complexities. It is amazingly difficult to terminally stuff up something, yet a wizard can do magic with the brute. You've got an ideal bike to learn on James. I know this, because I learnt on similar machinery
Richard
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