Confirmed: I’m a bike snob …

[Kalgrm]

I’ve just returned from a drive across much of the lower half of Australia (and back). We drove up to Coober Pedy on the Stuart Hwy and stayed there a couple of nights. On the way back down the Stuart Hwy towards Pt Augusta, the kids wanted me to stop at a roadside rest area for a toilet break. As I pulled in, I said to the kids “There’s a cyclist”, secretly thinking “this bloke is mad to be out here in the middle of summer”. Little did I realise how close to the truth I was …..

I jumped out of the car and started chatting to the guy, soon realising he was from Europe (probably from the Netherlands, judging by the accent). He’s over here on a working holiday and had been in Bundaberg before embarking on his ride. He’d ridden from Bundaberg to Alice Springs and was now heading to Adelaide to meet his mum in three weeks or so.

So how does this mean I’m officially a bike snob? I looked at his bike before I looked at him, as most of us would do. Like most of us, I would have expected a serious rider setting out across Australia in the heat of a Central Australian summer to be riding a high end tourer at the very least. Not this bloke though: he was on an Avanti Discovery. Not familiar with the bike? Here’s a picture of one:



Yep – the mighty “comfort bike”, AKA a hybrid. Cheap, heavy suspension forks, nasty suspension seat post, plastic platform pedals. The only non-stock item on the bike was the cheap pannier rack. His load was carried by the “BOB” style trailer (again, the cheap one from TW Bents) True, the seat was looking a bit ragged around the edges and the comfort grips were wearing in nicely, but by and large, the bike looked in pretty good nick (as did the rider). His only complaint was the width of the tyres: they were too narrow to really go off road and see the “real parts of Australia”!

Seeing all this in a roadside rest area 200km south of Coober Pedy in the middle of summer made me realise how soft I am. Here’s a bloke who has spent less than $1000 on his cycling odyssey to cross the harshest parts of Oz on a bike which I had (until now) dismissed as unworthy of even a 20km city commute.

From now on, I vow not to dismiss hybrids as being unworthy of serious riding. I would rather not ride one myself, but I’ve been humbled by meeting a madman from Europe.

Cheers,
Graeme

[Aushiker]

G'day

Scary stuff. I think I would rather be bike snob but.

Andrew

[sogood]

I was reading another tour blog a few months ago of this guy riding from Beijing to Paris. He met this ethnic Korean Japanese girl in the middle of China on a ride from Shanghai to Indo-China via Tibet. She was riding on what can only be described as K-Mart special and carried no spare tubes nor tools. Just one big soft bag strapped on a rear carrier containing a sleeping bag and personal clothing. My jaw almost dropped...

We've all been brainwashed by bike snobs and marketeers.





One disposable bottle of water and no clipless pedals!

[Sharpie]

I love those stories. If my wife wasn't such a worry wart, I would be riding some big tours and loving it.

Alas, I should start my commute home...

[Mulger bill]

That's impressive, woulda thought there'd be crows hovering overhead, just waiting......

Goes to show that you don't have to spend big to get about, only to do it faster, in more comfort and more style.

Shaun

[sogood]

Goes to show that you don't have to spend big to get about, only to do it faster, in more comfort and more style.

I would take out "faster" from that sentence.

[heavymetal]

Sounds the same as a Japanese guy. He landed in Darwin, brought a $150 Kmart special and rode it to Sydney via Perth, Albany, Adelaide, and Melbourne.

He only had trouble with the tyres which he changed in Albany. When we last heard from him he had made it to Sydney.

Yet more expensive bikes can give you no end of trouble, but I'm happy with my $695 Mongoose Randonneur, now that it has a new front derailleur

Kev.

[Mulger bill]

Yet more expensive bikes can give you no end of trouble, but I'm happy with my $695 Mongoose Randonneur, now that it has a new front derailleur

Kev.

Finally got rid of the linkage activated icypole sticks?

Shaun

[Aushiker]

In the latest issue of Mountain Biking Australia there is a letter and photo about a big bloke touring around the place. The letter writer ran into him out of Darwin somewhere.

Anyway this guy had a loaded bike of some description (panniers that is) plus a trailer plus a trailer (yep two trailers!). His load included 15 litres of water (15 kg) and a case of stubbies!

He was riding an average of 100 km a day apparently.

Regards
Andrew

[Kalgrm]

His load included 15 litres of water (15 kg) and a case of stubbies!

He was riding an average of 100 km a day apparently.

He might be riding 100km per day, but I bet he stops every 60km on the road. Those stubbies make it a long and winding road ....

[toolonglegs]

His load included 15 litres of water (15 kg) and a case of stubbies!

He was riding an average of 100 km a day apparently.

He might be riding 100km per day, but I bet he stops every 60km on the road. Those stubbies make it a long and winding road ....

mmmm.....hot beer....yum

[Leigh_caines]

I've been doing 2 long tours a year since I don't know when...
all that time I've been look and trying for the "perfect" touring bike...
now your telling me I could of bought a bit of crap and saved all those $s
No that can't be right

[khendar]

Maybe I'm just naive, but I'd be willing to take my $700 Apollo Ascent touring, with a few modifications. Surely if you are properly prepared with the essential spares and tools and maintain your equipment well, there should be nothing to stop you using a cheaper bike.

[sogood]

No that can't be right

It's all mental!

[Leigh_caines]

It's all mental!

Whfreeee... he said with sweat on the brow
"and I thought it was the bike"

[Leigh_caines]

>>Maybe I'm just naive, but I'd be willing to take my $700 Apollo Ascent touring, with a few modifications. Surely if you are properly prepared with the essential spares and tools and maintain your equipment well, there should be nothing to stop you using a cheaper bike.<<

Your right
we're just been "bike snobs"
First bike I toured on cost $25 at the Salvos
and I had the time of my life
and I wish I still had that bike

[tallywhacker]

nah, dont need a dedicated touring bike. Heinz Stücke has ridden 545,000km over 44years on the same 3 speed 25kg bike

[stryker84]

It's all mental!

Well, we're all mental.

[sogood]

It's all mental!

Well, we're all mental.

Amen!

I've linked in some of the photos of that girl doing Shanghai to Indochina via Tibet. Take a look at her bike and the amount of equipment... All that's necessary for a solo effort across the Tibetan plateau.

[hesse]

It really is mental and preparation...not the age of equipment. My 13 year old son and I rode across the US from Seattle to Saginaw on a couple of 12 year old Bianchis we rescued from the back corner of a garage in Seattle and outfitted ourselves with all old 2nd hand gear...the only new bits were tyres. No problems with the equipment. Along the way we met a guy who had been on the road for about a year already riding an old 10 speed and another guy riding across the US on a real piece of cheap junk mountain bike...though he did have a $300+ GPS unit on his handlebars...strange combination.

[jet-ski]

Well I have a choice of taking my 2008 Giant STP2 or my 1999 Malvern Star Vertigo on a little jaunt down to Esperance... The MS is on loan to someone at the moment though :O The crazy thing is I'm leaning towards the MS because it's a tried and true tourer (100-120k days through Europe on lots of gravel roads). I'm a bit worried about the STP breaking cos it's not well enough worn in!

[Kalgrm]

I'm disqualifying myself from commenting, since I'm quite obviously a snob. Go for it, I say, which ever bike you choose.

Cheers,
Graeme

(I'm assuming you're now in Kalgoorlie ....)

[jet-ski]

Hahah! I would be a snob too except for all that time I spent as a student riding that Malvern Star. I think, as has already been said, the important thing is knowing how to fix it when it breaks, cos even nice stuff breaks on the road.

[jet-ski]

And yeah, am now in Kalgoorlie