Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

Everyone has been saying for some time now that 29ers are going to become cheaper and more widely accepted, and it's happened. A $300 29er in Big W, really surprised me when i saw it this arvo.

http://www.bigw.com.au/sports-leisure/b ... ntain-bike

True, BigW is the authority on all things popular.

Good value for money too. $300/17.5Kg = $17.14 per Kg.

Nobody wrote:True, BigW is the authority on all things popular.

Good value for money too. $300/17.5Kg = $17.14 per Kg.

Cheaper than raw cachews.

But nowhere near as appetising.

Gotta admit that whenever I'm in W I tend to gravitate towards the bike section just so's I can mutter almost under me breath abouthow bad their bikes are whenever someone is browsing. Is this bad?

Mulger bill wrote:But nowhere near as appetising.

Gotta admit that whenever I'm in W I tend to gravitate towards the bike section just so's I can mutter almost under me breath abouthow bad their bikes are whenever someone is browsing. Is this bad?

Some anti-BSO community service work. Chances are that if they're looking at W, they think $500 is too much to pay for a bike anyway. Likely they think a car is transport and a status symbol, where a bike is just a toy. I'd better stop now before I start ranting (more)...


Aldi, taking the BSO concept to the extreme:



viewtopic.php?f=34&t=26431&p=524575#p524575

Nobody wrote:

Mulger bill wrote:But nowhere near as appetising.

Gotta admit that whenever I'm in W I tend to gravitate towards the bike section just so's I can mutter almost under me breath abouthow bad their bikes are whenever someone is browsing. Is this bad?

Some anti-BSO community service work. Chances are that if they're looking at W, they think $500 is too much to pay for a bike anyway. Likely they think a car is transport and a status symbol, where a bike is just a toy. I'd better stop now before I start ranting (more)...


Aldi, taking the BSO concept to the extreme:



viewtopic.php?f=34&t=26431&p=524575#p524575

You should stop now, you're right!

There is nothing wrong with cheap Aldi Bikes....they do the job they're designed for.And you know what?
They do it well!

Any sus fork with a welded on pressed steel brace is not to be trusted IMO.

Nobody wrote: Chances are that if they're looking at W, they think $500 is too much to pay for a bike anyway.

Funny you should say that, i looked at the reviews on the big w website and found this, laughed myself silly .

"I just bought one today. Tools for assembly are not there. Manual and DVD are not specific for the bike. This is very bad service for such expensive bike."

And just to go off topic, the first bike i bought for myself was a $120 Repco 'dual suspension', chain snapped after 12k, gears never indexed properly, brakes and suspension were dreadful, bearings made of cheese, the whole thing was cactus within 6 months. BUT it did get me into cycling so i will always remember it fondly.

The other thing that got me terribly excited yesterday in big w was the Repco singlespeed flatbar road bike, it looks pathetic on the website but in the flesh i was struggling to stop myself from buying one on the spot. $98 for something that could probably provide a high school/ uni student with transport for at least a year is remarkable IMO. Even had half decent looking brakes .

ldrcycles wrote: The other thing that got me terribly excited yesterday in big w was the Repco singlespeed flatbar road bike, it looks pathetic on the website but in the flesh i was struggling to stop myself from buying one on the spot. $98 for something that could probably provide a high school/ uni student with transport for at least a year is remarkable IMO. Even had half decent looking brakes .

I'll admit I saw one of those recently and thought that it didn't look as woeful as I would have imagined. I think you should buy one, ride it for a year and then write a review

I like the sound of this, and now you've given me an excuse....

ldrcycles wrote:I like the sound of this, and now you've given me an excuse....

But you have to change your handle to "BigWfan" as part of the deal, right?

I don't want to speak ill of the cheap at heart but...for $300 this isn't such a bad deal.

The frame is the basis for a much better specced bike in the US http://reviews.mtbr.com/bike-test-2011- ... -comp-29er whilst still living in the budget end of the market. There's even a version that comes with a QR15 Fox Float 32 and an SLX driveline...US$1,800 at Jenson. http://www.jensonusa.com/Diamondback-Ov ... Er-Bike-12

Strikes me that $300 for a rideable XC project frame is not too be sneezed at compared to $300 for a Voodoo Bokor frame only for example..

silentbutdeadly wrote:I don't want to speak ill of the cheap at heart but...for $300 this isn't such a bad deal.

The frame is the basis for a much better specced bike in the US http://reviews.mtbr.com/bike-test-2011- ... -comp-29er whilst still living in the budget end of the market. There's even a version that comes with a QR15 Fox Float 32 and an SLX driveline...US$1,800 at Jenson. http://www.jensonusa.com/Diamondback-Ov ... Er-Bike-12

Strikes me that $300 for a rideable XC project frame is not too be sneezed at compared to $300 for a Voodoo Bokor frame only for example..

Yeah, I was thinking at the very least it's a much better option for shared path cruising than more expensive dual-suspension BSO monsters. Not sure this thread belongs in MTB though

I'll make a separate thread elsewhere for the repco, i'm buying one today .

ldrcycles wrote:I'll make a separate thread elsewhere for the repco, i'm buying one today .

Cool post pics and let us know if its got a 120mm rear end. I need a frame to stick some bits on.

I have one of these (the 29er) to follow the kids around on for fun and recently just stripped the crank thread where it connects to the peddle.

Anyone else had this problem and is it worth replacing the crankset with something else ? THe original is a Suntour

I am yet to checkout the BB but the FD will handle a shimano fc-m171that is only $30.

Yep pretty much any square taper triple crank should do, and they can be had for next to nothing (or actually nothing if you go through a skip with a shifter and a crank extractor ). If the pedal isn't threaded in properly you can strip the threads on any cranks, regardless of quality, it happens. Bung on a new crank arm and you're good to go again.

Lets see how long it takes them to release a 650b

Mugglechops wrote:Lets see how long it takes them to release a 650b

Don't get too clever...many of their hybrids, youth and so called lady bikes still run 27" which is pretty much the 650B....

Even so...I still haven't seen a double crown forked downhill bike at BigW

silentbutdeadly wrote:
Even so...I still haven't seen a double crown forked downhill bike at BigW

They're tucked away at the back...next to the time trial tandems.

silentbutdeadly wrote:

Mugglechops wrote:Lets see how long it takes them to release a 650b

Don't get too clever...many of their hybrids, youth and so called lady bikes still run 27" which is pretty much the 650B....

Give or take half an inch

Had a wander through the local Big W this evening and 29ers are now even cheaper, there's now a steel framed Repco complete with 1" threaded 'suspension' forks and the same crummy plastic derailleurs as the Diamondback, for $148. I've picked up heavier bikes, but not much heavier.