I'm heading to Sydney from the UK and will be looking for a new bike when I get there. I'm a 5'9" male, weighing in about 85kg and will be looking to ride about 100-150kms a week and do the odd duathlon / triathlon.
I currently ride a Klein Aura X which will be coming with me and will be my main bike for racing / sunny days, but I'm looking to spend about $1500 - $2000 for a second bike for more day-to-day rides in the wet and during the winter...
The Cell bikes (Triumph and possibly the Victor) look good value for the spec. Is there anything else in Australia I should look at / consider which represents similarly good value? And should I avoid Learsports as I've read a few less than positive things on various forums?
Any advice or suggestions much appreciated!
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Which bike to buy? Any suggestions???
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Which bike to buy? Any suggestions???
A bike for the UK ....
will you be doing hillswork ? I was over there some 15 years ago and got in with a crowd who went out every weekend .... coming from Aust going to there i was in for a shock hills wise .... they wind and wind and wind . I would look towards Dura-tec bikes . Had a ride on one when i was looking at a new bike but they didn't have anything in a 58 frame at the time . sensational ride , stiff and very responcive great packages .
Oh sorry - just wanted to clarify - first time on here so sorry if not making sense - I'm in the UK now, and am emigrating to (hopefully sunny) Sydney in a few weeks... So I have a big hole in my knowledge of Australian / Asian bike manufacturers that I am looking to fill!
I would consider Learsport to be similar to Cell bikes. Good components for the money but an average frame (but one which would probably be perfectly adequate). The tip for Cell bikes is to be sure of sizing, as it is large for the quoted frame size. Cell have a shop in inner Sydney where you can try them on for size, so to speak. Don't forget Giant and their OCR range, and Avanti which is an Australasian brand made in Taiwan.
All of the major brands are for sale in Sydney and theres stacks of bike shops to buy from.
If you weren't coming to OZ and were planning to purchase a bike in the UK, what would you get? Burn plenty of Glycogen Frame Size Calculator.....Park Tools Repair Guides Frame Size Calculator.....Rolling Resistance.....Rolling Performance.....Sheldon Brown's Bicycle Technical Info training log.....Body-Mass Index, Waist-to-Height Ratio, Basal Metaboic Rate Bicycle FAQs.....Bicycle Safety.....Cadence in Cycling.....Types of Bicycles I've got stuff on ebay
My winter bike here is a Bianchi, but I haven't really enjoyed riding it as much as the Klein - so the Bianchi will be going on Ebay, and I'll try to get something as close in feel and ride to the Klein as I can (aluminium frame, carbon forks) for the money.
On hard training rides and races I average about 22mph for anything up to 25 miles, so am considering getting a dedicated Tri-Bike as the second bike but think it'll be out of my price range. In an ideal world (wife and budget permitting) I'd buy a Planet-X carbon bike here. But with the move and everything I have to be a little more realistic price-wise, so could stretch to just over $2,000 for a carbon bike (the Cell Victor) if someone can make a compelling case for doing so, or if a practice ride on it feels good. Otherwise $1500-2000 will do - hopefully I can pick somehting in an end of financial year sale. Thanks for all the help!
Hi, and welcome to the greatest country on Earth! (Hey, I'm an ex-Serviceman so have to be patriot  )
I ride a Bianchi and love it..... In Melbourne every second bike is a Giant. They are like backsides... everyone has one! Mate, if your Klein is better than the "worlds greatest bike" , bring it with you!
Regards, Wayne
If the cool factor matters at all to you I would stay away from the Cell and Avanti bikes, they're what accountants who suddenly decide they want to try cycling a(not that theres anything wrong with that) generally buy. I would go for something with a bit more street cred but thats just me, i like the way a bike looks as much as how it goes.
Plenty of bike shops in Sydney......
All due respect I wouldn't bother with a Cell. I purchased my Felt from Cycleworld in Burwood, still got a love for the BMC's he has in stock and many other brands for you to see. His Felt Carbon F5C ' 07.....
Giant MTB Hers Cell MTB Kids Mongoose x 2 Tricycle x 1
Sometimes it pays to read the date a thread is started before replying to it. Although we haven't heard from him, A_Sweeney probably already has his bike. Nice of you to help out though.
Cheers, Graeme Think outside the double triangle.
--------------------------------------- My web site: www.scenebyhird.com --------------------------------------- The Bicycle Transportation Alliance
A_Sweeney, don't listen to Bigbuzz, get a Giant cause their great value and besides he's a Melbournian, they're a strange bunch.  Your making the right choice by coming to Sydney.
Tony [Centurion LeMans Single Speed] [BMC Fourstroke FS03]
Hang on a minute Tony! You reckon Melbournians are "strange"????? Correct me if I'm wrong here.... Isn't it Sydney where a few thousand blokes prance around the city dressed like French hookers and call it a Mardi Gras?? Yeah, that's right mate.... keep telling yourself we are strange down here! Oh yeah, I forgot to say I was born in Sydney Tony!
As for the Giant... I agree Giant are great value, but so is just about every bike from the major manufacturers. The reason I bought the Bianchi was simple... I like the colour! Plus, as someone who hadn't owned a road bike for many years, I realised I wouldn't be able to tell what represented a good bike. So I took a punt that because Bianchi have made bikes for more than 120 years they probably knew a thing or two about putting together a good bike. For $2399 I got a bike with mainly Campagnolo Veloce groupset, carbon forks and seat stays; a similar price to a 105 kitted Giant. I was sitting at set of lights a while back when a bunch pulled up. A bloke riding a Cervelo (probably worth more than $10,000) looked over and said, "Nice bike mate. Looks good". I doubt if you get that kind of 'street cred' with your two-wheeled Hyundai Excel.... oops, I mean "Giant"!
Wayne
Hmm ... I am more interested in what was not said between the two of you. Any chance that the Cervelo guy was waiting for you to say, "Thanks, but your bike looks much better"?
I do however agree that Bianchi Celeste Green is a color they own. Is the whole range of Bianchi bikes made in Italy? I wouldnt be surprised if the lower end models are made in Taiwan, near where Giant is manufactured.
Prolly in the same factory Thomas
Shaun ...whatever the road rules, self-preservation is the absolute priority for a cyclist when mixing it with motorised traffic.
London Boy 29/12/2011
Caution: Grave diggers working ahead. Prepare to stop.
Think outside the double triangle.
--------------------------------------- My web site: www.scenebyhird.com --------------------------------------- The Bicycle Transportation Alliance
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just finished shift work not thinkin too straight 
