where to buy second hand bikes in canberra?

[james06]

Hi

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

[mikesbytes]

Hi James,

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.

[TriggerFish]

I think Kambah Cycles sells second hand bikes on consignment. He is at Kambah village, which is a left turn at the second set of lights off the end of the Parkway.

Hope that helps.

[james06]

thanks mikesbytes & Triggerfish. I might take a look at the Kambah shop next week.

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.

[europa]

Crime Converters can be a useful resource, though watch you don't pay too much, their pricing policies are often a source for much amusement or befuddlement

Richard

[cludence]

Hi,

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.

[james06]

Thanks cludence

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?

[cludence]

Hi,

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.

[europa]

Sorry James, the bicycle industry has decreed that the bicycle is a disposable item. Second hand bikes are for weirdos ... like people who actually use their bikes

Richard

[james06]

finally found one! Thanks to everyone for your help

[cludence]

Well...what did you get? Got to show off your bike now!

[europa]

It doesn't exist if there isn't a photo

Richard

[james06]

lol ok i'll get a photo soon maybe you guys can tell me what i need to fix i'm going to get the tyres replaced and possibly some recabling. there's a bit of rust on the wheel.. hard to explain where.. i'll post the photos soon..

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.

[james06]

Ok, so here are the photos! Click on the thumbnails to see the larger version. I've compressed the photos so they should only take a few seconds to load.

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

[cludence]

I like it. Besides the tyres it looks like it has been stored in a decent spot. It's same age as the one I have here that I fixed up for myself and mine is great as a commuter. Cant say I am well versed with playing around with gears, the guys on here know more about that. (I am still trying to get the hang of that.) I did notice the bit of rust on the rear derailler, if you have trouble with that, or the hubs, let me know as I have some the same up here and can always chuck some in the post save you trying to buy ones to suit. If you feel the urge to polish your new bike, autosol works wonders on the chrome bits!

[europa]

Fine old grid. She'll do you well ... and you're eligable to talk in the Retro forum now

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

[cludence]

Richard, I am curious how much you paid for your 27inch tyres? I gave up asking bike shops as they thought I was an idiot (being female tends to get that reaction in bike shops) I ended up using ones from Kmart. Yes I know they are cheap ones, and I can hear people saying noooooooo, but given I dont ride huge distances on my bike I have found them fine. I'll have to put a pic of mine in the retro section, I love it, it is an old Morrison.

[europa]

Can't remember the price (I try to forget the sad things in life). Twenty or thirty bucks - it didn't strike me as obscene whatever it was. And the shop was just about to order some more. I had a choice of three for the Europa ... and chose those classy whitewalls My son's bike runs 1" wheels and he had a choice of one ... but there were two sets of them on the shelves. Tubes weren't a problem either.

Richard

[james06]

How much are they at kmart?

And Richard, did that price include labour?

[cludence]

I think I paid about $7 or $8 for them. So how many times have you gone back to look at your bike today to admire it? If it is more than two times, you've caught the bike bug!

[europa]

How much are they at kmart?

And Richard, did that price include labour?

No, me buy, me fit.
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

[james06]

I just called a few bike shops and it looks like the cost is around $30 including labour.

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

[europa]

She's eighties or seventies. A fine old gal. Don't you be mean to her you hear? Like convert her to a fixie

Richard

[cludence]

Go to one of your discount shops ie Go-Lo etc and you will find they should have one of those cheapie puncture repair kits in the tool section for about $2-$3. They come with levers in the box which you can use to change the tyres. It is not a difficult job to do but if you are worried, they usually have instructions with them. Then you can come back and proudly boast about changing the tyres and saving yourself $22 which you will use to buy something else for the bike of course!

[europa]

Fitting tyres and tubes is about as easy as life gets ... once you know how to do it of course. It's one of those repairs that once you know the tricks, it's very rewarding ... and you get to spend $11 on chocolates or red vino.

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