West Australian bike

[Yagan]

I keep seeing blue and yellow bikes with the West Australian on them. What's the story with them?

[mitzikatzi]

From 2011 The West Australian Great WA Bike Ride run by Bicycle Victoria

[eldavo]

Seem they were Kmart spec bikes with entry fee to the event wrapped up in the bike purchase.

http://www.cyclingexpress.com/cycle/bik ... -bike.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[just4tehhalibut]

The GWABR beasts were supplied by the same people that supply Azzurri bikes, so not surprised that Cycling Express sell both. And the GWABR had hundreds left over.
The idea was to provide an entry-level bike for what was expected to be a majority inexperienced or casual cyclists, something that could perhaps be ridden to work or the shops after the event was over. And it also meant that spare parts and repairs would be easier to sort during the event, since most were riding identical bikes. Bike Vic did this for 3 contracted WA events but if they come back to WA again don't count on seeing this deal again. The commuting bit seemed to work, you still see these bikes about, even from the 2006 and 2009 events.
Don't know if anyone really pimped their bikes for the event, I would have left it as a shopper bike.