Australia post pushbikes ...

My ongoing saga of trying to get the ultimate shopping bicycle ...

It turns out Australia Post bicycles are made by Southcott Cycle
Division South Australia, *but* they only sell to post offices - I just
spent some time on the phone to some bloke with them, no website that I
could easily find ... but their ph no. is (03) 9558 5449 and I said "I
want one", he said "we only sell to post offices". And around we went
a couple of times, but a brick wall.

I wonder why that would be? Any theories? They just said "no" over &
over and would give me no explanation as to why. It must be possible
to get one if I can get past the lackey and talk to someone with some
authority though ... I don't want to have to steal one from aussie
post!

 

Bleve wrote:
>
> My ongoing saga of trying to get the ultimate shopping bicycle ...
>
> It turns out Australia Post bicycles are made by Southcott Cycle
> Division South Australia, *but* they only sell to post offices - I just
> spent some time on the phone to some bloke with them, no website that I
> could easily find ... but their ph no. is (03) 9558 5449 and I said "I
> want one", he said "we only sell to post offices". And around we went
> a couple of times, but a brick wall.
>
> I wonder why that would be? Any theories? They just said "no" over &
> over and would give me no explanation as to why. It must be possible
> to get one if I can get past the lackey and talk to someone with some
> authority though ... I don't want to have to steal one from aussie
> post!

Keep us "posted"... *groan*

I want one too!

Tam

 

Bleve <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> I wonder why that would be? Any theories? They just said "no" over &
> over and would give me no explanation as to why. It must be possible
> to get one if I can get past the lackey and talk to someone with some
> authority though ... I don't want to have to steal one from aussie
> post!

Could be a case of being put into the too hard basket. Don't have a
process for selling to the public, don't think it's worth the hassle for
just one sale. You could write snail mail to the "Sales Manager" and beg
him to accept your money. You could mention that others here are
interested...

--
..dt

 

Mate,

I had a mate who worked for Southcott's and another who's job it was to
re-enforce the headtubes.They were also manufacturing/badging bikes
under the name Pro-Tour (i think Pete might have even sold some
12spd/105 level racers) for a while.

BUT the postie bikes were specially made for Aust Post, and only
ordered what they needed. So either watch out for Aust Post
sales/auctions or......

If you saw the re-enforcing jobs, you might think twice about riding
one. Re-enforcing good - so many holes (esp along the toptube and down
tube) BAD.

But with such a large re-enforcing gusset on each side - who knows


ray


Bleve wrote:
> My ongoing saga of trying to get the ultimate shopping bicycle ...
>
> It turns out Australia Post bicycles are made by Southcott Cycle
> Division South Australia, *but* they only sell to post offices - I just
> spent some time on the phone to some bloke with them, no website that I
> could easily find ... but their ph no. is (03) 9558 5449 and I said "I
> want one", he said "we only sell to post offices". And around we went
> a couple of times, but a brick wall.
>
> I wonder why that would be? Any theories? They just said "no" over &
> over and would give me no explanation as to why. It must be possible
> to get one if I can get past the lackey and talk to someone with some
> authority though ... I don't want to have to steal one from aussie
> post!

 

Me too. Seen one or two around in circulation. Unfortunately being ridden by people who clearly didn't know what they were riding...grrrrrrr

 

On 2006-05-04, Bleve (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
>
> My ongoing saga of trying to get the ultimate shopping bicycle ...
>
> It turns out Australia Post bicycles are made by Southcott Cycle

Anyone got a picture of one of these? My google-images foo, combined
with a very lossy interweb today, is consipiring to not allow me to
find these.

--
TimC
It typically takes 25-30 gallons of petrol/diesel to fully-consume an
average-sized body under ideal conditions. That I am conversant with
this level of detail should serve as an indication of why the wise man
does not ask me questions about MS-Windows. --Tanuki on ASR

 

Bleve wrote:
>
> I wonder why that would be? Any theories?

When you sell to people, each and every sales requires handling
enqiries, quoting, education/the sell, sale transaction, distribution,
warranty service, etc, etc. This means the cost of sale can vary widely.

All that without dealing with the usual customisation" requests.

When they sell to AusPost, they only had to do this once. So much
easier. So less costly, So more efficent. OInly the one paint job. They
probably have a standing order. They can probably take their time. They
can organise their holidays when they want to, etc, etc, etc.



Perhaps you could enquire as to what AusPost does with their old bicycles?

 

What about making a friend at your local post office? If they are able to order these bikes, and won't be disadvantaged in the transaction (a few $$ might help), then they may just help you out. Anyone around here know a postie or Auspost employee?

 

roshea wrote:
> Bleve Wrote:
> > My ongoing saga of trying to get the ultimate shopping bicycle ...
> >
> > It turns out Australia Post bicycles are made by Southcott Cycle
> > Division South Australia, *but* they only sell to post offices - I just
> > spent some time on the phone to some bloke with them, no website that I
> > could easily find ... but their ph no. is (03) 9558 5449 and I said "I
> > want one", he said "we only sell to post offices". And around we went
> > a couple of times, but a brick wall.
> >
> > I wonder why that would be? Any theories? They just said "no" over &
> > over and would give me no explanation as to why. It must be possible
> > to get one if I can get past the lackey and talk to someone with some
> > authority though ... I don't want to have to steal one from aussie
> > post!
> What about making a friend at your local post office? If they are able
> to order these bikes, and won't be disadvantaged in the transaction (a
> few $$ might help), then they may just help you out. Anyone around here
> know a postie or Auspost employee?

That was my "steal" reference from my OP. My (deceased) former
housemate was a postie, and getting a bike would have been trivially
easy (albeit somewhat dodgey, let's just say the aussie post is a bit
lax in the assets registry department and let sleeping dogs lie).

That's my last resort, basically. I don't want a 2nd hand one, I know
what posties are like with equipment!

 

TimC wrote:
>
> Anyone got a picture of one of these? My google-images foo, combined
> with a very lossy interweb today, is consipiring to not allow me to
> find these.
>

Best I can do on short notice Tim

http://static.flickr.com/28/62933277_702a52c9b1_m.jpg

Pete.B

 

TimC wrote:
>
> Anyone got a picture of one of these? My google-images foo, combined
> with a very lossy interweb today, is consipiring to not allow me to
> find these.
>

Best I could find,
http://abcasiapacific.com/nexus/img5/5ep047_mos_05.jpg
Not enough people out there with a postie fetish it seems.

Full article
http://abcasiapacific.com/nexus/mosaic/s1550083.htm

Lots of stuff out there on CT-110's though.
Apparently they were the "New Cool" late last year.
http://www.thecoolhunter.net/lifestyle/NEW-AUSSIE-TREND---POSTIE-BIKES/


Pete.B

 

On 2006-05-04, Skewer (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
> TimC wrote:
> >
>> Anyone got a picture of one of these? My google-images foo, combined
>> with a very lossy interweb today, is consipiring to not allow me to
>> find these.
>>
>
> Best I could find,
> http://abcasiapacific.com/nexus/img5/5ep047_mos_05.jpg
> Not enough people out there with a postie fetish it seems.
>
> Full article
> http://abcasiapacific.com/nexus/mosaic/s1550083.htm
>
> Lots of stuff out there on CT-110's though.
> Apparently they were the "New Cool" late last year.
> http://www.thecoolhunter.net/lifestyle/NEW-AUSSIE-TREND---POSTIE-BIKES/

Heh. So I just found out the answer as to where these alleged postie
pushies are still used. I've certainly never seen them around.

--
TimC
pivot_root manpage: BUGS:
Some of the more obscure uses of pivot_root may quickly lead to insanity.

 

In aus.bicycle on Thu, 04 May 2006 07:56:43 GMT
TimC <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Heh. So I just found out the answer as to where these alleged postie
> pushies are still used. I've certainly never seen them around.

I see them sometimes near the Oz Post depot in Campsie. I suspect
they are mostly around after I go to work as the post is delivered
around 10am.

Only time I've seen a postie he was on shank's mare though.


Zebee

 

http://www.postnewspapers.com.au/20050129/news/016.shtml

From the website

One of the last 22 pedalling posties trundles along the beat
each weekday on Broadway, Nedlands.

They are a vanishing breed ...

 

On Thu, 04 May 2006 08:06:30 +0000, Zebee Johnstone wrote:

> Only time I've seen a postie he was on shank's mare though.

There's at least one up around Chatswood delivering mail on one. Saw them
a few months ago, and was very surprised.

--
Dave Hughes | [email protected]
There's nothing in cat behaviour that can't be
remedied with a shotgun - Theo Bekkers, a.b.

 

Plenty of framebuilders out there that would make you one. It would be more expensive but much better quality tubing, better components, just a much better bike and just as functional.

CC

 

may we could do a massed perve over the back fence of post offices with back yards and see if there are any "rejects" lying about, there could be some really good looking, well preserved ones.

I have a feeling the "no sale"to the public is because if there were plenty around they would certainly go missing too often and Aust Post would get horribly narky about the black market trade in their red treddlies...just a theory...

then...maybe my devious mind is suffering guilt from a past life as a postie bike black market dude..."stop you blaggard...keep yer purse sah!, I just want yer bike...so get orff it now ...there's a good postie and be on yer way lud! (fantasy ends...runs off looking for a life)

 

Maybe someone needs to pop down to the local post office and ask if they can measure one up. May need to find out which post offices still have them, though. May have to do a bit of explaining too as you will definitely be viewed as abnormal.

SteveA

 

On Thu, 4 May 2006 14:43:27 +1000, roshea wrote:

> What about making a friend at your local post office? If they are able
> to order these bikes, and won't be disadvantaged in the transaction (a
> few $$ might help), then they may just help you out. Anyone around here
> know a postie or Auspost employee?

Half the post office delivers are bikies (mine has swastikas tattooed all
over his arms), the sorters are vietnamese involved in ALP branch stacking.
Where I work half a dozen cheques posted too us were stolen by postal
workers at the Waterloo mail centre and fraudently cashed by an organised
crime syndicate (had to talk to the Federal Police and all about what mail
went missing).

I'm sure there is an Australia Post worker who can find you a bike for the
right price.

dewatf.

 

SteveA <[email protected]> writes:

> cogcontrol Wrote:
>> Plenty of framebuilders out there that would make you one. It would be
>> more expensive but much better quality tubing, better components, just
>> a much better bike and just as functional.
>>
>> CC
> Maybe someone needs to pop down to the local post office and ask if
> they can measure one up. May need to find out which post offices still
> have them, though. May have to do a bit of explaining too as you will
> definitely be viewed as abnormal.
>
> SteveA

I have one I can measure up, if enough people tell me they're interest.

Cheers

Joel