Basic mountain bike?

[Clayton Lee]

I am doing the BRW corporate triathlon in April, and am just starting to get the bike portion of my
training under way.

I have done it twice before, and each time pulled out a disgraceful mountain bike someone lent to
me, which may or may not have been purchased at Toys R Us, but is definitely not up to spec for me
(for starters I weight 115kg.)

So today on my training run I jogged into the city, and went into Clarence St Cyclery.

Apart from a touch of bad service, the main thing I learnt was that noone appears to make a basic
mountain bike anymore. All I really want is something not ridiculously expensive, preferably no
suspension, slick tires and toe clips.

Is it just Clarence St, or is this something I just won't get anymore. In the perfect world, I would
love to get a road bike, or a nice hybrid, but my budget just doesn't stretch, $400 with the tires
and clips is about as much as I want to stretch to - maybe I am just being unrealistic.

Can anyone give me any suggestions as to where I can proceed from here?

Clayton

 

[Hippy]

"Clayton Lee" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:FYDQb.26448$Wa.5919@news-
> Apart from a touch of bad service, the main thing I learnt was that noone appears to make a basic
> mountain bike anymore. All I really want is something not ridiculously expensive, preferably no
> suspension, slick
tires
> and toe clips.

You can still get them - just not as easily as we'd like. Most bikes have a suspension fork (no
matter how dodgy) just because people 'expect' suspension. Slick tyres are unlikely but very easy to
ask the shop to swap them on when you purchase the bike. Toe clips were on most bikes I've bought!
Can't get rid of the bloody things! ;-)

> Is it just Clarence St, or is this something I just won't get anymore. In the perfect world, I
> would love to get a road bike, or a nice hybrid, but
my
> budget just doesn't stretch, $400 with the tires and clips is about as
much
> as I want to stretch to - maybe I am just being unrealistic.

$289 Giant Upland (rigid): http://www.freedommachine.com.au/item.asp?Category=154&Start=0&ID=542

$385 Giant Boulder SE (front susp.):
http://www.freedommachine.com.au/item.asp?Category=154&Start=0&ID=758

$450 Avanti Escape (front susp.): http://www.fitzroycycles.com.au/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=1113

> Can anyone give me any suggestions as to where I can proceed from here?

A second-hand road bike. Do you know anyone who knows enough about bikes to pick a good one for you?

hippy

 

[Clayton Lee]

"hippy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> > Can anyone give me any suggestions as to where I can proceed from here?
>
> A second-hand road bike. Do you know anyone who knows enough about bikes to pick a good one
> for you?

Hmmmm There is someone who is doing the triathlon with me who rides a lot, he might be able to
help me out.

What sort of price range am I looking at there? Where do people sell their second hand bikes?

C

 

[Fraser Johnston]

"Clayton Lee" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hmmmm There is someone who is doing the triathlon with me who rides a lot, he might be able to
> help me out.
>
> What sort of price range am I looking at there? Where do people sell their second hand bikes?
>
> C

I just sold my Giant Yukon Aluminiun mountain bike with slicks and clips for $300. It didn't have
suspension and was in great condition. I sold it to get a road bike which makes riding on the road a
much faster proposition. Check your local paper for second hand bikes.

Fraser

 

[Daveb]

Secondhand bikes are good for anyone getting started. I picked up a decent road bike last year from
Ivanhoe Cycles for $90 (and I saw a few nice ones there the other day for under $150)which left me
heaps in the budget for some decent new tyres and other bits and pieces.

I picked up a new MTB for my wife from Rays in Preston for under $300 which has been really good
value, and again, if you spend under $300 you've got some money left over to modify or replace any
bits you don't like.

My road bike, which has probably cost me less than $300 all up will keep me going for a few years.
The best way I can go faster is to train a bit harder rather than spend more money.

Dave B.

Clayton Lee wrote:
> I am doing the BRW corporate triathlon in April, and am just starting
to get
> the bike portion of my training under way.
>
> I have done it twice before, and each time pulled out a disgraceful
mountain
> bike someone lent to me, which may or may not have been purchased at
Toys R
> Us, but is definitely not up to spec for me (for starters I weight
115kg.)
>
> So today on my training run I jogged into the city, and went into
Clarence
> St Cyclery.
>
> Apart from a touch of bad service, the main thing I learnt was that noone appears to make a basic
> mountain bike anymore. All I really want is something not ridiculously expensive, preferably no
> suspension, slick
tires
> and toe clips.
>
> Is it just Clarence St, or is this something I just won't get anymore. In the perfect world, I
> would love to get a road bike, or a nice hybrid,
but my
> budget just doesn't stretch, $400 with the tires and clips is about
as much
> as I want to stretch to - maybe I am just being unrealistic.
>
> Can anyone give me any suggestions as to where I can proceed from here?
>
> Clayton
>

 

[Clayton Lee]

Is frame size a concern - how do I know what is right?
What should I be looking for?
I found this in Ebay, in the same suburb, might go and have a look:

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3656947700&category=72 98

"Fraser Johnston" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]
berlin.de...
>
> "Clayton Lee" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:tuFQb.26585$Wa.10512@news-
> server.bigpond.net.au...
> > Hmmmm There is someone who is doing the triathlon with me who rides a lot, he might be able to
> > help me out.
> >
> > What sort of price range am I looking at there? Where do people sell
their
> > second hand bikes?
> >
> > C
>
> I just sold my Giant Yukon Aluminiun mountain bike with slicks and clips
for
> $300. It didn't have suspension and was in great condition. I sold it to get a road bike which
> makes riding on the road a much faster proposition. Check your local paper for second hand bikes.
>
> Fraser

 

[waffle]

what you probably want is a 'flat bar road bike'. Clarence St. might have recommended as much if they stocked such bikes. but they don't, probably because Trek don't produce such bikes. Avanti and Specialised do, and in relation to such models i'd suggest Woolys Wheels or North Side

 

[Kingsley]

On Sun, 25 Jan 2004 13:36:32 +0000, waffle wrote:

> what you probably want is a 'flat bar road bike'. Clarence St. might have recommended as much if
> they stocked such bikes. but they don't, probably because Trek don't produce such bikes. Avanti
> and Specialised do, and in relation to such models i'd suggest Woolys Wheels or North Side

They must have just come out with one, there's a review of it I've read on paper somewhere recently
(Australian Cyclist?), could be their '1400'(?) model... *shrug*

-kt

--
Kingsley Turner, (mailto: [email protected]) http://MadDogsBreakfast.com/ABFAQ -
news:aus.bicycle Frequenly Asked Questions

 

[Kingsley]

On Sun, 25 Jan 2004 10:00:15 +0000, Clayton Lee wrote:

> Is frame size a concern - how do I know what is right?

How tall are you ?

For a 21" bike, would suit someone around 6' tall (right? anyone?)

The standard height-test is to straddle the top tube, and you should have at least 2.5cm from the
tube to your 'nads.

See here: (has pictures) http://www.terrybicycles.com/Bikes/size.lasso

-kt

--
Kingsley Turner, (mailto: [email protected]) http://MadDogsBreakfast.com/ABFAQ -
news:aus.bicycle Frequenly Asked Questions

 

[Kingsley]

On Mon, 26 Jan 2004 07:10:28 +1100, kingsley wrote:

> They must have just come out with one, there's a review of it I've read on paper somewhere
> recently (Australian Cyclist?), could be their '1400'(?) model... *shrug*

Found it - page 62 of the latest 'Australian Cyclist' Trek 1200 Flat bar road bike, a hybrid coming
from the road end rather than the mountain end I guess.

They give it a glowing review, but they seem to give every bike they test a glowing review.

-kt

--
Kingsley Turner, (mailto: [email protected]) http://MadDogsBreakfast.com/ABFAQ -
news:aus.bicycle Frequenly Asked Questions

 

[Hippy]

"Clayton Lee" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:tuFQb.26585$Wa.10512@news-
> What sort of price range am I looking at there? Where do people sell their second hand bikes?

Anywhere from $10 - $10, 000. There seem to be two groups. Bikes under $200 and bikes over $3000.
The ones in the middle are probably being used

http://www.thehippy.net/Cycling/used_bike_dealers.asp

hippy

 

[Hippy]

"Clayton Lee" <[email protected]> wrote in message
newssMQb.26988$Wa.4030@news-
> Is frame size a concern - how do I know what is right?
>
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3656947700&category=72
> 98

If that frame size of 21" is equivalent to 52cm, it's a small frame. At 5'10ish, I ride a 56cm
road bike.

I did BRW a couple of years ago on my mtb. If I had've owned my first road bike then I would have
competed on a $120 second hand machine. As always, it's not the bike but the engine the makes the
most difference.

Are there other bike shops nearby? See if they have used bikes for sale. Ask them and explain what
you want it for as they may know someone with something to suit you.

hippy

 

[Andrew Swan]

Clayton Lee wrote:
> Is frame size a concern - how do I know what is right? What should I be looking for? I found this
> in Ebay, in the same suburb, might go and have a look:
>
> http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3656947700&category=72 98

For starters, I'd make sure the key is included as well as the lock - could get annoying after a
while if not...

&roo

 

[Hippy]

"kingsley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> For a 21" bike, would suit someone around 6' tall (right? anyone?)

I'm 180cm (5'10/11) and usually ride 18-19" or Avanti 45cm mountain bike frames, so your estimate of
21" for 6' tall sounds about right.

hippy

 

[Peter Cremasco]

On Mon, 26 Jan 2004 07:17:13 +1100, kingsley
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>The standard height-test is to straddle the top tube, and you should have at least 2.5cm from the
>tube to your 'nads.

Is that in summer or winter?

---
Cheers

PeterC

[Rushing headlong: out of control - and there ain't no stopping]
[and there's nothing you can do about it at all]

 

[Hippy]

"Peter Cremasco" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >The standard height-test is to straddle the top tube, and you should have at least 2.5cm from the
> >tube to your 'nads.
>
> Is that in summer or winter?

LOL!

I believe there's a +-1cm allowance for seasonal variation.

hippy

 

[Sooky Grumper]

Peter Cremasco wrote:
> On Mon, 26 Jan 2004 07:17:13 +1100, kingsley <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>The standard height-test is to straddle the top tube, and you should have at least 2.5cm from the
>>tube to your 'nads.
>
>
> Is that in summer or winter?
>

I was wondering that exact same thing...

>
> ---
> Cheers
>
> PeterC
>
> [Rushing headlong: out of control - and there ain't no stopping]
> [and there's nothing you can do about it at all]

--
spammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo