Hi from Canberra

943

Likes Bikes
Hi y'all. Newbie from Canberra here. Just moved down from Sydney and loving the Canberra lifestyle.
Been a road rider for many years but keen to get into MTB and have been looking out for a bargain on gumtree.
See you in the dirt sometime.
 

Cardy George

Piercing rural members since 1981
Welcome aboard!

So long as you can repress the worst of your roadie tendencies, you'll find this bunch pretty accepting of reformed roadies.

Well, eventually anyway :D
 

943

Likes Bikes
Welcome aboard!

So long as you can repress the worst of your roadie tendencies, you'll find this bunch pretty accepting of reformed roadies.

Well, eventually anyway :D
Thanks for the welcome. I don't plan on being a reformed roadie but would like to embrace both the dirt and the tarmac. I must admit, the bumpy dirt worries me and I expect I'm going to come-a-cropper so will take it slow. I'm in my mid to late 40's and probably a bit aged to be going extreme (this must be my mid-age crisis) but what the hey - looks like a lot of fun so I want to get a bike I don't need to upgrade (i.e. more bike than my skills) but getting the toys is half the fun isn't it?
 

Litenbror

Eats Squid
You will love it and it's a great place to get into the sport. If you find something second hand online and you need some advice/unsolicited opinion post it up and there will be plenty of us on here willing to throw our two cents in.
 

943

Likes Bikes
You will love it and it's a great place to get into the sport. If you find something second hand online and you need some advice/unsolicited opinion post it up and there will be plenty of us on here willing to throw our two cents in.
Thanks for the support. I've been looking for some time and my budget has crept up from $200 to 10 times that. Will take you up on the offer of advice if I find something that takes my fancy.
Bought my 8 year old a new Trek Precaliber the other week and looking forward to being able to do the easy trails at Stromlo with him. Unfortunately my roadie just doesn't cut it on the trail.
 

Litenbror

Eats Squid
Thanks for the support. I've been looking for some time and my budget has crept up from $200 to 10 times that. Will take you up on the offer of advice if I find something that takes my fancy.
Bought my 8 year old a new Trek Precaliber the other week and looking forward to being able to do the easy trails at Stromlo with him. Unfortunately my roadie just doesn't cut it on the trail.
You would be the star of the show if you made it to the bottom though. You should be able to get something good for between 2 and 2.5k what size bike do you need?
 

Nambra

Definitely should have gone to specsavers
I'm in my mid to late 40's and probably a bit aged to be going extreme
Horseshit - plenty of other geriatrics here banging themselves up and loving it. Modern bikes are very forgiving too. You get out there and go for it!

Oh, welcome too.
 

943

Likes Bikes
You would be the star of the show if you made it to the bottom though. You should be able to get something good for between 2 and 2.5k what size bike do you need?
I'm 1.8m so probably L size frame. Lots of M on gumtree, not so many large. Of course, I could always go new. My roadie is 10 years old so probably due for a new bike.
 

943

Likes Bikes
Horseshit - plenty of other geriatrics here banging themselves up and loving it. Modern bikes are very forgiving too. You get out there and go for it!

Oh, welcome too.
Thanks! My number may be in the 40's but reckon I can jump like I did on my bmx when I was 12. Maybe I should invest in some knee pads....just in case.
 

Nambra

Definitely should have gone to specsavers
Kneepads are a sensible idea - no shame in that.

In your budget range you'll get a reasonable bike. Second hand is always better bang for buck but you need to know you're not buying a lemon. Try to have any prospective purchase checked over by a mechanic or a fellow rider that knows what to look for.

Trek and Giant have sales on at the moment, so there's some discounted new bike options you might want to consider too.

Edit: saw your interest in Trek Fuel Ex 8 in that other thread. This might be of interest if you fancy a drive over to the coast: https://www.bikeexchange.com.au/a/d...uel-ex8-2018-29-large-mountain-bike/104951321
 
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Haakon

Keeps on digging
Roadies are easy to spot at stromlo - slow and steady on the downhill bits, but kicking our arse on the climbs...
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
Given the way Stromlo is going, you could probably just slap 35s on a roadie and be done ;)
Really must get out there one day on a Tuesday morning or something when no one is there to laugh at me and do the main loop up and down skyline on the roadie for shits and giggles... 28mm tubeless will be fine I reckon!
 

nzhumpy

Googlemeister who likes bikes and scandal
28s will just cut through all that dust snd you'll just hit the shark fin rocks hiding out of sight underneath...will pay to watch that, it'll be great to see a good swearathon.
 

nzhumpy

Googlemeister who likes bikes and scandal
I was there today thinking it would be well quite, I was wrong, there was about 1000 kids...if you do plan on a Tues morning don't go tomorrow because even the 6 year olds will laugh at you.
 

Litenbror

Eats Squid
I was there today thinking it would be well quite, I was wrong, there was about 1000 kids...if you do plan on a Tues morning don't go tomorrow because even the 6 year olds will laugh at you.
Ahh didn't think about school holidays going to be a busy couple of weeks out there.
 

nzhumpy

Googlemeister who likes bikes and scandal
Ahh didn't think about school holidays going to be a busy couple of weeks out there.
It wasn't actually that bad, they were all hanging about the playground and lower sections (@Haakon will still get plenty of flats and rim dents in this section on 28s), once you got passed Blue Gums it was pretty quiet, there were shuttles running but I hardly saw them on the trails I was on.
 

943

Likes Bikes
School me on the ins and outs of Stromlo...seems like a good setup - no? Got as far as the trail map at the end of the carpark when I went there the other week (on my roadie - did a couple of laps of the crit circuit though). Is it not as good as it seems? Once I do get a MTB, will be looking for somewhere to take my 8 year old to play on some easy tracks and thought Stromlo would be a good start.
 
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