Category Archives: Bike

Sadly the hoods on my brake levers have perished.

Luckily I found a NOS set of Dia-Compe’s on eBay which should fit (I stupidly threw out the bike stand and stuff in the move so I’ll have to get the bike shop to do this for me).

Thank fuck for cycling shoes that don’t look like cycling shoes!

Love them.

Fingerless gloves with my name on them!

I went down to 99 Bikes in Alexandria to try on some helmets. Walked in wanting a Giro, but this MET just felt so much more comfortable. Still looks like a mushroom on my head though. As good as helmets look in photos, they always look like mushrooms on your head!

My Paino.

Old (amazingly it was recently painted by Peter Fleming at Star Enamelers, same guy who painted my Paino!).

New.

This bike raced in the 2019 edition of L’Eroica, an amazing annual vintage bicycle ride that starts in the lovely village of Gaiole in Chianti in Italy (PS: also painted by Peter Fleming at Star Enamelers!).

I picked up my Paino today from Europa Cycles. New cables and air in the tyres. I’m (almost) ready to ride!

Also managed to take a few snaps in the shop. Some things don’t change (and I’m so happy about it!). Steel is real and I love your old stuff better than your new stuff!

Nick and I have been talking about catching up over rides at Centennial Park instead of coffees (we can do both!). I’ve been browsing bikes online and no matter how hard I try to hit the buy now button on “that’ll do bikes” I always end up perving on hot Canyon aero bikes instead.

In the end I decided to drag the old 80’s Paino road bike out of my storage cage and drop it off at Europa Cycles in Kensington for a tune up. The legend, John Abeni (shop owner) wasn’t there, but his son was (and I hear John is still around and well which is awesome), and as expected, there were still some really awesome old school road bikes in the shop on display.

In prep I’ve decided to swap out the old Campagnolo pedals and cages (they’re busted anyways) for some Shimano SPD pedals and so glad I stumbled upon these SPD compatible adidas Velosamba’s.

Loftusssss.

Not ridden in a bit, yesterday Chris and I rode in a pack of 11. I was at times the last of the pack (at every big climb pretty much lol!). SO UNFIT! Must not drop the ball. Must ride more!

Honda FIT.

OMFGGGGGG. MTB. It’s been WAY too long! Chris and I hit Loftus today, now I know where all those smokey fire smells I’ve been smelling come from.

Loftus has changed… for the better! SO many new trails. Chris did so awesome for his first ever mountain bike ride (that’s him in the red shorts) and that’s him giving the log a go after he’d bailed off, hit a tree and rolled his ankle! Adrenalin junkie for sure I’d say!!!

We’re going to make this a weekly thing. Mid week too (we legit saw no other riders there, only a couple of rangers who were absolute champs, great vibes!). SO good to be back!

Chris’ new bike!

Down with man flu. WTF! No idea where it came from but I’m coughing up crap and just generally feeling sorry for myself. Was really really keen to get riding trails this week, FFS!

It’s not often I walk away from a fight, but I’ve been on a WhatsApp Mountain Bike group for the past week which started out good, but after a while it felt like being back on the forums again where some people would put you down for the choices you make for yourself.

IE: Cloak and dagger shit.

There’s been all sorts of pressure to get a new $6,000+ bike (there’s nothing wrong with my old bike!), nbt nbt nbt… I’m like WTF is nbt? NEW BIKE TIME. I bought a new hydration pack, but got bagged out for that as all the new kids are using hydration bum bags these days. It was suggested that I get new tyres as mine are 10yrs old, fair call. I did just that, but now there’s lots of poo poo over my tyre selection.

End of the day I just want to get out and ride. Full stop.

PS: Love this video, reminds me of old times when we stopped to try something gnarly out on the trails, no egos, no pressure (just gentle encouragement!).

Neverdie 2007 Giant Reign 1.

I’ve been meaning to get back on the bike as I’ve got an old man belly that just won’t go away. I hate gyms, and exercising for exercising’s sake. For me, fitness has to be a hobby. The skate parks way too hardcore (downtime from injury is a sure way for me to get unfit quick), so I figure cycling is the key.

I’ve got a lovely old 80’s road bike, but doing laps of Heffron, or Centennial Park gets pretty boring fast. I also look ridiculous in cycling shorts, so I figure I get back into Mountain Biking as I love being in nature (one lap of Loftus Oval feels like a trip out of Sydney to me!).

I’ve still got my trusty 2007 Giant Reign. I spent some serious money on this thing over the years. The only component on it that’s standard is the frame, even that’s powdercoated black. The bike was in bits, but I’ve put it together, and with a little bit of TLC it’s come up diamonds.

I’ve almost managed to convince Chris to buy a MTB so we can lob them into my new Jazz and do Loftus rides. Earlier today Chris and I dropped by my local MC Cyclery, turns out Ash from back in the day is working there (hands down legend, best nike mechanic in Sydney!) and he explained that the scene is nothing like it once used to be, and that inflation has hit hard. $3k won’t buy you a top of the line bike these days, now we’re looking at $6k!

$6,000!

You can buy 2 iMacs with that (my iMac is 8 years old and still making moneys!). $6k… you still have to pedal the fucking thing, right?! MC Cyclery don’t cater for the MTB crowd anymore (sad face) but they suggested we drop past Summit Cycles just down the road so we dropped past Summit and fucking hell, bike start at $6k! I’m like WTF! $6k buys you a bike heavier than old school bikes due to bigger wheels, thus bigger forks and such, but hey they’re more comfy like a lounge chair… I was left speechless.

I’m determined to get Chris a bike in the $3k department, as $3k is still a shitload of money to me, but it’s sad to think a Dad has to buy his kid a $6k bike just to get off the streets and out in nature for a ride. Times truly have changed!!!

Will post updates as they come. I’m so keen to ride it’s not funny.

#Einstein #backonthebike #bikeshopping

The $3,300 carbon Canyon Inflite CF SLX 9.0 Cyclocross Bike. © C. Lee / Cyclocross Magazine