Tntaglia Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 Time for my latest random question on life in Oz My kids (aged 6 and 9, both about to have birthdays) desperately need new bikes. Existing ones are cheapos bought at Makro and has never worked well, and they love cycling. So we'd like to buy them better bikes anyway, Oz situation notwithstanding. But of course if we buy now we buy with the move in mind, so I have a couple of questions: What brand(s) of bicycles are common in Australia, so that we can try to get those so that spare parts etc is not an issue later on? Are there websites where I can look at prices? I think someone mentioned that bikes are really pricey so I'd rather buy here and take along than buy there. We will be bringing a container (my company will pay for it) so the cost of bringing the bikes is negligible for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPanda Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 This is by far not a comprehensive answer, but we saw some good looking (as in the brands of the components used) bikes on a special here, for less than I paid for my bike, four years ago in RSA ( I think my bike is at the bottom range of the better bikes). We both ride off road and are adamant that our bikes be 'softail '. @GenDemo will probably know a little bit more. It's difficult for me to think what you should be looking for for such young cyclists, since it is important that your bike frame size be correct for your body size, but both your kids will still grow a lot. I think rather than prices, which a google search should give you, you might want to think about timing. If you are going to be in RSA for about a year, get them bikes there. If you are going to come over to Oz in three months, compare prices. That would be my advice. Ps our bikes both travelled in a container with our stuff, and arrived here without a scratch or a hitch. No problem. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad76 Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 From what I've seen the brands being what they are and mostly international with variations of name brand components, spare parts shouldn't be an issue. As for pricing I wouldn't say they're anymore pricey here than in SA. Given exchange rate volatility, they may even be cheaper at points in time! My guess is google will tell all! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tntaglia Posted September 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2016 Thanks! We probably won't be in Oz before second quarter next year which is why I'd rather buy now - their current bikes are really not great and both need significant work before they can ride again, and I don't want them to have to wait until May or June before they have bikes again. Off to google I go... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GenDemo Posted September 27, 2016 Report Share Posted September 27, 2016 15 hours ago, Tntaglia said: Time for my latest random question on life in Oz Oh I like that! I often feel like that... My life consists of random questions. You sound like my father in law, whom we could not get to understand that, you get all the car brands in the Netherlands...they are next to Germany...so you can get a German car if you want. You don't need to get a Dutch car...and no, people will not glare at you.. Anyway...so the short answer is, you get everything and more here than in South Africa. Most brands are cheaper here, especially Specialized. Its also a lot easier to get spare parts here. So my answer really is...get a good bike. Don't worry about them growing out of it...Gumtree is a working thing here. So you can sell it again. So what I am trying to say is that, you don't need to buy top of the line bikes, but don't refrain from getting them good bikes, just because they are growing. The important thing is get a reputable brand, with good parts (pref. Rox Shock, Shimano brakes, and Shimano shifters & derailers). They last long. Good brands, are Giant, Trek, Merida, Scott, Specialized. I have not seen Silverback here. I would also strongly recommend that you get dual suspension (soft-tail) bikes, they are much more expensive, but better for your health. As @RedPanda mentioned, both our bikes came over in our container, and arrived without a scratch. GD 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tntaglia Posted September 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2016 Thanks @GenDemo - that helps a lot! I have seen some of those brands on my google searches for SA options so will look at those specifically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPanda Posted September 27, 2016 Report Share Posted September 27, 2016 @GenDemo has a Giant (because of a ludicrous sale they had years back in Pretoria) and I have a Merida. So far, we are both very happy with our bikes. And if your kids are getting bikes, you should consider getting yourself bikes too, once you are here and settled in a bit. It is so easy to use the outdoors as a gym, and it is so much more appealing. The parks are family friendly, and we often see little families with mom, dad and two kids riding along. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GenDemo Posted September 27, 2016 Report Share Posted September 27, 2016 oh and you need a helmet to cycle here, or risk being fined...a lot. So get that in SA, the helmets are quite expensive here. If you want to cycle on the roads here, you need a front and tail light. Should you want to get these, I would recommend getting it in SA, as it is much cheaper. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tntaglia Posted September 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2016 Are there rules around helmet standards? I mean Makro sells cheapie helmets with Frozen characters on them, I'm assuming those won't be good enough? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GenDemo Posted September 27, 2016 Report Share Posted September 27, 2016 1 minute ago, Tntaglia said: Are there rules around helmet standards? I mean Makro sells cheapie helmets with Frozen characters on them, I'm assuming those won't be good enough? not as far as I know...so get the Frozen ones... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPanda Posted September 27, 2016 Report Share Posted September 27, 2016 (edited) Afaik they don't have specific rules, but being Aus, I'm sure if you look for them you will find it written down somewhere. I can't remember reading that the helmet has to adhere to a specific standard. Just that you need to wear it, and your straps need to be tied and not hanging loose. Edited September 27, 2016 by RedPanda 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PauletJacques Posted September 27, 2016 Report Share Posted September 27, 2016 I mostly see Specialized on the trails here, which I would consider high end, and there's a few Giants or Treks. Your "luxury" brands like Yeti, Ellsworth and Morewood in SA are almost never spotted here, the Aussies seem to go for the practical bikes and people aren't trying to show off too much I think buying a brand new bike is probably a bit cheaper in Oz than in SA, but parts and services are more expensive, don't even look at tyre prices, rather shop on Chain Reaction Cycles for parts! I find it quite odd that the Aussies hardly use Thule, towbar bike racks for their cars like in SA, there are a couple of Rhino Racks here and there and the roof mounted Thule systems - weird 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GenDemo Posted September 27, 2016 Report Share Posted September 27, 2016 oh yes, agreed. The tires cost in $, what they cost in Rands. And yes, Thule is here, but not popular. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPanda Posted September 27, 2016 Report Share Posted September 27, 2016 28 minutes ago, PauletJacques said: I find it quite odd that the Aussies hardly use Thule, towbar bike racks for their cars like in SA, there are a couple of Rhino Racks here and there and the roof mounted Thule systems - weird That's because their towbars suck! Big time. They use the system where you have a large square tube attached to the car, and a detachable smaller square tube that goes inside it (this lot rattles and cannot be tightened to alleviate the problem) and then the tow ball is another detachable piece that bolts onto that, and if it doesn't have the ***** tightened out of it, this can rotate! So yeah...we brought over our towbar bike rack, and are now working at modifying our tow hitch to actually enjoy taking our bikes to parks. Once we're there it's amazing! The parks are awesome! But jeepers, they need a better tow system. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tntaglia Posted September 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2016 I've found some specialized kids bikes on special for between R4000 and R5000 - think it might be cheaper in Australia but I reckon we're paying a premium so that the kids can enjoy 9 more months of biking. Will go shopping in the next few days. We do have a Thule bike rack which has always worked well, so that will definitely come along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPanda Posted September 27, 2016 Report Share Posted September 27, 2016 (edited) 8 minutes ago, Tntaglia said: I've found some specialized kids bikes on special for between R4000 and R5000 - think it might be cheaper in Australia but I reckon we're paying a premium so that the kids can enjoy 9 more months of biking. Will go shopping in the next few days. We do have a Thule bike rack which has always worked well, so that will definitely come along. Do you mean the brand Specialized? If that is the case then it seems like a bargain! The Specialized bikes we know about are in the range of R70k, six years ago! (It's possible they have a larger range that we don't know about...) I just had a look at a local retailer and the kids Specialized bikes are going for anything in the range $600-$1300, so that price you've got seems good. Here's the link I used:Specialized, Ferntree Gully Edited September 27, 2016 by RedPanda More info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tntaglia Posted September 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2016 Yeah these are the kiddies bikes http://conceptcyclery.co.za/product-category/bikes/kids/hotrock-girls/ - no prices on that specific link but concept cyclery only sells Specialized brand bikes. These are the specific ones we're looking at, with prices: http://www.bicycling.co.za/bike-buyers-guide/hotrock-20-6spd-girl-int/ http://www.bicycling.co.za/bike-buyers-guide/hotrock-24-21spd-girl-int/ Entirely possible that I'm confused though so please correct me if I'm misunderstanding! I'm totally new to the cycling thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPanda Posted September 27, 2016 Report Share Posted September 27, 2016 Those look a lot like what I saw this side on the website. It might be good as a last check for you to see what the resale value would be on a place like Gumtree. (which by the way, is big in Aus. You can get just about anything on Gumtree, and the deals are generally good, as in honest. We got two great leather couches second hand, at a total bargain rate.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tntaglia Posted September 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 28, 2016 As a non-biker I am now drowning in Google research - never knew bikes were this complex! Wow. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GenDemo Posted September 28, 2016 Report Share Posted September 28, 2016 3 hours ago, Tntaglia said: As a non-biker I am now drowning in Google research - never knew bikes were this complex! Wow. hahahaha, welcome... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tntaglia Posted September 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 28, 2016 See this is why I've always been more of a runner. Shoes, foam roller and you're all set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SurferMan Posted September 30, 2016 Report Share Posted September 30, 2016 I ride Giant, I am a big fellow and needed a bike with a super strong frame, whole family is on Giant. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tntaglia Posted October 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2016 So we ended up buying Titan bikes for the kids - these ones: http://www.titanracingbikes.com/calypso_20d.html for the 7yo and http://www.titanracingbikes.com/hades_24d.html Paid R8000 all in. Kids are on holiday visiting grandparents this week so it's a surprise for them when they get home on Friday. Yay! Still haven't bought for myself - really confused with all the options out there but considering for now to either not buy for me (hubby has an old Makro bike that I can rike for a while if necessary) and buying in Oz second hand, or to buy something really entry level second hand now and taking it from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SurferMan Posted October 5, 2016 Report Share Posted October 5, 2016 Get a bike with disc brakes, you wont look back. if you are starting out then go for a 21 speed but dont go for the electric gear change, only when you go big league. Make sure the systems are Shimano. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tntaglia Posted October 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2016 (edited) This is the bike I'm looking at right now - if you don't mind having a look at the specs and telling me whether it looks reasonable? EDITED - just got a message that it was sold so I've removed the link. Too bad. Edited October 5, 2016 by Tntaglia 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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