r/ausbike

I recently became a university student in Melbourne and pretty new to cycling.

I recently bought a Pedal Ranger 4 mountain bike from 99 Bikes. My first proper ride was around 9 km and I found it much harder than I expected. My legs were very tired, my backside hurt, and I struggled quite a lot with hills, sometimes having to get off and walk.

I mainly want a bike for going to the shops, carrying groceries and casual weekend riding. Most of my riding will be on roads, bike paths and shared paths around suburban Melbourne with occasional smooth dirt paths. I won’t be doing any proper mountain biking.

I’m looking for something comfortable, reliable, easy to ride and able to take a rear rack. I don’t really care about going fast. My budget is around $400.

I’m considering exchanging the Ranger 4 for a hybrid or road bike. Would a hybrid feel noticeably easier to ride than my current MTB, or only slightly easier? Would a road bike be even easier, and which type would be more practical for my needs?

I’m a cycling newbie looking to get a bike computer, and I’m currently considering the Bryton Rider 650.

I came across a Taiwanese review and it seems like pretty good value for the price. Navigation is the most important feature for me, though, so I’m wondering how well the GPS performs in Sydney. Does anyone have experience using the Rider 650 around Sydney?

I know some people might recommend using a phone mount instead, but I recently changed my phone and I’m worried about damaging the camera, so I'd still prefer to use to bike computer

I’m very very very new to cycling as an adult (44yo male, Gold Coast, riding on a crappy free Aldi bike) and always love looking out for independent companies/artists/creators etc, maybe it’s my background in punk rock and hardcore.

Just wondering if there are any decent indy bike stores in SEQLD outside of the usual corporate big guys like 99 Bikes, Giant, Trek etc who may also stock alt-brands such as Surly, Crust, Kona etc?

When money allows I’d like to upgrade to a gravel bike and hopefully buy from an independent store.

Cheers.

Hi all! I’ll be attending university in Sydney soon, and do cycling and running as a hobby. I’m looking for training routes with good views, as well as places with steep hills/good elevation gain, areas for intervals, and generally routes for long rides. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!

**Edit: Will be staying around CBD

Hey guys I need help choosing a mountain bike, will be used to ride around the streets with my daughter but would also like it capable of doing some trails, I have a budget of around 1k can anyone give me some tips? I went to bikeforce and they recommended the trek marlin 5 or the Scott contrail 40. Have been looking them both up and lots of people have negative things about both.

Looking for suggestions for first bike. Sydney. 194cm male, budget ~2k (at absolute most).

Road bike, preferably could be a solid base for cycling training (as want to start training for triathlons over the next year or so). Have got a decent base for running/swimming already. Will upgrade down the line if needed, just looking for a starter.

Also, open to suggestions for at home bike rigs.

First gravel bike, stuck between four. Adelaide, Australia

Complete beginner here. Never owned a gravel bike. Budget was 2500 but honestly if one of these is clearly better value I can stretch, I'd rather buy once.

The four I keep going back and forth on:

• Merida Silex 400 (~2200) - GRX400 2x10, 45mm clearance
• Cube Nuroad EX (~2500) - GRX610 1x12, 45mm clearance
• Merida Silex 700 (~2700) - GRX820 1x12, 45mm clearance, 180mm rotors
• Canyon Grizl AL (~2400?) - Apex XPLR, 54mm clearance, T47 threaded BB

I know the prices aren't the same, that's part of the question. Is the jump from the 400 to the 700 worth $500, or is that money better spent on gear and a bike fit? And is the Grizl just flat out better value than all of them?

The Canyon is the one messing with my head. On paper it beats everything and it's cheap. But it's online only, no test ride, and I'm not confident enough to size myself off a website. Am I overthinking that? People who bought a Canyon as their first drop bar bike, how did it go? If it is genuinely better than the rest, I am open to going for it.

Most of what I'm working off came from a Cade Media video on YouTube about what he wishes he knew before buying gravel bikes. His main points were: get as much tyre clearance as you can, ideally 50mm plus. Make sure the seat post is round and standard so you can fit a dropper later. Don't settle for cable disc brakes, get proper hydraulics. And avoid anything proprietary, so no weird steerer sizes and no one piece bar and stem, because it's a nightmare to service and you can't adjust your fit. He also said older cyclocross bikes aren't gravel bikes and to think about what riding you'll actually do before buying.

That's basically what killed a few options for me. Ruled out Giant Revolt on the D-Fuse seat post, and the higher end Cube Nuroads because the cables run through the stem and headset.

Which brings me to the clearance thing. All the shop bikes on my list are 45mm and only the Canyon hits the 50 plus mark. For someone who genuinely doesn't know yet if they'll be doing gentle rail trails or rougher stuff (idea is 70% road 30% gravel to begin with maybe), does that actually matter or is it internet noise?

Riding will be mostly around Adelaide, some of the Hills, no racing (not for now at least). Happy to be told I'm asking the wrong questions. Open to other bike suggestions too.

TIA

Hey everyone! I’m a 27 year old bloke relatively new to Perth and I’m a full-time student. I’ve been feeling a little lonely lately and would really love to meet some new people and make friends.
I absolutely love cycling (have a Trek Roscoe) and so I thought this could be a great way to meet people who enjoy it too.

I’m looking for a friendly cycling group or even just a few people who’d be keen to ride together regularly.
I’d also love to do longer rides occasionally — exploring different parts of Perth, going on day trips or little cycling adventures together and riding back as a group.

I’m not looking for anything super competitive. Mainly good company, enjoyable rides, exploring new places and, hopefully, making some genuine friends along the way.
If you know of any groups like this in Perth, or you’re looking for a cycling buddy yourself, I’d love to hear from you! 😊🚲

I’m considering buying my first aero bike and am looking at the Aeroad CF SLX 7 and 8. I’m in Australia and would be upgrading from a Trek Domane AL 2.

The CF SLX 7 is currently $5,799 AUD and the CF SLX 8 is $7,699 AUD. From what I can tell, the bikes are very similar: same CF SLX frame, both have DT Swiss ARC 1600 wheels and both now come with a power meter. The main difference seems to be 105 Di2 on the 7 versus Ultegra Di2 on the 8.

For anyone who has compared or ridden both, is there anything significant I’m missing that would justify the extra $1,900 for the 8? At the moment the 7 seems like particularly good value.

I’d also be interested to hear from Australian Aeroad owners. How has your experience been with Canyon Australia, particularly servicing, warranty support and getting replacement/proprietary parts? Any regrets, or would you buy one again?

Thanks!

I’m trying to get into cycling and weighing up two options here in Australia.

A friend is offering me his 2016 Focus Cayo carbon road bike for $600 AUD. It’ll almost certainly need a full service (~$200) and probably new tyres. I’m also not 100% sure it’s my size yet.

Alternatively, I could grab a new Trek Domane AL 2 Gen 4 for around $1,399 AUD (alloy frame, Shimano Claris, flat‑mount mechanical discs, full warranty). Once I factor in service and tyres, the used Cayo is probably $900–$1,100 all‑in, maybe more if parts are worn.

As someone who knows nothing about cycling but would like to get into it, which should I choose and why?

For the Cayo, what are the big red flags I should look out for?
And how can I quickly tell if it’s actually my size before committing?

Any “walk away” signs for an older carbon frame or quick sizing tips appreciated. I’m a beginner and just want something reliable to learn on.