Off Course Bike Shop: Melbourne’s Commuting, Touring, and Adventure Hub – John Watson | The Radavist | A group of individuals who share a love of cycling and the outdoors.

While John and Cari were down in Melbourne for the Roobaix and MADE Australia, they made sure to roll by Off Course Bike Shop, the city’s dedicated commuting, touring, and adventure hub. What they found inside this industrial space exceeded their expectations of what a modern bike shop could be. Let’s check it out!

Since 2008

Off Course began as Commuter Cycles in 2008 when Huw Vellacott opened this small, one-person workshop to cater to Melbourne’s commuting cyclists.  Over the past 16 years, the shop has grown to a sizable staff, and its focus has expanded from commuting to touring and adventure riding.

As the brand likes to say, it evolved considerably by going further off course, and as its vision and reach have expanded, the name Commuter Cycles no longer represented the breadth of the shop, its community, or its staff. So, it re-branded to Off Course in 2024.

Staples

Off Course is a modern shop that still believes in having a dense stock of everyday staples. Being in Australia, they bring in many brands from the United States, and it’s cheaper to bring in sizable orders rather than one-off deliveries. Lining the walls of Off Course, you’ll find every spec and color available, displayed in ways that make this ex-architect froth with his camera.

Buildout

Photographing (and designing) spaces used to be my full-time gig, so I like to flex the skills I learned documenting my old architecture projects when I walk into a space like Off Course. This industrial “factory” – as they’re called in Australia – has been retrofitted from floor to ceiling with custom millwork (cabinetry).

The displays highlight the beauty of Off Course’s products, showcasing frames, handlebars, components, and accessories in unique manners I’ve yet to see utilized anywhere else.

My personal favorite piece of millwork is the frame and fork display, followed by the handlebar display. Both are modular, adaptable, and offer unique solutions to everyday problems many shops face.

Isn’t that the role of a bike shop? Developing unique solutions to everyday problems cyclists face? Whether it be sizing a bike for a customer, or building a tourer for extended expedition rides, or even a commuter with fenders, dynamo lighting, and racks?

After my four hours spent combing over this space, that was my take-away from the team at Off-Course: they are in the business of solving problems for their customer base, both existing and new.

Now, let’s check out some of the shop and staff’s builds!

Shop and Staff Builds

First up is this dreamy Tumbleweed Prospector Rohloff touring bike. This is the same model that Ryan Wilson has been using as he rides all over the globe, living full-time off his bike. Off Course built this Prospector up as a floor model for customers to test out the unique ride characteristics offered by the Rohloff hub.

The build kit features some nice blingy parts, including Tumbleweed bars, a Ritchey post and stem, a Tumbleweed Pannier Rack, and a full K-Lite Designs dynamo setup.

Off Course demystifies these dynamo setups and offers fully custom builds and installation of the K-Lite system. Some clever detailing of this installation includes a split loom used to route the wiring to the rear rack and easy-to-access front controls.

Will’s Mone Hachita

Off Course’s manager, Will Hartnett, is a big fan of Cjell Mone and clearly Cjell’s a fan of Will because he sent him one of those rare Hachita prototype frames. Will built his up with a disc/rim brake combination, showcasing the Hachita’s adjustability and modularity, a manually-shifting 2x crankset for Melbourne’s steep hills, a SON Edelux setup, XTR rear mech, PAUL brake levers, and Velo Orange bits. The Framework bar bag is the icing on this strawberry pink cake.

Mike’s Rawland Drakkar Survivor

This Rawland made its way down to Australia a decade ago and ended up needing a new paintjob due to the heavy use and surface rust. When Mike acquired it, he decided to coat it in a rasta paint job and got a new fork built to accompany this new look. He built this one up as a commuter with fenders, a dynamo setup, and a basket.

Reuben’s All-City Nature Boy

The Nature Boy is All-City’s crowning achievement. A cult-classic bike with multi-use DNA, these rim brake, lightweight framesets make for exceptional city commuters. Reuben built this up with fenders, racks, and all the accouterments you need to get to work in style. I love the Fairdale skate rack!

Melburn Roobaix Surly and Skin Grows Back Prize Bike

Each year, the Melburn Roobaix gives away a bike as the grand prize. This year’s offering was a Surly Bridge Club, supplied by Surly Australia and built up by Off Course with a full Skin Grows Back bag kit.