#Australia

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FYXO Builds: A Surly E-Ogre Year-Round Commuter

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FYXO Builds: A Surly E-Ogre Year-Round Commuter

Curating custom bikes for people is something I’ve done, dare I say, “since forever.” For nearly 20 years the most common way a custom project lands on my plate is someone desiring a build akin to my current ride. In the early years, it was track bikes, singespeeds, and classic road bikes. More recently, popular interest seems to have shifted to e-bike conversions capable of carrying small humans, bulky gear, or a combination of both.

Among the Eucalyptus Trees: A Shop Visit with Framework Designs

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Among the Eucalyptus Trees: A Shop Visit with Framework Designs

I’d only started dating my partner Sam for a matter of weeks before we left to cycle around the world together. Red flag? Romantic? Stupidly spontaneous? – I’ll let you decide. I’ll concede that a multi-year bike tour isn’t exactly a traditional way to start a relationship. But with precisely zero bike touring experience under my belt, cycling around the world with a stranger was ironically the least of my worries. I had to find a bike, learn how to ride it (yes, I’m serious) and figure out how the hell I was going to pack my life into two panniers and a basket bag.

To say I made some mistakes would be an understatement. I mean, who knew hair straighteners and a hardback copy of The Power of Now wouldn’t be suitable for a bike tour? That said, I also made some damn good decisions, not least my choice of basketbag: The Sight Seeker from Framework Designs. That bag has travelled halfway across the world with me, weathering everything from tropical monsoons in South East Asia to numbing snowstorms in Nepal. So when Sam and I returned to Melbourne three years later, I couldn’t wait to check in with Framework Designs Founder, Tia Evans on how the business was going, visit her home studio and, of course, share it all with you.

42 Deg South: Hazards to Hells Gates; A Bicycle Overlander’s Route Across Tasmania

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42 Deg South: Hazards to Hells Gates; A Bicycle Overlander’s Route Across Tasmania

Overlanding is traditionally a term that describes the forging or following of a route for moving livestock long distances from one location to another. These routes were created to send the livestock to market or to another location for feed or weather events such as floods, drought, or bush fire all common occurrences in the harsh Australian outback. This movement of the livestock along these “overland” routes in the Australian context is known as droving.

In creating this bicycle overlanding route and story I’d like to begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet today. I would also like to pay my respects to Elders past and present.

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Twenty-One Twelve: A Human Powered Adventure Across Australia

We all know that a bicycle can do a lot – grocery runs, pick your kids up from school, group rides, casual commuting – and now we have the bicycle as a support vehicle. In 2019 Katie Visco ran across Australia (her second transcontinental run) with her husband Henley Phillips as support crew pedaling a Surly Troll+Ted trailer. Their route followed the rough Outback tracks from Darwin through the Tanami Desert, into Alice Springs, through South Australia on the infamous Oodnadatta Track, finally ending in Adelaide 4 months later. The two filmed the journey entirely on smartphones and cut together a short documentary with the help of Yellow Tent Nomads. 

Presented by: Bedrock Sandals.

A Prova Cycles Titanium Pinion Rigid MTB

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A Prova Cycles Titanium Pinion Rigid MTB

In the lead up to the Handmade Bicycle Show Australia (more on that later), I dropped by 412 – the collective home of bicycle excellence in Fairfield, to chat with Steve (Velocraft) about the logistics of getting my bike to the show. Even though the paint was close to 2 years old, Steve was enamored enough with it for a host of reasons that it was his choice to represent his work.

Prototipo Works Ultra Low Profile Bidon Cage Bolts

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Prototipo Works Ultra Low Profile Bidon Cage Bolts

There’s custom and then there’s deep custom. Protipo Works is based in Australia and they manufacture small hardware pieces to fully lace out your bike in subtle ways. Take these Ultra Low Profile bidon cage bolts which are ultra low, slim and discreet, made from 316 stainless steel. These new bolts tout some improvements over their previous versions, which include diamond burnished heads and a super strong cold forged-rolled thread. They run $14.95 AUD for a set of bolts and are open for pre-order now with a delivery date slated for the next few weeks. See more at Prototipo Works.

Castin’ Lines: Mountain Bikefishing in Victoria, Australia

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Castin’ Lines: Mountain Bikefishing in Victoria, Australia

‘Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride’ is one of those famous quotes by John F. Kennedy, famous perhaps for the wisdom that it carries, more than for the person who said it.

All those who have recreationally ridden a bicycle should know that Kennedy was right. However, the ex-president didn’t realize (and possibly neither many of us) that something that may be compared to and even surpasses that addictive pleasure is to combine pleasures.

A bicycle is a freedom machine that allows us to carry out different activities while simultaneously enjoying the bike itself. It is up to each one of us to choose those activities that generate the greatest pleasure. For example, in my case, a good bike packing trip combined with a fly fishing session does it for me. What in this world could compare to this pleasure overdose? A new adventure was being cooked.

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Bikepacking Sucks Reviews the Crust Bikes Scapegoat

We’ve been following the Instagram account Bikepacking Sucks since he posted his first review. While the content ain’t for everyone, I think we can all agree that it’s the content we deserve. In his latest video review, he takes the Crust Bikes Scapegoat for a whirl.

Give Bikepacking Sucks a follow on Instagram for more weirdness from Down Under.

Oh and if you haven’t noticed, the Crust Bikes website is back online. Yay!

Super Jambo Grom Pre 200

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Super Jambo Grom Pre 200

Shit on it, vomit on it, give birth to it… that’s what it’s like organising the Super Jambo Grom Pre 200. An informal 200km gravel event on Ngarigo land, Yaouk Valley, in my home country, Australia. An event that centres all the things we have learnt this year – but also to get loose and have some well-earned fun!

The Most Colorful Bastion Cycles Ever? A Ti and Carbon Dream Bike from the ENVE Builder Round Up

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The Most Colorful Bastion Cycles Ever? A Ti and Carbon Dream Bike from the ENVE Builder Round Up

This year’s ENVE Builder Round-Up featured two builds that didn’t make it through US Customs in time for the complete unveiling. Last weekend we looked at that beautiful Isen, a colorful build on its own, and this weekend, we’re featuring this lovely Bastion, a brand known for its ultra-high-tech frame construction by using 3D printed titanium lugs and beautifully woven carbon tubes. All made in-house in Victoria, Australia. Yes, this Bastion flew a long way to Ogden, Utah for the ENVE Builder Round-Up, but as you can see, it was worth it! See the full details below in an interview video with Bastion and a complete gallery within…

The Melburn Roobaix is Happening in 2020… Sort Of

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The Melburn Roobaix is Happening in 2020… Sort Of

2020 has certainly put the damper on group ride events like the Melburn Roobaix, which takes people around the city of Melbourne via a network of pavé roads, visiting local eateries, breweries, and other local sights. The name of the game is dress-up! Since numbers are on the rise again in Victoria, the Melburn Roobaix organizers have opted to throw the event as solo-exploration while still offering up a deal for $10:

-2020 Melburn Roobaix Ticket. We’ve put together a GREATEST HITS of PAVE sectors from every year for you to create your own unique ride with your mates – whenever it suits you.
-2020 Spoke card.
-HALO – Emergency bike light holder from Towards Zero.
-Each ticket is also an entry into the Monthly PRIZE RAFFLE.
-2020 riders will be guaranteed entry for the 2021 Melburn Roobaix if they register in the first week.

Support grassroots events and pick up a ticket at Melburn Roobaix. Check out this article from the Age and our coverage from the 2014 Melburn Roobaix.

Hear the Voices of Traditional Land Owners: Up the Guts of Australia

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Hear the Voices of Traditional Land Owners: Up the Guts of Australia

Up since the break of dawn, all day we’d been rolling on washboard roads. Yet it was hard to complain. We’d just spent a few days hiking around Ikara/Flinders Ranges National Park and it felt good to be headin’ north again. As the sun dropped toward the horizon I stopped for a bit of a feed. Dan rolled up beside me and we began to look for somewhere to camp. It was dead flat aside from the occasional patch of scrub. You could’ve pitched in anywhere but for some reason, it still felt good to choose a spot. It was then, with bikes stationary and no wind to speak of, that we were struck by the immense silence of our surroundings. This was our first proper encounter with the vastness of the Australian desert. The endless horizon. We had made it to the edge of the outback, and thousands of kilometers of dusty track lay in wait.

Specialized to Donate $100,000 to Australia with the Down Under Collection

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Specialized to Donate $100,000 to Australia with the Down Under Collection

Specialized’s new Down Under Collection looks to the fauna Down Under, specifically the Australian Budgie. As 500 million animals have been affected by the massive bushfires, Specialized is donating $100,000 USD to WIRES, the Australian Wildlife Rescue Organization. You can now buy product from the Down Under Collection, to show your support or if you’d prefer to donate yourself, do so at WIRES’ emergency fund.