If you haven’t been in the market for a new bike in a while and you’re starting to do some research, you may have noticed a pretty sweeping change across the industry: where a decade or so ago, bikes often had two or even three chainrings at the front, many bikes are now sporting just […]
For everyone reading who isn’t deep in Australian cycling culture, Gemini World Randonneurs are the quintessential Great Australian Touring Bike; which means, much like the four wheeled Holden (Opel) Commodore and Ford Falcon, their DNA isn’t particularly unique OR Australian but, they’re what we had at the time and they were pretty nice, so we […]
Keen to plan your own routes? Read on for some ideas and resources to get you started. Kia Binch and I (Pete) did a presentation in March 2023 on this very topic, we’ll do our best to cover everything we spoke about on the night. Make a cuppa and settle in!
Here at Commuter, we have a longstanding love affair with kLite. An Australian owned and made brand, they manufacture top-of-the-range dynamo lighting solutions for adventure cycling.
Here at Commuter Cycles, we love adventure! Some of our happiest interactions are those where we are helping customers to get kitted out for their first multi-day trips. We have prepared a handy pack list for your first overnighter. Feel free to use this as a base, and customise to it as you wish. It’s your ride!Â
Going on holiday or moving and taking your bike with you? Want to learn how to box your bike?
This one hour demonstration session with cover how to safely pack your bike into a box for transport.
‘Adventure By Bike’ has been Salsa’s motto for many years now and just about every bike in their range is designed with exploring, and carrying the right gear to be self sufficient, in mind.
If there’s one good thing about lockdown it’s that it breeds big ideas.
Of all the styles of bike we are lucky enough to have on the floor at Commuter the dropbar, dirt capable bike is probably our favourite, and certainly the most versatile. As a result we’ve tried to stock a LOT of options in this style of bike.
Pepper tells us her favourite way to sew on patches!
Dynamo lighting is one of our three favourite upgrades to a commuter bike. Along with mudguards (fenders) and racks, dynamo lighting is one of those upgrades that will make your commute easier, and the only one that will make it safer. Modern dynamo lights are bright – in some cases as bright as car headlights – and so efficient you barely notice that you’re powering them.
Dynamo curious? Like the idea of having light to see by, not just be made visible? Never want to bother with buying or charging batteries, and taking your lights off your bike every time you park it? Together with Abbotsford Cycles and our key suppliers we are holding a demo night to show off the efficiency of modern hub dynamos, and the amazing light output and charging capability of the current crop of lights and accessories.
There’s a recent buzz around Gravel rides and riding road bikes on gravel. This has lead to a plethora of tyres becoming available to fit this new niche in the market. We have been stocking an ever increasing range of these gravel suitable tyres and thought it was time we gave a little wrap up of what’s available .
We do a few frame modifications here at Commuter Cycles and we like to do things properly. Installing water-bottle bosses so the holes are spaced and aligned correctly can be a little tricky. If the holes aren’t in the centre of the tube, the bottle sits off to the side. If they’re not aligned with the tube, it sits on a twisted angle. The best way to align the holes is with a drilling jig which takes into account all of these sources for error.
One of our customers just bough a nice English light touring bike.
Wheel building is one of our favourite jobs. As well as being rewarding work to get the wheel true and strong, it’s satisfying to figure out the best combination of parts and best set-up for a particular customer. As well as the rims and hubs, the spokes and nipples are important things to think about, and choosing the right ones will make a real difference to the reliability of the wheel and how well suited it is to its intended use. Being able to tailor all of these choices to a particular rider is what puts custom wheels ahead in the hand-built vs factory-built debate.