As the title says really! Moving out in August (ish) and really excited…. but what the mountain biking like? Any tips? Anyone know of any local clubs or shops that do rides?

Lots and lots of roadies

yeah….. keen to avoid that, but have the nasty feeling that I might get caught up in it! Found out that CRC/Merlin ship there for free (and no tax) which is cool, I can continue to feed my component upgrade habit 😀

Manly Dam is a cracker and rideable from Manly/North HSore/Northern Beaches. Ourimbah is a worth a look but it’s an hour’s drive up the coast.
City Bike Depot is a good shop as is the bike shop just out of Manly whose name i forget.
Oh, and buy stuff before you go – bike stuff is very pricey in Oz

Cheers Fuzzhead…. any idea what the blue mountains are like for a weekend jaunt?

Oh, and buy stuff before you go – bike stuff is very pricey in Oz

^^This!^^

In fact, the overall cost of living seemed pretty high to me. Some lovely food though! 🙂

the overall cost of living seemed pretty high to me

f*ck yeah! We’re looking at appartments in north Sydney and anything 2 bedroom is basically 600-800 aussie dollars A WEEK! thats about 2k sterling a month! Fortunately, salaries are in line with that 😉

I’ve got one of the Prince Albert classics on order….. can’t decide whether to take it with me and build it up while I’m there, or leave it here and just take the bouncy bike

never rode in the Blue Mountains while i was there, but given Jill Kintner & Bryn Atkinson live there, I’m guessing there are some awesome trails!
When you get to Sydney, check for a pamphlet that’s sold in pretty much all the bike shops about MTB riding in Sydney/NSW – it’s a great thing to base your initial riding on.
We found that wages didn’t stack up to the (very, very) high cost of living – rent, food, household stuff, clothing is (relatively) super expensive.

Check out this

Appin, 1 hour SW of Sydney is great

Go to Cheeky Transport in Newtown, ask for Aido.

Thanks all, lots to start with….

In fact, the overall cost of living seemed pretty high to me.

In Sydney yes, totally ROFL prices, but I would move to London instead than Sydney. No benefit to move there imo unless you have to. Sod paying completely stupid rental prices and still commuting a few hours a day.

I rent in rural Australia, $280 a week, brand new 2 bedroom unit, reverse cycle aircon, built in wardrobes, backgarden and patio, single garage with drive.

Rent here usually includes council tax and water though, so weighed up like that its not that much dearer than the UK.

For a slightly smaller property in Wigan I was paying £495p/m plus £95 council tax and about £35 water.

Current conversion, $1120 converts to £700 making Australia slightly more expensive directly converted. Wage weighted, its about 30-50% cheaper.

As for bike parts, I buy some smaller things locally, we bought my GF a bike here. Everything else comes online from CRC/Evans etc, no GST/Import costs on things less than $1000.

Oh and get used to road riding 😉

Had a couple of days mountain biking in the Blue Mountains from Katoomba. Bit of a hike from Sydney but the train service is good (and can be incorporated into the riding, depending on the routes).

It’s mostly fire trails and the like, but there are lots of them and the country side is pretty stunning. Definitely worth a visit IMO

Jammy git.
Thats all. 🙂

Well we are going out for a couple of years, so we want to live IN sydney….. rent does seem rediculous, but we’ve done the maths, and the extra income covers it.

Looking forward to 2 summers this year, going to the beach after work etc 😀

I think I’m going to ship my Dialled PA frame out there with my full-suss bike: seems like I might get more use out of it around Sydney, and shipping seems cheap!

Roadie?!?!?! Never say never….. but I think I’d rather go surfing

bear in mind that even in the middle of summer you won’t get a whole heap of after-work surfing time in – remember to get outta the water before the badfish come out to play….

Depends what time you leave work 😀

“sorry, I have to leave now…. for safety”

Great biking next door in New Zealand.
Seriously though, Blue Mountains are mint for walking and canyoning etc, and I reckon there must be some good bike trails there too.

Sydney was listed in the top ten most expensive places to live in the world not to long ago. Ive Just moved to Adelaide and I love it. Prices seem high at first but it’s all relative. Other things are much cheaper than the uk equiverlant. Soon as you earn Aussie dollars you’ll be fine. I Graduated in the uk last year and work was almost impossible to find and the salaries were around the £18k mark, the same sort of entry level jobs pay the equiverlant of £32-35k so on balance I’m certainly better off in Oz. Unsure of your situation but for me I feel that I can actually make a comfortable life for myself here. You’ll love it! O 29ers are very popular here too

29ers AND road cycling are rife?!?! oh dear oh dear…..

I’m really looking forward to it (despite the above). I’m going to be taking home a fair chunk more each month – which should cover the increased cost of living and a bit more. I’m hoping that the addition of sunshine will make everything 100% more awesome