I’ve been pretty close to a few eastern brown snakes here in Australia. Normally you don’t see them on the downs as the vibrations given off by you riding will have them going for cover. However on climbs is where I find them. As I’m normally going a lot slow its best to jump off the bike and back away ensuring that the snake has a way to escape!

The start of summer is worst for it.. Also a small baby snake is worse as it doesn’t know how to control its venom and will give you ALL of it! Been told that if bitten best to stay still and compress the limb-bite area to limit the venoms progress around the body!

Just a little note I’d rather get bitten by a snake than of the nasty spiders here! I was bitten a few weeks back whilst out trail building by a small spider.. Went up over my boot under my trousers bite me just above the sock kine. Two days later pain still there. Blister was around a 10mm in diameter – it popped and a hole in my leg appeared… At least with a snake you know what it was!

Brian

Trail dog paws now hung up but does enjoy a good walk. (not with me now tho)

Still I see him every two weeks on Skype :-)

Couple of older videos

Big Dummy

I’m paltry 5’7″ – I’ve short legs with a longer torso the Scout feels pretty good I was unsure on sizing but weighed it for a while. Considered a large frame but went for the medium just seemed the right choice and looking a transitions sizing I was bang in the middle.

Indeed a Radr cage has been considered… I’ll see how I get on and more importantly the wife gave me a budget for the whole bike which the Radr cage would fit in.

I’ve been adjusting the levers and seeing what works best.. the Reverb is on the left underneath.. what side of the lever do most people run it?

Also it does feel like a bike that’ll be a riot! manualling it wasn’t an issue and I’ve been off the bike for 7 weeks…

The forks are much stiffer than my old Float 120mm which is likely to contribute to the stiffer feeling however the bars used to flex under hard efforts on the older bike and that was with an Easton Haven bar at 711mm 31.8dia – haven’t really ridden the new bike properly yet but even when sat on the old one I could make the bar/stem/fork – flex and twist by leaning on it. The new set up feels stiffer without the flex. This could be a number of things noted above but I do believe that the bar is stiffer.

Depending on your set up you may not notice it as much.

Do NOT buy.

I have a set that are now reseved for driving at night. After they didn’t change back quickly enough on a rainy yet sunny day an my wife said i look like a sex offender whilst wearing them. I realised then I look like an arse!

Went for the XL’s on the basis that they are UST off the shelf. I cannot see the point in tape etc on a new wheel seems daft. If the Enduro had a UST rim I may have bought them. The XL’s have more spokes than the ST and Enduro’s (Mavic) from memory so should be pretty stiff. Seem pretty light too. Also they look pretty trick as well but lets be fair all wheels at that sort of money will.

In terms of spares i’ll likely in a few weeks order a few spokes and keep them as back ups just in case… Wife has said they need to last at least five years!! before I can consider new wheels!

Went to bora bora last year for our overdue honeymoon and lucky for me my 30th birthday. It was better than expected and really is magical. It was very expensive but when you think where in the world it is and the service in the hotels it seemed to more than worth it! I flew from Sydney so have no idea of the cost from the UK.

Nice bike that however tire and rim logos don’t line up and that stem needs changing! Standards are slipping.

Been on Clips for a year now after 17 years on flats.

After much consideration I went for time… also helped that my riding buddy uses them too. Bike swapping is easier.

No issues here and I found them very easy to get on with. Clip in and out easy as well.

Go for one with a cage. I use the Time Attac MX6. Having the cage helps when you want mis-clip or riding a tight trail and want a foot out ready to bail!

Good luck op. Brave move that try to keep busy as not to dwell on it all. I’m sure a few bike rides will help take your mind of it all.

Adelaide singletrackworlder here!

Love the little Country town! (1million population)

We went with 7 seas IIRC, all went well but we only shipped 7 boxes of stuff and purchased the big stuff again here. Didn’t bring my bike and purchased one here but shoes etc didn’t get checked in the boxes.

Agree with the ordering online… bike stuff is cheap really without all the added taxes! Normally takes 7 days for things to turn up from a UK shop.

Make sure you do explore (note South Australia has some mega wineries so be sure to pay a visit)

Biking is good, you’ll get used to 35 degrees at 7am! – went out after work for a spin, 51km and 1000m of climbing later I was home, nothing like taking the long way! had the pleasure of seeing about 20 kangaroos and a couple of Koalas too.

It’s safe to say I love it here!

Aspinals of London – check their website. I’ve had a hip flash off them and it’s good stuff. Not cheap mind you!!!

Live in Adelaide,

Nice little place… city can be sleepy at times but depends what you want? Bars and places to eat are around but finding the better ones can prove difficult..

Wine tasting is a must! really I can’t stress this enough. Barossa is an hour and 15 away from the city, the hills are more spread out so you’ll get to less and the M’Vale is an hour away from the city.

All have great wine. You could get a tour on the saturday and then chill at the beach on the Sunday. I’d avoid the beach at Glenelg due to being busy and from my experience… dirty aka dog eggs, cig-butts etc. It’s certainly still better than most in the UK. I’d suggest Grange, (train can get you here or a short bus trip from Glenelg up the coast. Henley & West Beach are great too.

You can walk to the zoo from the city or hire a car and drive to Gorge wildlife park in the hills

http://www.adelaidehills.org.au/attractions/gorge-wildlife-park

Lots of options – give us more detail and I’ll try and give you ideas and info.

Also Zokes is away from memory…. he forgotten what a bike looks like the lads that busy!

Regards

Scott.

@ Nick Davies

My 2012 Focus – Petrol did a similar thing. It would cut all the electrics at random thus all the lights and dash would flash and the car would die, brakes, steering and the like. Scared the wife as she was turning onto the freeway.

It took Ford a few days to work it out, car was driven by the Mechanic for a week (gave us a fancy loan focus) with two laptops plugged in constantly. Alternator changed, wiring changed to battery, new battery – it took an old boy Mechanic to work out that I had attached a static strip to an exhaust mount at the rear of the car, which I thought was ok as it wasn’t touching the exhaust, but turns out that doing that can kill the ECU! thus shorting the car out.

So the dealer worked it out in the end and were very good about it all. I didn’t pay for fuel and had a loan car/s for around two weeks in total. Being reasonable worked for me. They knew I was getting annoyed and did there best to fix it. When I met with the dealer manager to collect the car he was amazed it was the static strip, we laughed it off called it quits! (Note Aussie dealer) No issues since and that was over a year ago.

I went to Uni the second time aged 24 I dropped out the first time aged 21 as well I was in a mess and didn’t know what I wanted from life so it was something to do after I returned back from travelling the world.

Student loan and working a boring job part time. I did quit my full time call centre job as I was depressed a really unpleasant place to work. I made a point of not doing loads of hours as well I wanted to treat my degree as full time. I never missed a class and never missed or failed an assignment. I did get close mind.

Also sold my car and the now wife was very supportive. It was hard watching friends finish UNI and get on with life ie nice cars and holidays and I was the one working every weekend to make ends meet. I missed out on many things but now I am comfortable and live and work in Aus so it was worth it in the end.

Currently studying again as I want to get on even more…. work are paying for this one. Distant learning online. It’s pretty bad and shockingly delivered no contact time and or updates etc. I can’t see the point as non of it is relevant to my career but that’s the course the institute I am with wants me to do.

Anyway make sure you do something worth while if it’s career related and make sure it’s an accredited course if you are looking to apply for work else where.

Good Luck

Fat lad riding with his dog.. aka me.

Enjoy

Also think yourself lucky, no riding for me this weekend. Have been sat in doing Uni work and considering it’s just gone midnight here in Oz I should really be getting off to bed! Still work are paying for said degree so I’ll have to suck it up…. yes it is due in tomorrow morning!

I’ve a Whyte Sterling. Fitted a wider bar, Marathon Plus tires… mud guards for winter (this is a must for wet days)and added some good lights, two front & two at the back just in case one dies…

I’d be much quicker on a road bike but feel the Hybrid has it’s place. I do a 10 mile each way trip with traffic lights and so on it takes me 35-40 minutes.

Watching the Adelaide Strikers play the Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash T20 cricket league at the Adelaide Oval. I’ll still be drinking beer just in a stadium rather than a pub… I think i’ll see in the new year sat on the train on the way home.. Bike ride on NYD or if hungover a swim in the sea.

Brian

Firstly OP… do it! the chance might not appear again!

Perth is a nice place, most people appear to be living the dream. Friends of mine who live over there say it is great an when I visited it was indeed really nice. However for me it felt busy and rushed and the only fights I’ve seen on a night out in Australia have been in Perth… maybe it’s the places my mates took me.

Anyway I moved to Adelaide over 18 months ago. If I’m honest the place picked us due to work but I’m glad as I bloody love it here! It’s busy enough for me yet still retains the small town charms like quite parks streets at the weekend. Biking is a 15 minute drive or if like Zokes is stright from the front door. Lots of trails and at over 700m the hills are a reason size. I’m also 5 minutes by car to the beach which is fantastic for evening walks. Also the beaches in Adelaide are pretty empty and that’s due to not being overly populated.

Making friends can be hard, you have to put yourself out there. Joining sports clubs can help break the ice and does pay off.

You’ll not know if Perth is right for you unless you give it ago… stay a few years get your PR then you’re laughing. (note we got PR from the outset so haven’t had to worry about visas etc which could have made it easier for us to settle in)

Driving wise…. well the UK is that great either…. I do hate the undertaking bit and driving everywhere at 60kph (37.5mph) can be dull so no wonder idiots think it’s ok to eat cereal whilst driving let alone be on the phone texting etc

I’m sure lots of folk on here will be willing to help you out regardless which city you live in.

Good luck!

Philby

After nearly running over a baby Eastern Brown Snake on the bike I can confirm that it certainly grabs your attention! Every wiggly looking stick after that for the next two weeks was treated by my mind as a snake! They are that common in my work area so much so, that we have yearly reminder training on how to avoid getting bitten! and if you do what to do afterwards!

Still I prefer them to the spiders here! saw a bloody big Huntsman today 100mm in the legs so only a baby….

For me the animal I’d like to see would be the Snow Leopard. One of my favourite big cats… Also as mentioned above Wolves they are on my list!

10miles one way. Can get abit too much when it’s 40 degrees plus!

The call taker was most likely a civilian and please don’t judge all police on one bad experience reporting a crime, it’s possible they didn’t fully understand the circumstances (no defence to their lack of action but maybe a learning point if it can be brought to their attention).

This most certainly is a theft and should be recorded and investigated, sounds like you would be able to provide a pretty decent description to help IDing the guy. You actually had your bike stolen and the only reason you have it is because you chased it down and got it back for yourself. If they’re this bold then they are most certainly stealing other bikes elsewhere in similar circumstances, report it again as soon as (strike whilst the irons hot etc) and if you get fobbed off demand to make a complaint, then you’ll certainly get details taken.
I would also suggest taking photos of the injuries you got whilst taking your bike back, it fleshes out the picture and the lengths you had to go to to return your property.

Hope this helps Mrs 2hottie.

Have the Stirling, and yes they are quick! My commute time dropped in a big way compared with the MTB. I also ride with baggies and flats.. I do have a normal helmet tho. Fitted wider bars too and proper tires. Makes my 16km each way route nice and easy. Bar the nuts Aussie driving!

Brian

As a pup

Following a recent visit back to the UK…

I’ve a Whyte Stirling… Didn’t want a full road bike for a number of reasons. Works well and suits me. Not the best spec for the money but rides nicely enough. Has been great for my 20 miles a day commute. Recommended.

Wouldn’t spend to much time in the cities… They are cities after all.

If you like wine try South Australia, over 200 cellar doors! need I say more. (Note; the Oz wine you get in Tesco’s is rubbish! they keep all the good stuff for themselves!)

http://www.southaustralia.com/food-and-wine/wine-regions.aspx

Do the GOR it really is beautiful. And a road trip is a must. You can’t grasp the scale of the country till you do.

Have a Parmy in a local pub…

Feeling brave then I’d go for this…

http://www.sharkcagediving.com.au/

It’s on my list!

Give us a shout if you need any further tips…

10 Miles each way.

Plan ahead by getting your bag ready the night before. Spend time making sure the bike is working well and invest in mudguards and buy the best lights you can.

Have a set of tools and spares for the commuter as the time you need the pump it’s in your camelbak

By the sounds of it the Stans rims sound a right pain to use.

My Tubeless set up is Easton XCT70 rims with Conti UST tires.

Took about 30 minutes to do both tires. Easy.

I’ve had zero flats in over 6 months of riding, prior to doing it I was pinch flating every weekend.

So for me it is worth it.

I drive a Holden Omega/Commodore Ute at work, like the green one in HH’s post.

Tiny inside the cab, even the small files I need on site fill all the available space. The tray is pointless with the cover on. The one we have is LPG so the spare wheel is in the bed and the ladders are wedged in next to that.

The wing mirrors are like bread knifes so…. point less, the over hang at the back is massive and it’ll light the wheels up with alarming ease…. The one I use has Council stickers on it so I really don’t need to be doing burnouts! Still, unlike what Zokes says it does get a shift on when you need to. A pointless car but try telling any of my Aussie mates that.

Also with the tray cover you can’t see much out of the back! Did I mention the massive blind spots it has too….

Children in bog roll adverts…. I cannot see the point. Lets be honest all we really care about is its ability to wipe without breaking and in as few sheets as possible. I’m not fussed if kiddies think it’s all lovely and soft.

Yeah mines now had it. Sits at the back of the cupboard now as I prefer my new mug, which can survive the dishwasher.

I’m a little disappointed if I’m honest that it didn’t last longer.

Currently live in Adelaide which is significantly nicer than Preston. The city has everything I could ask for and is much cheaper than many of the other major cities in Aus.

$10 a pint in Perth, more like $5.50 in Adelaide. The wine regions (many of these in SA) are a great way to spend the day. Also the beaches are clean and not covered in dog eggs etc. Nothing better than riding home from work then down the beach for a walk watching the sunset. The local hills are full of great trails that are dry for 9 months of the year!

Cost of living is ok. Yes both food and rent are more but the trade off for me is that I get paid two an half times more than I could get in the UK. My cost of living is nowhere near twice as much.

As previously mentioned you need to way up what you want from it. I saw no real future for me in the UK, I’d be working hard for very little reward and when we had an oppertunity to move to Aus (perminant residancy via the wifes job) it was a no brainer. We are now saving to buy a house and still have plenty of disposable cash left of to enjoy life, which we do.

As for Aus being backwards in regard to rasism I don’t think it is any worse than the UK. In fact I think the Aussies are far more tolerent than in the UK well the ones I work with are. If I hear it I’ll challenge it. 99% of people here are migrants of some sort so people get along. I’ve yet to hear the very common UK phrase “I’m not racist but”…. maybe the Aussies are just more open about opinion, rightly or wrongly” it’s no different. Yet a big thing that many seem to forget… It’s not the UK so stop expecting it to be. Things are different some you will like some you won’t.

I’ve yet to really miss anything from the UK. Family is an obvious one as are friends but skype and email do a good job in bridging the gap left. You’ll make new friends and adapt to life here. I’m much happier overall as I can see a genuine future for myself and not simply going through the motions of life. I say take the chance whilst you can. I know if I didn’t a few years down the line I’d be kicking myself.

Also spiders aren’t everywhere. You can swim in the sea and not get eaten (most of the time) Snakes are about too, makes bike riding that bit more “rad” snakes sunning themselves look just like sticks!

Just my 2p worth! but good luck either way.

I was pinch flatting constantly until I went tubeless most of the guys I ride with run tubeless and none of us have had any issues in the last 6 months. Top up of air once a month and all is good. I’ll not be running tubes ever again. Also I run tubeless wheels and tires, much less hassle by the sounds of it.

I didn’t over take the baby brown snake unlike my riding buddy who didn’t notice it till I did the manly wimper when spotting it. The two big kangaroos on a night ride was fun/scary as I could hear them bouncing along next to me but I couldn’t see them, I was waiting to be taken out like the guy in the asba cape race! The koala on another night ride just kicking back in the middle of the trail it wasn’t going to move of the way. Cue off the bike walking round it.

congrats op. Eaves Hall near clitheroe is where I got married. Selected as folk can stay over unlike some others mentioned. Also they did a reasonable deal as we booked late (5 months in advance) bowland brewery is just down the road and they will print beer clips and provide the ale for the venue. We had Hen Harrier on tap renamed as life of Brian, (named after our dog) also they get supplied by burns wines in clitheroe -so you’ll get some great wine. Food was great and the venue is in my opinion lovely.

After looking for weeks on end it just felt like the right balance and didn’t have that commercial feel that many places do.

good luck!

Great video.

Spike looks ace.

I got Brian to follow me by tapping him with the wheel at walking speed. They get the idea pretty quickly!

Well, lets set a few things straight….

As some maybe aware wheelie is currently living in our spare room. (Not against her will I might add)

We do have a garage and it does need a sweep. I’ll be having words.

No vacuuming done and no cake made…. Bad form.

She needs to fix her bed (don’t ask how she broke it) lazy sod.

So whilst the wife and I have been at work, Wheelie has been walking around the house as quite as possible… Why you might ask.. Well it’s to practice her “assassin” skills apparently.

S.

First is the local beach to me (10 minutes on the bike) in Adelaide, nothing makes a bad day at work disappear, like a evening walk whilst the sun sets. Second pic is from a recent road trip.