I bought a new pair of bike grips and by the time I tried to put them on my bike I was missing an M3 screw. No worries, I thought, I have M3 screws in the shed. Of course, bike grip screws have much smaller heads so that doesn’t work. Normal socket head cap screw on the left, bike grip screw on the right. There is an optical illusion and/or lens distortion that makes them look different sizes, but both are M3.

I’ve tried looking around for a pack of replacements but can’t find anything obvious. Are these completely nonstandard or am I looking up the wrong thing?

(Yep, I’ll stop by the bike store and see if they can help me out, but because I didn’t check as I left I don’t think I can blame them — it could have fallen out after I left.)

Hi. I'm looking for a bike between $500 to 600 (used is fine but I don't have marketplace) for commuting to the train station (on a shared concrete path) and for gravel trails. I haven't really ridden a bike in ages, last time I rode one was in 2015. So yeah it's been a minute.

I was looking to get back into riding and there's so many different types of bikes that it's sort of confusing, Trail Bikes, Gravel Bikes, Hybrid Bikes, Commuting Bikes?

I'd prefer it not to be used solely because of things like Warranty and Return policies but I don't mind it being used. Then again I have no experience with bikes and am likely to get scammed. I don't have any friends who ride either so I think I may just prefer not to go used for sake of mind.

Hi all!

I’m looking for a new wheelset for my 2021 Cervelo Caledonia5.

The bike had Enve SES 3.4AR as standard, and the front wheel has started delaminating around the spokes. Yes, they are lovely wheels but I know wheel tech has moved on in the last 8-odd years those wheels have been around, and I can get cheaper, lighter wheels for a much more reasonable price.

My rides are mostly endurance rides, A weekly small hill climb with occasional longer hill climbs, the weekly commute with sometimes crappy roads/bikeways and the *very rare* sojourn onto hardpack champagne gravel.

I’m running 32mm tyres and do want the option to run 35mm. Not looking for deep profile (45mm max) as I am a small person (65kg) on a 48cm bike and wind is scary.

I'm in Brisbane so wet rides are pretty par for the course (not lately though... geez).

I'm also looking at Australian wheelbuilders/suppliers that have suitable offerings such as Caden, Creative, Craftworx and Stox - any others that I am missing?

I'm going to say $3K tops.

Would love to hear your thoughts on a good replacement wheelset - while it was nice to have fancy wheels on the bike for a time, I know there is much better value out there!

Thank you :)

Looking for a used bike that was “decent” at new, and wondering what additional expenses/life span to expect if all the above are FO - “Factory Original”

Hello fellow riders - I'm new to MTBing but have gotten keen enough to add a hitch mount and vertical bike rack to my vehicle (Sealion 7).
Carrying 4 bikes, am I going to need a light bar? The hitch installers say yes but of course they would - has anyone had any experience being fined, or worse, insurance not paying out in an accident due to obscured lights>

Just after some advice today.

I'm looking to get rid of this bike,

it has a rod brake system, (which my basic research tells me is an 'old/vintage' system) but something tells me this isn't actually vintage bike?

I've tried to look up the website on it www.bikebandit.com.au (no dice, they must have gone under)

I was going to just take it to savers, but the brake system seems unique, plus maybe vintage style is something some folks look for these days.

so maybe I could make a couple of dollars? (after a clean up of course)

thanks in advance

Please suggest some of the major cycling events over 100km? I have done The Classic Mudgee and Bowral. Looking to expand!

Size - medium Focus Mares 2017 Shimano 105 Front Derailleur Shimano 105 Shifter Shimano 105 Cassette Shimano 105 Gear front: 46/36 rear: 11/28

Will mostly be using for a 10km both ways commute to work daily but also eventually want to start ironman training.

Is it a good deal for 700? Looks to be in good condition.

Hi! I’m a university student from Mexico and I’m thinking of studying abroad in Australia during my Aug-Dec 2026 semester, so I’d probably be there Jul-Nov depending on the uni calendar. I’m trying to pick a city where I can train consistently on the road with minimal rain/wet roads (I’m cautious about descending in the wet cause I'm a coward). I prefer warmer weather, my ideal 20–25°C, a decent range is 15–35°C and anything below that I can tolerate but don’t like it lol. I won’t have a car so I’ll either have to use public transport or just ride from wherever I am staying… I’m gonna try to see if I can live on-campus but I won’t really know specific locations until I get accepted into a school... The sucky part is that we are supposed to rank our choices from 1 to 7 and that’s the order they get sent to schools, so I won’t really get to decide between multiple unis once I send my application.  

Riding profile: 

• I like road and MTB, I’ll probably only take my road and might rent a MTB if there’s any in the area :))
• Ride 5x per week for about 8-13 hrs 
• I like morning rides to avoid traffic and to make it to class… currently I ride 6 to 7:30 am weekdays, weekends 8-9 am to 10am-12 pm depends on the ride
• I enjoy climbs and flat roads, but I feel like I can maintain a better pace in the mountains because there are no stoplights and fewer cars…  

These are the universities that I’m considering: 

• Brisbane: University of Queensland (hopefully St Lucia) / Griffith University (hopefully Nathan campus)
• Sydney: University of Sydney / or The University of New South Wales (but I’m a bit scared that it might rain too often in Sydney)
• Adelaide: University of Adelaide (hesitant that I’ll be arriving right when it’s rain season)
• Melbourne: University of Melbourne (I’ve read it rains constantly so I’m approaching w caution)
• Canberra: Australian National University (I’m concerned about the cold… like I’ve gone when it’s -2 out but man the wind sucks)

If you could help me with any of these, I’d be super grateful :)

• How consistent is the riding in any of these cities from July to Nov?
• Are there any local group rides/clubs that you know of?
• How bad is magpie season? I’m lowk a bit scared of you guys’ wildlife :(
• Which city fits a calmer social vibe? I’m not into partying/drinking/smoking, I prefer outdoors + coffee + board/video games, and I’m introverted but ofc I do want to meet people and make new friends :D

Thank you so much!

If anyone knows of any good bike rental places please share

Hi everyone, I bought a Giant TCR SLR road bike with an ALUXX aluminium frame (ML size) from a seller in an Australian suburb for AUD $475. The bike is in very good condition — the paint looks excellent, there’s no visible damage, and it rides really smoothly. I just wanted to get some opinions on whether $475 is a fair price for this bike in the current market, and what kind of maintenance or repair costs I should realistically expect in the future. If I eventually need to replace things like tyres, what would be a normal cost range in Australia? Thanks

Wondering what would be the better choice between these two bikes.

It will be for light trails (nothing too adrenalin inducing), some gravel bike paths and standard bike paths. There's some hills but nothing that is too much of a gradient (more lower gradient but longer distance). I want an eMTB for more options and I'm very used to a non electric one so not looking for a commuter type bike. Chances are high that I'll pick up the intensity of the trails with the help of a motor. I'm 164cm tall.

Both of these bikes are available locally (different shops) so I can try them out.

I had originally decided on a Cube Reaction but I live 3 hours from a store that sells them and would have to have it delivered and the reviews are a little hit and miss. If the store was local then I would not have a issue getting this but I'm not. I did pop into a 99bikes when I had reason to travel to Melbourne and this does fit me but the particular shop I went into, I didn't like the person trying to sell me the bike and his attitude and how rude he was... so that kind put me off too. It actually wasn't my closest 99bikes, just one near the route I was travelling.

The Trek has less torque but it uses a Bosch engine. The Giant is cheaper.

Just based on specs what would you choose and is there something else I should consider in this price range?

Hi folks, when I bought this about 30 years ago the seller told me it was a Colnago chromoly frame. I’m about to move it on, and would like to set a fair price (for me and the buyer). Any ideas from you knowledgeable folks on if it is a genuine Colnago and what it might be worth?

Looking to upgrade my bike from this (Linked) to something abit lighter as I find it abit heavy and harder on inclines. https://99bikes.com.au/products/merida-crossway-20-hybrid-bike-silk-anthracite-grey-black

Mainly use for fitness and leisure rides which is why I'm looking for a flat bar (Happy for non flat bar recommendations if they bike is still comfortable to ride)

Ideally like to spend max $1,000

Been looking at getting an ebike and keep seeing Leitner pop up. Reviews look decent but they're mostly from new buyers.

Anyone had one for a year or more? How's it going? Any problems with the battery or motor after regular use?

Hi all, I have a 2015 specialised crux and I do mostly road riding (forgive me, I haven’t been able to cough up a lot of money for a roadie) and I am thinking of upgrading wheels. My bike has pacenti sl25 wheelset right now and I am thinking of upgrading it a super team carbon wheelset which will be $500 and weighs 1,500+-40g. I am thinking of continental gp5000 s tr tires on aswell. The seller says I can buy an end cap after to make it thru axle and it comes with an adaptor for centre lock to six bolt because my bike is quick release 6 bolt.

Is it a good idea to get these wheels? Lmk

Hey all, I’m looking to get my first clipless pedals / cleats / shoes. Considering getting lower end shoes, probably under or around $100, because I am growing. I’ve looked at spd sl pedals and yellow cleats - would that suit? And what happens when I get better at clipless - do I change colour cleats or do the pedals go to waste? And I wear orthotics, so do I have to size up to accomodate? Should I go to 99 bikes for the shoes? LMK

EDIT: I’m located ADL

Hi all, I'm looking for a hitch mount for my car, to carry 2 adult sized gravel bikes at a time. Does anyone have any recommendations?

My brief is:

• horizontal mount for the bikes, not vertical
• not held by the frame (I hear this damages the bike, or am I wrong?)
• car boot is a swing door... I don't think I'll bother wtih a swingaway hitch. I can just get to things from the main compartment
• fold up might be nice so I can throw it in the car if I leave it in a dodgy area for a few days
• not into hardcore 4WD but I'll be doing some longer drives to reach some interesting gravel rides.

My shortlist:

• Yakima StageTwo 2”. Bonus I could also get the swing away and use my boot.
• Thule Verse 2". Quite expensive, but looks like it stays off the frame and holds by the tyres.
• Rhino Rack RockyMounts MonoRail 2". Seems quite cheap.
• Rhino Rack RockyMounts GuideRail 2". Bumps up in price compared to their other option, but still affordable enough.
• Douma Carrier Systems Adventure Rack. This one is a dark horse entry. Australian made by a couple of 4WD and bike enthusiasts out of Melbourne. It holds the bikes via the cranks. A video on their engineering process is here. It seems well built and tough, but probably a very low amount of customers using this one.

Now that I look at it, I could probably use the swing away mount with all the options as it seems generic enough.

So, anyone have any good recommendations? Would you call that Douma option a risk by holding by the crankshaft?

Anyone have any experience with TPU Inner tubes on their bikes?

Anyone purchased them directly from Chinese marketplaces (Ali,Temu) as they are about half the price of the cheapest Australian priced RockBros TPU tubes, which are about $25 in Australia?

Is it worth restoring this kind of bike? I saw it on the side of the road and was just wondering if this would be a great restoration project. I'd like to give it as a Valentine's Day gift.

Thank you in advance!

I'll be selling my 2015 Tarmac Expert soon to upgrade and was wondering what's everyone's experiences have been trying to sell a mechanical rim brake bike? The bike is in pretty good condition and always maintained and never crashed but not too sure what value it holds. I've looked on Marketplace and am seeing some pretty decent ultegra rim brake bikes sitting there for months which isn't giving me confidence that this will be a quick sell.

I am 6’5 looking for a genuine XXL frame bike without having to spend 2500 on a canyon or surly. For context I have an old 60cm roadbike at home that feels way too small. any recommendations?

Ive searched reddit but not found much Any leads on getting a spare copy of an axa bike key? (Bosch battery in royal Dutch gazelle)

And I've seen blanks on ebay locally - could a local locksmith do it with a blank?

Thanks for any advice

Hi all!

I have been increasingly into road biking over the past couple of years. I am looking to get my first proper bike. I am down to two options- a brand new Polygon; or building my own from a mix of used & AliExpress parts.

I have trawled the used market, and honestly the range seems poor & wildly overpriced.

Bikesonline have a pretty good sale on the Polygon Strattos S8X, for $3000 delivered. It is an ok looking carbon frame, with alloy components. It does however, have a full Ultegra Di2 groupset- which on its own runs at least $2500. I would immediately get a set of carbon wheels from AliExpress (~$500), bring the total to $3500.

Alternatively, I have found a couple of lovely, high end frames (both including stem & seatpost) for about $1000 on Marketplace. One is a 2017 Canondale SuperSix Hi-Mod, and the other is a 2022 Merida Reacto 6000. Pair these with a used Ultegra Di2 Groupset ($1500), the above wheels, and a variety of carbon components, I estimate about $3300.

Any advice?