Bicycle Superstore Women's Criterium Series
Following on from the Criterium Skills sessions we supported with Footscray Cycling Club we are holding a 3 race series at Victoria University for novice women to hone their skills.

Women's Introduction to Criterium Racing

Ladies Spring Social Mountain Bike Rides

We're excited to announce our spring Ladies Social MTB Rides. Kirsty from Bicycle Superstore Fountain Gate will be running these rides Saturday mornings at 10am fortnightly through 'til Saturday December 16th

The Route:
We start with a warm ride on the fireroad going round the lake and those who only wish to participate in that much can then head back easily to their cars. For those who want to try some very low key single track riding we will continue on from there. And there are several easy exits from there whenever you've had enough. This way everyone can ride to their own length/capacity/time restrictions. See the route on Strava here.

Meet:
Information Map in the Lysterfield East MTB Car Park (carpark to your right as you enter Lysterfield Park Gates on Horswood Rd) - Click here for google maps location

If you have any questions please email kirsty@bicyclesuperstore.com.au otherwise we look forward to seeing you there.

For up to date details please keep an eye on our facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/144942302799966/

Full Ride Dates:
Saturday October 7th
Saturday October 21st
Saturday November 4th
Saturday November 18th
Saturday December 2nd
Saturday December 16th

19th August 2018 - 2nd September 2018 ⎪ 15 Days ⎪ AUD $5,295 Twin Share

Discover the highlights of Namibia and Zambia on a once in-a-lifetime cycling trip in southern Africa. This exclusive itinerary is a collaboration between Bicycles for Humanity and Intrepid Travel, one of the world’s biggest adventure travel companies. Bicycles for Humanity provides people in developing regions of Africa with bicycles, giving them better access to employment opportunities, food and healthcare, and allowing communities to establish bicycle workshops that act as self-sufficient small businesses. Travellers will get to see three of these workshops in action while on the trip.

Want to know more?
For more information or to make a booking contact
Steph on 1300 422 183 or Stephanie.bond@intrepidtravel.com
www.intrepidtravel.com/cycle-namibia

Kids love riding bikes. Learning to ride is one of the most significant events in a child’s life but buying the correct children’s bike can be difficult. So what makes us different?

Fully Assembled: We give you confidence knowing that your child’s bike has been fully assembled by our professionally trained bicycle mechanics.

Quality: All our kids bikes are manufactured by quality bike companies and feature the same high standard of construction and design as you see in our adults bikes.

Safety: All kids bikes we stock are chosen with safety in mind. Our mechanics ensure all safety procedures are followed and the correct safety equipment is provided with each bike at the point of sale and after sale’s service.

Advice: Our expert staff are here to give you all the advice you need and ensure you purchase the right sized bicycle for your child’s growth and development, specifically set up for them.

Service: Every bike purchased at Bicycle Superstore comes with two free services within the first 12 months.

Support: We’re here when you need support, advice, maintenance and safety checks – from readjusting gears, fixing damage or dealing with a puncture. We’re here to help.

We’re excited to be supporting the Fight Against Prostate Cancer family fun day put on by the Beaumaris Motor Yacht Squadron on Saturday 16th September with all money donated going to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. We’ll also be taking three rides to the event departing from our Mentone, Carnegie and Mornington stores.

From 7:30am to 1:00pm the morning will feature:
• Tasty Breakfast-Brunch – morning tea, coffee and cakes
• Family entertainment from 10.00am including free music, clown, magician & free face painting
• Heaps of prizes, raffles, silent auctions and fun competitions
• Secure parking for bikes
• Off-street parking

Everyone is welcome to come down and join in the fun, or you can make a donation here.

When
Saturday, 16 September 2017 | 7:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Location
Beaumaris Motor Yacht Squadron, Beach Road, Beaumaris (opposite Cromer Rd)

Who should attend
All ages family friendly event.

Rides to the Event
We’ll be taking three rides to the event to allow for all fitness levels/abilities to attend. We have plenty of parking available at each store location if anyone wants to park and ride in at a location that's convenient.

The two rides from Mentone and Carnegie will be one way rides where people can organise their own way back as we realise people will likely spend different amounts of time at the event before making their own way back to where they started or possibly straight back home. With Mornington being a bit further away, there’ll be an organised group heading back together. Ride details are as follows:
 
• Mentone –  Leaving from Bicycle Superstore (30-32 Nepean Hwy, Mentone, VIC) at 9:15AM. Expected distance: 12 kilometres (one way)

• Carnegie – Leaving from Bicycle Superstore (1030 Dandenong Rd, Carnegie, VIC) at 8:15AM. Expected distance: 30 kilometres (one way)
 
• Mornington – Leaving from Bicycle Superstore (1/1002-1004 Nepean Hwy, Mornington, VIC) at 9AM. Expected distance: 35 kilometres (one way) / 70 kilometres (return)

For any further details please contact the specific store. We hope to see you there.

Giant Neos Track GPS Computer Review
By Justin Deeley

A few weeks ago an intriguing e-mail arrived lauding the all new Giant Neos Track GPS computer developed by Giant with the input of Team Sunweb.

Let’s not beat about the bush - I’m an avid user of Garmin’s range of GPS based bike computers, my race team was sponsored by them last year and I’ve got a considerable investment in some of the other products that co-exists in their ecosystem. That being said I think that their range has suffered somewhat since the replacement of the Edge 500 by no-so-configurable models such as the Edge 20 and 25.

The Garmin Edge 500 was the start of the revolution and until its replacement was the go-to GPS computer for a plethora of cyclists from the avid weekend warriors, to full-time pros. With connectivity to a variety of sensors, and fully configurable pages of display it was fairly easy to get the information you wanted, where you wanted it.

While the offerings from Garmin, Wahoo, Stages, Polar and others have moved forward in leaps and bounds, there are many users who wish for the ease of use and configurability of the Edge 500, coupled with some of the more useful newer technologies (bigger screens, better battery life, bluetooth connectivity) while maintaining a sharp price point.

Enter the Giant Neos Track - at $299.99 it’s well priced and you certainly get a lot of screen real estate for your money. The unit includes a micro USB cable, a quickstart guide, an out-front mount (to suit round bars) and an o-ring stem/bar mount. While similar in operation to the quarter-turn mount it is different enough to not be cross compatible but giant offer additional mounts that can be adapted for round and aero bars- I'm told supplies of the included out-front mount are about 3-4 weeks away.

The unit offers Bluetooth and Wifi connectivity and links with a companion app which is available from the Apple and Android app stores and provides for automatic syncing of rides to both Strava and Training Peaks.

Initial configuration is quite straight forward and only hampered by slow text entry using the button based interface. This is something that you’d be used to if you’ve used any of the non-touch screen based units. Fortunately once done it’s rarely revisited.

The Neos Track uses a ‘Bike’ model - you define each bike and then add the required Ant+ or BLE sensors. These can be the same sensors on each bike (such as a common HR strap) or can be unique to each bike (such as a power meter, speed sensor, Di2 connectivity). Adding sensors is fairly straightforward and I had 3 bikes defined in no time.

The user setup contains a raft of important setting such as FTP, LTHR, Max HR, Height & Weight (used for calorific calculations), Age and Sex. If you don’t know what these should be set to, the unit offers some testing features which will assist in defining and retesting these values.

After entering my vital statistics I set about defining my screens. You get up to 6 screens of data available and each screen can contain up to 10 items. The list of fields is extensive and while there are a few that I’m missing from my usual Garmin setup, there are a few more that I would love to have access to. For example; the Neos Track correctly supports LTHR allowing you to display both %MaxHR and %LTHR – something that I have to workaround on my current computer.

I've trained and raced several times using the unit and it provides the information I want, where I want it. It's easy to see, easy to start and stop, and easy to sync to the Neos Track app. My one complaint with the unit so far; the sync via Bluetooth can be a bit slower than I am used to but this can be rectified using the WiFi sync capability of the unit - it will connect to your defined wifi network when in range and sync directly to the web app.

I've used the app on 3 different bikes, with various sensors including power meters, heart, speed, speed/cadence, smart trainers, Shimano Di2 and it's connected and reconnected to all of them without issue; even prompting me for calibration of my power meters and to wake up my Di2 equipped bikes when I reconnect to each of them.

The unit supports course and routes and these can either be created elsewhere and transferred to the unit as a GPX file or created on and synced to the unit via the Neos Track app. The app is pretty straightforward to use and I was able to create and sync a route that I created. Once on the unit following a course/route is pretty straightforward and whilst it doesn't show you a base or detailed map, this course functionality will suit the casual user. As it's paired with an app, sitting down for a mid-ride coffee and plotting a route back home isn't too far a stretch (as long as you have data access).

While I still need some off the more advanced features of the Edge 820 and it's connectivity to some of the other Garmin devices, I really enjoyed the simplicity of the Neos Track and would certainly recommend it as a full functioned GPS based computer. A few of my team mates who were looking at upgrading their ageing computers have jumped on board and the response so far has been pretty positive.

Well done to Giant for providing a simple to use full function GPS based cycling computer that works with my exisiting sensors and doing it at a very sharp price point!

The Giant Neos Track GPS is available from your local Bicycle Superstore at $299.99

To check out the full specs and features click here.

The 2017 Forrest 6 Hour — The Last One EVER!

For cycling enthusiasts, across Victoria, the township of Forrest is one of the most well-known places to visit. The area surrounding the town is dedicated to mountain biking, and Forrest hosts a number of biking events every year.

In less than a month’s time, professional and amateur cyclists alike from all over the state and even across Australia will be descending upon the beautiful town of Forrest to take part in the Forrest 6 Hour, one of Victoria’s most well-known mountain biking events. We here at the Bicycle Superstore is proud to once again be sponsoring this wonderful event, and we look forward to seeing you there!

Introducing the 2017 Forrest 6 Hour

Now in its 9^th year, the 2017 Forrest 6 Hour Mountain Bike Event will be held on Saturday the 6^th of May this year, and it’s set to be the biggest and last event ever. For the first, the organisers have expanded the event to include a shorter 3-hour ride as well as a longer 10-hour ride, meaning that there will truly be an option for riders of all stripes (or for those that don’t like early starts — the 10-hour ride begins at 6am). There are options to cycle in a team or by yourself. No matter which ride you choose, you’ll be treated to the breathtaking beauty of mountainous area surrounding Forrest while riding alongside some of the most elite cyclists that Victoria has to offer — not to mention the chance to win some fantastic prizes!

Preparing for the big day

First and foremost, make sure that your mountain bike is in top condition well before making the trek to Forrest. Bring your mountain bike into a Bicycle Superstore workshop at a store near you to have it looked at by one of our service professionals.

What usually gets forgotten is nutrition. Stock your pantry with SIS supplements that will ensure your body is hydrated and in optimal condition before, during and after the event.

Make sure you have all the standard riding and safety gear ready to go before starting the race. That includes lights for those that are participating in the 10-hour ride, as it begins at the crack of dawn!

For those driving, be mindful of where you park. There is plenty of parking adjacent to the event centre available for motorists, and people have been advised that parking along the Birregurra-Forrest Rd and will drivers will receive a fine for doing so. Consider getting to the event a little bit earlier so that you’re not in danger of missing the start of the ride.

For registrations and more information, head to the Forrest 6 Hour website.

Good luck!

The school holidays are upon us, and with them come the headache that parents face when it comes to keeping their children occupied. You don’t want them roaming the streets unsupervised, but you don’t want to keep them locked up inside all day staring at a computer screen without seeing the light of day either.

Luckily, there’s an easy fix. Why not spend some quality time with your children and go bike riding? Bike riding is a fantastic form of exercise but also a great bonding exercise. So take advantage of the sunny weather and take your children out for a ride this school holidays.

We’ve compiled a handy list of family-friendly bike tracks around Melbourne that you can consider taking your kids to for an enjoyable and safe experience.

Before we begin

Before your child heads out for a ride, make sure that they are safe as possible. See the NRMA’s bike safety guide and make sure that you’ve taken all the steps necessary to keep your child as safe.

We here at the Bicycle Superstore also offer safety checks for all kids bikes so if you're unsure if your childs bike is safe, visit your nearest Bicycle Superstore — see our locations and drop in today!

Family-friendly bike tracks around Melbourne

Melbourne is truly a fantastic city for biking. No matter you live, you are likely to be within riding (or driving) distance of a family-friendly bike track, and if you’re feeling adventurous you should even consider journeying out into the countryside too.

Here’s a few great places that you can take your children these school holidays:

• The Bay Trail. This one of the more popular trails in Melbourne, running along the edge of the scenic Port Phillip Bay. The trail is known for being suitable for beginners and seasoned riders alike, and its length of 69 km gives you great flexibility when it comes to where to start and end your ride — not to mention parking.
• Gardiners Creek Trail. This trail winds its way through the eastern subburbs following a 17km stretch of Garinders Creek, the Monash Freeway and Box Hill Gold Course. It also links up with many of the other great Melbourne bike paths including the Anniversary Trail, Main Yarra Trail and Scotchmans Creek Trail.
• Ruffey Lake Park. Located in Doncaster, this hilly trail is for the more seasoned riders who don’t mind one or two steep inclines now and again. The trail is bookended by two excellent playgrounds, making them the perfect destination to unwind — or warm up!
• Lysterfield Park Trail. Nestled in Melbourne’s outer southeast and looping around Lysterfield Lake, these mountain bike trails are one of the most visited in Melbourne. It’s well-known for being a great place for kangaroo spotting.

We don’t need to tell you that there are many benefits when it comes to cycling, from being a fantastic chance to work out your entire body to feeling the fresh air on your skin while getting around — as opposed to being stuck in a stuffy car in peak hour. But did you know that you could also be helping to save the world as well?

Now in its third year, Cycle for Humanity is a fantastic initiative launched by Bicycles for Humanity. It is an event that aims to ‘bridge the 11,100 km gap between Melbourne and Africa’. The challenge is to ride at least 110 km between the 2^nd of March and the 2^nd of April, and the goal of the event is to raise at least $20,000 to help achieve their mission of empowering people suffering in poverty. And if that alone is not enough to get you motivated, donating more than $110 to the cause will put you in the running to win a range of incredible prizes, including entering a draw to win a bike worth more than $1000 supplied by none other than yours truly. That’s right — we here at Bicycle Superstore are offering the chance to win a Giant Roam 0 Disk 2017 to those participating in Cycle for Humanity this year!

All people who donate more than $110 will receive a gift from the cycling accessories brand Knog, and the highest individual fundraiser will also receive a 15 day cycling return trip to Vietnam. So whether you’re donating or fundraising, Cycle for Humanity is an event that all cyclists in Melbourne should get involved in.

About Bicycles for Humanity

Bicycles for Humanity is a Melbourne-based organisation that collects unwanted bikes around Melbourne and arranges to have them sent to people in need in Africa, run entirely by a wonderful team of dedicated volunteers. Their mission to give as many people in Africa the chance to have a bike as possible stems from the countless benefits it brings — it grants greater access to things like employment, health care and education, making a small but significant difference to local communities all across the continent. Alongside this, they have also cleverly developed a model for transforming the containers that they use to send over the bikes into bicycle workshops, providing a facility for locals to make bike repairs and creating jobs. Truly an incredible organisation!

Congratulations to Bicycle Superstore athlete Adam Blazevic on being announced Australian Male Junior Cyclocross Rider of the Year!

Adam is the current Under 19 Australian Cyclocross Champion and recently returned from racing in Europe where he competed in the Cyclocross World Championships in Luxembourg, World Cup in Hoogerheide, GP Sven Nys and won the LRC races in Boekhoute and Ingooigem.

Cycling Events Not to Miss in 2017

Whether you’re an avid pro of many years or just a casual cyclist, 2017 sure is shaping up to be an exciting year for the cycling community right here in Victoria. So get ready for another year of fun and furious peddling, because we’re all in for a wild, wonderful ride!

Whether it’s road or bike path riding, the cyclists of Melbourne are set to be spoilt yet again this year. Read on to see the handy list of upcoming events to look out for happening in Melbourne we’ve compiled…

Peaks Challenge Falls Creek, Sunday 12 March 2017

The Peaks Challenge is an intense but rewarding experience. It takes place in the breathtaking Victorian Alps mountain range, but participants may find it difficult to appreciate the scenery because they will be spending all of their energy tackling the gruelling challenge of the Peaks Challenge. Participants must overcome a distance of 235 kilometres with a more than 4000 metres of climbing — all in the space of 13 hours! Push yourself to the limit and see how far you can go with the Peaks Challenge.

RACV Great Ocean & Otway Classic, Saturday 18 March 2017

This is one of Australia’s most iconic cycling events, at one of Australia’s most iconic destinations. Starting and finishing in Torquay, participants are treated to the gorgeous views of offered by the Great Ocean Road. With a range of options for distances including 204 km, 145 km, 60 km and 30 km, cyclists at all levels of competitiveness can take part in this wonderful journey.

Melburn Roobaix, Sunday 25 June 2017

Mark the day in your calendar because this is an event that no cyclist wants to miss. The Melburn Roobaix is inspired by the Paris–Roubaix, one of cycling’s oldest races. But the Melbourne version is not a race — instead, it is a wonderful journey that gives participants the chance to explore Melbourne’s inner north. The route is different each year, and cyclists don’t get to see the map until the day of the Roobaix. Participants are encouraged to wear fancy dress and stop off at various establishments along the way to pick up a coffee or a beer, making it truly a one-of-a-kind event. Since the first Roobaix ten years ago, turnout for the event has grown from 100 to 2500 — an event truly growing in popularity!

Tickets for the event go on sale on the 8^th of April.

Back to School Essentials

The school holidays are fast coming to an end and, depending if you’re a student or a parent, you’ll either be feeling a sense of dread or feeling over the moon that school’s back. But when it comes to children on bikes, it is important to ensure that they have all the necessary safety gear so that you can rest assured that they are as safe as can be when out and about riding. And we all know how fast kids grow up these days, with clothing and equipment needing to be replaced every so often because of how fast your kids grow out of them — not to mention the wear and tear that comes with rough usage, or the tendency of children to lose their stuff on a regular basis!

Take this opportunity to make sure that your kids are going into the new school year with a fresh start, with all the essential gear required to guarantee their safety. To help, we’ve compiled a checklist of things you need before sending your child riding back to the first day of school.

• Helmets. The need for bicycle helmets should be a no-brainer, as it really goes without saying why helmets are important for safety when cycling. However, kids sometimes see wearing helmets as uncool and unfashionable. Aside from being against the law to not wear a helmet while a bicycle, cyclists without a helmet are also exposing themselves to significantly more risk in the event of an accident.

• Closed toe shoes. Wearing sandals and flip flops while cycling is unsafe because they may get caught in chains or other parts of the bike. Wearing a pair of bike shoes solves the problem and provides the maximum comfort and performance when pedalling, but wearing any shoes will do as long as it’s closed toe.
  
  
• Education. No amount of safety gear can ever be a substitute for teaching your child how to cycle properly and safely. It is vital that your child knows the importance of cycling safely around cars and pedestrians, and looking ‘left, right then left again’ before crossing the road. And be sure to drill into your child the importance of wearing safety gear — there’s no buying them helmets if they’re just going to ‘forget’ and leave them behind at home.

Make sure your kids have all the necessary safety gear before they next hop on their bicycles!

Know the Road: Rules for Cyclists

As a cyclist there are many things to remember to ensure that you are following the road rules safely. If you are unsure of the road rules and cycle regularly it can be unsafe for you and fellow cyclists, motorists, and pedestrians. Not only this, but if you are caught disobeying road rules by police you are liable to receive a hefty fine, police are enforcing road rules for cyclist at a greater level after several accidents occurred over a couple of year period.

We here at Bicycle Superstore have compiled a list of highly important rules for cycling to ensure that you can enjoy the road safely and with greater understanding.

1. Helmets – This is a given for cyclists in Australia: it is illegal to ride a bike without a proper, well-fitting helmet. This applies to all cyclists, young and old, and is imperative for the safety of a cyclist during a ride. Riding without a proper helmet, fitted and fastened, is incredibly dangerous and leaves you liable to a heavy fine from police if caught.
2. Respect the lanes – If there is a designated bike lane on a particular road, this is where you should be riding, as there a lot of restrictions placed on motorists for driving in these lanes. You can only ride on the footpath if you are under the age of 12 or accompanying a minor whilst riding. It is always advised that you stick to the designated lanes whilst riding.
3. Riding with other cyclists – You can ride alongside another cyclist given that you are not riding on a single-lane road and that they are no more than 1.5m apart from one another. This is important as you should allow motorists to pass with sufficient ease.
4. Stick to the bicycle boxes – For their safety, cyclists have to stop in the designated bicycle boxes before the second line. These boxes are designated for cyclists only when stationary, and motorists are not allowed to enter the box until the light has gone green.

This is a selection of some of the most important road rules to abide by. Sticking to the rules allows for a safe and enjoyable cycle, not abiding by them is dangerous and makes you accountable to fines and a stern talking to from the police. Stick to the rules and enjoy your cycle.

How to Fix a Punctured Tyre on the Go

We all know the frustration of having a punctured tyre whilst out on a ride. There you are, enjoying a lovely sunny day and riding along the beach, when all of a sudden your bike starts to feel sluggish – it’s a flat tyre. If you are a keen cyclist and are ill-prepared for this unforeseen annoyance, you might find yourself walking the bike to the nearest train station. Therefore, it is important to know how to fix a tyre on the go to ensure that if (and quite possibly when) this unexpected irritation occurs, you are ready to deal with the problem and get yourself back on the bike in no time.

Read on to find out how you can become a pro at fixing a damaged tyre, it will come in handy someday, we guarantee it.

Fixing the Tyre

There is a reasonably simple process for changing the punctured tyre of a bicycle. It is important to keep a patch kit with you whilst riding in case you experience a puncture, as you can simply patch over the puncture. If you need to change the tyre completely, follow these steps:

1. Take the wheel that has the flat off the bike.
2. Remove the rubber and tube from the wheel.
3. Inflate your new tube a little bit with a pump or your mouth, and slip the tube over the wheel.
4. Completely add the tyre to the rim and use your hands to make sure it is on tightly, this can be a little bit hard to do, so you might have to put some effort in to ensure that the tyre is properly attached to the wheel.
5. Find a pump, for example one at a service station, and add pressurised air until the tyre is inflated.

You are good to go, see, easy! One thing you need to remember though is to watch out for bike traps like broken glass and grates in the ground to ensure that you don’t have the problem of having to fix a tyre in the first place.

Cycling is one of the best ways to exercise, but you don’t want to have to wheel your bike home, so make sure you are prepared and ready for this most annoying of annoyances by understanding how to fix a punctured tyre whilst on the move.

Cycling and sailing — two sports that people don’t usually think of together. But with the prestigious Festival of Sails coinciding with the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race in Geelong, initiatives to bring the two sports together have been launched in the form of a celebrity pro-am race, which took place on the 25^th of January. The aim of the initiative was to raise funds for charities such as Give Where You Live and the Amy Gillett Foundation.

The Bicycle Superstore are proud to say that we were the exclusive bicycle store at the Festival of Sails, now in its 174^th year this year. We had a fantastic time bringing our passion for biking to the regatta, giving people the chance to take a Scott demo road bike out for a spin and even giving people the chance to win bikes from our fantastic range. It was delightful to spread the wonders of cycling to attendees of the Festival of Sails.

What is the Festival of Sails?

Held in Geelong every January, the Festival of Sails is Australia’s most beloved sailing and boating event. Running since 1844, it is also the country’s oldest sporting spectacle and has become a must-attend affair for professionals and enthusiasts alike. The Festival of Sails is a regatta that is attended by over 3000 competitors, 300 boats and 110,000 spectators. Alongside the racing, attendees are also treated to live music, roving entertainers, camel rides and other entertainment for the whole family nestled in among a wide array of market stalls and food trucks. This is what has made the Festival of Sails a popular event for both professional sailors and visitors looking for some family friendly fun.

The Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race 

In its third year now, the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race embodies the spirit of the Spring Classics of Europe and is the first of its kind in Australia. A race introduced to farewell the only Australian winner of the Tour de France, it is a weekend of showcasing some of the world’s best cycling, and is now a part of the UCI World Tour.

Running at the same time as the Festival of Sails, both events have been greeted enthusiastically by the city of Geelong as well as both cyclists and sailors alike. We at the Bicycle Superstore are honoured to have been a part of the experience!