Heya all,

Just did my first triathlon ever, and am hooked! It was only enticer distance but hopefully I'll do some more and see where it gets me!

In the meantime, does anyone know where in brisbane you can pick up triathlon knicks and singlets?

and second hand road bikes?

Welcome Owen,
There are heaps of places you can get tri gear from. Most larger type sport shops like amart and rebel have basic gear, or you can find alot of clothing at many of the bikes shops in Brisbane. Some specialise in Triathlon gear some don't you will have to contact them or visit the shop. Here is a list of bike shops in Brisbane Bike shops Brisbane.

As for 2nd hand bikes the trading post or again the bike shops may have some or know of people who are selling. You could also contact a local Tri club and go down on a weekend when they race. They sometimes have members that want to get rid of some gear.

Hope this helps.

Awesome!

Thanks so much Shane!

Ciao
Owen

more questions!!!

Apart from getting a professional bike fitting, is there a simple way of knowing what size bike is appropriate if you're buying it second hand?

and what does the measurement in advertisements for bikes for sale refer to? is it the height of the bike?

owen i think a better tack for u wood be to track down the local tri club in brisbane ,,become a member and then start asking them stuff
i am confidant they will help with training getting your gear ,,meeting people of like minded ability and like goals ,,and they will will be able to help point in direction of good retailers

Good advice from G.T. - unless you start some serious reading/researching, you'll find the second-hand bike searching very confusing. The usual bike *size* is the measurement taken from the length of the seat-tube (i.e. 56cm long), however this varies between manufacturers, including *how* this length is measured (it could be centre to centre of the tube, or top to centre, etc..)

It's always best to try/ride a bike before purchase. At worst, you could attempt to find the same bike advertised second-hand in a local bike shop and give it a test-ride. However, it's not really good form to pump the bike store guys for heaps of advice, test ride their bikes, and then go and buy another bike somewhere else.

More importantly, remember that unless you're a seriously adept mechanic, your bike will require servicing and repairs at some point. After-sales service from someone you've built up a strong rapport with (including buying your bike there) will be invaluable in the long term.

Your best bet is waiting until Mooloolaba rocks around, or Gold Coast, and picking up some gear at a race expo. Orca tri knicks, normally worth lots, go for about $40. A lot of people prefer race suits though (I am one of them). You can get some of this stuff from Intraining at Milton or Triathlete's World Cyclery at Albion (and I'm sure there are other shops as well). Also Cycleogical on Montague Rd (Sth Bne?)

I would not recommend a 2nd hand bike as a first bike (i.e. unless you already know plenty about bike maintenance) because it's best to have the service plan there until you know what you're doing. Call around and compare prices and ask about componentry. The people at Strathpine Cycles seem honest and will tell you whether your deal is good. I ordered a Learsport (now available in some bike shops) via the net, and Strathpine cycles gave me advice even though I'd never bought from them before.

You can google search for cycle fit, also try looking on the aus.bicycle newsgroup for information on bikes (use cyclingforums or google groups).

Hey Owen, Tank Girl's on the money with the expos - however if you don't want to wait that long, and you're pretty confident of sizing, you'd be surprised at the range of stuff that's available through ebay - particularly US ebay.

Most sites/sellers will ship to Australia and have shipping info on their sites as well. The brands are pretty universal so if you know your fitting in orca, speedo, zoot, desoto etc.. you'll find what you're after.

(I picked up a new pair of zoot shorts for $38AUS including postage this way)

Oooh, and there's nothing to stop you calling in to the expensive bike shops, trying it on, and then ordering it from overseas... (which is what all cyclists/triathletes end up doing for bike bits).

Thanks so much guys!

I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

Hi all,

Great to hear you did your first tri....careful, it's addictive! Check out our article here ( on beginning, might be of use even though you've already started.

triathlon intro

Cheers,
Darryn
Complete Fitness