From the picture it looks like a pretty darn good looking bike. Componentry won't impress bike snobs but is really pretty decent enough.
CARBON FIBER FORK And Internal Cabling at this price point!! Those are what surprised me when I read their description.
There's no mention of weights on their marketing materials but I doubt it would be total rubbish in that department.
IMHO - a pretty flash-looking beginner road bike that won't break the bank.
Nice find and a positive review.
Interesting. Since when does Aldi pre-release anything for review?
Probably to justify why customers should pay 400 instead of 200 at Kmart or big w
I doubt you will find anything to match at BigW or Kmart
@singlemalt72: I think that was the point of mmd's comment. If you read the review it explains why you should buy this over the usual supermarket bikes.
@28Degrees:
Yes lot of neggers out here.
I was replying to Yogi's comment as to why Aldi would allow their bike to be previewed.
Ppl (myself included) would read the review which might justify them to spend the extra 200 and buy this bike.
If there was no review, I would have not looked at this deal at all.
Hey, i'm not complaining- let them keep up the pre-release reviewing!
"Heavy"
Alimuinium frame carbon forks….
Even the snobs like it!
The weight is 10.5kg according to the review mentined by keyman.
Not too shabby.
It's actually lighter than my regular ride.
What's her name?
But no disc brakes, I'd rather discs than carbon fork.
Disc doesn't out perform v that much in dry weather and is slightly heavier. Carbon fork not only lighter but helps to absorbs bumps passes to your handle bar.
This one doesn't have v-brakes either. You aren't going to get discs on a budget roadie.
Discs are not legal in road racing so I wouln't expect to see them on a racing style bike.
Well that's a surprise. I real review of an ALDI product that hasn't even hit the shelves yet. Looking even better now. :)
Thanks @keyman
Could someone update the post please, with the review link?
Mate, it's the very first reply from @Keyman and also the very last reply from @scottyheist.
Thanks to whoever updated the post :)
JV - it even comes with pedals!
Damn I just paid $90+ for a set of pedals…
Yay, I'm eyeing that Aldi cycling glove. My fingers are freezing riding without full finger gloves.
Wear more Lycra?
why?
It was funnier in his head.
Aye, I know what you mean. I only have the fingerless ones too. :(
Claris gears of some variation, internal cabling and some bonus carbon. That's a lot of bike for $399.
Might grab it as a backup.
Thanks op
Aldi novice here: it's this likely to be in a smaller and store? I.e. Melb cbd
Should be everywhere (from past experience with big items) but stock levels will differ store by store.
Cool, thanks
i'd get there very early, Franklin St store usually sells out quickly on stuff like this. But the weather should be on your side.
Just outgrew my hybrid bike. Do Aldi do a decent mountain bike/ bike that can take a bit of a beating?
Most of their mtb's were cheap and nasty, on par with kmart bikes. Last year they had a much better version appear briefly. I bought it and am pretty impressed with the quality. They may appear again at the end of this year.
Was this aldi then last was this in store as may hold off for that
?
Anyone know if the bike lights are any good?
Bike tights look terrible
The lights should be good enough to let other cyclists and vehicles know where you are but might not be bright enough to see what's ahead of you (correct me if I'm wrong).
40/6 lumens. depends on how much do you value your life.
you're better off getting the chinese ones from banggood, etc if you can wait that long.
If not even check kmart. most lights don't help you see, they help you to be seen.
Which is why you go for a very bright, 180+ degrees tail light. However you still want to see hazards so a bright rechargeable headlight is the way to go if you value your health - depending on where you ride of course.
I totally agree. most headlights lights are useless.
Sticking one of those flashing red lights to the back of your helmet is a good way to be seen.
(one that cycles through the lights attracts drivers attention as it's at eye height).
@supabrudda: not forgetting reflective clothing. Saw a bloke crossing the road one cold dark Canberra night with his reflective taped working gear - both trousers and coat - on. Stood out like a Xmas tree when car lights hit him. Smart.
@Possumbly: I am amazed at the number of people in Melb who cycle in black, no lights, etc in the dark wet winter time.
I got one of these puppies $80 delivered from Amazon, Like daylight: https://www.amazon.com/Cygolite-Metro-500-USB-Headlight/dp/B…
I'm an absolute novice when it comes to riding a bike and I want to start riding a bike. Is this a good deal or should I buy a hybrid bike? I'm thinking of riding it for errands e.g. buying/carrying things from nearby suburbs or so instead of catching the bus all the time.
nope - get something with flat bars rather than the road bike drop bars (handlebars)
Not sure why you would prefer flats to drops - if you're looking to reduce stress on shoulders and back it's better to position your hands on the hoods than to ride a flat-bar (and also to raise the bars above the silly boy-racer downward rake - MAMILs who set their bikes up like that wind up impotent and wracked with back pain).
I've got a flat-bar (a Reid cheapie) for running errands, and the hand position is way less comfortable than riding on the hoods on a reg'lar road bike: the flat bar puts your hands a couple of inches lower, and 2-3 inches rearward (too far to be able to be overcome by shifting the saddle on its mounting rack) compared with the hoods (for a given frame with a given seat/pedal setup). Pretty much every drop-bar bike rider will spend ~90% of his time on the hoods.
The bumph for this bike claims it's got Shimano Claris shifters, which are best operated from the hoods anyhow - and the 8-speed Claris is a pretty good groupset for a $400 bike (from memory a Claris groupset is about a $170 bit of kit, retail).
I would buy this bike if I didn't think The Lovely would give me the berries for buying yet another piece of kit that we both know I will only use four days a year.
UPDATE: for some reason (known only to Bacchus) I kept writing horns instead of hoods.
It all comes down to preference. It's a pretty good deal. There's a review here.
I prefer a flat handlebar over the drop bar. If you're running errands, you might want to look into getting a pannier rack & some bags. Aldi sold them a while back, 2 for $20. Quality isn't all that great but it does what it does. If you're ever getting the brake wires changed for whatever reason, it might be a bit fiddly to thread it through the frame.
I saw that deal from ALDI and I bought the pannier bags from them. Don't know how to attach them to a bike yet though. Having flat handlebars may be something I'm interested in. Do you know where can I buy a decent cheap bike with flat handlebars in Sydney?
You'll need a pannier rack to attach the bags. This is a pretty good deal. Just clip it on the sides and strap it down below and you're good to go.
I got a reid condor 3 years ago and it's still going strong. They had a sale back then, the bike was $259 and you got "$100" worth of accessories.
OzBarganers seem to dislike Reid cycles due to crap quality bikes. I disagree, you get what you pay for and as long as you care for your bike, it can last a very long time. God knows the abuse I've subjected by bike to but it's still working well. It's also very easy to work on so you can look up all the DIY's online and fix it up every couple of months. Do watch out for the accessories though, they're overpriced and quality isn't all that great.
Try Reid Cycles. Pretty good value for the price.
Edit; just saw fossilfuel post. I've got a couple of Reid bikes and am impressed with the value. I ride a few days a week but look after them. No complaints at all.
Awesome stuff, thanks a lot! I'll definitely buy the pannier rack. Do you think it's worth buying the reid condor road bike now or should I wait until there's another sale (possibly)?
@noted: also consider Cell Bikes http://www.cellbikes.com.au/about-us.
Most good bike stores have sales when new models arrive (used to be Aug-Sept iirc), and the retail price is usually negotiable to some extent. Important thing is to get the size and setup right for your body size/shape. Good advice is well worth that little extra you might pay compared to ALDI etc.
@noted: A true ozbarganier would wait until a sale. They have sales quite frequently so I wouldn't be surprised if something came up in the next few months that would suit your budget.
i find a mountain bike better for stuff like that. wheels dont bend on the pavement hops, more comfortable ride and sitting position, more versatile, good rack/pannier spots. just replace the normal mtb knobly tyres with slicks or semi-slicks.
What's a hybrid bike?
Half-way between road and mountain. Tend to have flat bars and generally wider tyres than you might put on a road bike.
I think it's a good buy. I dont think flat bars are very comfortable, you cant shift your hands around very much. I would vastly prefer drop bars such as this.
As I've said before, there's a reason you see loads of mountain bikes and hybrids getting thrown out but not many road bikes. They are lighter and simply more enjoyable to ride.
Nah, the reason you see more mountain bikes and hybrids thrown out is because generally you cant buy a road bike with drop bars in kmart. People who have spent $500 or more on a bike wont chuck it out, it'll live in the back of the shed or get onto gumtree. kmart hybrids/mtbs are bought for nothing, then you cant sell them so they get chucked.
Depends on your goal. Get a flat bar if you're not comfortable with spending most of your time tucking down. The purpose of the dropbar is generally to improve your aerodynamic. And if you're going down this path then I'd highly recommend stretching your budget out abit (500) and do some research. Generally on gears - here's a start http://hub.chainreactioncycles.com/latest-news/road/our-guid… - Shimano 105 is hands down bang for your bucks. If possible find a cycling nerd to help find a bargain on gumtree.
But I suppose at this price point you shouldn't feel bad leaving it to collect cobwebs; or posting it on gumtree. Not sure if Aldi will accept return assembled bike.
Go look at a Trek FX. For a little bit more you will get a spectacular hybrid bike.
No you don't.
Source?
The vast majority of the bike you describe are made in Taiwan. There are a handful of factories that churn out frames for pretty much all the major players
Not sure if other stuff are bargains but here's everything else.
I'm definitely getting my hands on WD40.
IS the WD40 Chain Lube any good… u tried it?
They're both comparable.
The Crane has carbon forks as an extra. However, ALDI's requires self assembly, which means you need the tools (esp. torque wrench) and it may not be right e.g. the issue they mentioned with gears in their review, and that you most likely can't try out the size before you buy.
Assuming 99bikes is convenient to you, where you can get the sizing done, take it for a test ride, get it built properly and get the check-up adjustment service after you buy (e.g. to tighten cables), I'd be going that option.
You get internal cabling and a carbon fork with the aldi bike, which saves around a pound of weight.
Tbh, I would probably prefer an alloy fork anyway, but I am still tending towards the aldi bike.
i remember they had a helmet that costed about 15bucks! I was gonna buy that but ended up buying Rosebank helmet. Wonder if they have any other good bicycle accessories too?
Their helmets are good, I have one
I have one of their helmets too, but it is only emergency reserve duties as it doesn't fit my head as well as my other helmet. Seems to be shorter and wider.
shorter and wider, just like me sigh
It only comes in Medium and Large frames? Also the reviewer said he was 185cm and used the Medium!. I guess no hope for us shorter people!
The size guide says:
Medium: Suitable for riders 170 - 180cm
Large: Suitable for riders 180 ‐ 190cm
However, a bike that doesn't fit is a bad buy no matter what the price.
It got rack mounts, yay!
pity there's no girls version.
just change the seat.
…height
(I may have just saved you)
Planning to get one as well. The bicycle.net review mentions self-assembly required, so make sure you guys have the needed
…skills?
…tools?
…patience?
…cheese sandwich?
first-aid kit
knuckle band aids
It's not hi-tech …….
"a pretty flash-looking beginner road bike that won't break the bank."
Don't pretend to know what does and doesn't break my bank!
Writer prob knew he was writing to mostly Ozbargainers. :)
Mate, I did say it was just my opinion. And the main thing is you're getting a lot of "bike stuff" for this price point.
do you think i can put a rear child seat on this? or better off getting a hybrid?
If you're wanting a child seat better to get a different bike style e.g. MTB or hybrid, or other.
Road bikes are built for speed, and are less stable at low speeds with thin tyres and their high position.
I agree with @Odysseus. Not the best choice. I'm not even sure if it have the necessary bits and proper clearance, but even if it did, it still wouldn't be ideal. e.g. if you were at the park or a bike path just enjoying the day with the little rug rat, the ride would behave quite fidgety.
ok thanks,
i guess i would need something like this then, http://www.99bikes.com.au/bike-pedal-dodger-black-blue
the bike will be mainly used for commuting and taking the my son on rides in the weekend.
ok thanks,
i guess i would need something like this then, http://www.99bikes.com.au/bike-pedal-dodger-black-blue
the bike will be mainly used for commuting and taking the my son on rides in the weekend.
99 bikes price match less 5% …… look on bike exchange for cheapest deal and then go to 99 bikes …….worked for me
Sorry I missed your comment earlier. Yep, that looks like it'll be more suitable. Specially since you said you'll be using the bike for commuting too, it looks like it'll be a bit less bulky than MTBs.
Perfect for Running off all that Moser Roth Chocolate ;)
http://www.bicycles.net.au/2016/07/review-aldi-crane-road-bi…
Here's a review for this very bike. Good value bike for its price range.