If there’s one good thing about lockdown it’s that it breeds big ideas.
Category: Adventures
Shimano GRX is here.
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To say we’ve been excited for the arrival of Shimano GRX is a massive understatement. For those that have not come across it yet, GRX is Shimano’s new groupset designed for adventure road and gravel bikes.
Victoria Divide 550 wrap-up Wednesday 20th March from 7pm
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Join us for an evening of tales from those who participated in the inaugural Victoria Divide bikepacking event, a 550km trek across the rooftop of Victoria.
Ben’s Rohloff equipped Salsa Fargo 29+
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We had first met Ben via email when he was gearing up to take on the inaugural Indian Pacific Wheel race in 2017. We helped deck him out with some Apidura kit and Dynamo power for the long stretches in the dark.
Our Staff’s Favourite Camping Gear!
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Click to read what each of our staff members chose as their favourite thing to bring camping!
A Beginners Guide to the Hunt 1000
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Fancy doing a 1000km unsupported bikepacking route through some of Australia’s most rugged and beautiful high country? Click through and download the “Beginners guide to the Hunt 1000” PDF that Huw put together, which shared his experience of preparing for, and riding the 2017 Hunt 1000 event in the hope of inspiring more people to take the plunge and give it a go in 2018.
On the Monē
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Cyclo touring is nothing new. Super awesome touring bikes are also nothing new, just ask the french…the original bike packers. The wide range of options one has available to go bicycle camping is growing all the time. At Commuter we’ve always taken notice of smaller companies who are making the best stuff to go bike touring with. Monē bikes has us so stoked on his new frames, and here’s why.
Will’s gear review from a recent trip to Bolivia
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I’m back in the shop after a month in Bolivia. My partner and I fitted about 12 days of riding bikes into our holiday. Here’s a bit of a list of the gear we took and how we set our bikes up for some high plains drifting.
Slidenight #6 – Bikepacking Peru & Slovenia
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Our Slide Night #6 is showcasing two amazing bikepacking trips a couple of friends of the workshop have just completed. New recruit Pepper Cook jaunted off on a one month adventure around Peru while Damo and his partner Libby journeyed their way through Slovenia for a week while en route to Scotland. Join us for a double headed night of adventure tales and inspiration!
Swift Campout Melbourne Edition
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Save the date, we’ve planned the Melbourne edition of the international Swift Campout. If you’re interested in trying camping by bike this is the perfect opportunity to give it a shot. You can expect a 30km ride, mostly on bike paths, to a Parks Vic campsite with a campfire. All you need is a bike, a tent, camping gear and warm clothes.
Slide Night #5 – Touring in Sri Lanka
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The nights are getting colder, so to keep warm we’re hosting a slide night about riding bikes in a tropical paradise. One of our Mechanics, Todd, has recently returned from a 3 week cycling tour in Sri Lanka with his partner, Linden. They have a bunch of stories and photos to share.
Bikepacking the Blackwood Forest: Commuter Campout 2.0
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Our friend and talented wordsmith Pepper Cook has dropped a few musings about our latest installment of Commuter campout: Single Track. Whiskey. Leaping Frogs. Prairie Breakers. Large bearded men and one lady in flannos riding bikes adorned with front baskets, complete with decorative foliage. These are just a few items to be found in the wild on any given Commuter Cycles Campout. said decorative foliage, it was an accident…really! I was one of the lucky attendees to the three day Commuter Campout 2.0 a couple of weekends ago and I’m here to tell you about the rowdy time we had. This particular campout was arranged and planned meticulously by the legendary Will Hartnett of Commuter Cycles. Will used to be a tour guide so he’s pretty knowledgeable when it comes to route planning and whiskey rationing. He also has a good grip on bike mechanics which happened to come…
Tour Divide 2016 with our man Gareth
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I first went riding with Gareth a few years ago, it was a three day ride out to Woods Point and back with a group of friends. Gareth had been into road bikes for a few years but this was his first ‘off road’ ride, I’ll never forget the guy in the Bont carbon road shoes sliding down a very steep fire trail to camp one evening with a look of terror on his face, I think he was hooked! Fast forward to 2016 and Gareth is a serious contender in the world’s hardest MTB race, the Tour Divide.
Apidura long term test
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We have been stocking Apidura bikepacking products for quite a while now. So we thought it was time for a run down of whats on offer in their ever increasing range. The Apidura kit has been getting a good work out from all the staff here. It has held up to quite a bit of abuse and we have been very impressed with the quality.
Commuter Campout #1
Posted on — Leave a commentWe’re running a guided overnight trip on the long weekend in March. The campout will just be for Saturday and Sunday (12th & 13th) so you’ll have Monday to get ready for the week ahead. The ride is specifically designed to give first-timers a taste of cycle touring.
Slide Night #3 – Overnight Touring for the Uninitiated
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We’re holding another slide night on the 2nd of March 2016. Previously we’ve focused on trips undertaken by experienced bike tourists. This time around we’re going to help first-timers plan their first foray into touring – a simple overnighter.
Bikepacking and touring gear for weekend adventures
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We have teamed up with some of our suppliers to bring you complete packages for overnight adventures. Whether you are heading out for a quick overnight-er or looking at an extended tour these goodies should have you covered.
Commuter Cycles Slide Night #2 – Northern Exposure Double Header
Posted on — Leave a commentPlease join us on Wednesday 30th September for Commuter Cycles second Slide Night. This installment will feature two speakers who recently returned from independent ‘light touring’ trips to Northern Europe.
Surly ECR test ride
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It is not every day someone goes out into the desert for a 2000km test ride but the Surly ECR demands that kind of attention. This ride was about testing both man and machine and seeing how new products are redefining touring as we know it.