Number 42 May/June l'187 $3.00 .... :=;_;,..-:-=-..;:;,,., -;_; t 12 SPEED TRI-A The Tri-A features tight racing geometry for quick response, made of Tange DB Chro-Moly tubing and incorporates internal brake and derailleur wiring. Shimano 600EX throughout, Araya hard anodised rims and Panaracer Tri Sport tyres make this the intelligent choice for the discerning cyclist. 15 SPEED CRESTA A touring bicycle to the .end. The Cresta 7s builtwith emphasis on long distance touring. Frame features Tange No.2 and No.5 Cro­ Mo tubing, three biddon holqefS and extra eyelets to accommodate carriers. Drive train is Sugino TRT coupled to the new Suntour Mountech Tri pulley derailleur. Cantilever brakes, 40 spoke rear wheel and rear carrier completes this fine touring bicycle. • - - , Available from leading cycle dealers REPC:D C:YC:LES Refliews 55 TWO NEW LIGHTING SETS 57 KALAHARI BIKE BAGS Freewheelin9 Columns Number 42 MalJ/]une 7987 5 WARREN SALOMON 7 JOHN DRUMMOND Contents 64 ClASSIFIEDS Mountain bike feature 65 CALENDAR 51 RIGHTS OF PASSAGE Cyclists should use 21 PHIL SOMERVILLE'S freeway safety lanes in NEW MOUNTAIN BIKE the cities Freewheeling is published six times a yea~ in the DESIGNS 55 SEEING THE LIGHT months of January, March , May, July, September and November. ISSN No: 0156 4S79. Editorial and 22 AMOUNTAIN BIKE Most cyclists disregard Advertising Offices: Room 57 Trades Hall , cnr Dixon & Goulbum Sts., Sydney NSW Australia. BUYER'S GUIDE the law on lighting Address all correspondence to: Freewheeling PO Box K26 , Haymarket NSW 2000 Australia. Tele­ What to look for when 60 DEALING WITH DOGS phone (02) 264 8544. Publisher/ Editor: Warren Salomon. Administra­ yo u go looking for yo ur Fun and frenzy with tion and circulation: Marilyn Stivey. Layout and as­ sembly: Brett Cheshire. National Advertising Sales: next set of fat wheels. furry 'friends' David Turner Telephone (02) 913 1266 or (02) 264 8544. 30 TALKING DIRTY Typesetting:Pavilion Press Set (02) 211 0252 , Everysize Typeart Service (02) 451 2579. Printing: Getting the most from Offset Alpine Pty Ltd Derby & Wetherill Sts, Silver­ water NSW Ph. (02) 647 1000. Distribution-Newsa­ your mountain bike gents: Gordon & Gotch Pty Ltd (02) 667 0466 or of­ fices in your state. Subscriptions and bicycle dealer 32 TRIALS AND TRIBUlA- distribution: Freewheeling Australia Publications (02) 264 8544. TIONS Material in this publication may not be stored or. reproduced in any form with out permission. Re­ Th e Observed Trials quests for permission should be directed to the Pub­ lisher. Editorial contributions including black and white prints or colour transparencies on all aspects 36 WHERE THE ACTION IS of cycling are welcomed. Send an enquiry or write for guidelines. Freewheeling can not accept material A round-up of recent previously published in other journals. Letters from readers for the Write On column are always wel­ fat-tyre events comed . Copyright ©1987 Freewheeling Australia Publica­ Traflel and transport tions 42 DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS The Sport Our cover picture shows the rear view of a Shogun Prairie Breaker sporting a new style John Brown's American 12 NATIONAL TRACK TITLES parallel frame and Shimano SIS 'click' stop odyssey continues John Drummond and gears. Our mountain bike feature starts on page 18. Photo courtesy of Bikecorp. Car­ 48 THE CYCLING SPECTRUM Frank Walsh cover the toons this page: Phil Somerville. An important survey Titles in Brisbane Freewheeling J ance • At Tearn, our cycle parts and accessories are engineered to top quality specifications. If you're not 100% satisfied, tell us. We1I stand behind every product that carries our name. Which is why Tearn is the fastest growing.~ame on the cycling scene. We want to grow with our customers. Isn't it time you teamed up? ™ Team (Australia) Pty. Ltd. 10 Bridge St, Rydalmere NSW 2116 Tel: (02) 684-1522 Y&L2095 4 Freewheeling Warren Salomon Boom AND bust - cycling in the unpredictable Eighties Now don·t get me wrong. I'm not paint­ USTRALIA IN the 1980's is at Last summer season Australian dealers ing a picture of doom and gloom. Times the start of its third great era of had to scramble to get hold of enough of uncertainty are also times of great op­ cycling. Not since the boom times stock to satisfy demand. This year will be A portunity. There are enough clever of the 1880/90's and the 1930/40's has the at least as difficult. It's a very volatile operators in our industry to ensure th at two wheeler been so popular. A recently situation and one that has totally eclipsed the bikes will find their way into the show­ released Victorian government report the forced price rises of the 1986/7 cur­ rooms. This winter, spring and summer confirms that in Melbourne alone there rency devaluations. we will be able to buy some of the finest are around one million cyclists and the and best equipped bicycles ever seen in number is growing. It's a basic fact of business that if you the country. Also there will be better You don't have to look far to see the haven't got the stock to sell you can't budget-priced machines but you may evidence. Bicycles are everywhere. There make a profit. And if you can't make a have to shop around a little more than are more sold than motor vehicles and the profit you can't last in business. usual. • big news is that there are more adults using them now than kids. Adults have finally woken up to the fact that the mod­ ern bicycle is the ideal vehicle for combin­ in g mobility and physical fitness with the pure enjoyment of the wind in your face and the sky overhead. In fact most people Big Savings on say that they ride their bikes for fun more than any other stated reason. Up until now I have always been wary about using the term 'boom' to describe the current upsurge in cycling activity. I'm sti ll cautious because the real boom has home delivery yet to arrive. Australia has a small population com­ pared to our Asian and North American neighbours. We import almost all of our bikes from either Taiwan, China or Japan A Freewheelin9 subscription offer with a small quantity coming from Europe. Though a few frames are made Have Fr eewheeling delivered to your home address and locally all the componentry is imported so we are vulnerable to the pressures of the save up to 250/o on the regular newsstand price. international market. This summer the mountain bike looks Subscribe for two years at $27 (a saving of $9 or 25%) set for record sales. This superbly practi­ cal machine in four short years has cap­ or one year at $15.30 (a saving of 15%). ~ tured at least twenty percent of total sales. In the USA mountain bike sales are expected to hit the forty percent mark this year making it by far the most popular ·-------Post this order form today to our Freepost---- address. • class of bike on sale. Bicycle sales in Cr.dll Card .Authorlaatl- North America have been booming for a Name number of years. This year they will 'con­ Tct ~ m~] sume' between five and eight million bicy­ Street ra:o [:El j EXPIRY DATE cles and most of them will be mountain Local ity P'code bikes. CARDHOI.OERS NAME PLEASE PRINT One year sub starts next issue $ I 5.30 CARDNIJMBER Back home our industry looks set for D SIGNATURE record sales if only the NorthAmericans Two year sub starts next issue $27.00 D would let up. The problem for the Aus­ tralian importers is that they can not One year overseas surface mail sub starts next issue $21.00 D order in sufficient quantities to command the attention of the Taiwanese manufactu­ I enclose t he foll owing amou nt or card authorisation rers. With the northern summer in full swi ng and the factories disgorging their Freewheeling Subscriptions 16 produce into containers bound for the Orders sent to our FREEPOST address do not require postage. FREEPOST States, Australia won't get a look-in until Simply place your order form in an addressed POBoxK26 at least July. envelope and post. Haymarket NSW 2000 Freewheeling 5 SUPER TOUGHNESS PROFESSIONAL USE FOR ROAD RACING & RACING IZUMI VI HIGH QUALITY FOR ROAD RACING IZUMI I; HIGH QUALITY FOR TOURING & MOUNTAIN BICYCLE IZUMI COLOR CHAIN BMX COLORS:RED/SILVER, BLUE/SILVER, GOLD/SILVER COBALT/BLACK, ALL NICKEL PLATED. Contact to: REPCO CYCLE COMPANY Head Office: 25 Hamilton Street, Huntingdale, Vic., 3166 Phone 568 0211 N.S.W. Branch: 16 Street, 2164 Phone : 609 2322 6 Freewheeling OLD. Branch: 30 Lysaght Street, Acacia Ridge OLD 4110 John Drummond School Cycling Championships to be reintroduced - Cycling now in the AIS - Vets Tour - World best - Track survival - Birthday greetings. The last National Schools Cycling Champion­ ship was conducted in 1980 and was won by South Australian David Steele who was pre­ sented with his prize of a G itane bicycle by Oppy. Photo: Ray Bowles. tom made turbo rollers, incorporating advanced digital equipment designed to test the speed and endurance of a cyclist by stimulating cycle racing conditions. The use of technical equipment minimises the advantage the former sys­ tem conferred on cycling club members and tests the kids on pure athletic abil­ ity. This eliminates the risks of on-road bike handling skills as the rollers are bolted to the equipment. Aa a bonus the project provides the opportunity of further education to school children on much needed bicycle safety.