Changes to our roads, Locally, Nationally, Globally...

From http://italianbicycles.com.au

Hello Beautiful People!!

What is changing in our roads? It is a lot these days and catching up with new rules and regulation is not easy and at times can be confusing too. Therefore, here we go with a small simple summary containing rules that will be enforced soon in QLD and possible elsewhere, presented to you along with some news of what is changing nationwide in AU as well as NZ and globally. As always, we try to keep it simple and stand up to our beliefs of giving you the REAL DEAL!

NEW POLICE FINES
ENFORCED IN QLD FROM 7th APRIL 2014

Here is a quick summary of new laws and fines for cyclists,

 which will possibly move interstate soon:

Failing to stop at a red traffic light $330
Disobeying a 'No-turn sign at an intersection $88
Failing to stop at a 'stop' sign at an intersection $330
Exceed speed limit in a speed zone by less than 13km/h $146
Carrying more passengers than on a bicycle is designed for $110
Failing to give way to pedestrians on a footpath or shared path $110
Failing to display a light at night or in hazardous weather conditions $110

WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE REST OF AUSTRALIA?

While the new laws and fine will be active in QLD soon, including the 1 meter distance rule when traveling at 60 km/h or less and 1.5 meter distance if driving over 60 km/h, where are all the other states at? Not a real lot of info is available however few messages are being sent out in the crowd and here below are some

A METRE MATTERS...
...and you could be fined! Click the photo...

 

IS WESTERN AUSTRALIA FOLLOWING?
Click the photo for more news...

WHERE IS New Zealand AT WITH HELPING CYCLISTS?

A very interesting video comes from New Zealand: when somebody walks out in front of you, how fast is too fast for the odds to be in their favor? Indeed an exemplary experiment with local citizens who at times appeared to be honest but certainly above the limit. Such investigation led the NZ government to make sure that Wellington would move toward 30 km/h speed limits in CBD and same will do Auckland soon... in light of the recent highly publicized accident in Collins St., Melbourne, aside from speed alone what do you think the Australia Government should do to minimize bike/pedestrial injuries in the car packed Aussie CBD's?

Roulette on the Road -- what are your chances?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjPBDF40FcQ&feature=youtu.be

 BIKE HELMETS, DO WE NEED THEM?

While more and more rules are imposed for both car drivers and cyclists in order to minimize accidents and improve safety, new arguments coming from Europe are debating whether or not Helmets are truly necessary for our safety. An argument conflicted by many, nonetheless quite supported by a wide variety of people also here in AU and NZ. Traditionally in Europe helmets are worn only by those entering the streets for some heavy duty training or some long commuting. Whereas in Australia we have laws that require helmets to be worn at all times from all ages. Whilst, often the helmet alone is not preventing neither avoiding injuries in many cases... let's find out what is the argument by simply Clicking on the photos above to know more...

Well, that's enough for today!

We will be in touch soon!

Have a safe ride!

A world tour on a Lombardo Italian Bicycle? YES....

From http://italianbicycles.com.au

Hello Beautiful People!

Riding your bicycle around the world?
Yes you can...

Once thought impossible, it is now happening and some people are finding it magical. Like Alessandra Nicosia, who is riding half of the globe on top of her special bikes, prepared for her by her local bike shop in Rome... and what bike it was: it is a Lombardo Italian Bicycle!

Jump today to Alessandra's blog, although it is written in Italian, all pictures and all video have some English captions or subtitles included for those who wish to catch more about this sensational journey! Untouched landscapes, cool blue sky mornings, funny hot water springs, curiously shy animals and lots more to see in this great trip! Just click on the picture or here to enter this magic bike trip.

We shall keep you posted with Alessandra effort to ride around the world, in the meantime, we would like to hearing from you if you have in mind a place you would love to ride with your bike....reply to this post and let us know.

Until then, have a safe ride! :)

What's new 2014? What have you got???

From http://italianbicycles.com.au

 Hello Beautiful People!

Summer's gone????

How is everybody doing after this hot Summer is almost gone and Autumn, in some region of AU but definitely not in NZ, is not interested to show up?

Yes, we have been away from the blog and just the blog... for a long time (2 month) ... Why? In case you don't know our online store business is composed of three people: Mario, Roberto and Maria. We are all athletes and PhD students and work hard towards making happening this dream of ours. Guess what? You are part of our dream because we wish to improve your bike riding awareness and culture as well as bike knowledge with small, non pretentious, yet valuable pieces of information. At times can be quite difficult however, we have restructured few things and we are happy to inform that our presence in the blog will be far more active than in the past.... Let's start today with some very interesting news:

Our 2014 stock has now landed! :D

Hand-Crafted Italian Quality
+
F R E E - D E L I V E R Y*

*Australia metro only = 90% of Aus, Delivery to NZ from $50 to $89;
Quick guest check out available

Check it out now at http://italianbicycles.com.au

Who will be stronger this summer: you or your habits?

From http://ItalianBicycles.com.au

Hello Beautiful People!

How have all of you been?
Keeping happy?
Living the dream?
Dragging the chain? 
But most important for you... 

                                                    ... are you keeping on pedaling?

-------------------------------- don't forget: click Follow Blog to the right side --->

We have been waking up even earlier for our morning rides in all places where we enjoy a healthy morning boost and we have noticed there is always a great crowd! Whether we decide to ride along around Port of Melbourne VIC, the Redcliffe Peninsula QLD, Palm Beach NSW, Huon Valley TAS or West Lakes SA, we always meet other enthusiasts yet non-pro bike riders... this is awesome!!

However, at times our thoughts go to the very many people who have never experienced such a bliss: what about our friends or colleagues who still deny themselves as being suitable or even minimally interested in riding bicycles? When was last time you spoke to them? How long since your last invitation for riding together? Well, next time you speak to someone you wished will come along with you during one of your marvelous rides, show them this fantastic guide below:

It is simple, it is easy, it fits most types of schedule and most important, it is very much worth it! It is only up to you, your family/kids/friends/relatives on how far you wish to go with this. Don't get lost in the cycling rumors or glamour: you do NOT need lycra clothing and a super hot expensive carbon bicycle to enter this marvelous and exciting world! A good mate, a bunch of friends or unknown fellow riders AND a decent mid-price bike suited to your individual needs will do, so long it comes from a reputable manufacturer with proven history. If the bike is a hand-crafted and highly stylish Lombardo Italian Bicycle then look no further, your bliss is guaranteed!

How many of your best friends and relatives will swear to start a new year resolution to aspire to something greater or improving a specific aspect of their life, such as losing weight? Appear thinner? Feel healthier? Become stronger? Well, our question has always been: why does he/she have to wait till after Christmas? Why? Your life is today... Summer is now... do it while you can :)

Part of getting healthier is not simply riding a bike, running at the park or exercise at the gym. In fact, it goes somehow 50/50 with your lifestyle and the developing of your healthy attitudes. Like for the "ride as a habit guide" above, a progressive move towards healthier (more regular, greener and more balanced) eating habits can have a highly significant effect on your Weight Loss and your Health Gains, as well as your overall feeling H A P P I E R! :)

...and... should I add this? It makes you look F A B U L O U S!

Thanks for Following Us (click on the follow blog button on top right of this page) and our crazy blog! Anything discussed here is a nice relaxed chat between friends and we wish you all the best with your cycling adventures! See you here next time we post, but until then, have plenty of fun!

Mario, Roberto and Maria at Italian Bicycles

PRE-RIDE CHECK?? 

...What's that?

End of Financial Year Sale Now On ---------> Click here to view it now


Good Morning Riders and non Riders!

A typical bike rider coffee

How is everybody doing lately? 

Have you kept riding your bike?

Yes, the chill has by now embraced all of the Australia and New Zealand locations (has it ever left New Zealand or Tasmania at all?) and as we wake up in the morning a good coffee or a nice hot tea or what ever is tasty and hot makes up a great difference in our days. What is your favorite drink in the morning, tea, coffee or ...????

 
Yes, the cold weather is here but this does not stop us, nor you from riding, does it? Definitely does not stop those who believe riding is a serious alternative to the daily commuting or ride to and from work as well as to grocery shopping ride. Here for example, we have someone who in Italy in December, is happy to check all the clothing and shoe boutiques riding her bike :)

Riding and shopping throughout winter is not utopia and it is not impossible

 

When it comes the cold weather, a lot of riders also give up on their beautiful morning rides. Let me tell you something, Roberto and I (I am Mario) took our bicycles this last week end in Brisbane. We got out on a very chilli and windy SAT morning at around 6:30am: it was dark, it was windy and it was cold. However, given the fact that we both ride mid-high range Lombardo bikes and that we service these every 8 weeks, we started very slowly yet comfortably equipped and dressed, to discover that a morning ride during chilli weather is absolutely fantastic! It makes you feel alive, it makes you feel stronger, it makes you feel sensational! So don't give up on your ride only because of the chill, after all, the exercise will keep your cardio-vascular system healthy while the cold will allow you to burn more calories, hence, you trim down and look to your best!

Morning rides, particularly in winter, are some of the most fulfilling experiences you can enjoy both mentally and physically 

Speaking about exercise, a lot of us from now until the end of the year will be involved in many Charity Rides or in plenty of group rides. Now, leaving aside that having to suspend your solo ride is a deep pain in the neck since you are stuck and on your own, imagine if you have troubles with your bicycles and are in a group or charity ride, chances are that YOU are going to stop to have fun yourself but most important, YOU will most likely force someone else to stop there with you and forget about their own beautiful ride only to be a good samaritan and get you out of troubles. Now, this can be costly if the guy asks for a 600 beer carton or a nice lobster dinner at that highly expensive sea food restaurant in return for assisting you. 

 The adequate PRE-RIDE bicycle check list before any charity/mid to long range ride

 

Hence, we believe that servicing your bicycle is fundamental. Every 8 to 12 weeks depending on how long you ride you should be able to service your bike. However, a good PRE-RIDE CHECK can actually save you money and can save you many headaches too, so taking notes of the check list above can only help you enjoying your own time on a bike! We believe your good time is very valuable, so you should not leave it to chance with a cheap bike nor a cheap service.

Plenty of beautiful deals on 2013 bicycles and accessories at http://italianbicycles.com.au

 

Finally, the end of financial year is approaching. A lot of you will be busy finding you new things for your tax time or simply purchasing new useful tools/goods simply because you need it. We invite you to check our End of Financial Year Sale because our top Italian Quality bicycles and accessories have never been more affordable than now.

Thank you for your attention today! 

We will speak soon! Have a great week!

Ciao from...

Mario and Roberto at http://italianbicycles.com.au

 

STYLE over SPEED ride Brisbane, Australia

From http://italianbicycles.com.au and https://www.facebook.com/ItalianBicycles

G'day Beautiful People!

How are we doing with the chilli winter? Is it one more reason to ride or does winter make you more numb and willing to stay warm and at home?

Luckily for us it was not that cold on the evening of FRI 5th MAY (yes I know it is now 15 days ago but we've been very busy) and we enjoyed one of the most interesting bicycle events around Australia, the so called Style over Speed ride. It was 150% awesome fun!! Photos attached below courtesy of Pixels by Design Photos, Wynnum.

We had plenty to ride, laugh and enjoy at Style over Speed ride, people were all happily joining together under a beautiful clear sky spreading some magic powder-of-stars. Everybody around had a big smile. Quite a good number of people were first timers showing up, as well as plenty of first time riders! Nonetheless, nobody was scared and people were just excited of attending such uniquely diverse and original event.

 We experienced a tremendous success at the ride, not only because everybody loved our truly authentic and  somehow woggish accent (pizza, pasta, mamma & cappuccino) but also thanks to Paulina and Enzo, the Lombardo Bikes Asia Pacific representatives who paid up a visit and joined us with their beautiful Sanremo and Touring 28 for a beautiful evening ride along Brisbane CBD, South Bank and West End.

 

From the top of my mind and after checking with Mario we probably counted 189 bicycles all together, 90% with working lights on. 

Although, this time the remaining 10% without lights did not receive any fine by the police, unlike those without helmet during the Tweed Ride last August. The bike portfolio was extremely diverse, from the classic old ladies bike to the modern funky cargo bike and all the way to the great latest MTB with hydraulic disc brakes! In spite of this, everybody was welcome no matter the bike type, the clothing or the experience. 

 

The ride itself was not excessively long, it was actually quite enjoyable for any type of rider including the extreme novices. Having said that, you needed a decent functioning bicycle to perform the ride with working lights. Temperature was actually quite nice but what impressed us the most was the ability for people to be ready at 5:30pm on a Friday afternoon with their beautiful stylish clothes and their bikes, yet displaying enough energy to ride around... to our vision, it is a great alternative to the classic socializing in front of a beer in a pub... not that we do not like the latter, however variety is the spice of life! Why pizza everyday if you can have classic lasagne?

A similar event like the one we are describing to you today will be held around August, the so called Tweed Ride. It is a very interesting event and you are required, when possible, to wear your most amazing tweed. Scroll down our blog to find out more about the last year Tweed Ride event in Brisbane. Although last year we attended the Tweed Ride in Melbourne and Sydney, unfortunately due to iPhone collapse we have no photo on record of those :(

We look forward to seeing you at any of these events and we recommend to pay a visit to our website to catch up on our latest deals. Also, stay tuned with our news and events via our  facebook page and via our twitter channel.

Thank you very much for your attention, see you all soon, Many Happy Rides!

Mario and Roberto 

ITALIAN BICYCLES - Australia, New Zealand, Singapore,

The awesome meaning of Lombardo Italian Bicycles!

From http://italiabicycles.com.au

Hello Beautiful People!

Guess what? Summer is now definitely gone! 

Many of you might say "not for us!" since we still keep recording very high temperature in Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth and in plenty more places in AUS and why not, someone says in north NZ as well. On one side, great hot weather means more opportunity to ride a bike, on the other hand too hot weather can seriously be annoying particularly with temperature above 37 degrees! Such problem seems not affecting south east QLD and northern NSW where the rain has done some heavy damage and has prevented many occasional and recreational riders to get on a bike. Nonetheless, as soon as a little bit of sunshine comes out some of us who love the healthy and happy lifestyle are ready to make the most of it! 

Mario & Roberto went out for a pleasurable and relax ride this last SAT around South Bank in Brisbane, it seems they had lots of fun! Where did ride this last week end?

It seems now the bad weather is behind us, whilst strong winds keep us on the watch. Yesterday was not a bad day, today is nice so... finger crossed for more great weather!

Lately we've received some very inquisitive e-mails with people more or less asking the following: "why are your bikes so better than the others? Is it only because they are more expensive? We can now get bikes online from $235 AU!". In all honesty we did not receive many of these e-mails, probably 6 in the last 4 months out of the 150+ enquiries via e-mail we receive everyday, week end included. The fact is that we did not know how to answer to this question. Better said, we did not know how to answer to this question without appearing biased. After all, we are still managing Italian Bicycles and we do LOVE our Lombardo Italian bikes, thus an impartial answer had to be sought. We looked for non biased answers and we found some here http://ow.ly/iIVS5 - As you can see yourself, we left our fans, our supporters, our aficionados and our clients totally FREE to express what they felt they wanted to say plus, we offered a small reward for doing it, thus trying to involve as many people as we could.

Italian Bicycles, as the name wishes to remind to all of us, is an online business specialized in Lombardo Bikes: bicycles hand-made in Italy since 1952

In reality, without posing too much effort looking around, the best answer we could find ourselves is the one below. Warning! The grammar might not be perfect, but the actual meaning and the truth behind it is indeed quite real!

 

Anonymous biking fellow riding around the UK, France, Italy and Austria

So, it plausible that we can all provide the very same answer for the above question posed by people out there who yet do not own a Lombardo: "My friend, that is why!". 


Every Lombardo bikes comes to you with these 2 stickers certifying the manufacturer origin and its location, including the Eropean Union control certification and approval.

Nowadays the vast majority of bicycles are massively produced in China and Taiwan. Most brands on the market do take up of these productions engraving their brand. The kind of Know-how, Tradition, Passion and Love used to build these bikes in those regions is quite different than those used to build Lombardo Italian Bicycles, where the very same family started manufacturing bicycles since 1952 and where now a selected squad of craftsmen works non-stop to produce a state of the art design.

Try before you buy... and feel the difference.

Keep you head up while on the bike and enjoy your ride.

See you all soon.

Mario and Roberto at ride@italianbicycles.com.au and
http://italianbicycles.com.au