I’ve got a soft spot for Malvern Star. I also think the recent high-end Oppy Road bikes are a Pretty Good Thing. But I really don’t know about this Malvern Star Pista.
I’ve only seen one for sale at one place (BikeForce Essendon), where it is listed for $1,249. That seems pretty expensive for the specification. Hopefully the bike will come down in price after its been on sale for a while.
What do you guys think of it? I don’t think Malvern Star’s current owners would make the mistake of putting Oppy’s name on a total piece of crap. But I wonder whether they’re trying to stretch the Oppy sub-brand too far.
hey, remember that story (myth?) about oppy taking the boat over to france to ride le tour? and how he took his rollers and rode them on the ship every day? if someone put a picture of that - oppy on his rollers on a ship - on a T, i would wear it.
cheaper than my fuji, nicer looking, better cranks, same wheels, I’d ride that bike in a heartbeat dude. Wouldn’t say ‘piece of crap’.
I didn’t think of comparing it with a Fuji or any of the established brand bikes — but Mr_Dylan is right, that is a much fairer comparison. The availability of affordable, good spec bikes through the web has screwed with my concept of value. On reflection, I guess many people are likely to be willing to pay a bit extra for a bike from an established brand that they can buy from their LBS, where they’ll have an opportunity to test ride it and when they’ll have some back-up service.
I didn’t say that I thought the Oppy T was a piece of crap. I said that “I don’t think Malvern Star’s current owners would make the mistake of putting Oppy’s name on a total piece of crap” — and I don’t think they have.
I didn’t see the Three Star (see THREE STAR | MALVERN STAR ) and the One Star (see ONE STAR (STAR) | MALVERN STAR ) when I first looked at the Malvern Star web site yesterday. I really like the retro look of both of those bikes.
I also see that Malvern Star have re-released the Dragstar (see DRAGSTAR | MALVERN STAR ). It’s a very silly bike, but I really really wanted one when I was a little kid.
The Oppy TT9 looks pretty incredible too (see OPPY TT9 | MALVERN STAR ), if TT bikes are your bag.
This post is not meant to be a Malvern Star plug — apologies if it sounds like it has become one.
[i]While Nicholson continued to race at country track events, Malvern Star was planning to send a team to the Tour de France. Eventually four riders were chosen - Hubert Opperman, H. W. “Fatty” Lamb, Frankie Thomas and Ossie Nicholson.
Travelling from Australia to France involved a month-long sea voyage. Keeping fit during that time was difficult, although the riders tried to use rollers on deck. A lady passenger saw Opperman riding on the rollers asked a crew member: “What is that young fellow doing down there?” to which the crew member replied, “He’s producing the electricity for the ship, madam.”[/i]
His conquests included the 2,875 miles from Fremantle to Sydney, over long stretches of rutted tracks and through soft sand where he had to carry his bicycle in searing heat. Sometimes he fell asleep while riding, and crashed. His time of just over 13 days cut five days off the record, and other record fell by the score.
Opperman recalled: “At one point, by the light of the car behind me, I could see a large snake in the wheel ruts, and I couldn’t stop. All I could do was land the bike on top of it, hard. I suppose I must have killed it. Then, at Nanwarra Sands, I had to pick up the bike and carry it for 10 miles in the soft sand. We learned that I could gain time by sleeping for only 10 minutes at a time, something I have never forgotten.”
In 1992, the name Malvern Star, re-entered the racing scene with one of the most expensive limited production bikes available. The bike, proudly displaying the Hubert Opperman signature along the top tube, is a bike that could re-establish the Company name at the top level of cycle sport. The frame is designed and manufactured in Tasmania by Frank McCallum, frame builder for Kevin McBain, in conjunction with McBain’s. It is made of Reynolds 708 Classic tubing, the frame having an overall racy look and feel to it. The price ticket is $4,300.
Yeah, all our grandparents would know him by name. From wikipedia :
“An obituary said he “ranked alongside Don Bradman and the race horse Phar Lap as an Australian sporting idol, but his fame at home proved less durable than theirs, perhaps because he went on to become a politician.””
Crazy fast rides across Australia on gnarly dirt roads using 1930’s technology?
Dead set legend.
Also, “Opperman died on an exercise bicycle.” He was 91.
