Guides & Advice
Practical, honest advice from the MKP Bikes workshop in Cheltenham: buying used bikes, bike fitting, sizing and more.
Race vs Endurance Geometry: What Your Back Is Telling You
The same brand sells two very different road bikes, and most riders buy the wrong one. How race and endurance geometry differ, and how to hear what your body prefers.
Numb Hands and Sore Wrists When Cycling: Causes and Cockpit Fixes
Tingling fingers and aching wrists are position problems, not padding problems. A bike fitter explains what causes them and what actually fixes them.
Why Brand Sizing Differs: Giant vs Merida vs Orbea Geometry Compared
The same rider can be three different sizes across three brands. How Giant, Merida and Orbea approach sizing and geometry, from a shop that stocks and sizes all three.
Cleat Position Basics: Fore-Aft, Rotation and Float Explained
Cleats are the smallest adjustment on the bike with the biggest leverage on your knees. How the three cleat settings work and when they are the real fix.
What a Used Road Bike Is Really Worth: A Fair-Price Guide by Age and Spec
How to value a second-hand road bike from its original price, age, groupset and condition, and the depreciation patterns most sellers and buyers get wrong.
How to Make Sure a Second-Hand Bike Is Not Stolen (Australia)
The checks that protect you from buying a stolen bike: serial numbers, proof of purchase, seller red flags, and what to do if something feels wrong.
Buying a Used Bike from a Shop vs Privately: Honest Pros and Cons
Marketplace bargains are real and so are Marketplace disasters. A shop that sells pre-owned bikes lays out both sides fairly, including when private is the right call.
Groupset Hierarchy Explained: Shimano 105 vs Ultegra vs Dura-Ace on Used Bikes
What groupset tiers actually mean for a used-bike buyer: where the real differences are, which tiers hold value, and why 105 is the smart-money answer.
Can You Convert a Road Bike to Gravel? What Works and What Does Not
Which road bikes convert well, the cheap changes that transform them, and the honest limits where buying a gravel bike beats modifying a road bike.
The Best Gravel Routes Within 90 Minutes of Melbourne
Where Melbourne riders actually go for gravel: the Dandenongs, Yarra Valley, Macedon Ranges, You Yangs and the rail trails, by difficulty and character.
Gravel Bike vs Road Bike: Which Should Your Next Bike Be?
The honest decision framework: where each bike wins, the real cost of the compromise, and the questions that settle it for most riders.
Gravel Tyre Width and Pressure Guide: The Setup That Matters Most
On gravel, tyres shape the ride more than the frame does. How to choose width and tread for Victorian surfaces, and the pressure guidance nobody gives you.
Gravel Riding Around Melbourne: Bikes, Setup and Where to Start
Melbourne is quietly excellent for gravel. The riding within reach of the city, the bike and setup that suit it, and how to get started without overbuying.
Used Triathlon Bikes: The Best Value in Cycling (and What to Check)
Tri bikes depreciate harder and are used more gently than almost any other bike. Why the second-hand tri market is a bargain, and the checks that protect you.
Triathlon Bike Fit vs Road Fit: What Changes and Why
A tri fit is not a road fit with aero bars. How the position, the priorities and the process differ, and why the run off the bike is part of the fit.
Your First Triathlon Bike: Road Bike, Clip-Ons, or Full TT?
The honest buying order for new triathletes: when a road bike is enough, when clip-on aero bars make sense, and when a dedicated tri bike is worth it.
Do We Buy, Sell or Service Mountain Bikes? What MKP Does and Does Not Do
MKP Bikes specialises in road, gravel and triathlon bikes. What that means if you have a mountain bike, hybrid or e-bike, and where to go instead.
Clip-On Aero Bars: The $150 Upgrade vs the $4,000 Tri Bike
Clip-on aero bars capture a surprising share of a tri bike's advantage at a fraction of the cost. How to set them up properly and when they stop being enough.
Tavelo Bikes: Who They Are and What We Think
Tavelo is one of the newer names in performance road bikes, and one of the most interesting. What the brand is about, how the bikes ride, and who they suit.
Saddle Height: How to Tell If Yours Is Wrong
The symptoms of a saddle set too high or too low, why the online formulas only get you close, and how correct height is actually confirmed in a bike fit.
Road Bike Sizing: How to Get the Right Frame Size First Time
Height charts get you close, geometry gets you right. How road bike sizing actually works, why brands differ, and how to be sure before you spend.
Knee Pain When Cycling: What It Means and How a Fit Fixes It
Front, side or back of the knee, each points to a different position problem. A Melbourne bike fitter explains the common causes and what actually fixes them.
Are Java Bikes Any Good? An Honest Review from a Shop That Stocks Them
Java bikes offer serious value at the entry and mid level. What the brand does well, where the compromises are, and who should buy one.
Bike Fitting Explained: What Actually Happens in a Fit, and Why It Matters
What a professional bike fit involves, who needs one, what it costs, and what you take home afterwards. Written by the fitters at MKP Bikes in Cheltenham, Melbourne.
54 or 56? What to Do When You Are Between Road Bike Sizes
Between sizes is the most common sizing dilemma there is. How to decide using stack, reach and your own proportions, and why the answer differs by brand.
Used Bike Checklist: 15 Things to Check Before Handing Over Cash
A printable 15-point inspection checklist for buying a second-hand road bike, in the same order of checks we run in the MKP Bikes workshop.
How to Inspect a Used Carbon Frame for Cracks and Damage
The workshop process we use at MKP Bikes to check every pre-owned carbon frame: where cracks hide, what is cosmetic vs structural, and when to walk away.
The Complete Guide to Buying a Used Road Bike in Australia (2026)
Everything to check, what a fair price looks like, and how to avoid the lemons, from a Melbourne shop that inspects and sells pre-owned road bikes every day.
Should You Get a Bike Fit Before or After Buying a Bike?
The honest answer from a shop that does both: when a pre-purchase fit saves you thousands, and when fitting your current bike makes more sense.