We are building the global platform for traveling road cyclists.

We are building the global platform for traveling road cyclists.

Having established our bike rental marketplace across seven Australian cities we are ready to make Livelo a global service.

Every day we receive requests from our clients after a quality road bike in London, wanting a guided tour in San Francisco, needing a group ride in Dubai.

In 2017 we are stepping up to ride with you in a broad range of global cities.

Livelo provides high-quality equipment and service, but most importantly, we provide our clients with convenience, confidence, and community - a cycling companion in every city we operate.

To achieve our global ambitions we need passionate individuals and corporate partners who share our strong outlook for road cycling, travel and a renewed focus on health and wellness in the 21st century.

There are many global trends at our back, some good (improved road rules, infrastructure, and technology) some not so good (a global epidemic centered on obesity with far reaching effects and costs). We strongly believe cycling can make a big impact here.

Cycling is a low impact and high cardio. Cycling is an activity that is fun for all ages, abilities, and budgets. Throughout the 21st century, cycling will make a difference to millions of lives, bringing positive health and well-being benefits, while building new friendships.

So if you love cycling, and love sharing your love of cycling with other people, Livelo contact us now at ride@livelo.com.au

We want to talk to:

• Ride Ambassadors
• Developers
• Social media/bloggers
• Ride planners
• Rides leaders
• Influencers
• Logistics experts
• Bike fitters
• Bike maintenance experts
• Community builders
• Growth hackers
• Sales people who prefer to work in lycra than a suit

You are:

• A Startup enthusiast
• Wanting to start a cycling business
• Customer focused
• An experienced road bike cyclist
• On 'cycling leave' from your corporate gig
• Trustworthy and reliable
• Enthusiastic and positive
• Knowledgeable of your cities cycling routes and traffic conditions
• Experienced in road bike safety and maintenance
• An advocate for your location as a cycling destination
• Ready to contribute to an exciting new cycling startup

You possess:

• Strong interpersonal skills
• Great attention to detail
• Independence and focus
• The ability to demonstrate your abilities and attitudes
• Empathy and dedication to exceptional customer experience
• A thick skin
• The ability to 'grind it out'
• Unlimited potential for growth and advancement at Livelo

Can we expect a new Colnago TT bike in 2017 and a return to the world tour after that?

Amy’s Gran Fondo (Sunday 16 September) is the opportunity of the year to ride the majestic Great Ocean Road on a fully supported ride and closed to all traffic.

Yes, it's the cycling equivalent of letting the children loose in the candy store and certainly not to be missed.

Amy's Gran Fondo is a celebration of cycling. With 3 ride options, a 120km Gran Fondo course, 70km Medio Fondo course and 7km Family ride, Amy's Gran Fondo has an option suitable for every cyclist.

The fun kicks off on Saturday with the Amy's Wall hill climb competition which is designed to see who can scale the 20%+ gradient of Bay Street the fastest. You can register to enter the Amy's Wall competition now. If you not sure your up to it at least you can ride the Wall prior to the competition.  See the video of the 2014 event below.

In addition to the shear pleasure of the ride, there is the all important fundraising that the event supports, The Amy Gillet Foundation. This charity directs all its activities to enhance the safety of cyclists in Australia. A most worthwhile cause. 

So don't let the excuse of not have a suitable bike deter you from participating in this amazing event. Level has a range of high quality Colnago road bikes waiting for you. Book Now or contact us on 0407883332 to discuss the options. 

 And if you need a car to travel to Lorne, you cannot go past Livelo's car rental partner Europcar. The Renault Koleos are equipped with Tule bike racks and they are also provide a 10% to Amy's Gran Fondo participants. Book your rental car with Europcar here.

Livelo is at the Tour Down Under

Livelo is very excited to announce that we will be bringing our premium road bike rental service the 2017 Tour Down Under.

Our fleet of Colnago road bikes are the perfect option if you are unable to travel with your own bike, or if you want an inexpensive upgrade to a new Colnago super-bike.

You should be at the Tour Down Under

The TDU is not only the largest tourism event in South Australia, it is the large cycling event in Australia. While there is plenty of action off the bike (Gala dinners, Pro Cyclist sightings, trade shows and demo events) it is the on bike opportunities that await you in Adelaide that are surely not to be missed.

There is the Ride Like Crazy and the Bupa Family Ride and the Norton Summit Time Trial. Yet the highlight for most are the rides out and back to each day's stage.

Join the cycling masses as you leave Adelaide to find the best vantage spots.

Embrace the special atmosphere that only a World Tour event can generate.

When the race has been won and the winning jerseys presented, you have the unique pleasure of riding back to Adelaide with the riders from your favourite Pro Cycling Teams - a rare and exciting experience.

To place a reservation  - CLICK HERE

The Details

The Tour Down Under takes over Adelaide, South Australia from January 14 to January 22, 2017.

What is the criteria for a truly great road cycling city?

Great cycling infrastructure?

Easy routes for all to explore? 

Varied and challenging terrain, close to the city centre?

A passion local bunch riding scene full of weekend warriors?

A strong local club scene, with a genuine racing calendar? 

A breeding ground for some of the best professional riders of their generation?

While most cities excel in one or two of these criteria, it's a rare thing for a city to excel in them all. Canberra is just such a city. 

We have described some of the other attributes else where, so lets just focus on the last point here. Within the current crop of Australian riders racing in the professional ranks include a small but significant number of riders from Canberra. These include Adam Phelan, Gracie Elvin, Michael Matthews, Chloe Hosking, 2016 Paris - Roubaix winner Matt Hayman and the recently retired Michael Rodgers. And judging by the numbers of young riders swelling Canberra's cycling clubs this list is only set to grow.

So if you are a passionate road cyclist, don't miss out on an opportunity to ride Canberra. It's got all the the boxes ticked for world class cycling city and you never know who you may end up riding with. 

I'm very excited to announce that Livelo is now able to assist visitors to Brisbane with high end road bikes as part of our bike rental expansion. 

We have some lovely new Colnago bikes available to hire when you next visit the Sunshine State. 

Brisbane is the best kept cycling secret in Australia, and here's why:

• Spectacular 30-50km rides around the Brisbane River, the vast majority of which are on separated bike only paths. 
• Most of the cities best routes are easily reached within a few hundred meters of the majority of CBD hotels.
• 5km climb through native bushland is just 8kms away from you hotel lobby.
• Try the unforgettable ride through a subtropical hinterland to the Sunshine Coast
• Perfect cycling weather all year round
• A very friendly and active group riding scene
• Your Livelo Colnago bike delivered to your lobby - bookable 24/7

What else do we need to say - get to Brisbane, get a bike and get pedalling!

You may have noticed that you never see any advertising for the Cannondale Caad10. Funny that! 

Caads really do sell themselves. Combining light-weight, stiffness and sublime road handling (surpassing bikes 5x the price - we know because our clients keep telling us).

The Caad also demonstrates an attribute that appears lost to cycling in the modern age - toughness. Yes, you can push your Caad beyond your limits (not its) and safely ride away.

So the more other manufacturers try to copy the Caad, the more it becomes obvious that it's an original without imitation. 

Livelo has a small number of ex-rental Caad10s still available. Our Shimano 105 spec bikes are priced at $1,200 and the Ultegra models (with Mavic wheels) are priced from $1,400.

So if you after a new bike, a second bike, or a piece of cycling folklore, contact me to find out what sizes we still have available.

So you've done the Gong Ride, the Peaks, and a couple of Grand Fondo's.

Of course there is one challenge that takes you to the heart of one of Australia's great cities for 250kms pleasure, pain and personal fulfilment - Melbourne's epic Around the Bay. 

The annual Bupa Around the Bay ride in support of The Smith Family is on Sunday October 9, 2016. The Around the Bay aims to raise $1.3 million in badly needed funds in 2015. 

Livelo has a range of great road bikes if you need an upgrade from your trusty (crusty) stead. It's a long day in the saddle so you may as make it as pleasurable as you can, and Livelo's Colnago road bikes deliver pleasure in spades. 

If you have not previoulsy tackled a ride like Around the Bay, we advise working up to it. Ideally you would build up to your km goal incrementally, 30km, 50km, 80km ..... With this in mind we have some packages that provide great options for your training rides. 

 PRO TIP

And here's a cycling executive Pro Tip - if you are staying at a hotel don't forget to book a post ride massage in the hotel sauna for Sunday afternoon, this not just the ultimate post challenge wind- down, but a great way to clean up after your ride if you have already checked out of your hotel room. 

 L'ETAPE AUSTRALIA

New South Wales has secured a major cycling event for 3 years starting 2016. 

Up to 7000 cyclists and thousands of spectators are expected to visit the Snowy Mountains for a new world-class road cycling event secured by the NSW Government through Destination NSW.

Secured for the next three years and exclusive to NSW, the L’Etape Australia by Le Tour de France is the renowned race for amateurs and is under the banner of the world’s most prestigious cycle event. Due to take place in Thredbo, Perisher and Jindabyne in December next year the event is expected to deliver in excess of $4 million in visitor expenditure across the three years.

’Etape Australia will run over three days and include a course endorsed by the Le Tour de France Race Director, Christian Prudhomme. The event will encompass different levels including a highly challenging mountainous route, a route for seasoned riders and a shorter ride for those wanting to absorb the atmosphere of a weekend immersed in Le Tour de France. L’Etape Australia will be co managed by Lateral Events and SBS and heavily promoted by SBS TV.

Final dates for L’Etape Australia 2016 will be announced once the review of the course and race logistics have been approved by the relevant NSW Government authorities.

For more information and to register your interest click here

As a result, we will be selling our beloved Tokyobikes.

The Tokyobike CS (above) is the brands classic urban road bike, and it's a beauty. The 650mm wheels provide great acceleration, which is just the trick for urban riding, whether it's Tokyo, London, Sydney or Melbourne.

The multi-spoke wheel are strong as all hell. We have had the bikes for 2 years and they have done plenty of riding and not a broken spoke or warped rim to be found. The frame is classic road, slightly elongated for speed and efficiency.

The brakes, shifters and cog set are long lasting and effective and the gearing is fine for all but the steepest and longest of city climbs. 

The styling speaks for itself and is really what the Tokyobike brand is all about. Great colours, nice tyres, quality leather saddles and grips. 

The Bisou (above) is the bike that Matt Blatt would knock of if they did bikes (don't tell me they do). The Bisou replicates all the qualities of the CS, with a dropped top tube, shorter reach and a high handle bar which all combine to create a more relaxed and refined ride. We call it a European style but you may still get some bogan yell out that "you're ridin' a girls bike mate". Sure its not quite as easy to ride up Brooke Street Coogee as the CS but you will look pretty relaxed doing it.  

So if you are in the market for a high quality, stylish city bike and would like to save a few dollars by purchase a well maintained used bike, a pre-loved Livelo Tokyobike may be just the thing for you. All that is left to do now is decide whether it's the CS or the Bisou, and in what colour? 

To discuss the options with us, click on the link below, we look forward to talking Tokyobikes with you.

Most pro's return home during the November - January period and are frequent spotted holding court (or a table) post-ride at Beach Road's iconic Cafe Racer.

The good news for those travelling to Melbourne is that the group riding scene is just as dynamic 365 days of the year.  

So if you are visiting Melbourne and wish to get out for a great bunch ride experience just rent a bike from Livelo, because there is a great bunch ride every day of the week.

Here are our recommendations. 

Monday

When – 5.45am, or 6am

Where - BP service station.

Address – Corner of North Road and Nepean Hwy, Brighton North

Pace – Easy – 30km/hr

Distance – 40km

Terrain - Flat

Weather Permitting – All weather – numbers vary, may ride in one group rather than two.

No drop - Yes

Arrive at 5.40 for the first group

Details – A recovery ride from the weekend. A social ride with dozens of riders in the summer. The 6am group are more advanced but are taking it easy.

Tuesday

When – 5.45am, or 6am

Where - BP service station.

Address – Corner of North Road and Nepean Hwy, Brighton North

Pace – Fast – up to 45km/hr

Distance – 40km

Terrain - Flat                        

Weather Permitting – All weather – slower when wet.

No drop – Yes, until the end

Arrive at 5.40 for the first group

Details – A fast ride with an optional bunch sprint to the St Kilda BP station at the end. Caution is recommended with the sprint.

Tuesday evening

When – 6.30 pm, (summer months)

Where - Corner of Barkly St and Carlisle St, .

Address – Barkly St, St Kilda

Pace – slow out, faster back. 30 - 40km/hr

Distance – 40km

Terrain - Flat                        

Weather Permitting – All weather – slower when wet.

No drop – Yes

Arrive at 5.40 for the first group

Details – A slow and social ride down New Street to avoid traffic and then back along Beach Road. Occasional bunch sprint to the BP in St Kilda on return.

Wednesday

When – 5.45am, or 6am

Where - BP service station.

Address – Corner of North Road and Nepean Hwy, Brighton North

Pace – Slow out, fast back. 30-40km/hr

Distance – 40km, or 90km (to Mt Eliza)

Terrain – Flat (lumpy for longer route)        

Weather Permitting – All weather – slower when wet.

No drop – Yes

Arrive at 5.40 for the first group

Details – A nice ride. Turn at Mordialloc roundabout for the short route or continue to Mt Eliza. Later return will be 8.30 am approx.

Thursday

When – 5.45am, or 6am

Where - BP service station.

Address – Corner of North Road and Nepean Hwy, Brighton North

Pace – Fast – up to 45km/hr

Distance – 40km

Terrain - Flat                        

Weather Permitting – All weather – slower when wet.

No drop – Yes, until the end

Arrive at 5.40 for the first group

Details – A fast ride similar to Tuesdays. Can split at the half way mark and some return slower.

Thursday evening

When – 7pm (summer months)

Where – Corner of Chandler Hwy and Yarra Blvd.

Address – Chandler Hwy, Abbotsford, finish at Alphington

Pace – steady, 20-25km/hr

Distance – 40 – 60km

Terrain – hilly, some decent short climbs

Weather Permitting – Yes, if mainly dry they will ride, some will go regardless.

No drop – Yes, wait at the top of the climbs and refill water.

Arrive at 6.50pm

Details – ‘Tour of the suburbs’. Takes in east Melbourne and 2 longer climbs. Makes a nice change to the beach road. Good for a windier evening.

Friday

When – 5.45am, or 6am

Where - BP service station.

Address – Corner of North Road and Nepean Hwy, Brighton North

Pace – Easy – 30km/hr

Distance – 40km

Terrain - Flat

Weather Permitting – All weather – numbers vary, may ride in one group rather than two.

No drop - Yes

Arrive at 5.40 for the first group

Details – A recovery ride from the weekend. A social ride with dozens of riders in the summer. The 6am group are more advanced but are taking it easy.

What is the one thing that you would love to do before buying your next road bike?

Ride it! Of course.

Most bike shop test-rides amount to little more than a roll around the block and most online stores provide little in the way of test ride opportunities. Livelo provides fantastic test-ride opportunities with our road bike fleet from both our Melbourne and Sydney locations.

So rent a Colnago road bike and ride up to your next bunch ride for the ultimate test-ride experience.

Ride the same hills as you old bike and compare its performance.

Test its acceleration in the group sprint. Is the balance between stiffness and comfort what you need?

And most importantly, what do the other guys and gals think - is it cool?

And if you are looking to purchase your first road bike, a Livelo test-ride is the best way to experience the thrill of road bike cycling before you commit to a purchase (do you really need another trophy to your impulses hanging in the garage?).

We would love to help you have a great test-ride experience and ensure your next bike purchase is a great one.

And did we mention that a one day test ride is free if you end up purchasing the bike from on of our partner dealers?

Fill out the form below and we'll be in contact to arrange your Livelo test-ride.

If cycling on flat, open roads and paths with incredible views of lakes, rivers and stunning beaches is what you’re after, then Melbourne is just about perfect.

There are over 135 km of dedicated on- and off-road cycle paths and routes throughout the city area. Leaving the city, the Beach Road stretches as far you could hope for. It rolls beside the beaches from Port Melbourne all the way to Frankston and beyond, down the Mornington Peninsula. You will be spoilt for choice of cafés, restaurants and bars all the way along and at weekends you will be free to join pelotons with hundreds of like-minded cyclists heading south and back, as far as your legs can take you. It doesn’t matter if you’re here for a weekend, or a regular rider in the area; you simply cannot get bored of the beautiful bayside riding.From the city centre to the beach road is less than 5 km. Along the way you pass many famous city landmarks such as the Eureka Tower, the Botanic Gardens and the Shrine of Remembrance.

If you're after a short circuit ride you will do no better than Albert Park- home to the Australian Formula One Grand Prix. Take the circuit in a ant-clockwise direction to minimise interactions with turning traffic. If your lucky you'll hit the main straight with the wind on your back and for just a moment you're Fernando Alonso.... then the dream is all over - shut-up legs. 

For more adventurous cyclists the city is set within a few hours ride of the Dandenong Ranges, which will test the lactic acid and lung capacity of the fittest of riders! Head west towards the quaint and idyllic beachside towns of Yarraville and Williamstown, all serviced by quiet roads and cycle paths.

Again, if longer rides are your thing then you are within driving distance of the spectacular Great Ocean Road – popular with riders and events. It’s a must-see by car, but it’s even better by bike!

Melbourne sports a vast number of cycling events. These are almost weekly in the summer months and are headed by famous events such as the Round the Bay, Cadel Evans Ocean Road Race, Otway Classic and many triathlons – not least the Ironman. The city is rapidly growing in numbers of cyclists, which in turn is increasing the number of cycle lanes, safety and interest in the sport. All good news for riders heading this way!

Visit this link for free GPS routes and maps of Melbourne's best rides. 

This infographic provides 4 simple rider safety tips to help ensure your riding is fun, safe and stress free. 

Strava, the go to app for all your cycling ride data, has moved into the tourist guide business with the launch of Strava Local. 

Strava Local provides great information on the classic cycling routes of each of the nominated global cycling cities - Amsterdam - Barcelona - Berlin - Denver - London - Melbourne - Milan - New York City - Paris - San Francisco - Sao Paulo - Sydney. 

While the methodology behind the selection is not defined, Strava state the guides are "hand-picked based on data from our global community, curated by local athletes."

Accompanying the routes and maps is some interesting data on the number of rides logged into Strava in each week and the number of Kilometers ridden per week.

Livelo thought it would be interesting to combine this data with some population statistics to drill down and see which of the global cycling destinations comes out top when it comes to rider participation.

Here are the results. 

Rides Per Week

Kilometers Per Week

Ride  Events (annualised) Per Capita

Kilometers Ridden Per Capita (annualised)

A Calorie IS a Calorie

A calorie is a unit of measurement for energy. Specifically the energy it takes to raise a gram of water one degree Celsius. Used interchangeably with another measurement, the kilojoule (of which 4.184 kilojoules = 1 calorie), these units are seen mostly on nutrition labels telling us the energy content of different foods. Foods differ in their make up of both micronutrients (vitamins, minerals) and macronutrients (fats, proteins and carbohydrates). Most nutrition textbooks will tell you that each macronutrient contains a certain amount of calories per gram with fat being the highest at 9 calories per gram, alcohol in second with 7 calories per gram, protein and carbohydrates coming in last at 4 calories per gram each.

So what does this mean for us? Well, food intake has always been a controversial topic where on one side of the spectrum some will say that the calorie does not matter as long as you eat whole, unprocessed foods while the other side will tell you that all that matters is getting the right amount of calories in and ratio of macronutrient intake be damned. The truth is somewhere in the middle and all of the macronutrients matter in a balanced diet. In order to have a healthy, balanced diet you should get a certain amount of calories per day from fats, proteins and carbohydrates.

More

Welcome to Live Velo - the Livelo blog - our regular update on all that is new at Livelo, tips on cycling in our cities, plus some other great content that we know you, the travelling cyclist, will love. 

We would really like to thank you for riding with us and joining in the conversation.

Of course, many people ask us, where did the word Livelo come from? I was hunting around for a name for my new cycling business and a friend of mine, Chantal, made a list up of combination words that included the word velo - lovelo, velocity, etc. The list was long and it included the word Livelo, a combination of Live and Velo. Need we look any further? No! As for pronunciation, its a made up work so there is no right our wrong but we pronounce it simply livevelo. 

The great graphic treatment of the name was produced by Michael and Eva at Toko Design, it's a elegant simplification of a rear derailleur that cleverly incorporates the O in Livelo within the logo. We love it. Thanks Michael and Eva and thank you too for reading our first post.

Safe cycling.