Frank Bailey (@frank_forester) is our Reid Rider of the Month for March
Frank from Australia, has become our Reid Rider of the Month for March on our Granite 2.0 after catching our eye on Instagram with #reidbikes! We caught up with Frank, to find out a little bit more about him and his bike…
Introduce yourself…
My name is Frank, I’m a 35-year-old Forester from Western Australia. Originally from the North Coast in NSW but have lived in the Perth Hills for the last 10 years. I live in the Perth Hills with my wife and our Golden Retriever, Angus.
I love spending time outdoors as much as I can. My job allows me to do that. But outside of that, I like riding, camping and visiting family back on the east coast.
When and how did you get into bike riding?
I’ve ridden bikes from a very early age maybe 3 or 4 years old. My parents would have introduced me very early to riding, and they still ride lots now in their retirement. My brother and I were very competitive with each growing and that involved riding. I’ve raced Mountain Bikes for a long time. DH, XC and more recently enduro, however no racing in the last few years. I still have a mountain Bike which gets ridden as much as my new gravel bike.
So what made you choose Reid and why the Granite 2.0?
We had recently moved into our first house, not far from where we had lived for the last 10 years and our local trailhead. However, I was looking for a road or gravel bike that I could do a few more Ks straight from the front door.
The Granite 2.0 kept on coming up in my research for a gravel bike. For the price, it had great spec, it was light enough, and the frame geo feels really good. And it’s a good basis for upspecing. And it’s one of the best looking bikes around as well. The colour and style of it look great.
Is this your first Gravel Bike?
Yes, this is my first gravel bike.
So, how has the Granite 2.0 treated you?
It's a really good bike and it’s treated me well. It’s a lot of fun to ride. I have upgraded the tyres so they are a little fatter with a bit more bite (panaracer gravelkings).
What and where have you been with it?
I’ve done lots of Ks on the Munda biddi trail. I’ve done a full lap of the Railways Reserve Heritage trail, which is 42 km of an awesome gravel rail trail. And lots of road Ks to and from the gravel roads around my house.
Do you have any other future adventures planned?
This year I have a few holidays already booked in. But I plan on doing some overnighters on the munda biddi, and again out at Dryandra Woodland. I’m deciding on panniers or bikepacking bags. Haven’t made my mind up yet.
Finally, what advice would you give to those who have never been on a biking adventure or even a bike?
Start small and work your way to where you want to go. Or just dive right in. It’s up to you. The key is to have fun.