I've never paid duty on anything from CRC, nor have I paid shipping (just make sure you pool with buddies on an order if you're under $99).
I believe you shouldn't pay duty on anything bicycle related with the exception of entire bikes or assembled wheels.
Even then, I've ordered assembled wheels twice with no duty.
Jenson, although fast shipping, never has free shipping.
Well dang - I just dinged for duty on latest CRC order. My mountain bike gloves did get classified as "womens leather gloves"...lol - maybe that triggered the customs peeps?
My CRC theory is that the dollar value and sending method have everything to do with whether or not you get hit with import duty. Larger orders ($200+) and/or with the $25 expedited mail option seems to get hit regularly.
Re: Bike theft and insurance. You can have your modified bike appraised at the lbs and submit to insurance. Our entire quiver is covered under the house policy. The only thing better than full insurance coverage is the enforcement of Sharia law on bike thieves.
Our entire quiver is covered under the house policy.
Through who? I did the math on a couple quotes, and if my bike doesn't get stolen every 4 years, it's not worth it.
As of next year I'll have saved enough on insurance on my current bike to buy another one. Which is why I bought a cheaper bike one year early. So 4 more years and I'll have saved enough to buy another two bikes.
Huh, never thought about it that way. I'll have to figure out what I'm paying for all this. With how extreme bike depreciation is, I am guessing that you're bang on with this.
We were just shopping around for home insurance. Ended up with Cooperators as well. $500 limit per bike under their normal policy, which doesn't cover my two bikes (paid ~$1500 for myroad/commuter, paid $3500 for my mountain bike, both 2-3 years old). However, the cost to get the bikes insured as separate items was quoted as $200 per year for me.
On the plus side, they will reimburse for the full value of the bikes in case anything happens to them, with no deductible. They also claimed to reimburse in case the bikes got scratched or anything (which was funny, since MTBs get dinged up all the time...)
Since I store the more expensive bike indoors, and due to the depreciation on bikes, I figured that it wasn't worth it. If people break into the house to take my mountain bike, I have bigger problems.
Just my 2c. If I had a much more expensive bike, then I might think differently. As of today, I have a hard enough time justifying my hobby to my SO without also adding fees to our insurance...
^sweet local vid. I'm pretty sure I've met the kid's dad professionally once or twice. Real nice guy, but I'm not surprised the kid's got significant technical skills.
Reclaimer is hard enough with the ability to get off your seat on a normal bike. No suspension and basically having the uni deflect straight up at your butt with every bump? It's so nice to have a young spinal cord.
Looking for some opinions on purchasing a couple bikes (for my wife and I). Background, neither of us have owned a bike since we were 15 (15+ years now), and were looking at getting bikes just to putter around the city (we live in Regina, so not too much elevation changes, but some ground/terrain changes) during the Spring/Summer/Fall months. Probably go out once a week at the most, and are looking to get a chariot as well for our kid.
We aren't bike enthusiasts at all, have gone to the local bike shops here, as well as the Sport Chek. Local stores start at 600+ for bikes, while places like Sport Chek start at 150. In any event, we aren't looking to spend a lot of money, but we also don't want to be regretting our decision in a couple years. We want to buy a couple bikes that will last us for the next 15 years.
We've looked at a bunch of bikes and types, and have narrowed it down to this one from Sport Chek. (both male and female versions)
Original price is $550, end of season price is $440, and today they have the Friends and Family event for an additional 10%. All in all, it'll come to an approximate 800ish price tag, which is kind of hard to swallow, but at the same time, we are getting a bike for $400 each.
Thoughts? Also, any suggestions on cheap Chariots or even going used? I heard they retain their value pretty well? Any advice by the end of the work day would be appreciated, as I'm planning on pulling the trigger tonight.
Go to a bike shop, manwiches. Sport Chek bikes are put together by 14 year olds with zero experience. They're of poorer quality, you won't want to ride it when it breaks down in a couple of weeks.
Bike shops will also offer deals in the fall to get rid of older stock. I would look there.
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^ that is an ok bike for that price - personally, I'd say you would be better off finding a bike with better (hydralic) brakes and no suspension fork given you are planning on keeping to the pathways.
as for cheap "chariots" - you get what you pay for. i bought a schwinn one years ago from can tire - it never really rolled that great (it would sot of feel like it was pulling backwith every wheel roation). i served it purpose and i looked at pulling it as more of a workout. As I recall I paid $200 or so for it about 11 yrs ago and sold it a few years later for about $150. if you buy a new one, take care of it, that stuff is pretty easy to sell.
othrewise, keep an eye out on kijiji or go to mec.
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Looking for some opinions on purchasing a couple bikes (for my wife and I). Background, neither of us have owned a bike since we were 15 (15+ years now), and were looking at getting bikes just to putter around the city (we live in Regina, so not too much elevation changes, but some ground/terrain changes) during the Spring/Summer/Fall months. Probably go out once a week at the most, and are looking to get a chariot as well for our kid.
We aren't bike enthusiasts at all, have gone to the local bike shops here, as well as the Sport Chek. Local stores start at 600+ for bikes, while places like Sport Chek start at 150. In any event, we aren't looking to spend a lot of money, but we also don't want to be regretting our decision in a couple years. We want to buy a couple bikes that will last us for the next 15 years.
We've looked at a bunch of bikes and types, and have narrowed it down to this one from Sport Chek. (both male and female versions)
Original price is $550, end of season price is $440, and today they have the Friends and Family event for an additional 10%. All in all, it'll come to an approximate 800ish price tag, which is kind of hard to swallow, but at the same time, we are getting a bike for $400 each.
Thoughts? Also, any suggestions on cheap Chariots or even going used? I heard they retain their value pretty well? Any advice by the end of the work day would be appreciated, as I'm planning on pulling the trigger tonight.
Thanks!
I was in the same position as you at the start of summer.
I opted to get something pretty good and bought a Specialized Crosstrail, which is a hybrid just like the one which you're thinking of buying. Its much faster on the paths than my hardtail mountain bike.
I also considered the Kona Splice and the Trek 8.5 DS but went with the Specialized instead.
We also bought a Chariot earlier this year and used it quite a bit. We found a last year's model at one of the bike shops in Calgary here so it was cheaper than the 2015's. Also, as a heads up they re-branded the Chariots to Thule but its the same units and parts/accessories are still interchangeable. You're right, the used units still are pretty pricey, so be bought new.
We also bought a double even though we have only one kid. Liked having a bit more space and the option to fit kid #2. The thing is really good quality and I was surprised how it felt back there. I can barely feel anything while I'm pulling it.
Good luck with your search! Only issue may be sizing this time of year. Many places are out of sizes unless you're buying XL or X-small frames....
Thanks habernac. I should note, that I've listened to people from both sides of the fence of buying from a bike shop (trained technicians, bikes of higher quality no doubt) to going to a general sporting goods store (technicians may or may not be trained, paid per bike, not as much quality selection).
What we've kind of deduced is that a 'higher end' brand from Sport Chek would still be sufficient, and we would take it to a bike shop to get tuned up after buying (this was suggested to us actually by the sales guy at the bike shop here). We did ask about latest sales at the bike shop, and they said they weren't planning on any more sales this year, and that the lowest they would go was 10% less.
I guess it's hard to swallow because we had 150 dollar bikes as kids, and now are looking at buying more expensive ones. We are of the mindset though that we don't want to be regretting our purchase a couple years from now. While we understand there will be annual services etc, we aren't avid cyclists by any stretch.
Edit: Thanks Northendzone and dubc80 for the advice too!
^ i'd go with the GT over that Trek as well mostly because of the better brakes.
so you are going to buy the bike at sportchek, and then go to an LBS and potentially spend anotehr hundie to get it "tuned" up - really cuts into your savings and it is a PITA.
to me the problem with buying low cost excercise gear is that it does not perform that well over the long term, and you get turned off of wanting to use it because of poor performance......
but i get you want to keep your costs down. That GT should be fine, but to me, I'd recommend going to a LBS (local bike shop) and spending a few mroe dollars - in the long term you would likiely not regret it - but only you can say what you cost ceiling is.
You could always buy the bike at sportchek today to take advantage fo teh sale, and then have a look at the LBS over the enxt couple of days to see what your real options are.
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Revolution cycle in Edmonton is a great shop. Everything is 25% off except 2016 bikes. I got my wife the specialized roubaix pro race disc ui2. Paid cash so i got 30%off. They still have some great selection. Carry specialized, scott, cannondale, santa cruz and rocky. Oh and one beautiful ritchey p-29.
Also something to note, the cost of bikes is going up, especially the US bikes. Last years bikes were bought on a better dollar, and now the bikes coming in for 2016 are up to 20% higher. So, the 2015 5010 C XT Build at Bow that retails for $6250, and is on sale for $4999, is going to be about $7500 for the 2016 model.
Also if you are looking at saving money on accesories, MEC has decent helmets for $25-35
If there are two things I wouldn't cheap out on, they are helmets and tires. Tires are the only things touching the road, so it doesn't make sense to put a $20 tire on a $2,000 bike. I hold the same belief on cars as well. I get this isn't a $2,000 bike, but proper tires, based on road conditions or expected use can really help the ride.
You don't need to spend $300 on a race helmet, but make sure you get a helmet that fits, and will protect you. You never want to use your helmet, but it can save your life. A Giro helmet saved my life, so I stick with them. Remember that helmets are single impact usage, so if you drop it, or you hit your head, it should be replaced. They should also be replaced every 3-5 years with general use.
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