Online Deals December 2016

 Take this for what it is. Talked to one bike shop in my city and they are purposely doing their builds with SRAM because Shimano doesn't play nice with dealers. Apparently CRC, etc. can sell so cheap because they are hooked in with Shimano Japan where bike retailers in NA are stuck with Shimano NA which can't/don't offer the same deep discounts compared to their Asian counterparts. To be honest I don't get it but it was what I was told...

 At least TBS has all their prices in Canadian dollars. Saves a lot of money for customers in Canada. Not having to deal with exchange rates and duty/taxes is always a nice bonus.

 @southernrockyflow: LBSs often face higher wholesale prices on Shimano than what the European websites advertise as retail. Shimano is clearly not interested in local shops as a distribution channel.

 @g-42: SRAM is, they've actually had CRC stop sales of their products to NA customers.

 @triptex: From Germany I can get it for €246 sans chainring with shipping...

 @NotDannyHart: My god that's cheap.

 The TBS price is cheaper, so they're probably pretty stoked. CAD =/= USD

 this ^ $405 - around 35% for canadian exchange = $263 usd

 @dylandecker: crc allows you to pay HST and avoid duty, while also providing 3 day shipping to Canada for free.

 @FLATLlNE: no duty on importing bike parts into canada. Only on complete bikes.

 ..

 @whitebirdfeathers: Just got a nukeproof hub sent to me from crc. 23$ duty

 @southernrockyflow: Yah it sucks. You can get Shimano parts online cheaper than what our shop pays for cost, so I hope nobody is looking at this like their LBS is trying to rip them off. We might as well buy our stock from TBS and save some money.

 @nismo325: was it duty or brokerage charges?
Hubs fall under tariff number 8714.93.00 and have no duty. If duty was charged it was because your package was mislabeled or poorly labeled.

 @FLATLlNE: By duty I meant the $10-15 handling charge they always tag on packages. Nice to just be able to sign for a package and not pay anything, not to mention supporting an Canadian Online Retailer is always a positive.

 @southernrockyflow: I'm in the industry and bingo...Your 100% right..That is EXACTLY what is happening. SRAM is going to get almost all of North America's bike shop business till Shimano at least makes things close to fair.

 @pappas717: just to be clear when i said "I don't get it" i meant I don't get why Shimano NA can't offer something close to Shimano Japan. Ultimately it's unfortunate for everyone - consumers are getting less choice at their LBS and from the LBS' point they're competitively being forced to offer less choice. I fully get it from an industry/LBS standpoint however I'll admit I like the reliability, dependability and value of Shimano components so it sucks to have no incentive to buy Shimano from the LBS as like you point out, they can't even get close to online prices.

 @g-42: they sure do! Pure BS.

 @dylandecker: Yep. Even with the new shipping options, there is still $5-10 handling baked in I think. Less than the previous $15 from DHL.

I agree, supporting Canadian is a good thing.

 @dylandecker: pretty sure only complete bikes are charged duty....parts are not.. read below.
A complete bike falls under customs tariff #8712.00.00 - this category has a 13% tax rate PLUS GST/HST, pretty heavy especially if it's an older bike. However this rate only applies to "complete' bikes. The subcategories therein are all based on wheel size - if there's no wheels though it's not a complete bike. If you don't want to pay that 13% "complete bike' tax then get the wheels shipped separately or not at all.

Wheels are the next highest taxed category. An assembled bike wheel adds 6.5% plus GST/HST to the cost. However an unassembled wheel has no extra duty, just GST/HST! If you just want the hub anyhow then get the seller to cut out the hub and ditch the rest. Besides avoiding the 6.5% duty your shipping charges will be less since the package is going to be way smaller!

If you're just buying parts the best advice I can give you is have the seller be as specific as possible. The following items do not have anything but GST/HST added:

Forks, fork parts, frame parts (including bearings, shocks, cable guides, fork tubing, etc)
Wheel rims or spokes
Hubs of any type
Brakes of any type
Saddles
Pedals and crank gear and parts thereof (including bearings, etc)

There are two different categories on the tariff labeled "Other" and I think it's more or less up to the customs agent to determine what category things fall in to. Remember a customs agent doesn't necessarily know anything about bikes and they're probably going to just run down the form until they find the first category labeled 'Other' - this one is "Frames and Forks, and Parts Thereof - Other'. I honestly can't think of ANYTHING that would fall in to this category as practically every part of the frame and fork has already been accounted for.

If you can, get the seller to label things very specifically, ideally with the actual customs tariff item number. Here are the numbers and their tax rates all together:



8712.00.00 - Complete Bikes - 13%
8714.91.10 - Frame lugs, bottom bracket shells, forks, fork tubing sets, fork bearing assemblies, hydraulic shock absorbing cylinders, spring shock absorbers, rear pivots, cable stops, cable guides and back, chain and seat stays - 0%
8714.91.90 - Frames and forks and parts thereof, OTHER than the above - 5%
8714.92.00 - Wheel rims and spokes - 0%
8714.93.00 - Hubs, other than coaster braking hubs and hub brakes plus free-wheel sprocket wheels - 0%
8714.94.00 - Brakes, including coaster braking hubs and hub brakes plus parts thereof - 0%
8714.95.00 - Saddles - 0%
8714.96.00 - Pedals and crank-gear, and parts thereof (I'd put chainrings in here too) - 0%
8714.99.10 - Bicycle wheels (I'm assuming assembled) - 6.5%
8714.99.90 - OTHER bike parts - 0%

Remember customs officers are at work just like the rest of us and the more you do to make their job easier the better! Obviously they're still going to check your package but if you save them the time of having to figure out what everything is and what particular category it should fall in to then you'll probably find you can get things through customs with a lot less hassle.

 @FLATLlNE: tell me about this three day shipping you speak of because any time I order from crc it takes anywhere from 3 weeks to a month to get here

 @mhoshal: crc is pretty quick just got a package in about 4 days , this week.

 @nismo325: Then you need to fill out the form on the back of the shipping sheet and get a refund - there is no duty on bike parts.

 @southernrockyflow: there are shops buying thru CRC to get around this

 @mhoshal: i don't order crc too much anymore but when I have it's always been four days.

 @mhoshal: its a relatively new option, to ship via DHL and prepay tax. 3 day shipping. Free on purchases over 100 bucks.

 @FLATLlNE: I can't work out why crc price on shimano stuff is the same in € as $ (or very close). They are based in Ireland so what's going on with that?

 @sewer-rat: using current exchange rates it is a full 95euros cheaper (~25%) if you order to the US from CRC then if you order to Europe (you cant choose to order in USD to sweden for example)... stupid

 @timmy1701: I know it's mad considering there is zero duty between EU countries

 @southernrockyflow: Part of the reason CRC is cheaper than Shimano NA is CRC is selling OEM parts with no retail packaging(the last 2 shimano parts I got from them came in bubblewrap bags.) I'm sure Shimano NA is not allowed to sell that way to retailers, & packaging is more expensive than people think.

That said, that's only part of it, & Shimano NA needs to do something about it.

 @nismo325: Was it duty or taxes and handling fees?

 @whitebirdfeathers: I got hit up on the fork I got from. CRC.

 @dylandecker: even with the exchange, Shimano goods stays way cheaper to order from CRC.

 @handsomedan: I was charged on a derailleur from the states. A friend ordered the same part a few weeks earlier and wasn't. I am better off ordering from Canada or the LBS or smuggling than US online. At least I know how much gear will cost. Also, get shipping through the USPS and that bs border handling charge isn't charged. Never ship UPS. The worst

 @warehouse: Not completely true. Ups chasges handling on ground shipping ($25) but not on air. And if you ship USPS and it arrives with Canada Post, and it checked by customs (50/50 chances), there will be a charge on delivery for HST and $10 handling fee.

 @FLATLlNE: interesting. I've never had an added fee with USPS. I guess I've been lucky

 @warehouse: If it comes via Canada Post, and has been checked by customs, and you were charged tax and/or duty, it would have been charged.

 It is because intense are going direct distribution, so all their current stuff is being sold off cheap to make way for the online sales.

 @Grutten: OK sure, but it's been happening for a long time too.

 @Grutten: They just started selling them in Canadian MEC stores, which is a pretty big chain. So I doubt they are going fully online.

 Thanks for the support! Much appreciated

 thanks random internet guy *wink wink*

 What's wrong with MEC? Aside from all the hipsters...but isn't that more a problem with hipsters that MEC itself?

Gotta say, I love that they're expanding the bike stuff. Good prices and amazing customer service!

 Same for Burton snowboards. The times they are a-changing...

 @rory: As MEC has expanded they have stopped producing as many of the high value low cost items under their own label instead opting to bring in brands (patagonia etc.) already carried by competing small retailers. They've also started to reduce the actual space and selection given to mountaineering, climbing and other more intense outdoor activities in order to allow more space for higher volume yoga and running stuff. There is nothing wrong with this per se but it goes against the initial values that MEC started with. No longer do they serve the outdoor enthusiast, instead they now serve the urban outdoor aspirant. Yes those people need a place to shop as well but MEC spent much of the early 2000s putting many outdoor shops out of business only to turn around over the past few years and cut selection.

 @fernrob: I used to love their branded stuff 15 to 20 years ago, it was so well made I'm still wearing it today. I will probably pass it on to my son.

 What's the difference between Santa Cruz and Intense? The DH bikes look the same at quick glance. Same susp design, no?

 @Brauck: this is why they make Google bud this conversation is about a decade old now!!!

 @fernrob: "They've also started to reduce the actual space and selection given to mountaineering, climbing and other more intense outdoor activities in order to allow more space for higher volume yoga and running stuff"

Not sure where you got that. They started this year to sell a whole range of Ski Touring gear, including high-end DPS skis, Scarpa freeride boots, etc. I wouldn't be surprise if they start selling avalanche air bags. That fits definitely in the "mountaineering" and "more intense outdoor activities". Also, one thing I still love at the MEC is their unbeatable after-sale services. They'll exchange or refund anything and everything without asking questions. I had to exchange a faulty SRAM Guide brake and I quickly realised that trying to explain that the brake piston was randomly getting stuck to the 18 years old girl at the service counter was a lost cause. They just took it and gave me another one. They'll do that for anything, really. You can buy a X1 derailleur, smash it, and go get a refund/exchange.

I nevertheless completely agree with you that MEC is now a outdoor Walmart, and not what it uses to be. Staff is now increasingly awful and uneducated towards mountaineering and outdoor activities. But they'll sure be great at suggesting which yoga mat fits your needs.

 @fernrob: EDIT: well f*ck, they already do sell avalanche airbags: www.mec.ca/en/products/gear/snowsports-gear/backcountry-safety-gear/avalanche-airbags/c/799?sort=price-desc&q=%3Asales-rank

 @Bragelonne: I got that from going to MEC. The Vancouver flagship store in the late 90's and early 00's was generally all climbing, mountaineering, ski touring, camping and canoeing/kayaking. Now you have that same space occupied by a vast selection of yoga, running, downhill skiing, road biking, mtn biking, commuter biking and outdoor fashion wear (Prana etc.). It's a different store and the coop values of serving under-served outdoor categories it started with have disappeared. They now put pressure on the local dh ski shops and bike shops in the same way they did to many of the outdoor retailers previously.

 @fernrob: Fair point, I never had a chance to see the Vancouver flagship store in its prime years. Here in the East the first MEC that came to Montreal's Marché Central (2003) was not the outdoor Walmart that it is today, but wasn't either what you described above.
And I'm not worried too much about the local bike/ski shops : MEC is only good to get parts and stuff on the go, or buy gear at a discount in the off-seasons. I can't speak for Vancouver, but to give you an example a little bike/ski shop here called "Sport aux Puces Longeuil" on Montreal's south shore is RIGHT NEXT to a MEC, and yet this little shop's business never been better. I had to book weeks in advance for a bearing job on my DH bike and we're in December. You should see the amount of double-crown forks hanging from a wall that are pending maintenance, along with the hundreds pair of skis they have to tune for the season. It's beautiful. I guess the reason is that as MEC staff is increasingly dumbed-down; local knowledgeable and qualified mechanics increasingly sought after.

 @Bragelonne: I think the main reason Sport aux Puces is doing so well is because the vast majority of bike shops in the montreal area stopped selling anything above 140mm and basically don't stock anything other than tubes and a 5 years old sram x7 derailleur when it comes to MTBs. They pretty much got the monopoly on the more "extreme" bike disciplines handed to them.

 @Bragelonne: MEC has changed their return policy in just the last month or two. It's not quite as accommodating as it was, because people were abusing it.

 would also be curious...

 I got one, and only a few rides on it so far, so can't speak for long-term reliability. Solid build quality of the post itself. Action is smooth and return speed is not too forceful and can be modulated well. Cons would be somewhat flimsy-feeling remote, one length option (perfect for me), and some slight play, but solid for the price. Considering buying for my other bikes. I can no longer justify spending double on a dropper.

 @Neechy: thanks mate. Good info. Ta

 Using one as well. Properly good dropper. Handy fitted, perfectly reliable so far, function is perfect. It's just a case of good dropper posts at more realistic pricepoints becoming more common place seeing how popular they are.

 don't be racist

 @mudmandhbrazil: haters gonna h8

 @colemanb: h8?

 @colemanb: @colemanb: Do you even need a bike? Whens the last time you rode?

Actually eric said you rode with him down in payson when my friends crank arm fell off

 @mudmandhbrazil: 8 is pronouned eight, so 'h' + 'eight' sounds like hate, its slang for being a hater

 @hamncheez: thanks

 LOL so many h9ers on my comments. But yes I did ride with Eric, and yes Tyler's crank fell off. Also i rode a stationary bike on Tuesday at the gym

 I tried to look for some stuff last month and I think that both Cambria and Price Point closed down.