Canadians! Where to mail-order

[velotimbe]

Canadians! I am a recent trans-plant from the states, and I am a ways out in the bush. I need a few small parts for my bikes. What is the best mail-order joint in Canada? Or who is the most Canadian-friendly joint from the states?

[TiEndo]

I find ordering from Chad at red barn bicycles easy and cheap. Do a search.......lotsa us canucks order from him and Jensons and Larry at Mtnhighcyclery. Fastest would be Jenosons, but if you like USPS then Chad and Larry are the best and seem to be way cheaper to.

[sru]

Yeah, what Ti said,

Try to keep to shops that ship USPS, do a search and read the horror stories of Fedex, UPS, etc. Snail mail is best if your not in a rush. Also for some parts and clothing, checkout Mountain Equiptment Co-Op. It is a Canadian shop with great prices and honest shipping charges, it is a co-op though and a membership costs $5.00. They also carry a larger selection of items in store.

Check them out here.

www.mec.ca


If shopping with an American mail order shop, my advice is to double the $US price to give you a rough idea of what the actual cost is going to be, after tax and duties (if charged), and of course, the exchange.

[Jlar]

If shopping with an American mail order shop, my advice is to double the $US price to give you a rough idea of what the actual cost is going to be, after tax and duties (if charged), and of course, the exchange.

I can see you haven't bought much from the states.

Get a shipping quote from the retailer..usually around 25-50USD. Add that to the purchase price x 1.15 for your total to cover credit card exchange charges. Add taxes also. I've yet to get charged duties but there's not guarantee.
Also don't limit yourself to USPS as they take a week or more even with express. As long as its Air whether it be UPS or Fed-Ex brokerage charges are included.

[pinkheadedbug]

Pricepoint or MEC for me.

[Boogie Van]

Dare I say it but bikeroom.com is a Canadian company that I've used on occasion. Sometimes they have fantastic deals and the prices are in Canadian funds. On the downside, they have a bad rap (often deserved) on MTBR. I've always talked (not ordered online) to David at Bikeroom and he's been very professional and helpful - when they screw up orders he recitifies it (at least in my experience). If you live in the Vancouver area you can always drop by their brick and motor and ensure you get what you want.

[Carbon Ken]

Hi,

I usually buy from Cambria Bike or Speedgoat since they have very competitive prices while giving you the option of shipping via USPS. (I always try and use USPS because of their very low brokerage fees.)

With that being said, I've probably bought most of my parts off of Ebay. The prices are great if you have patience and the vast majority of sellers will ship via USPS.

I've also bought from the classifieds on this forum and have had great success as well. The advantage of buying from private sellers (such as those on Ebay or this forum) is that they'll typically declare the item at a reduced price - thus saving you on taxes.

Finally, I've also bought from Bikeroom but it's a hit and miss. Their prices are very competitve but make sure you aren't in a major rush to receive the part. I've called them regarding an item which they claimed was in stock but it still took me nearly 3 weeks.

Ken.