Hi

Is there a Canadian equivalent to CRC/Wiggle/Merlin?

Or to the Cannucks just use the above like the Aussies do?

Cheers

Not that I've found. Some people use American websites but they often won't ship to Canada.

Stuff is expensive in Canada – lucky only use it for half the year!!

canadian companies don't do to mail order much, i always use CRC/wiggle/jenson

Agh. I'm moving there next week – and will want a decent supplier of bits!

Where? I would suggest you lower your expectations. But as I said at least you only use bike kit for some of the year…

Firstly find a good shop; then be amazed when it takes at least a week for spare parts to arrive in some cases.

My favorite is so far is (admittedly not bike kit but not unusual) 3 weeks for some touring skins to make it from Vancouver to Calgary…

stock yer suitcase 🙂

CRC will deliver for free if the order is above a certain amount (I think it's about $250). Also, Canadian customs can take a long long time to process imported goods (It took four and a half weeks to get a CD I ordered from the US though this could also have been Canada Posts' fault cos they aren't exactly fast)

Another option (if you live near the US border) is to get stuff mailed to a PO Box just over the border in the US. I know a few Vancouverites use PO boxes in Point Roberts or Bellingham in Washington (State, not DC).

IMHO, a lot of bike components are horrendously expensive in Canada if you have to pay full retail but many bikes shops will give discounts to regular customers (eg Magura brake pads are ~$45 pair but ~$17 from CRC.)And to add to the pain, the price you see is NOT the price you pay. In BC, you now have to slap 12% HST on top of everything 🙁

My buddy will be bringing back lots of bits and pieces for me when he returns to the UK for his sisters wedding!

I thought you meant a completely different kind of 'stuff' 🙂

I hear you can get plenty of "stuff" hear no problem, maybe not mail order though 🙂

$45 for brake pads!!! Sweet lord.

Hooking up with a shop is in theory going to be the most painless way of getting parts at a cheap(ish) price. And also be prepared to buy what the locals do (so not Magura brakes!). For example we have been selling current Race Face hard goods at 35% off retail recently. Some shops are prepared to do a deal, other not so.

Bear in mind that Canada is huge, but with a tiny cycling market compared to the UK, so clearly that will reflect in the price.

For example we have been selling current Race Face hard goods at 35% off retail recently.

So who is "We"???
I may be after some RaceFace finishing kit. Do you give discounts to random STW'ers??? 😉

$45 for brake pads!!! Sweet lord.

Errr…$45 PLUS 12% sales tax!!!

markgraylish – Member

$45 for brake pads!!! Sweet lord.

Errr…$45 PLUS 12% sales tax!!!

Live rates at 2010.07.29 11:02:00 UTC
45.00 CAD = 27.9043 GBP
Canada Dollars United Kingdom Pounds
1 CAD = 0.620096 GBP 1 GBP = 1.61265 CAD

Wish I had gotten that rate last month 😐