Comprehensive online shipping info

The Do you Buy from CRC thread has grown significantly since it started meaning some of the key info is difficult to find now. Here is a sticky for the top to give a summary of the best shipping options for each website to avoid the unscrupulous shipping fees charged by the likes of DHL, FEDEX, and UPS.

When you order bike parts online expect to pay GST and the Canada Post transaction fee of $9.95 -- you may win the tax lottery but do not plan on it.

Duties:

Bike Parts - None

Complete Wheels - Yes, I think 12% (incomplete wheels have no duty)

Clothes and shoes - yes if not made in Mexico or the USA

Pro-tip: Best to order parts and clothing separately or you may get dinged with duties on everything

Review: Less selection than most but good prices. Shipping is quick which is good for consumables like tires and brake pads.

**If you have an update on an online store or have one to add please PM me or add as a response. I will update this first post accordingly. 

All prices in CDN unless noted

Canadian Stores

www.tbsbikeparts.com

Shipping:

Ship Canada Post

Shipping Cost:

$150 = Free

UK Stores

www.chainreactioncycles.com

Shipping:

Make sure you choose non-tracked Canada Post or you will pay heavy fees. Oftentimes this option still gives you a tracking number.

There is a new option that ships DHL with all taxes and fees pre-paid. Shipping is fast and no surprise charges (thanks Reductimat for the info)

Shipping Cost:

Over $100 = Free (charge for large items)

Under $100 = typically $9.95 though may vary for large items

Review:

Prices have gone up a bit since the Wiggle acquisition but still very good. Pretty much every product under the sun. Great customer service and quick to sort out any issues with delayed or missing items. 

German Stores

www.bike-discount.de/en

Shipping:

Ship DHL (the national service) then pass-off to Canada Post which will charge their standard $9.95 rate plus applicable tax

Shipping Cost:

24.95 Euros for most items regardless of order value

Review:

I haven't used them yet but am soon, will update after.

www.bike-components.de

Shipping: DHL then pass-off to Canada Post (this is good!)

Shipping Cost:

19.95 Euros

Review: Prices similar to Bike-Discount.de but shipping is cheaper (thanks Niels for the info)

Can we also have a 'sticky' for the local shops that have 70+ years of combined wrenching experience, spend thousands of dollars just feeding people taking part in evening 'toonie' type races as well as supporting the local community in countless other ways? ;)

Posted by: trumpstinyhands

Can we also have a 'sticky' for the local shops that have 70+ years of combined wrenching experience, spend thousands of dollars just feeding people taking part in evening 'toonie' type races as well as supporting the local community in countless other ways? ;)

I just came here to say this but you beat me to it. This is needed!

There is a dedicated subforum for the local shops: The Inside Line.

I think I even remember a thread on awesome and praiseworthy LBS.

I remember that thread, but the point (for me) is that this thread for some reason is pinned to the top which means it's free NSMB sanctioned advertising for companies in the likes of Germany who don't give a damn about the local riding community. Whereas IIRC, the shops who post in the Inside Line have to pay. Just seems kinda unfair to be honest.

I think Poz' intention was simply to dig up the useful info buried in the CRC thread and put it in one place so people don't have to ask the same questions over and over again.

If you want to start and maintain a post with useful info about local shops (perhaps each mechanic's favourite beer in case one needs a rush job done??) we can make that sticky too ;-)

I don't know exactly how the business side of The Inside Line works, to be honest, so I'll check with Cam & Pete and also what they think of the sticky.

Thanks for your feedback!

Hi guys, with a nod to the local shops, I have unstuck thus thread. Niels figured it was helpful, and it is, but you're right, it's also a bit of an extra push to the online guys which is unfair in light of the fact that the Inside Line is a paid board used mostly by local shops. 

<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">We certainly advocate supporting your LBS whenever possible but also realize that the reality is that sometimes online pricing is impossible to resist. Poz's info is useful and naturally can remain as a reference - thanks for compiling it, Poz. </span>

Posted by: [email protected]

Hi guys, with a nod to the local shops, I have unstuck thus thread.

cool - good move.

Awesome thanks :) I've bought plenty of stuff over the years so nothing against it, but supporting local businesses (whatever they provide) is important too.

A couple tips to LBS if you want my business:

• Find a way to advertise what you carry on the Internet, especially on things that your pricing is not that far off the online retailers on. If I have to drive or phone all over town looking for a specific part, pad, helmet or article of clothing, I'm likely just going to buy it online for the convenience factor alone.

• If you have a sale, or expecially good pricing on something, again make it accessible on your website (you have one, right???), your Facebook page, or places like the much neglected "Inside Line". Or even just develope an emailing list for people who consent to that. I always glance at the CRC and Jenson emails I get just to see if they have anything that interests me.

• Don't make it hard or uncomfortable for someone to buy or order repair parts or replacement components from or through you. I wanted to replace the original 150 mm 27.5" fork on my bike with a 160mm 29" boost fork but didn't dare try to get it from a local bike shop because I knew that I would get serious attitude / "advice" of one kind or another. I knew the risks I was taking and still wanted to try so I just ordered one online (after much simulation of bike geometry to determine what I was getting myself into). Getting someone to sell me a Reverb rebuild kit locally was also painful and I will likely try to get one online next time if I can find somewhere that does this. Is it a crime to experiment and to do your own maintenance? Some of your customers may actually have technical jobs that make bicyle repair and modification well within their capabilities. Would you rather have them getting their parts through you or a website in Germany?

• Don't assume that (or at least don't act like) you know more about bikes or accessories than your customer does. Before I go shopping for something I generally research the s**t out of it ahead of time, so when I get some LBS bro giving me information about something that I know is inaccurate, incomplete, or just plain wrong and doing it with a superior bro attitude, I'm pretty likely to walk out the door and never come back.

That's the end of my rant, at least for now;)

Wow this turned south fast, unfortunate.

As noted, intention was never to draw people away from the LBS but let's face it there is a massive thread here on buying from various online sources so perhaps the elephant in the room is there are at least a few (thousand) that do order online. Having a better spot to sort out shipping info makes sense rather than going through the CRC thread -- but hey, I guess I offended some people, whatever.

Just going to throw this out there:

There are many of us that do all our own work, and enjoy it. I grew up wrenching on my bikes because we didn't have any choice in shop where I lived nor the budget. I almost consider working on bikes more enjoyable than riding, almost. I continue this now as a form of personal therapy and a way to keep costs down on a fleet of bikes for a family of four. As Xorrox above notes, a lot of LBS don't make it easy for those of us that do our own work -- there are a lot of sophisticated consumers out there, many on this site. Why would a rational individual pay significantly more and wait longer when not necessary? I feel for our local shops that have to work with the current (broken) distribution model but in the end consumers have their own bills to pay too.

When I did my last build I was trying to buy as much as possible from a local shop in Kelowna but one of the owners at the chosen shop did everything he could to try prevent me from doing that -- talk about missing what the consumers wants. I ended up purchasing parts 50-50 (local vs online) but not at the one shop. Additionally, I have less than ideal experiences with the mechanical competence at many shops -- I've had loose bars after a fork service and what really drove me nuts this year was a loose stem on a bike I bought for me son. Not asking for a World Cup mechanic but come on.

A local bike shop is a business not a charity that is the one thing that I think is missing with the whole support your local shop thing. The one in particular that draws my business is a really well run shop that has good mechanics and listens to me -- they realize they have sophisticated customers that know the difference between the rubber compounds on a series of tires. I enjoy taking my business to them. I certainly bring lots of work to my local shops. 2 of the 3 in my area I frequent (remember NSMB isn't just YVR folk) -- I purchased two bikes this year alone and spent approximately $1000 in parts and service at local shops.

Anyway, unstickying seems fair -- intention was never to draw away from the LBS just amalgamate useful info in an already long-running thread.

I didn't see anyone offended. Merely a comment that if NSMB are impartial then there should be an equal playing field. Nothing wrong with the subject matter. We happily install parts that people buy online. We'd clearly prefer to be given the chance to sell something first but it's a free country and people can choose to spend their money how they wish. I'm not going to start a Which Are The Awesome LBS's thread as I am biased(!) but someone else can if they wish, then both threads could be stickied.