For the Cyclists in Tribeland.

[I_bRAD]

They sell bikes at crappy tire and wal-mart too. I'm not too concerned about it. If anything it's more business for me. I don't really sell new bikes, but I'm happy to put the one you got at mec or crappy tire together properly for you. More bikes on the road are more bikes to fix I suppose.

I guess it comes down to supporting the little guy or the big guy. Do you want knowledge and service or low price? Mec staff in general is pretty helpful and knowledgeable, but it's still far from a local shop vibe.

 

[Flashy_McFlash]

Are the bikes at MEC really that bad? Apparently they have decent components but I can't speak to the build quality.

 

[sianspherica]

I was at MEC on King a week ago and I didn't see any actual bikes for sale.

 

[kuba]

Not yet you didn't. MEC's bikes couldn't be worse than Giant or Specialized in the same price range as they're all made out east. I wish they could've been Canadian made. I venture they'll have hybrids mostly and some off-road. $600 to $1400. I worked there for almost a decade and always wondered why not - and while there they were adamant against the idea. Guess times change and it's a natural progression. I have no problem in them selling bikes.

 

[spaboy]

MEC's bikes couldn't be worse than Giant or Specialized in the same price range as they're all made out east.

*shakes head*

Do you know how much money both those companies spend on R&D to design some of the best frames out there?

Just because they're manufactured out east has nothing to do with the engineering of the frame. MEC will simply have sticker bikes. A 3rd party they buy frames from & put their name on.

Did Mec buy RaceFace or just get them to carry the line?

 

[Flashy_McFlash]

I was at MEC on King a week ago and I didn't see any actual bikes for sale.

They're there now. I was in there yesterday.

Curiously not listed on their website yet though.

And is Taiwan considered 'out east'?

The bikes, which are priced at $650 to $1,400, are made in Taiwan under MEC's own private label.

 

[I_bRAD]

Do you know how much money both those companies spend on R&D to design some of the best frames out there?

How much? 25% of what they spend on marketing? High end stuff maybe, but a basic commuter isn't rocket surgery

 

[I_bRAD]

For comparison's sake though, although I haven't seen the mec bikes I'll say they're likely on par with urbane's urbanite house brand

 

[kuba]

spaboy, come on - show me how much trek/specialized spends on R&D please.

out east - I didn't mean newfoundland.

 

[spaboy]

I knew I shouldn't have left those financial statements at home this morning!

For serious?

I thought their bikes would be on the low end. $600-$1400 is a price range that puts their bikes in competition with some really nice, refined bikes. When it comes to Electra style cruisers & comfort bikes, whatever. But if you want something with more of a performance/fitness aspect in that price range, you'd be silly to spend your money there.

 

[Joe Seven]

I saw their bikes last week. I'm sure they'll sell lots of them; many people love & trust the MEC brand. They're not selling performance bikes, thus the high-end "boutique" shops won't be affected. It's the independents who deal with commuter and entry/mid-range level MTB's that *might* lose business.

 

[Joe Seven]

Indoor bike park set to open in December...

 

[alexd]

I am looking for SPD bike shoes for winter. They don't have to be boots or anything but they certainly can't have any mesh uppers like most of my other bike shoes seem to have.... Any recommendations?

 

[I_bRAD]

I have a pair of Lake winter cycling boots. I've got the MXZ300, the current equivalent is the MXZ302:

products new home - MXZ302

They're OK until around -5 or so. Buy one size larger than normal so you can fit some thick socks in there too!

Personally, I only use those when I'm on my road or mountain bike. For every day use, I prefer just regular old boots and platform pedals. It's easier to stay warm that way and much more convenient than switching shoes every time you get on your bike.

 

[I_bRAD]

In other news, the annual Riverdale Park cyclocross race is happening tomorrow in the Eastern section of the park (Broadview just north of Bloor) Racing starts at 9:30 am, the Elites go at 1pm.

 

[Phat Trick]

awesome! That's right across the street from my place.
I can see the park from my balcony.

btw I believe it's a few blocks south of danforth/bloor, unless there's another section of riverdale that I don't know about

 

[spaboy]

So it's today or Sunday?

 

[Phat Trick]

The park looks empty so I guess it's tomorrow

 

[I_bRAD]

Sorry, you're right. It's south of Bloor. The big park that spans the DVP.

I imagine they'll be setting it up overnight tonight.

sunday Sunday SUNDAY! You have to bring your own seat, but you'll only need the edge.

I'm going to try and make it out for a bit, most likely to see the fast race at the end.

 

[I_bRAD]

Event flyer

 

[Tahoe]

So I finally found my flip flop frame. Literally. In a dumpster.

I was walking to work from the bus stop and I see this bike hanging out of a dumpster. Me being the curious one that I am, I pull it out. Other than needing new wheels and tires, this thing looks MINT. Even the handlebar grips are in good condition.
It's a 12 spd Supercycle. She's going to be nice with a new set of rims and tires on it.

 

[I_bRAD]

Nice find! Perfect for getting around town. Can't really tell from the pic, but you probably don't even need new wheels, just new tires. Steel wheels have notoriously bad stopping power in wet weather though so you might want to upgrade anyhow.

 

[Tahoe]

Well I eventually want to go fixie so I'd like to find a decent used set of flip flop wheels. I saw sets on pinkbike and cl going for around $200. Is that a good price?

 

[I_bRAD]

$200 could be a good deal, but there are too many variables to say for sure though! Do you have a link to the ad?

Technically speaking you only need the rear wheel to do the conversion. Most likely the wheels you get will be 700c, and the wheels on that bike are probably 27" That means there is a 4mm difference on the radius, so be sure your brake pads have enough adjustment left to allow you to lower the pads 4mm. If you're going fixed, then technically you don't need a back brake, but if you're going to use a freewheel than you will for sure so that's something to consider. Sometimes the brakes will reach, some times they won't. It depends on the bike/brake combination you're starting with.

For reference regarding the price of the wheels, the cheapest machine built wheel available (as far as I know) is an Alex DA22 paired with a forumla flip flop hub. They run around 90 bucks each. Don't forget you'll need to add a cog and lockring to that price, and you'll need different tires too because of the different size. The good news is that the selection of 700c tires compared to 27 x 1 1/4 tires is huge.

 

[Tahoe]

No link, just numbers I remember from the last time I searched. The price of the new wheel you mentioned seems very reasonable. Are cogs and lockrings pricey? Maybe I'll stop asking questions and search myself, lol.

I just checked the brakes and it looks like I have quite a bit of pad adjustment.

I'm starting to get excited about riding this thing!