Cycling in Waterloo Region

[jamincan]

I've had the same problem with them in the past as well. Tracking basically stops once it's in Canada Posts hands, I think.

You should also be careful ordering parts internationally because you might be hit by some big customs fees when they cross the border. (particularly when dealing with pricey bike components). I think chainreactioncycles now has an option to include the duties for shipments to Canada, but I'm not sure. Jensonusa.com is an alternative that I know shows prices in CAD and calculates taxes at the time of purchase. They are often competitive with chainreactioncycles/wiggle as well, so it's worth checking them out too.

[jamincan]

On the topic of online retailers in the bike industry: it can be really enticing to go buy stuff for a bit cheaper online, but developing a strong relationship with your local bike shop can pay dividends down the road. There are certain situations where it just makes more sense to go online, but in situations where the differences are marginal, consider buying local.

The shops do a lot to contribute back to the local community, something that the online retailers never do. As an example, on Mar 25 at the MovingWR Transportation Symposium, Velofix and Ziggys are going to be doing bike safety checks.

Just to plug the Waterloo Cycling Club a bit, one benefit of membership is that you are also eligible for discounts at almost every local bike shop.

[Canard]

I always get everything from Ziggy’s. They just didn’t have the V-brake levers I wanted. I got the shift levers I wanted from Sport Check only because they literally were half the price. I am faithful to Ziggy’s, don’t worry!

I suppose I could have given them the Shimano part number and had them order it in, like I did for my (expensive) Thudbuster.

[clasher]

I think all of Shimano's parts are sold wholesale through Shimano North America so if someone is selling them cheaper the markups must be more, or it is old stock from other distributors. Recycle Cycles used to sell basic shimano stuff but a few years ago Shimano stopped selling to other wholesalers... Shimano has basically decided to screw over North American shops since their prices are so much cheaper in Europe... I guess the volume the big shops in Europe sell must have something to do with it, or often times the parts are grey-market and/or factory leftovers since I've ordered lots of stuff that just came in a plastic bag and not retail packaging. It all worked fine though.

I've been hit with some outrageous brokerage bills before, especially ordering from Niagara cycle and having anything shipped with a private courrier company. It is possible to self-claim shipments at the airport customs office and just pay the GST on whatever you order... it saved me 45$ when I got nailed with a 90$ charge from UPS. Ordering from the US I will only do so if it shipped via the US post office.

[KevinT]

US shippers often use UPS because it looks way cheaper up front, not realizing that UPS will fleece their customers with COD charges that include not only the duties but a hefty brokerage fee. Ask for FedEx and if they can't do that then USPS. Always the cheaper options. I've declined to purchase from sellers that only do UPS, it's just not worth it in the end.

[Coke6pk]

No matter who you use, have them mark on the paperwork "To be self cleared".  When the goods arrive, drive out to YKF and the friendliest Customs officers in the agency will collect HST with no extra brokerage charges.

UPS has the highest brokerage fees (Sometimes being more than the item itself), but FedEx and DHL charge them too.  Canada Post will charge a brokerage fee of $5 ($10 if it is ExpressPost).

Coke

[Bob_McBob]

It's been a long time since Canada Post charged a different customs clearance fee for EMS. Everything is a flat $9.95 now. However, the ridiculous $20 de minimus threshold from the 80s is so low the CBSA is realistically unable to process most packages. I remember being nailed on everything over $19.99 when I started buying stuff off eBay, but now I regularly receive packages with declared values of hundreds of dollars without any charge. Even still, the government loses a lot of money collecting tax and duty on low-value packages.

https://www.canadapost.ca/tools/pg/manua...sp#1382717

All couriers charge large brokerage fees for ground services. You can avoid the bond/COD fees by opening an account and using prepayment, but that's unrealistic for most consumers. I'm pretty sure every Canadian who shops online has been hit by a massive bill from UPS at some point.

[Canard]

Parts arrived Tuesday Canada Post no questions asked and no charges! Yay! Now to find some time to put them on.

[Canard]

Upgrade time!!

I ditched the stock/combined V-Brake and shifter levers that came with my Trek Verve3 for separate Deore brake levers and SL-M310 RAPIDFIRE shifters.  They're not quite as nice as the Deore 10-speed shifter my other bike has (it's so tight and crisp), but way better than what was on it.

   
Before...

   
...after!

   
Maybe it's just a novelty to me, but there's something about the design of the shift indicator window that just makes me smile.  I love shapes and little design features that are well thought-out.

   
What a Blue Box should look like!

[Canard]

Absolutely fascinating. I'm still recovering from my accident last fall, and I can't help but think if I'd been wearing something like this, I wouldn't be.

[clasher]

Turns out my head is too big for a Hövding! Just a cm too... the 10 hour battery life wouldn't be enough for any of my long distance riding either.

[Pheidippides]

With all the car and truck airbag recalls lately I'm not sure I am ready to trust one for my head.



Moving the Erb/Bridgeport cycling lane discussion from the 70 King St N thread over to cycling:

If I have to choose between the two, I'd rather have two-way segregated bike lanes over two-way motor vehicle lanes. It's far less of an inconvenience for motorized vehicles to detour than it is for someone on a bike.

Yes, but that probably won't be the choice of options when the time comes to re-do Erb and Bridgeport.

The anti-bike lane populace will be fighting for the status quo (3 lanes in each direction) when current traffic counts (and future projections) can probably only justify 2 plus turning lanes.

People who cycle will probably be asking for two-way on both to help build a minimum grid.

Both won't fit in the right-of-way; so there needs to be compromise.

Two-way with centre-lane turning and one segregated bikes lane on each allows for such a compromise.

The only thing worse than the status quo would be to rebuild the status quo for another 30 years. If this is the difference of getting some separated infrastructure and a start on a minimum grid versus getting no separated infrastructure then again I will say that something is better than nothing.


Second, it is only a detour if you are only going to be travelling exclusively east-west along Erb-Bridgeport. Most people are going to travel for part of their trip east or west and then also a bit of their trip north and/or south of Erb/Bridgeport.


For example, let's say two-way bike lanes are installed along Bridgeport and you live at King and Bridgeport and work at Bridgeport at Weber. Nice and simple straight commute to and from work. 
   

But with an EB bike lane on Erb, and a WB bike lane on Bridgeport then yes you have to deviate 200m to get to the EB Erb bike lane, and another 200m to get from the EB Erb bike lane to your destination. On the way home you just take the WB Bridgeport bike lane straight home. So yes, there is a "detour" of 400m total for the daily commute.
   

But, most people who cycle would probably travel along Erb/Bridgeport part way then go North or South at a certain point so the detour is a net of zero on the day. Take an example of living at Lincoln and Weber and working at King and William. Regardless of whether there is a two-way cycle track on Bridgeport, a two-way track on Erb, or a one-way cycle track on both Erb and Bridgeport the vertical (north-south) travel distance is the same. There is no detour distance.
   
   
   


Also, under a conversion to a two-way Erb St and a two-way Bridgeport there is nothing to say you could not simply take the lane to go EB on a re-built two-way Bridgeport or WB on a rebuilt two-way Erb. To travel on Erb or Bridgeport now you have to risk your life to ride on the road and only go one direction or ride illegally on the sidewalk to go either direction. Taking the lane on a rebuilt street with narrower and fewer lanes would be much safer and comfortable for that purpose than the faux-highway we have now. Instead you would have options (as would would motor vehicle traffic in the event of a crash, water main break, etc.).

[Canard]

With all the car and truck airbag recalls lately I'm not sure I am ready to trust one for my head.

Did you watch the entire video? If not, please do.

[Pheidippides]

With all the car and truck airbag recalls lately I'm not sure I am ready to trust one for my head.

Did you watch the entire video?  If not, please do.

I didn't say it didn't work, I said I wouldn't feel comfortable using it.

Just like I am still unsure about using a car with automated emergency braking.

I understand that my odds are probably better with this device than a standard helmet, even if you consider the rare event of a failure to inflate (apparently 60,000 have been sold, 1,300 activated, 1 recorded failure to inflate), and I know it isn't rationale, but I tend to stay away from b-leeding edge technology until it more refined and tested, and I feel more comfortable with it.

[plam]

Found on the Internet: stats on how often bike infrastructure is blocked in NY.

https://www.jwz.org/blog/2018/03/a-rare-...d-of-evil/

Not that we need any infrastructure for King Street. Isn't it time to do something about that already?