Talk to Gabor @ Wise Racer.

<soapbox>Who will service these online purchases? Your LBS? Unless your LBS sucks, then please support them so they're still there when you need them.</soapbox>

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Calvin

"I've tightened a bolt or two."
Calvin's Absurd World

These guys are in Toronto. I got my first bike fit from them. I've never ordered online, but I know they have a ton of stuff, so check out their prices:
http://www.labicicletta.com

I found these guys too from Vancouver:
http://labiciclettaproshop.com

Not from Canada, but I've seen lots of Canadians raving about Probikekit. Shipping from UK is amazingly fast and the prices are excellent. They also say that most of the time there is no duty to be paid.

I am in Vancouver and only buy my parts online now. I have built about a dozen bikes this way and the deals are great if you take your time or find a good company to buy from. I have bought a fair amount of items from the UK and as mentioned the delivery is great. It is nice not having to deal with the Canadian/US customs bullshit that you get.

The other place that I have been buying from a lot is Taiwan, Japan and China which again is better than dealing with CDN/USA customs.

I have placed orders in the same day from Taiwan, Japan, UK and USA and the US shipments always take much longer.

If you want to send me a PM, I can let you know who I have been dealing with.

Do not get me wrong with my comments about the US as they are more directed to the customs/border crap. I have a few guys I deal with in the US that are amazing and have great pricing.

As for the servicing of the parts, I do all my own servicing so I just never think about the LBS. I have a lot of great local bikes shops but I can get pricing significantly lower online. My LBS's get barely any of my business and one of my friends owns a shop and he says that for builds and parts I am looking for, it is just way better to buy online especially when he sees what I am actually getting the parts for.

I forgot to mention that if I am buying in the US, I always tell the seller that I only accept shipments by USPS. If they insist on shipping with Fed Ex or UPS they do not get my business. UPS are the biggest robbing bastards on this planet when it comes to their processing fees. It is almost criminal what they charge.

Thanks for the tips all. My local shops are great and I've spent a lot of money in them and will continue to do so. But I'm doing my own wrenching now and having fun learning to add on the bits to suit my tastes. The LBS don't have a lot of parts stock on hand and while they always offer to order stuff in, the quotes can be pretty steep.
I'd like to have a go at building some wheels - anyone have a good site for shopping for wheel building stuff?

yes. pbk is much faster and cheaper then anyone else i've used. free shipping too.

BMAN - PM sent - would like to know your suggestions for online parts. Thanks

probikekit.com is the way to go. I ordered many times from them and I usually get my stuff a week later. Often the shipping is free and the price they offer is great.

I'm nova scotia right now and I wish I was still in Victoria!

good luck.

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Formely stef32

Are you just visiting NS or have you moved here? I would think the weather in BC would be a bit more triathlete friendly.

who says you'll need them?

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"Anyone can work hard when they want to; Champions do it when they don't."

so are there any duties on items coming here from the uk (probikekit.com)? or just GST and provicial taxes?

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____________________________________________________________
"I'm happy when life's good,
and when it's bad I cry.
I've got values but I don't know how or why."
- The Who

The other place that I have been buying from a lot is Taiwan, Japan and China which again is better than dealing with CDN/USA customs.

I have placed orders in the same day from Taiwan, Japan, UK and USA and the US shipments always take much longer.

It's funny how politicians on both sides of the US/Canada boarder like to refer to it as, "the longest undefended boarder in the world". Well, it's undefended until you have to ship something across that boarder and you have to deal with either US or Canada Customs officials. Then it's as hard to cross as the Maginot Line! Believe me, as a company doing business in Canada and the US and stationed in Canada, we know the struggles and challenges of getting stuff across the boarder. We just shipped some wetsuits to Triathlete Magazine for review with FedEx's Guaranteed two day delivery service - it took 5 days to get their!! Not FedEx's fault - The package was held up in US Customs limbo for three days!!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

who says you'll need them?

Are you 100% DIY? Do absolutely all your repairs and bike work at home? Have all the tools and equipment you need? If so, then, yes, you may not need your LBS. However, that sort of cyclist is rare, and at some point you are going to need some help/advice even if it's consultative, from your LBS - if it's a good one. I am fairly handy around bikes, but there are still things that I need to get done that my LBS is a great help and resource for.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

When I need my LBS I go to the LBS and give them money. They don't care care where my bike came from or where I buy my cassettes. I'm sure the owner would prefer that I get everything from them but the guys who do the work don't care. If they go out of business because they can't compete it's good to know that Montreal is drowning in good bike shops.

Hey Shane, it's Mike Fougere (your brother Craig's friend). My band is always flying to Ottawa and Toronto for gigs and I have a number of stores up there that I frequent for great tri-gear deals. If you give me a list of what you're in the market for, I can pick up smaller items for you no problem and you won't have to worry about shipping at all! Just keep me in the loop either directly or through Craig and I'll see what I can find for you the next time I'm on the road in early February.

-Mike

I just got 2 sets of pedals from Pro bike kit for the same price I would have paid for one set at the shop where they're building my new road bike. They got to Montreal in 8 days and cost me $25 in customs. A good deal, I saved around $150. I'll use them again.

the customs are not bad at all for stuff from the uk, you dont get hammer with broakage fees like with those UPS clowns.

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Formely stef32