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This is what's wrong with The Industry™

slimshady

¡Mira, una ardilla!
I just verified that because I couldn't believe it. What the fuck happened to Bike Discount's shipping charges? They used to be pretty cheap, and paired with good prices I usually chose them over 'murikan alternatives...

EDIT try https://r2-bike.com. They have 7.5 eur shpping flat rate for small parts for outside Europe.
 
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sethimus

neu bizutch
Feb 5, 2006
4,977
2,189
not in Whistler anymore :/
I just verified that because I couldn't believe it. What the fuck happened to Bike Discount's shipping charges? They used to be pretty cheap, and paired with good prices I usually chose them over 'murikan alternatives...

EDIT try https://r2-bike.com. They have 7.5 eur shpping flat rate for small parts for outside Europe.
the question is more like why do us shops have usually double the rates for the same distance??
 

konifere

Monkey
Dec 20, 2021
532
661
I just verified that because I couldn't believe it. What the fuck happened to Bike Discount's shipping charges? They used to be pretty cheap, and paired with good prices I usually chose them over 'murikan alternatives...

EDIT try https://r2-bike.com. They have 7.5 eur shpping flat rate for small parts for outside Europe.
Unfortunately, for Canada, it's 29.50eur shipping even for small parts (tried it with the dust seals).
 

FlipSide

Turbo Monkey
Sep 24, 2001
1,387
826
Some companies have ridiculous shipping rates.

Cascade Components comes to mind. IIRC, they charged me >50$CDN for shipping to Canada. On top of that, they are using DHL, just to be sure their customers will get ass-raped by ridiculously expensive brokerage fees. Yay!

Shipping from the US to Canada should only be done through USPS. That way, the customer pays a 9.95$CDN (flat rate) for custom fees + applicable taxes on the item. That's reasonable and you know what to expect.

The other transporters like UPS, DHL, etc. are all crooks. You only know the custom brokerage fee you need to pay when you receive the item...and it's always way too much.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,468
20,271
Sleazattle
Some companies have ridiculous shipping rates.

Cascade Components comes to mind. IIRC, they charged me >50$CDN for shipping to Canada. On top of that, they are using DHL, just to be sure their customers will get ass-raped by ridiculously expensive brokerage fees. Yay!

Shipping from the US to Canada should only be done through USPS. That way, the customer pays a 9.95$CDN (flat rate) for custom fees + applicable taxes on the item. That's reasonable and you know what to expect.

The other transporters like UPS, DHL, etc. are all crooks. You only know the custom brokerage fee you need to pay when you receive the item...and it's always way too much.

UPS is the worst for crossing the border. I shipped a shock to Squamish for $12, after it crossed the border UPS Canada held it hostage and demanded an additional $70.

I am guessing US shops have exclusive contracts with shipping companies and probably don't even think about international shipping as it is a very small part of their business, which means there is probably a good opportunity for a small guy to find a niche for shipping to Canucklestani customers.
 

Gary

"S" is for "neo-luddite"
Aug 27, 2002
7,673
5,600
UK
TBF it's fairly ridiculous how easily and cheaply almost anyone can have an item shipped hundreds or thousands of miles and country to country just to make a miniscule (often fuck all) difference to their silly little hobby
 

sethimus

neu bizutch
Feb 5, 2006
4,977
2,189
not in Whistler anymore :/
arent their any border shops you can ship to? there are a lot right next to the german swiss border. for a fee they even do the customs for you and ship it from the other side to your home. or you pick it up yourself. ideal when the shop is not shipping outside the eu
 

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,337
5,096
Ottawa, Canada
Some companies have ridiculous shipping rates.

Cascade Components comes to mind. IIRC, they charged me >50$CDN for shipping to Canada. On top of that, they are using DHL, just to be sure their customers will get ass-raped by ridiculously expensive brokerage fees. Yay!

Shipping from the US to Canada should only be done through USPS. That way, the customer pays a 9.95$CDN (flat rate) for custom fees + applicable taxes on the item. That's reasonable and you know what to expect.

The other transporters like UPS, DHL, etc. are all crooks. You only know the custom brokerage fee you need to pay when you receive the item...and it's always way too much.
I've found that DHL from Germany usually goes the Canada Post route, and skips brokerage fees. If below $200, I don't get charged taxes either, so sometimes it's worth the gamble.

I've stopped ordering from Jenson because they automatically resorted to UPS and their processing fee was dumb. FedEx has ludicrous brokerage fees. I'll only order anything from the US if it can be sent USPS.
 

FlipSide

Turbo Monkey
Sep 24, 2001
1,387
826
I've found that DHL from Germany usually goes the Canada Post route, and skips brokerage fees. If below $200, I don't get charged taxes either, so sometimes it's worth the gamble.

I've stopped ordering from Jenson because they automatically resorted to UPS and their processing fee was dumb. FedEx has ludicrous brokerage fees. I'll only order anything from the US if it can be sent USPS.
In the past few years, Jenson had a system where you pay essentially the equivalent of the canadian taxes and the package shows up at your door, without anything else to pay.

I stopped ordering from Jenson because it seems they cant ship any SRAM/Easton/etc. to Canada anymore. It was becoming frustrating to assemble a cart large enough to get the free shipping, then finding that half the stuff is geo-restricted and can't be shipped to Canada.
 

mykel

closer to Periwinkle
Apr 19, 2013
5,109
3,822
sw ontario canada
The best is when you try to order small replacement parts online from an American mfg.
Sorry, you must buy from an authorized reseller in your country.
The distributor is blah.
Call up blah to find out said reseller and and idea of how much.
Sorry we don't bring that part into Canada and we won't can't custom order you one.


 

ChrisRobin

Turbo Monkey
Jan 30, 2002
3,351
193
Vancouver
Some companies have ridiculous shipping rates.

Cascade Components comes to mind. IIRC, they charged me >50$CDN for shipping to Canada. On top of that, they are using DHL, just to be sure their customers will get ass-raped by ridiculously expensive brokerage fees. Yay!

Shipping from the US to Canada should only be done through USPS. That way, the customer pays a 9.95$CDN (flat rate) for custom fees + applicable taxes on the item. That's reasonable and you know what to expect.

The other transporters like UPS, DHL, etc. are all crooks. You only know the custom brokerage fee you need to pay when you receive the item...and it's always way too much.
All true.

When I ordered from Cascade Components when they first made the Megatower V1 link, the website said they were shipping with USPS. I thought "Perfect. Saves me from driving down to the border and going to my WA address". But they actually shipped it UPS and I got hammered with shady brokerage fees. Man I was pissed at CC.
 

sethimus

neu bizutch
Feb 5, 2006
4,977
2,189
not in Whistler anymore :/
All true.

When I ordered from Cascade Components when they first made the Megatower V1 link, the website said they were shipping with USPS. I thought "Perfect. Saves me from driving down to the border and going to my WA address". But they actually shipped it UPS and I got hammered with shady brokerage fees. Man I was pissed at CC.
you should write a review on their site and then tell all on vital how you feel
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,539
19,563
Canaderp
I'm not sure how FedEx works, but it's similar. I've got a bill from them before, we're talking a month after the thing was delivered. I ignored it and after a few months of letters and what I assume are phone calls (never answered), they just stopped. Didn't show up on my credit report either :busted:
 

Lelandjt

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2008
2,518
837
Breckenridge, CO/Lahaina,HI
I'm not sure how FedEx works, but it's similar. I've got a bill from them before, we're talking a month after the thing was delivered. I ignored it and after a few months of letters and what I assume are phone calls (never answered), they just stopped. Didn't show up on my credit report either :busted:
I paid mine, then got a letter months later saying I hadn't. Guess I'm a sucker since the outcome is the same regardless.
 

jrewing

Monkey
Aug 22, 2010
250
157
Maydena Oz
No luck so far trying to source Fox shims in Australia! Multiple places and all say no just for us. Are these shims related to catalytic converters and made of new age treasure?
But theyll sell me a damper at 600 kangaroo dollars thats underdamped.
Have i considered tuning it with tokens and air pressure?
Tried to source an RC2 maybe laying around old stock… but they’re obsolete and a downgrade these days.. .
Thanks big isolated island full of overpayed yewwwers who need whatever the media spews and their thirst for shit-house flow trails.
 

Electric_City

Torture wrench
Apr 14, 2007
1,998
716
Trek had a special shock on their 2020 Fuel that used a trunion mount up top and a yolk mount down bottom. It requires a special tool to do basic maintenance (so it seemed) that sells for 70 fucking dollars.

It ended up being a 15mm hex that you can put into your vise. Using Google to find a 15mm L-shaped hex didn't show too many results. The #1 result was ironically (?) a Park Tool one for $55.

So I decided to see if we had any round stock @work that I could make one with. I found some 5/8" hex 303 SS and milled .018" off each of the 6 sides and made my own for free in about 15 minutes.

Fwiw, MSC industries, Granger and several other catalogs didn't even have a 15mm hex listed. L-shaped or even with a driver.

This shock, and therefore tool, I believe was only used for 1 fucking year. $70. Fuck you bike industry.
20240209_103731.jpg
 
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Electric_City

Torture wrench
Apr 14, 2007
1,998
716
Ps. Why bother milling/forming the 3/8" Drive for a torture wrench when all you need is the 15mm socket to go over it?
 

slimshady

¡Mira, una ardilla!
Fwiw, MSC industries, Granger and several other catalogs didn't even have a 15mm hex listed. L-shaped or even with a driver.
Oil change Allen screws in every single car engine I've met were 15/16/17 mm. Just go to a car spares shop/web and look for oil screw spanners/wrenches. That's where I got the one I needed to service the freehub in my old Novatec rear hub.
 

Gary

"S" is for "neo-luddite"
Aug 27, 2002
7,673
5,600
UK
Oil change Allen screws in every single car engine I've met were 15/16/17 mm. Just go to a car spares shop/web and look for oil screw spanners/wrenches.
15mm hex (bits or L-shape) are available reasonablly cheaply in any half decent tool shop here.
Sounds like the difficulty finding one is MOAR to do with the US' stubbornness in adopting any measurement system that doesn't include fractions. :brows:
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,539
19,563
Canaderp
15mm hex (bits or L-shape) are available reasonablly cheaply in any half decent tool shop here.
Sounds like the difficulty finding one is MOAR to do with the US' stubbornness in adopting any measurement system that doesn't include fractions. :brows:
You can't pile on MURICA for sticking with their antiquated system, while your own country flip flops around with both in use :busted:
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
19,002
9,669
AK
Evidently it's partially because Boeing doesn't want to re-tool all their stuff, so they can keep making 60 year old airplanes. So there.
 

Gary

"S" is for "neo-luddite"
Aug 27, 2002
7,673
5,600
UK
You can't pile on MURICA for sticking with their antiquated system, while your own country flip flops around with both in use :busted:
Oh. I most certainly can. We use and understand both the metric and imperial measurement system simply because things are still made with both and we're not fucking stupid.