Sports & Recreation

When would be the best time to get the best deal for a bicycle?

  • Last Updated:
  • Aug 31st, 2015 12:30 pm
Tags:
None
Deal Addict
Feb 4, 2008
1981 posts
603 upvotes
toronto
mohitk wrote: Call and ask. Maybe they have the Urbania SC3 in your size.. that seems decent too.
Only medium and large :( . Would've have been a great price. I went to my local shop a few blocks away, they had like literally no sale items unfortunately. Its called TheBikeZone in mississauga.
Deal Addict
Jan 2, 2007
1098 posts
153 upvotes
Toronto
msz87 wrote: Only medium and large :( . Would've have been a great price. I went to my local shop a few blocks away, they had like literally no sale items unfortunately. Its called TheBikeZone in mississauga.
TheBikeZone had clearance stock a few weeks ago but looks like its all sold out. Have you tried the large? Sizes can vary between brands.
Deal Addict
Feb 4, 2008
1981 posts
603 upvotes
toronto
mohitk wrote: TheBikeZone had clearance stock a few weeks ago but looks like its all sold out. Have you tried the large? Sizes can vary between brands.
Dont think larges are good for me of any brand, im 6'2ish. Hopefully r1lee dude on rfd can help me out. Sporting life has giant escape 2's on sale but they dont seem to carry the extralarges at all in their stores. I know there is a xlarge at sweetpetes in stock but its regular price.
Deal Addict
Feb 4, 2008
1981 posts
603 upvotes
toronto
That jamis does look nice, for now im narrowing it down to Giant escape 2 and the Devinci milano, im going to see if I can get a pricematch on that 399 somewhere else, thats a great deal. I think I do like the giant a little more than the devinci though. Theres just something about that Giant escape that makes me want it. However, looks like giant 2016 escapes went up 100$ from 2015..
Deal Expert
User avatar
Mar 6, 2003
19713 posts
13577 upvotes
Ottawa
msz87 wrote: Dont think larges are good for me of any brand, im 6'2ish. Hopefully r1lee dude on rfd can help me out. Sporting life has giant escape 2's on sale but they dont seem to carry the extralarges at all in their stores. I know there is a xlarge at sweetpetes in stock but its regular price.
You should double check your sizing needs.

Different models of bikes fit different. According to Giant, you need a large. http://www.giant-bicycles.com/_upload_u ... SIZING.jpg

Sizing charts also depend on average proportions, if your legs are short or torso is longer than average, you may need to size up or down. If you’re in between sizes (can take a large or x-large, sometimes it better to go with a smaller bike because it’s just lighter). I am usually in between a small and medium but small always worked for me on most brands.
Deal Addict
Feb 4, 2008
1981 posts
603 upvotes
toronto
warpdrive wrote: You should double check your sizing needs.

Different models of bikes fit different. According to Giant, you need a large. http://www.giant-bicycles.com/_upload_u ... SIZING.jpg

Sizing charts also depend on average proportions, if your legs are short or torso is longer than average, you may need to size up or down. If you’re in between sizes (can take a large or x-large, sometimes it better to go with a smaller bike because it’s just lighter). I am usually in between a small and medium but small always worked for me on most brands.
Charts aside, I'd have to check both large and extra large to see which is better, but I've never had a large work for me, always too small. Im reading people with the same height as me, choosing the giant XL frame online. So im sure its situational.

*edit went to a bike shop, the xl was indeed for me, although the large was a little bit cramped in my knees I could probably make it work if I needed to.
Deal Addict
Feb 4, 2008
1981 posts
603 upvotes
toronto
Ended up with the 2015 giant escape 3 because im a cheap ass. Also seems like it wouldnt cost too much to upgrade the parts when they fail. I tried the escape 2, and I loved it, the fork really made the bike so much ligther, and shifted smoother but once again im a cheap bastard. The only thing that buggs me are those cruddy grips, but I can replace those for ergo ones I guess. Anyway Im pretty sure it was the last XL grey in the GTA so im pretty lucky, I know swete petes has a black escape 2 in XL for 499 which is a nice price, I can recommend that to anyone looking for one around 500, great bike. 2016 models are more expensive for no reason so yea(they're essentially the same bike, different paint).
Deal Addict
Jan 2, 2007
1098 posts
153 upvotes
Toronto
Congratulations! Where did you get it from? The steel fork might actually be better than the aluminum one on broken pavement.
Deal Addict
Feb 4, 2008
1981 posts
603 upvotes
toronto
I got it from Gears bike shop on Lakeshore, port credit mississauga area(Didnt ask for a deal, it wasnt on special, didnt really care). Trust me, I test rode both of them, the aluminum fork makes the bike feel featherlight in the front, and increases speed/acceleration dramatically. like a 3.5 lb difference on the scale. I would've definitely bought that if I wasnt a cheapass, so worth.

They have 1 blue XL escape 3 2015 there, doesnt look anywhere near as nice hee, They have a lot of 2016 models which look exactly like the grey 2015 that I got, ofcourse at an inflated price...

I also test rode a few other bikes in that price range, such as the devinci milano. Although it performed well, it was just so thin and not my style. Giant I think is the best buy in this 420 bracket due to frame geometry, but some may argue that others like trek perform better.
Penalty Box
Apr 15, 2011
5156 posts
1887 upvotes
Scarborough
why do people care about the weight of the bike?? Unless you're 5% body fat with a lean muscled frame then you should probably try to reduce your own weight first. Its much cheaper than spending thousands of $$ more on a bike that weighs 5-10lb less.

Anyways, on topic, I think beginning of summers as well as the start of fall are probably the best times for bike sales. Its too bad road bikes are so expensive and value low compared to a mountain bike.
Deal Expert
User avatar
Mar 6, 2003
19713 posts
13577 upvotes
Ottawa
blaznazn22 wrote: why do people care about the weight of the bike?? Unless you're 5% body fat with a lean muscled frame then you should probably try to reduce your own weight first. Its much cheaper than spending thousands of $$ more on a bike that weighs 5-10lb less.
Lighter bikes feel better and are more fun to ride. That's worth paying for.

I swapped my bike for my friend's high end mountain bike on the same trail and I'd say his bike was just a lot nicer to ride. His bike was about5 lbs lighter and it felt a bit more skittish but was also a lot more fun to throw around on the trail, it felt more lively. I could tell the difference.
Penalty Box
Apr 15, 2011
5156 posts
1887 upvotes
Scarborough
warpdrive wrote: Lighter bikes feel better and are more fun to ride. That's worth paying for.

I swapped my bike for my friend's high end mountain bike on the same trail and I'd say his bike was just a lot nicer to ride. His bike was about5 lbs lighter and it felt a bit more skittish but was also a lot more fun to throw around on the trail, it felt more lively. I could tell the difference.
yeah, its because your power to weight ratio went up because the bike was 5lbs lighter. If you lost 5 lbs instead youd have the same experience as you did on your friends bike, everything else being the same. I personally wouldn't spend money on a lighter bike until my body were close to perfect.... either that or I am rolling in piles of fat stacks$$
Deal Expert
User avatar
Mar 6, 2003
19713 posts
13577 upvotes
Ottawa
blaznazn22 wrote: yeah, its because your power to weight ratio went up because the bike was 5lbs lighter. If you lost 5 lbs instead youd have the same experience as you did on your friends bike, everything else being the same. I personally wouldn't spend money on a lighter bike until my body were close to perfect.... either that or I am rolling in piles of fat stacks$$
no it doesn't work like that. The bike is basically unsprung weight, and the way that weight reacts to bumps is different than if the weight is on your body instead. I could use that lighter bike and add 5 pounds back into my backpack and the bike would still feel more fun to throw around.

Think about if you were skiing and added 5 pounds of weight onto your skis or your backpack. I gurantee that you wouldn't want to use those heavy skiis. The heavy skiis would be brutal to use where I could add 5 lbs onto my backpack and not notice it.

Secondly, spending more for a lighter bike also gets you a higher quality bike, so it's not just about weight. The bike is more fun and works better too.
Jr. Member
Mar 29, 2007
161 posts
21 upvotes
warpdrive wrote: no it doesn't work like that. The bike is basically unsprung weight, and the way that weight reacts to bumps is different than if the weight is on your body instead. I could use that lighter bike and add 5 pounds back into my backpack and the bike would still feel more fun to throw around.

Think about if you were skiing and added 5 pounds of weight onto your skis or your backpack. I gurantee that you wouldn't want to use those heavy skiis. The heavy skiis would be brutal to use where I could add 5 lbs onto my backpack and not notice it.

Secondly, spending more for a lighter bike also gets you a higher quality bike, so it's not just about weight. The bike is more fun and works better too.
Sometimes, I will try to gain some performance advantage by drinking up whats left in my bottle before a climb. Redistribute the weight from my bike to my gut. Its probably all in my head, but I feel it works. Something about how the bike handles with less weight. In the end, its whatever works for you, am I right? With that in mind, I also feel like I climb better with my jersey unzipped....
Deal Expert
User avatar
Mar 6, 2003
19713 posts
13577 upvotes
Ottawa
Unzipping my jersey slows me down because I expose my hairy chest hairs and get more drag.

I really don’t want to get in a big argument about the merits of bike weight….it’s a topic that has been already beaten to death.

My general feeling about bike weight is this:

Try to get a good bike that feels good to ride. One should not be overly concerned about weight but a lighter bike can be subjectively better handling and built with better quality in mind, so the extra money spent on a nicer bike may improve your enjoyment. And if you enjoy the equipment more, you will ride it more and that leads you to get stronger and maybe even lose 5 lbs off your body as well.

And buy what you like….if you enjoy riding, then it’s worth it to splurge a little on good equipment.

Top