Touring - True North Cycles

I am thinking of selling my 2006 Trek 520, it just doesn't fit right and was thinking of buying a custom built bike for touring and commuting. Has anyone had experience with the True North Cycles that are made in Kitchener Ontario. Their website is http://www.truenorthcycles.com/

thanks wajg

I've seen on of his bikes - high quality stuff for sure. Another Canadian custom option is Marinoni Tursimo. You can get custom for $150 upcharge, and he'll be weeks faster and hundreds cheaper than TrueNorth. Made in Quebec from Columbus steel tubeset. Disc or no disc option, and paint choice.

Too bad. I was looking for a 520 for my son in law for Christmas. A friend of mine recently bot a Surley Long Haul Trucker and he is really taken with it. Most LBS's should be able to get one if you are interested.

Hugh Black's bikes are works of art. I bought a True North tourer three years ago. Customer support was phenomenal, before, during and even after. Also, the time between ordering and pick up was shorter than I expected, about five months.

Recommended!

Go for it. Hugh (True North) is building a touring bike for as we speak (well type). I have followed Hugh's career from the days when he was working out of a shed on his parents farm with wood heat. Where else can you get a frame designed and made by a Mechanical Engineer who is a bike guy? Hugh's welds are some of the best I've seen.
The fitting part of the "custom bike" is also great. I had the advantage in that I can go to the shop to be fitted as it is only about 1.5 hours away. I'm huge and tall and Hugh had no trouble fitting me and finding "big" tubes that would hold me. Ted

I wonder what the exchange rate is for 2600 CD to USD. It sure is a nice looking bike.

Ballpark about 2340 cdn plus gst (6%) which is recoverable at the border for you Americans. That was using a discount of 10% for an exchange factor but that changes with the wind.

Don't be too concerned about the complete bike costs they are only a ball park figure. The frame will cost the set amount, but what the complete bike will finish at is up to you. True North bikes are true custom machines. They are as expensive (Phil hubs, King headset) or as inexpensive (component wise) as you spec them out.

The bike they are building me is hopefully the last frame I buy. To try and stay as affordable as I can, I descided to go fairly mainstream with parts that I can replace easily (XT hubs, LX Deraliers etc.) , but try and use high end stuff where it is impossible or a pain, to replace (Phil bottom bracket, Race Face headset, custom frame/fork).

If as waig said in the OP that the bike he has, does not fit, a custom bike might be in order. I am a really stange shape, very tall with very short legs, and no production bike has ever really fit me. So this bike will. I feel it is my reward for riding all those miles. So far it has been a really fun experience with most stressful thing choosing the colour.

I will toss in my endorsement for True North. Hugh built a commuter/tourer/all-rounder for me last spring. It was a big leap for me to buy such an expensive bike basically blind. All the planning was done by email over a couple months. All in all it took about 5 months from first enquiry to the frame in the basement. I am totally pleased with it and with Hugh. He was very patient with my questions and thoughts. The fit is perfect, the build quality and the paint finish are great. The bike carrys a heavy load well and will go where it is pointed.

Wow, that brown touring bike sure is beautiful. They got the elements right. Skinny steel tubing with lugs, level top tube, threaded headset, level stem, handle bar with long level section just behind the brake levers, the Campy brake levers mounted to continue that flat section, silver components, Brooks saddle, and those cromoly racks without a solid top plate.
Using an online currency converter the 1400 CDN converts to around $1200 US.
And, that's the price for a custom fitted frame
Looks good.

Ballpark about 2340 cdn plus gst (6%) which is recoverable at the border for you Americans.

The government is getting rid of the GST refund for tourists at the end of March.

true north makes some really nice frames. marinoni are also very good, and one of the best values on the market. if you've got money to burn, take a look at bike specialties - mike barry is one classy framebuilder!