Western Canada - Peg City Newb....HI!

hi there,
been lookin through the past couple pages of posts for a few days and decided to join up!
just startin to get into avid biking, been biking to and from work since about april. i see you all know about the canadian tire/wal-mart/zellers bikes and yes i drive one lol (Raleigh Matterhorn).
its a heavy bike but does my daily commute well, thinkin of just changin the pedals gettin a nice seat and seatpost with a shock and definatly a set of fenders for puddles lol....
kinda lookin for a new bike thats more of an intermediate level bike and i would love to stick with something canadian made (heard treks chinese frames are known for bad body welds?). what do you guys think of diamond back? or is there a better direction i can go? not really lookin to spend alot more than 400...

sorry for the long first post, just wanted to touch all the bases instead of making more topics lol

~Mr.K

The only bikes I know are Canadian made (Frame) are DeVinci. I think Rocky Mountain may be, but suspect they are just "assembled" in Canada. For $400, still not gonna get much, but it will be at least a step or two up. Are you planning to ride through the Winter? Winnipeg, brrrr! If so, save some money for studded tires.

Welcome to the list.

no way :p no winnipeg winter biking for this guy (yet!)
maybe after i get a year or two of serious biking under my belt.
been lookin at a few bikes, dont mind spending a bit over 400$
Giant Boulder SE
Norco Mountaineer
Norco Katmandu
Trek 3900
Dawes Haymaker 1500
i just want a decent bike that will take well to upgrades.
for my now i just plan on a nice seat and post, new pedals, bullhorns and a fender for my (thumbs up! lol) Raleigh Matterhorn daily commuter!

Diamondback is a fine brand for what you're after.
they have a model called the transporter, comes with fenders and a rack if I'm not mistaken.
It's all black, so not very conspicuous. It's built as a commuter.
I think Lifesport on Pembina has a few. (they did last time I was in there).

The only bikes I know are Canadian made (Frame) are DeVinci. I think Rocky Mountain may be, but suspect they are just "assembled" in Canada. For $400, still not gonna get much, but it will be at least a step or two up. Are you planning to ride through the Winter? Winnipeg, brrrr! If so, save some money for studded tires.

Welcome to the list.

There is an Urban Legend that you need studded tires for winter riding in Winnipeg. :P

There isn't enough ice to make them worthwhile.

no way :p no winnipeg winter biking for this guy (yet!)
maybe after i get a year or two of serious biking under my belt.
been lookin at a few bikes, dont mind spending a bit over 400$
Giant Boulder SE
Norco Mountaineer
Norco Katmandu
Trek 3900
Dawes Haymaker 1500
i just want a decent bike that will take well to upgrades.
for my now i just plan on a nice seat and post, new pedals, bullhorns and a fender for my (thumbs up! lol) Raleigh Matterhorn daily commuter!

Your other option is to look for a used bike - there always seems to be a few kicking around kijiji. Given the time of year, if you are looking to buy, I'd wait until the end of season sales.

Also look at the type of riding you are going to be doing before deciding on a bike. If you are using your raleigh for commuting, you could always turn that into a dedicated commuter bike and buy a bike for trail riding.

Until last month my year-round commuter bike was a 10+ year old Kona. How old? so old that it had first generation Deore LX top mount index shifters. Because it had good componentry to start with, I didn't have to do alot of upgrades, and haven't had to do a lot of component replacement. Generally the chain, bottom bracket and middle chainring on an annual basis and that's it.

Couple of suggestions for commuting: Slicks! amazing how much easier the ride is. Commuter rig also has fenders, front and rear racks, horn, lights/computer, clipless.

That bike is now retired to the winter commuting machine as I picked up a Scott F60 FB road bike last month that I put bar ends and a rack on to be a faster commuter bike.

As far as I am concerned, it's componentry that you need to look at when buying a bike. The key to frames is finding one that fits you, not where it is built. I mentioned in a PM to you the difference in top tube length between two different manufacturers. Find a frame(manufacturer) that fits, and then look for the best spec'd bike from that mfr in your price range.

You may want to try Sampsons or Lifesport on Pembina. But remember, a rear rack is $15, so don't look at having a rack included as a main selling point.

And if you get fenders - get full fenders! I've had both and it is night and day.

Any bike will take well to upgrades - most are quite easy to do if you have the time and inclination. As for department store bikes - there is a post in the road forum ( I think) from a user called cigtech. It's quite lengthy, but he sings the praises of the same road bike that Canadian Tire sells. Of course he mentions that he pretty much had to rebuild the bike about 4-5 times. That pretty much sums up department store bikes in my opinion.

Sorry to blather - but I hope you find some of this helpful.

I don't like suspension seat posts. They add an annoying bounce and actually add to your work load. Watch the road ahead for pot holes, and half stand on the pedals to cushion your butt if you have to go over them.

I believe Norco is still a Canadian owned company, even though the frames and components may be largely sourced overseas.

welcome. Anything under $1000, u're looking at Chinese made bikes. I don't see what's wrong with them unless you don't like Chinese. How can one not like the people who gave us Dim Sum and Firecrackers?! ;)
Anyhoo, each company that source parts from China has its own QC standards. Now which one is higher is the question. Also if you are just commuting, forget disc brakes and shocks. Go simple. You may also notice the gears that you use the most with the current ride you have. Less gear = less complex and lighter weight.
I find simple fixed fork non-mtb bikes in Canadian Tires quite decent. I'm eyeing a cheap Schwinn as a daily commute. No point in riding a nice bike to work what with the thieves in the Lotusland.