What's your budget for a bike? I don't know how people every come in at $300 or less. Looking at my bike it's basically:

- ass area: $100
- bars area: $150
- cranks area: $200
- wheels: $300
- frame: $200
- misc: $50

... and there you go, you're at $1000 already (more actually, I forgot about the fork). If you go with a new bike like a KHS Flite 100 (just as a point of reference) that can be bought walking on off the street for $750. The thing about bikes is it's really hard to buy some cheap-ass craiglist offering, get really into cycling and then just leave the bike as-is. You're going to get hooked and then you're going to want to put more into the bike but it'll quickly become obvious that it's not really worth it. Maybe spend a bit more out of the gate and get something a lot nicer (or at least something worth keeping around and slowing improving).

Maybe take a look at some of the close-out options around town. I prefer the 2009 Kona Paddy Wagon to the upcoming 2010 model. Maybe Cycle Solutions on Parliament has some kicking around still that you could swing a deal on (pay cash?). You know that there's no PST on bikes under $1000, right? Also, check out IRO (www.irocycle.com). That's what my bike is and I like it. They're nothing fancy but they're decent and they're cheap. You could find out if anyone's selling completes in town ... OR ... you could keep an eye on the "bargain basement" section on the IRO site. Good deals to be had there. Ask around this thread for an idea of how much you'll pay to get a bike from the states to Toronto.

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