Tranquility

Hi Everybody/Bien venue!

I love biking and golden retriever dogs!

I bought a gorgeous, black Miyata Six-Ten (men's) touring bike in 1979-1980 in Toronto, Canada.
My baby and I rode the equivalent of across Canada several times.

I attended grad school in the USA during the end of the 1990s and early 2000s.
I left my bike in Portland, OR figuring I'd never really need it again. However, I have since decided that I would like to bring it back to Toronto where I am living now.
I have the bike's serial number but the store I bought it from and I gather the bike company are out of business now.

***I need to prove to Canada Customs that it is my bike and I bought it in Toronto otherwise they can be very mean and they will slam me with inordinate duties and taxes on MY Canadian bike.***

Is there any way to prove with the serial number that it was sold in Toronto, Canada and not in the USA.
Unfortunately, I still can't prove that I bought it here new and didn't buy it second hand from someone else.

I customized the gear ratios, etc on it so it rides like the perfect bike. I really, really want to get it back. I'll never have the money I would need to buy anything of comparable quality like that ever again. But most of all, it is irreplaceable because when I rode her we were One with the wind.

I would greatly appreciate any helpful suggestions you have.

Thank you!

Sincerely,
Tranquility on my Miyata

Tourist in MSN

Bike shops that sell bikes usually put a sticker on the bike. Is there one?

Some communities license bikes, did Toronto back then and if so did you buy a license sticker to put on the bike.

Lacking those stickers, I suspect you are out of luck. How much is the duty on a bike that is over 35 years old?

acantor

I have crossed international borders with bicycles more times than I can count, and custom agents have never asked me about the provenance of my bike.

No bicycle, including yours, is irreplaceable. You CAN replace it. And you can probably replace it with a bicycle that better fits your needs in the present. Your Miyata has sentimental value, which is a good thing; but in my view, your Miyata is a mass-produced machine that you have tweaked. A local bicycle shop (or custom builder) can provide you with a bike that is as functional, or more functional, than your 38 year old Miyata.

My Miyata 1000, which I bought in 1985, is still an awesome bike. But I don't tour on it anymore. My more modern bike is simply more comfortable and convivial to tour with.

Kontact 

Have you asked Canadian customs what they expect to see for proof of ownership for an old bike? Are you driving it in or shipping it? If it is being shipped, mark the customs tag "merchandise return" on the check boxes.

Otherwise, "buy it" for $20 and pay the duties on that.

saddlesores

take some photos, list your bike on craigslist for $75. print off copy of your ad. give to customs.

skookum

Are you bringing it back yourself? I've crossed the border numerous times with bicycles on my vehicle and have never been asked for proof of where I purchased it. Although it is possible. In the absence of a receipt, I don't know what they will assume for the value of it. Off the top of my head, I would say $200, which would be duty of $26, and HST of $30. Since it is coming from the States, they may assume it was made there, in which case you would only be liable for the HST.

Or you could load up your panniers and ride it across. I doubt that they would ask about it.

I once cleared customs at Vancouver airport and they were concerned about my skis, which were obviously not new. I didn't have any proof of where I bought them and told them that and they let me go. The problem with dealing with those guys is they can be very arbitrary and you have no recourse.

Kontact 

And do that on Canadian Craigslist so you have proof of a Canadian sale.

John N

In all my border crossings in either direction (while riding my bike) I have never been asked to prove the bike purchase location. I am a US citizen but have not been asked by either side during my 6 crossings. Maybe they treat their own citizens differently??? Good luck!

jefnvk

Yeah, I've gone across the border a couple times a year with bikes for the past few years, both land and air, as do some of my Canadian coworkers.

So long as its in your possession, I doubt they'll say anything. Most interest I've ever encountered was walking out of YYZ, and customs asking if it was new or used. A remark of used and they lost all interest

Only time I've heard of any issues was when a coworker shipoed his bike home to BC from Detroit, and they hit him pretty hard (nice MTB). That was shipping via mail tho.

skookum

The moral of the story is always keep your receipts. You never know when you will need them.

You can register your bike with customs before you leave the country. I don't know anybody that has ever bothered, though.

Kontact 

And you probably don't need to show up to the office with it. That sounds like useful documentation.

saddlesores

why? and miss the chance to spread on social media how the canuckian customs made you pay import duties on a 35-year-old $75 yard-sale clunker? do it right and you might get trump to twoot about it, then you've got a collectible!

Doug64

I've crossed the border dozens of times riding and with bikes loaded on my car. I have never been asked about the origin of a bike.

My wife and I were on a long-weekend holiday in Victoria, BC. We parked our car in Port Angeles and took the ferry to Victoria. We were on foot, and enjoying a relaxing weekend. We visited a bike shop that we had used on other trips. They were having a great sale, and the exchange rate was really favorable. We bought a nice road bike for my wife. Going back to the U.S. we just walked it through cutoms, and no one even asked about it.

PedalingWalrus

Do You have photos of the bike from way back, preferably in the proper country and with a newspaper front page indicating the current date? :-)

MarcusT

They're asking proof for a bike that's almost 30 yrs old? Did you do something to piss them off? Like listed above, put a value of $40 and pay the duty

skookum

Its hard to tell from the original post, but I don't think anybody has asked him for anything yet.

MarcusT

True.
I made the same move around the same time period and if I remember correctly, if one is changing country of residence, you are allowed a certain amount to bring with you.

Happy Feet

I get the same impression. Worrying about what might happen. I live 5 minutes from the border and we drive across on a regular basis with thousands of dollars worth of dive gear in our vehicles. No one even bats an eye at it.

Mountain Mitch

mrveloman

I'm guessing OP is already in Canada and would like to have the bike shipped to him. As a result customs will want to collect a duty on it if he can't prove he bought it in Canada (not the same as a border crossing). On the other hand, I also think he should just contact Canadian Customs and ask them what he needs or how much the duty might be on a 35 yr old bike.

alan s 

Mountain Mitch

PedalingWalrus

Call the shop you bought the bike from and get a sticker from them. Slap the sticker on the bike and head for the border :-)

skookum

The one time I ever had to talk to customs by phone, over a mis-applied rate of duty, they were quite helpful. It wouldnt hurt to give them a call. although it might be difficult to find the right person to talk to.

Your suggestion is probably the most practical one. If all else fails, and they do question the provenance of the bike, just pay the duty. As others have pointed out, the value of a 30 year old bike would not be high.

skookum

The OP has said the bicycle shop doesn't exist any more.