I heard rumblings of this quite a while ago, but MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-Op) just launched their lineup of bikes. They range in price from $650 to $1,400, and run the gamut from cruiser to fixie, mountain to road. Currently there’s 14 bikes in their arsenal.
I’m unsure of how this is going to affect local bike shops lower-end sales, but to me getting (what appears to be) quality bikes out in front of a wider market is a good thing. I doubt that MEC will ever get into mid to high end bikes, and this seems like a nice “gateway drug” for those casual riders who may opt for the Walmart special instead.
My favorite (aesthetically, anyway) is the Skyway… Gotta love those baby blue rims ;-)
Anybody ridden these yet? I’d love some insight into actual ride and build quality.
Obviously I’ve never ridden one (wrong continent and all that), but $750 CDN for a Cromoly steel SS/fixie flip-flop seems awfully cheap. My gut reaction is “what parts did they skimp on to get the price point that low?”
I could be wrong, though. Hell, I’d love to be wrong, and that it’s actually just a decent bike for a decent price point. As you say, gateway drug.
Saaweet! I wonder though how it will be received by the fixie community? Will it be seen as cool, or as a cop-out with it’s fixie/freewheel option? For the masses anyway, seems like a cool thing.
Scott had the same reaction I did, the price is just too good to true. But if I get the chance I’ll check one over. Like Scott said hope it’s a decent bike for a decent price point. It would be an early Christmas.
I think that we may be missing the point a bit. I agree with your point, Scott; if a bike is cheap it will probably be of lower quality. But I (and I assume you, due to your concern) am not the audience for this product; we cannot judge it as if we are. The person these bikes are targeting are likely to not be too concerned about how good the components are, they just want it to work.
(from Myra)
@Myra. Agreed. I was looking at the rest of the MEC line and although I’m sure it’s all pretty good stuff, it doesn’t offer what I’m looking for. I wouldn’t buy a $1,500 Santa Cruz, Specialized, or Rocky Mountain, so why would I buy a $1,500 MEC bike.
These MEC bikes are going to be ‘reasonably’ well made, reflected by their reasonable pricing.
my main concern is the fact that MEC flood the market with riders on average bikes which have been given no proper fitting or advice prior to selecting the MEC bike. This often produces a negitive experience & can put someone off of ever experiencing what cycling can offer. It’s impossible for a company like MEC/Sport Check or WALMART to offer the same level of experience, knowledge & passion as an independent cycle shop when their staff will be selling tents, hiking boots, camp stoves, fleece etc. This is a reason committed cycle shops don’t try to sell camping gear other outdoor products.
I believe they have cycling specialists working in the cycling departments. But yes, anyone riding an entry level bike will not experience “what cycling has to offer”. Most riders jump on anything and switch to the easiest gear, I suppose true riding is an acquired taste?
@bykguy, Good thoughts, and while I agree that there’s no way MEC can match the calibre of sales/knowledge/expertise of a good bike shop, I would argue that at least the salespeople at MEC tend to be immersed in the culture (ie. though the salespeople may not know the intricacies of a bike fit, they know a lot more than the salespeople at SportChek or Walmart).
That said, there’s no substitute for the real thing, and any friends that i have that are looking at getting into cycling I tell them not to mess around in anything but a legit bike shop.
I think perhaps MEC is attempting to reach some sort of middle ground… I just hope to your point, that MEC is spending some time (and money) to properly train their staff.
Going to MEC isn’t really an overwhelming experience, but for some people going to a bike shop is… I’ve found events held by bike shops (ie. BBQs, open fit & ride sessions, etc.) to help lower the barrier to entry and get the general population in go a long way to getting would be bike riders to the right spot… The bike shop.
Ken, you are right on every count. not all cycling shops are staffed with experienced experts & the concept of BBQ’s group rides & demo days can be a great way for shop staff to get to know new cyclists & for the new cyclist to feel more comfotable with the shop.
If MEC is after the middle ground then we may see more cyclists on the streets & trails because of it. The only hitch to that is there are some very good cycle & sport shops that have provided affordable bikes to the public for years & they are the ones who have been prmoting the sport & lifestyle along side core performance shops & they will all have a more difficult time providing qualified staff with proper wages when MEC is able to do business with an unfair co-op tax shelter advantage. Take REI for example they used to operate like MEC till the US government realized it was living a big legal grey area which gave it an unfair advantage when compared to independent shops & they now operate the same as any other retailer in the USA & have continued to do well.
I have no doubt MEC will spin some great hype about lifestyle & eco etc but their background is outdoors activities & I can’t recall the last time I saw any MEC support for Canadain cycling dispite stocking cycling parts,accessories & clothing for over a decade.
sorry for the ramble, have a great week
Agreed wholeheartedly, bykguy.
$750 sounds about right to me for a barebones, cheap steel fixie. I was curious about MEC’s pricing, and if you compare it to Kona’s lineup (website CDN. MSRP) Kona beats them across the board for value per $ in several categories. No point to buy a bike at MEC anytime soon, IMO.
After popping into the Calgary MEC location to look at the bikes, I was completely underwhelmed by their bikes. You have chosen their “fixie” model to comment on and i think this bike is indicative of their entire bike line – it does not offer anything not already available in other bike lines, and on almost every count, their bikes are not a better deal and frequently downspec’d compared to other brands. Take the 2010 Brodie Remus as a comparison – it is $699, it has a better parts spec, better wheels and is less money. I suspect if you look at what the “A” brands have, those too will be a better deal.
If you disect the rest of their line and compare them to other brands, these bikes appear to be nothing special. Add to that the fact that the staff at MEC circulate between departments (meaning, no expertise) and the fact that they do not have bars/stems/saddles to swap out for fit purposes, buying a bike from MEC appears to be not the best first choice.
I guess we’ll see what happens going forward and I hope that people considering buying a bike from MEC do their homework and check with other IBD’s before laying down their dough.
I wont even go to the issue of them operating as a “co-op” and not competing on a level playing field with other IBD’s…
@bikebike inc. I whole heartedly agree with you. I myself was looking at this exact bike and MEC staff were too busy to really give me the time of day. So I went to a small local cycle store who deals in many different bikes, he sized me up on a Brodie Remus, said if would fit me better than a Surly, ordered it in, I received it 2 days later, and built custom for me by the shop! The added a fixed hub instead of the single speed, different bars, left off the rear brake! Fantastic bike and service!
I think pretty well every major bicycle manufacture has bikes with equivalent pricing across the board, with even some small companies being equally competitive.
the point where I think some people end up choosing the wal-mart bike is that they see buying the most expensive wal-mart full suspension bike as a better value than the cheapest and in their heads most low end bike at a specialty bike shop.
sometimes the wal-mart bike would not be that bad, had it been fitted and assembled by people knowledgable about bikes. This is the same reason you will usually see awful performance from a $1000 bike from Sport Chek, even if they managed to get you in the right size.
Most bike shop staff are passionate about cycling and have a remarkable amount of experience and knowledge that could never come from training, so I don’t think any large store could ever help you the same way (I know there are the exceptional people at large stores, but they are not common).
You make an excellent point Lee, and your use of Walmart as an example is perfect in light of their recent release of the Mongoose Cachet ;-)
Going though a recent review by the BikeSnob on this $150 fixie I would have some serious safety concerns seeing any of my friends or kids on a bike like that – I mean come on, it doesn’t even have gears to worry about during the build process!
Despite having seen the MEC bikes and deeming them an adequate ride, I completely agree with you and will only send my friends and family to bike shops where I know the people and the product are something I can stand behind. And as @BikeBikeInc metions, you can usually find something of better quality, that’s been better build for a very comparable (if not better) price.
I have a question for all you bike types out there. I have a gift card for $340 at MEC (Returned something else…irrelevant). Would buying a bike (say like the MEC Chinook) and only having to pay $460 (plus taxes) then become worth it?
I’m an idiot when it comes to biking, but am interested in an alternative to taking my truck everywhere I have to go.
I’m also 6 feet tall and 250+ lbs (in case this makes a big difference).
Thanks everyone.
Well, I for one, think it would be a descent choice… If you’re ok viewing the gift card as a ‘discount’, then it’s a damn solid bike for 460 bucks ;-)
The only thing I might ask (since I’m unsure of MEC’s maintenance policy) is whether or not they offer a complimentary initial tune-up after 30-days.
It’s usually not a big deal – just dealing with your bike’s break-in period (ie. stretching cables, slightly out of true wheels, etc.), but since you’re a bigger guy, your tires/brakes/etc. are going to be working harder than if you were 5’5″ and weighed 150lbs, so you’ll want to get things tweaked up after you’ve ridden it for a while.
The Chinook is probably a decent choice as well, since it’ll be a little more comfortable than some of the other options, but as always, just make sure you take it for a spin before you buy. And if for no other reason than to educate yourself on what’s out there, it might be worthwhile to do some comparison shopping with some other bike shops out there.
Anybody else have thoughts?
Thanks Ken. I appreciate the advise. I’ll come back in here and write a review of the MEC Chinook if I end up getting it.
That’d be great man… Just drop me an email (ken@bikeridr.com) and we’ll set something up, I’d love to not only hear about the bike, but the buying experience as well!
they’re made by giant