Comments on: MEC Bikes

By: pat

pat — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 23:28:56 +0000

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?

By: ingo

ingo — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 03:37:29 +0000

they’re made by giant

By: Rapha Bicycle Collection | Bikeridr

Rapha Bicycle Collection | Bikeridr — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 12:02:52 +0000

[...] These are going to be high-end, killer rides, not exactly designed to be afforded by the masses (MEC). But, for the rider who wants a bike that is as much about form and beauty, as it is about [...]

By: Ken Hurd

Ken Hurd — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 19:19:57 +0000

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!

By: Punk

Punk — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 19:07:17 +0000

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.

By: Ken Hurd

Ken Hurd — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 18:39:02 +0000

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?

By: Punk

Punk — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 18:18:45 +0000

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.

By: Ken Hurd

Ken Hurd — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 13:15:46 +0000

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.

By: Lee Maskell

Lee Maskell — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 07:20:57 +0000

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).

By: BikeBike Inc.

BikeBike Inc. — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:10:10 +0000

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…