Canadian Tire bike: Super Cycle Gravity

Hi all,

Candian Tire stores are offering SuperCycle Gravity bikes, which have
features such as front disc brake and full suspension at the attractive
price of Cnd $300. Has anyone tried these bikes? Is it a durable bike?
Are there any other (better known) bikes with these features in this
price range?

Here is the link (hope it works):
http://www.canadiantire.ca/assortmen...=1079771735801

I am also wondering if one can get a bike with dual disc brakes and full
suspension in this price range. Would someone be able to recommend an
online store or forum for buying discounted or second hand mountain
bikes in Canada?

Cam

cam wrote:
Hi all,

Candian Tire stores are offering SuperCycle Gravity bikes, which have
features such as front disc brake and full suspension at the
attractive price of Cnd $300. Has anyone tried these bikes? Is it a
durable bike? Are there any other (better known) bikes with these
features in this price range?

Here is the link (hope it works):

http://www.canadiantire.ca/assortmen...UCT%3C%3Eprd_i
d=845524443250630&FOLDER%3C%3EbrowsePath=253437430 2209441&FOLDER%3C%3Ebrowse
Path=2534374302432155&FOLDER%3C%3EbrowsePath=25343 74302741447&FOLDER%3C%3Efo
lder_id=2534374302741447&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=14 08474395348027&bmUID=10797
71735801

I am also wondering if one can get a bike with dual disc brakes and
full suspension in this price range. Would someone be able to
recommend an online store or forum for buying discounted or second
hand mountain bikes in Canada?

Cam

Oh boy! I'm closing my eyes and ears on this one. Let 'em rip folks!

--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

"cam" wrote in message ...
Hi all,

Candian Tire stores are offering SuperCycle Gravity bikes, which have
features such as front disc brake and full suspension at the attractive
price of Cnd $300. Has anyone tried these bikes? Is it a durable bike?
Are there any other (better known) bikes with these features in this
price range?

I think he's joking...

On Sat, 20 Mar 2004 13:38:25 GMT, "TBF" wrote:

"cam" wrote in message ...
Hi all,

Candian Tire stores are offering SuperCycle Gravity bikes, which have
features such as front disc brake and full suspension at the attractive
price of Cnd $300. Has anyone tried these bikes? Is it a durable bike?
Are there any other (better known) bikes with these features in this
price range?

I think he's joking...

Ok he has to be joking... I hope. Canadian Tire was known for their
national ad campaign with a fork installed backwards on one of their
bikes . I had the link to that picture, if I ever locate it I will
post it here for a laugh.

Mudhead

In article , cam wrote:

Hi all,

Candian Tire stores are offering SuperCycle Gravity bikes, which have
features such as front disc brake and full suspension at the attractive
price of Cnd $300. Has anyone tried these bikes? Is it a durable bike?
Are there any other (better known) bikes with these features in this
price range?

Here is the link (hope it works):
http://www.canadiantire.ca/assortmen...T%3C%3Eprd_id=
845524443250630&FOLDER%3C%3EbrowsePath=25343743022 09441&FOLDER%3C%3EbrowsePath
=2534374302432155&FOLDER%3C%3EbrowsePath=253437430 2741447&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_i
d=2534374302741447&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=14084743 95348027&bmUID=1079771735801

http://tinyurl.com/3bvan

Pictu

http://images.canadiantire.ca/media/...ies/BikesAdult
/0711284_450_CC_2c8f7.jpg

http://tinyurl.com/2qnha

Okay, for the price, I'm sure it's great. The fork is a brand nobody
here has ever heard of, the componentry is low-end Shimano, probably
Acera from the looks and the 8-speed rear end, and I'm fascinated by the
provenance of that rear shock. The front disc looks like it might be the
very respectable Avid Ball Bearing design.

Is it a durable bike? Depends on what you want to do with it. It's
clearly the worst of all worlds: as a bike-path bike, it would suffer
from high weight and inefficient pedaling caused by the suspension (I'm
thinking they didn't put in a stable platform valve...). As a true
off-road and freeride bike, it's likely to suffer from too little
suspension travel (just a guess from looking at the fork), bad or
nonexistent suspension damping, and probable fragility.

If you know exactly what you are doing, you might be able to get the
wheels nice and true, and ride it some. I doubt the experience would
ever be pleasant.

I am also wondering if one can get a bike with dual disc brakes and full
suspension in this price range. Would someone be able to recommend an
online store or forum for buying discounted or second hand mountain
bikes in Canada?

For C$300, your best value is probably a nice used hardtail, V-brakes
front and rear, with a half-decent front fork. Locally, I'd recommend
Sports Junkies or The Buy & Sell, but in either case you have to know
what you're looking at.

But since you're already starting at Canadian Tire, I'm assuming you're
not a sophisticated consumer of mountain bikes. In which case I'd go to
a local bike shop, and see if they can set you up with a low-end
hardtail for about $300. It will be similar in spec to the SuperCycle,
but you will get the advantage of a proper fit on the bike, and proper
assembly of the bicycle, two things which are just about nonexistent for
department-store bicycles.

Bikes without rear suspension are great to ride on mildly bumpy trails:
they absorb some of the bumps with their front suspension, but don't
suffer from the inefficient pedaling of full-suspension bicycles. There
are bikes that have rear suspension and pretty good pedaling, but they
sell for at least four times your budget.

If you actually intend to ride this SuperCycle down serious trails, I'd
be very afraid. Even before the bike simply fell apart because its rear
suspension is made cheaply (hint: suspension pivots are very hard to get
right) and it was never assembled properly, I'd bet that the marginal
suspension system would make the ride a chore. It probably has a
virtually undamped rear shock, which means that every time the
suspension gets compressed by a bump, it will hop back into place much
too quickly, potentially lifting the rear wheel and generally making a
mess of serious bike dynamics. Again, better to be on a hardtail than
fighting that all the way down the hill.

This seems like a long posting to tell you "department store bikes suck.
Get a Norco/Kona/Specialized/Brodie/whatever," but I hope by
articulating the problems in detail, you'll understand why most people
who respond to this thread are going to encourage you to raise your
budget and lower your expectations.

For my part, faced with a similar budget and a desire for a serious
mountain bike, I bought a used Kona Kilauea, a 1997-vintage bike with XT
(pretty high end) components and a Marzocchi Z.2, a short-travel fork by
today's standards, but one of the first really serious, properly damped
forks made. I paid $400, and at that price had to put in some more money
to change the fork seals and oil. I also upgraded the wheels, though
that was more because I got a good deal on some nice rims and hubs (cost
me less than C$100 plus my labour to get together a WTB front disc hub,
XT rear hub, two Syncros Lil' Snapper double-wall rims, and enough
spokes to assemble it all).

--
Ryan Cousineau, http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine/wiredcola/
President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

Thank you Ryan for your informative answer. I am new to performance bikes, and
honestly some of the prices make me wonder how a bike can be so expensive. My
current bike is a hardtail from Wallmart, so Canadian Tire will be an upgrade for
me. I drive mostly on paved road, sometimes up and down the hills, and a few days
per year in the mountains.

Here is my problem: My wallmart bike (Cnd $170 + tax) is falling apart. I have to
tighten up or adjust something often. I know this is partly because of the quality
of the bike. But I weight around 220 lb, so the bike is under pressure. As an
example, if I put too much air in the tires, I have to change a spoke or two every
week. So I reduce the air pressure, which causes the tire to act like a shock
absorber and save the spokes. However, then pedaling becomes harder. I am thinking
maybe having a full suspension bike will save me from this trouble. But then I don't
want to be forced to change a busted (and expensive) rear shock absorber instead of
spokes.

What should I look for in a hardtail bike that makes the spokes less prone to
breaking?

My interest in disc brakes is because I am tired of adjusting the brakes on my bike
every few weeks, and I've heard that disc brakes are more powerful than normal
brakes.

Would it be more cost effective if I buy parts separately and assemble them myself?
Constantly fixing my own bike has made me a good bike mechanic :-)

Cam

Ryan Cousineau wrote:

In article , cam wrote:

Hi all,

Candian Tire stores are offering SuperCycle Gravity bikes, which have
features such as front disc brake and full suspension at the attractive
price of Cnd $300. Has anyone tried these bikes? Is it a durable bike?
Are there any other (better known) bikes with these features in this
price range?

Here is the link (hope it works):
http://www.canadiantire.ca/assortmen...T%3C%3Eprd_id=
845524443250630&FOLDER%3C%3EbrowsePath=25343743022 09441&FOLDER%3C%3EbrowsePath
=2534374302432155&FOLDER%3C%3EbrowsePath=253437430 2741447&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_i
d=2534374302741447&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=14084743 95348027&bmUID=1079771735801

http://tinyurl.com/3bvan

Pictu

http://images.canadiantire.ca/media/...ies/BikesAdult
/0711284_450_CC_2c8f7.jpg

http://tinyurl.com/2qnha

Okay, for the price, I'm sure it's great. The fork is a brand nobody
here has ever heard of, the componentry is low-end Shimano, probably
Acera from the looks and the 8-speed rear end, and I'm fascinated by the
provenance of that rear shock. The front disc looks like it might be the
very respectable Avid Ball Bearing design.

Is it a durable bike? Depends on what you want to do with it. It's
clearly the worst of all worlds: as a bike-path bike, it would suffer
from high weight and inefficient pedaling caused by the suspension (I'm
thinking they didn't put in a stable platform valve...). As a true
off-road and freeride bike, it's likely to suffer from too little
suspension travel (just a guess from looking at the fork), bad or
nonexistent suspension damping, and probable fragility.

If you know exactly what you are doing, you might be able to get the
wheels nice and true, and ride it some. I doubt the experience would
ever be pleasant.

I am also wondering if one can get a bike with dual disc brakes and full
suspension in this price range. Would someone be able to recommend an
online store or forum for buying discounted or second hand mountain
bikes in Canada?

For C$300, your best value is probably a nice used hardtail, V-brakes
front and rear, with a half-decent front fork. Locally, I'd recommend
Sports Junkies or The Buy & Sell, but in either case you have to know
what you're looking at.

But since you're already starting at Canadian Tire, I'm assuming you're
not a sophisticated consumer of mountain bikes. In which case I'd go to
a local bike shop, and see if they can set you up with a low-end
hardtail for about $300. It will be similar in spec to the SuperCycle,
but you will get the advantage of a proper fit on the bike, and proper
assembly of the bicycle, two things which are just about nonexistent for
department-store bicycles.

Bikes without rear suspension are great to ride on mildly bumpy trails:
they absorb some of the bumps with their front suspension, but don't
suffer from the inefficient pedaling of full-suspension bicycles. There
are bikes that have rear suspension and pretty good pedaling, but they
sell for at least four times your budget.

If you actually intend to ride this SuperCycle down serious trails, I'd
be very afraid. Even before the bike simply fell apart because its rear
suspension is made cheaply (hint: suspension pivots are very hard to get
right) and it was never assembled properly, I'd bet that the marginal
suspension system would make the ride a chore. It probably has a
virtually undamped rear shock, which means that every time the
suspension gets compressed by a bump, it will hop back into place much
too quickly, potentially lifting the rear wheel and generally making a
mess of serious bike dynamics. Again, better to be on a hardtail than
fighting that all the way down the hill.

This seems like a long posting to tell you "department store bikes suck.
Get a Norco/Kona/Specialized/Brodie/whatever," but I hope by
articulating the problems in detail, you'll understand why most people
who respond to this thread are going to encourage you to raise your
budget and lower your expectations.

For my part, faced with a similar budget and a desire for a serious
mountain bike, I bought a used Kona Kilauea, a 1997-vintage bike with XT
(pretty high end) components and a Marzocchi Z.2, a short-travel fork by
today's standards, but one of the first really serious, properly damped
forks made. I paid $400, and at that price had to put in some more money
to change the fork seals and oil. I also upgraded the wheels, though
that was more because I got a good deal on some nice rims and hubs (cost
me less than C$100 plus my labour to get together a WTB front disc hub,
XT rear hub, two Syncros Lil' Snapper double-wall rims, and enough
spokes to assemble it all).

--
Ryan Cousineau, http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine/wiredcola/
President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

"cam" wrote in message ...
Thank you Ryan for your informative answer. I am new to performance bikes,
and
honestly some of the prices make me wonder how a bike can be so expensive.
My
current bike is a hardtail from Wallmart, so Canadian Tire will be an
upgrade for
me. I drive mostly on paved road, sometimes up and down the hills, and a
few days
per year in the mountains.

I had a bike from Walmart. The frame snapped while riding on the sidewalk.
Walmart is Crap, no matter what you get from them.

Canadian tire bikes are made by Raleigh (sp?). some parts are of a lower
grade, but still better than a simular priced bike from Walmart. The bikes
from Canadian Tire also is made here in Canada, unlike the Walmart crap.

Here is my problem: My wallmart bike (Cnd $170 + tax) is falling apart. I
have to
tighten up or adjust something often. I know this is partly because of the
quality
of the bike. But I weight around 220 lb, so the bike is under pressure. As
an
example, if I put too much air in the tires, I have to change a spoke or
two every
week. So I reduce the air pressure, which causes the tire to act like a
shock
absorber and save the spokes. However, then pedaling becomes harder. I am
thinking
maybe having a full suspension bike will save me from this trouble. But
then I don't
want to be forced to change a busted (and expensive) rear shock absorber
instead of
spokes.

Ok, uhm, first.
You are not heavy enough to break spokes, so your bike is Crap. My
bike that i bought for $150 from Canadian tire has never had major surgery
needed, ie spokes, or frame related stuff. Mountain bikes should have
between 40-60psi, i have seen one as high as 80. I ride mine at 50psi.

Second
With the way i ride, im surprised this bike i have has lasted, i
live in North Bay ON, near Sudbury. We have lots of ROCK. I ride hard, and i
have taken spills wirth my bike --- i even launched it off a dock


What should I look for in a hardtail bike that makes the spokes less prone
to
breaking?

1) Not From walmart, Zellers, or Canadian tire are better than them, if you
want to stay cheap.

2) front suspension forks, smoothe ride, and u look the part.

3) not from walmart


My interest in disc brakes is because I am tired of adjusting the brakes
on my bike
every few weeks, and I've heard that disc brakes are more powerful than
normal
brakes.

Would it be more cost effective if I buy parts separately and assemble
them myself?
Constantly fixing my own bike has made me a good bike mechanic :-)

Uhm, .... my friend has a bike worth $5000 retail. he works at a bikeshop,
so it didnt cost him that much. i can keep up with him on my POS Canadian
tire Crap bike. its not the bike, its the rider, unless u have a bike from
walmart.

Micheal

In article , cam wrote:

Thank you Ryan for your informative answer. I am new to performance bikes,
and
honestly some of the prices make me wonder how a bike can be so expensive. My
current bike is a hardtail from Wallmart, so Canadian Tire will be an upgrade
for
me. I drive mostly on paved road, sometimes up and down the hills, and a few
days
per year in the mountains.

Here is my problem: My wallmart bike (Cnd $170 + tax) is falling apart. I
have to
tighten up or adjust something often. I know this is partly because of the
quality
of the bike. But I weight around 220 lb, so the bike is under pressure. As an
example, if I put too much air in the tires, I have to change a spoke or two
every

220 pounds is not a problem for a decent bicycle. Whatever problem
you're having with "too much air in the tires" (the heavier you are, the
more pressure you should run) and spoke breakage was caused not by the
air pressure, but by the wheel never being built properly. The reason
you keep having to change spokes is because once a few have been driven
to failure, they overstress the rest, and those spokes will eventually
fail whether you replace the others or not. Likely, the wheel was never
built with enough spoke tension.

What should I look for in a hardtail bike that makes the spokes less prone to
breaking?

Good wheels! In your case, it would be worthwhile to discuss your riding
and your problems with a bike shop. They will be able to point you at
the right kind of bike (probably a "hybrid" or "comfort" bike, maybe one
with mountain-bike style (26") wheels), and will back up that bike with
useful after-sales service.

My interest in disc brakes is because I am tired of adjusting the brakes on
my bike
every few weeks, and I've heard that disc brakes are more powerful than
normal
brakes.

For your needs, any typical brake will be more than adequate. If you
were riding in muddy conditions or doing freeride work, I might advise
looking into discs. If you think adjusting V-brakes is bad, wait until
you discover the wonderful world of hydraulic bleeding. As for
cable-operated discs, they might reduce the number of adjustments
needed, but not by enough to make that choice worth the trouble.

Would it be more cost effective if I buy parts separately and assemble them
myself?
Constantly fixing my own bike has made me a good bike mechanic :-)

Cam

Well, if you enjoy it, I'd encourage you. I'm an invertate fixer myself,
though given the current state of my wheels, maybe not the best to give
advice on the subject. I think it's useful to know. But truing up wheels
well is not a trivial process. I'd recommend getting yourself a good
working bike first, then as a learning opportunity take apart and
rebuild the Wal-Mart wheels.

If you are looking for a good bike repair manual, Lennard Zinn's "Zinn
and the art of bicycle maintenance" is pretty good. There's two, one for
road bikes, one for mountain bikes. The mountain bike one will work fine
for you. It's not perfect, but is well-aimed at novice repairers.

Given that your current bike is "falling apart", I would recommend
starting over from scratch if you can afford to. A new, low-end bike
from a local shop will suit your needs very well. If you were really
confident with tinkering, I'd tell you to fix what was wrong on your
bike, or better yet, to scavenge a good bike from the garbage (I ride to
work on one $10 garage-sale bike, my father uses another; they're very
good, reliable machines, just 20 years too old).

Since you're in Canada, I'll make a specific recommendation from the
Norco line:

http://norco.com/bikes/2004bikes/plateau.htm

The Norco Plateau is the bottom of their "comfort" line. 26" wheels
(very strong), low end but durable componentry, and a suspension
seatpost, which may reduce the shocks to you and the wheels somewhat.
$400 MSRP.

Ryan Cousineau wrote:

In article , cam wrote:

Hi all,

Candian Tire stores are offering SuperCycle Gravity bikes, which have
features such as front disc brake and full suspension at the attractive
price of Cnd $300. Has anyone tried these bikes? Is it a durable bike?
Are there any other (better known) bikes with these features in this
price range?

--
Ryan Cousineau, http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine/wiredcola/
President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

220 pounds is not a problem for a decent bicycle. Whatever problem
you're having with "too much air in the tires" (the heavier you are, the
more pressure you should run) and spoke breakage was caused not by the
air pressure, but by the wheel never being built properly. The reason
you keep having to change spokes is because once a few have been driven
to failure, they overstress the rest, and those spokes will eventually
fail whether you replace the others or not. Likely, the wheel was never
built with enough spoke tension.


Yes, on closer inspection I can see quite a few spokes bent. Incidentally it is
always the sraight spokes that break, probably because as you say, they are under
stress because the bent ones don't take their share of work.

Good wheels! In your case, it would be worthwhile to discuss your riding
and your problems with a bike shop. They will be able to point you at
the right kind of bike (probably a "hybrid" or "comfort" bike, maybe one
with mountain-bike style (26") wheels), and will back up that bike with
useful after-sales service.

I will pay them a visit, as I am tired of fixing my bike. Even the handle bar is
loose. It usually points about 10-15 degrees off the direction of the wheels. Looks
funny, but it isn't funny when riding the bike.

For your needs, any typical brake will be more than adequate. If you
were riding in muddy conditions or doing freeride work, I might advise
looking into discs. If you think adjusting V-brakes is bad, wait until
you discover the wonderful world of hydraulic bleeding. As for
cable-operated discs, they might reduce the number of adjustments
needed, but not by enough to make that choice worth the trouble.

I am studying computers, and there you just have to wait a few months to have
something you couldn't afford a before. I have been hoping that the price of disc
brakes will fall fast, but it isn't happening as fast as I would like :-)

Well, if you enjoy it, I'd encourage you. I'm an invertate fixer myself,
though given the current state of my wheels, maybe not the best to give
advice on the subject. I think it's useful to know. But truing up wheels
well is not a trivial process. I'd recommend getting yourself a good
working bike first, then as a learning opportunity take apart and
rebuild the Wal-Mart wheels.

If you are looking for a good bike repair manual, Lennard Zinn's "Zinn
and the art of bicycle maintenance" is pretty good. There's two, one for
road bikes, one for mountain bikes. The mountain bike one will work fine
for you. It's not perfect, but is well-aimed at novice repairers.

Given that your current bike is "falling apart", I would recommend
starting over from scratch if you can afford to. A new, low-end bike
from a local shop will suit your needs very well. If you were really
confident with tinkering, I'd tell you to fix what was wrong on your
bike, or better yet, to scavenge a good bike from the garbage (I ride to
work on one $10 garage-sale bike, my father uses another; they're very
good, reliable machines, just 20 years too old).

Since you're in Canada, I'll make a specific recommendation from the
Norco line:

http://norco.com/bikes/2004bikes/plateau.htm

The Norco Plateau is the bottom of their "comfort" line. 26" wheels
(very strong), low end but durable componentry, and a suspension
seatpost, which may reduce the shocks to you and the wheels somewhat.
$400 MSRP.

Durability is good! I will visit a few bike shops and see what comes up. Thanks for
all the help!!!

cam wrote in message ...
Hi all,

Candian Tire stores are offering SuperCycle Gravity bikes, which have
features such as front disc brake and full suspension at the attractive
price of Cnd $300. Has anyone tried these bikes? Is it a durable bike?
Are there any other (better known) bikes with these features in this
price range?

Here is the link (hope it works):
http://www.canadiantire.ca/assortmen...=1079771735801

I am also wondering if one can get a bike with dual disc brakes and full
suspension in this price range. Would someone be able to recommend an
online store or forum for buying discounted or second hand mountain
bikes in Canada?

Cam

At $300cnd you'll only be out about $35 usd, so yeah, it's worth it.