Cove Bikes - North Shore, BC

[Billb]

I have to plug these guys. This is an awesome bike shop.
http://tinyurl.com/ywern

I went in there tonight with $1000 burning a hole in my
pocket. What did I get? Same thing I got when I bought my
wife's bike there. It's always the same: zero pressure,
expert advice, personalized service, a cool atmosphere, and
a good bike for a good price. These guys specialize in
selling $4000 bikes but I was treated like a high end
customer even though I was buying a recreational machine.

It was a choice between 2 or 3 bikes in my $ range and the
expert salesperson steered me right to the one I really
wanted and needed. He found me a size which fit me like a
glove. The regular sticker price was $50 below MSRP which I
liked for a 2004 model. They threw in a cage and waterbottle
(actually they asked me if I wanted 2 of each but I didn't).
Then they threw it up on the stand and had a mechanic do a
final check and tune. Then he told me the price included a
year of unlimited free tuneups. They personally help me load
it in the car.

Oh, and this is unusual, as I was just about to pay they
said they were knocking $30 off just cuz. We pay 14.5% total
sales tax up here so I ended up getting the bike for less
than MSRP including tax which I was quite happy with (they
have to make a buck too right?).

Places like this are why we must support our local
bike shops!

 

[Billb]

"BillB" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:klvac.53590$li5.19417@pd7tw3no...

> Oh, and this is unusual, as I was just about to pay they
> said they were
knocking
> $30 off just cuz. We pay 14.5% total sales tax up here so
> I ended up getting
the
> bike for less than MSRP including tax which I was quite
> happy with (they have
to
> make a buck too right?).

I just realized my math didn't add up. Checked my receipt,
turns out we don't pay provincial sales tax on bicycles in
BC. Coooool. So it was only 7% Federal Goods and Services
Tax. Just in case anyone was wondering about my math error.

 

[Brian]

lucky you. i have never had a good experience at my LBS. dont ever buy a
bike from Gregs Green Lake Cycles in seattle washington. rude staff, no post
sales service at all. unknowledgeable parts and service staff, stuffy rude
shoe girl at front counter. i'll never buy a bicycle from a shop again
because of them. its bike shops like that, that make people buy online
"BillB" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:klvac.53590$li5.19417@pd7tw3no...
> I have to plug these guys. This is an awesome bike shop.
> http://tinyurl.com/ywern
>
> I went in there tonight with $1000 burning a hole in my
> pocket. What did I
get?
> Same thing I got when I bought my wife's bike there. It's
> always the same:
zero
> pressure, expert advice, personalized service, a cool
> atmosphere, and a
good
> bike for a good price. These guys specialize in selling
> $4000 bikes but I
was
> treated like a high end customer even though I was buying
> a recreational machine.
>
> It was a choice between 2 or 3 bikes in my $ range and
> the expert
salesperson
> steered me right to the one I really wanted and needed. He
> found me a size
which
> fit me like a glove. The regular sticker price was $50
> below MSRP which I
liked
> for a 2004 model. They threw in a cage and waterbottle
> (actually they
asked me
> if I wanted 2 of each but I didn't). Then they threw it up
> on the stand
and had
> a mechanic do a final check and tune. Then he told me the
> price included a
year
> of unlimited free tuneups. They personally help me load it
> in the car.
>
> Oh, and this is unusual, as I was just about to pay they
> said they were
knocking
> $30 off just cuz. We pay 14.5% total sales tax up here so
> I ended up
getting the
> bike for less than MSRP including tax which I was quite
> happy with (they
have to
> make a buck too right?).
>
> Places like this are why we must support our local
> bike shops!

 

[Md]

Good story Bill I have ordered from these guys through the
mail and they were great too. Yeah no PST on the bikes
because they are considered alternative transportation,
green friendly I guess.

Shops should be good to customers like you that is where
they make a lot of their money, generally there are only a
select few that will buy the big ticket item but a larger
number, "the masses" if you will, buying the lower end
models. I am sure it is a little different @ Cove seeing how
there are a lot of riders demanding high end stuff but I am
sure they also get their fair share of "the masses"

"BillB" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:hsvac.52678$QO2.24579@pd7tw1no...
>
> "BillB" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:klvac.53590$li5.19417@pd7tw3no...
>
>
> > Oh, and this is unusual, as I was just about to pay they
> > said they were
> knocking
> > $30 off just cuz. We pay 14.5% total sales tax up here
> > so I ended up
getting
> the
> > bike for less than MSRP including tax which I was quite
> > happy with (they
have
> to
> > make a buck too right?).
>
> I just realized my math didn't add up. Checked my receipt,
> turns out we
don't
> pay provincial sales tax on bicycles in BC. Coooool. So it
> was only 7%
Federal
> Goods and Services Tax. Just in case anyone was wondering
> about my math
error.

 

[Tcmedara]

BillB <[email protected]> wrote:
> I have to plug these guys. This is an awesome bike shop.
> http://tinyurl.com/ywern
>
> I went in there tonight with $1000 burning a hole in my
> pocket. What did I get? Same thing I got when I bought my
> wife's bike there.
(snip detail)

Great --- so what did you buy? We all want to know so
the Bike Nazi's can make fun of it. Seriously though it
was a minor detail missing from the story. Tell us about
your new ride!

Tom

 

[Billb]

"tcmedara" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:uYIac.30162$oH2.22497@lakeread01...

> Great --- so what did you buy? We all want to know so the
> Bike Nazi's can make fun of it. Seriously though it was a
> minor detail missing from the story. Tell us about your
> new ride!

I needed a bike for road, city, and light trail use. As much
as I'd like to always be in the woods, truth is I need
something sensible for some city riding. I decided a cross
country hardtail would be best. Even if I wanted dual
suspension, I don't think I would have been satisfied with a
dual in my limited budget range.

I got this: http://tinyurl.com/2nk2z

Here's my initial impressions:

Overall this is a bike with a lot of compromises, yet at the
same time highly upgradable and a decent recreational ride
right out of the box. It appears to me the 7005 aluminum
frame is well constructed and Kona is often praised for
their frame geometry and balance. My wife got a Rocky
Mountain Stratos which is a lot more refined than this bike,
but I like the beefy masculine look of the Kona next to
hers. Rocky Mountain is made in Canada (big plus for me) and
Kona seems to be one of the leaders on the North Shore, so I
wanted one of these two brands, just for my own subjective
cool factor.

The flat blue-grey paint and somewhat subdued graphics give
this bike an almost "military issue" look. I was ambivilent
about the look at first but it does grow on you.

Fork: You don't normally get much of a fork in this
pricerange. In this case it's a Marz made in tiawan special.
I won't be taxing it too much so I'm sure it will be fine.
It did seem quite "springy" compared to my wife's low end
Marz air fork. We'll see....perhaps the fork will be the
first major upgrade.

Tires: They look cool but are not particularly well
reviewed. Oh well, I'll work hard to wear them out.

Rims. Mine came with Mavic rims. I like that. Always had
good luck with Mavics.

Brakes: Shimano mechanical discs. I have never used disc
brakes before, but they should come in handy in this damp
climate. I know some people say shimano mechanicals are
junk, but when you read all the reviews you get the
impression most people like them. I'm sure they'll be fine
for me, although I have budgeted some fiddle time.

Seat: Can't vouch for its comfort yet, but I do like the
"rawhide stitched" look.

Components: Mostly Deore level stuff, which in my
experience is solid quality for recreational riding. Yeah
they used that lame trick of putting on an XT rear
derailleur, but hey, I'll take it. I know I don't get an XT
bike for this price and a smooth rear derailleur is
important. Avid levers seem cool too. I think the crankset
and rings look a little cheap. Another part of this bike
I'll work hard to wear out (I'll get a Race Face
crankset..made in Canada... yeah!). Pedals are OK I guess,
but basically junk. They'll be gone soon. Overall though, a
decent quality setup. I'm happy with it.

This bike isn't lite. I think they report it comes in at 28
pound. You can tell just by looking at it it's a little
beefier than most of its direct competitors. Kona has the
similarly equipped and priced "Hoss" model which is even
beefier but something like 3 pounds heavier. Even though I'm
a really big guy I decided the Hoss would be overkill for my
sane riding style. So I think this Kona Cinder Cone is a
good compromise solution as far as durabilty, quality,
weight and price are concerned.

Can't tell you about the ride yet. So far I've just tooled
around the neighborhood on a test ride. I'll report back
when I have something to go on. I can say that it appears
Cove set it up perfect. Thanks again guys.

 

[Billb]

"BillB" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:%XJac.1663$oR5.66@pd7tw3no...

> I got this: http://tinyurl.com/2nk2z

Opps they redirect your link back to their home page. I
hate that.

2004 Cinder Cone. Click the "2004 Bikes" on the left side of
their home page, then look under "MTB XC Hardtail".

 

[Tcmedara]

BillB <[email protected]> wrote:
>
(snip beginning)

> Tires: They look cool but are not particularly well
> reviewed. Oh well, I'll work hard to wear them out.
>
> Rims. Mine came with Mavic rims. I like that. Always had
> good luck with Mavics.
>
> Brakes: Shimano mechanical discs. I have never used disc
> brakes before, but they should come in handy in this damp
> climate. I know some people say shimano mechanicals are
> junk, but when you read all the reviews you get the
> impression most people like them. I'm sure they'll be fine
> for me, although I have budgeted some fiddle time.
>
> Seat: Can't vouch for its comfort yet, but I do like the
> "rawhide stitched" look.
>
> Components: Mostly Deore level stuff, which in my
> experience is solid quality for recreational riding. Yeah
> they used that lame trick of putting on an XT rear
> derailleur, but hey, I'll take it. I know I don't get an
> XT bike for this price and a smooth rear derailleur is
> important. Avid levers seem cool too. I think the crankset
> and rings look a little cheap. Another part of this bike
> I'll work hard to wear out (I'll get a Race Face
> crankset..made in Canada... yeah!). Pedals are OK I guess,
> but basically junk. They'll be gone soon. Overall though,
> a decent quality setup. I'm happy with it.

(snip various bits in the middle)

> This bike isn't lite. I think they report it comes in at
> 28 pound. You can tell just by looking at it it's a little
> beefier than most of its direct competitors. Kona has the
> similarly equipped and priced "Hoss" model which is even
> beefier but something like 3 pounds heavier. Even though
> I'm a really big guy I decided the Hoss would be overkill
> for my sane riding style. So I think this Kona Cinder Cone
> is a good compromise solution as far as durabilty,
> quality, weight and price are concerned.
>
(snip end)

The hell with your bugdet. Sounds like you need two bikes!
Seriously though, it looks like you found a ride that meets
your needs within your price range. Hope it serves you well.
Looks like the LBS hooked you with some wheel upgrades
(assuming the Mavics are decent and they didn't give you
some no-name hubs). Deore stuff is pretty bombproof and
performs well from what I've seen. You can always upgrade as
stuff breaks. Same deal with the cranks and tires, unless
they don't do what you want, my advice is to keep 'em until
they don't perform then upgrade.

I'm curious about the mix of Shimano mechs and the Avid
levers as OEM equipment. I thought there'd be some sort of
spontaneous failure if you tried to mix those in one braking
system. Wonder why Kona decided to mix and match.
Interesting.

I wouldn't sweat the weight either. If you're like me, a few
pounds on the bike is nothing compared to the few extra I
could get rid of off of myself. For the type of riding you
describe it probably won't make much difference at all. Let
us know how it rides. Congrats, it's always like Christmas
when you get a new bike, isn't it?

Tom

 

[Not The Karl Or]

In article <klvac.53590$li5.19417@pd7tw3no>, "BillB" <[email protected]>
wrote:

> Oh, and this is unusual, as I was just about to pay they
> said they were knocking $30 off just cuz. We pay 14.5%
> total sales tax up here so I ended up getting the bike for
> less than MSRP including tax which I was quite happy with
> (they have

Aren't bikes and parts bought with a bike exempt from
the 7.5% B.C.
P.S.T. or has that exemption gone?

 

[Ryan Cousineau]

In article <[email protected]>,
"MD" <[email protected]> wrote:

[Post de-TOFU'd]

>
> "BillB" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:hsvac.52678$QO2.24579@pd7tw1no...

> > > Oh, and this is unusual, as I was just about to pay
> > > they said they were
> > knocking
> > > $30 off just cuz. We pay 14.5% total sales tax up here
> > > so I ended up
> getting
> > the
> > > bike for less than MSRP including tax which I was
> > > quite happy with (they

> Shops should be good to customers like you that is where
> they make a lot of their money, generally there are only a
> select few that will buy the big ticket item but a larger
> number, "the masses" if you will, buying the lower end
> models. I am sure it is a little different @ Cove seeing
> how there are a lot of riders demanding high end stuff but
> I am sure they also get their fair share of "the masses"

Maybe It's a sad statement on either my expectations or the
general run of LBSes, but I'm quite pleased to hear that
BillB got really good service at Cove. I have not been
there, but it has a reputation as one of the great North
Shore shops (Cove Bikes are associated with the shop as
well, I believe; they're a fairly famous niche shore-y MTB
brand) and one of the great mountain-bike shops in the
world. That they also provide good service at the low end is
a telling fact.

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

 

[Monique Y. Muda]

On 2004-03-31, Brian penned:
> lucky you. i have never had a good experience at my LBS.
> dont ever buy a bike from Gregs Green Lake Cycles in
> seattle washington. rude staff, no post sales service at
> all. unknowledgeable parts and service staff, stuffy rude
> shoe girl at front counter. i'll never buy a bicycle from
> a shop again because of them. its bike shops like that,
> that make people buy online.

What's a shoe girl?

--
monique

 

[Penny S]

Monique Y. Mudama wrote:
> On 2004-03-31, Brian penned:
>> lucky you. i have never had a good experience at my LBS.
>> dont ever buy a bike from Gregs Green Lake Cycles in
>> seattle washington. rude staff, no post sales service at
>> all. unknowledgeable parts and service staff, stuffy rude
>> shoe girl at front counter. i'll never buy a bicycle from
>> a shop again because of them. its bike shops like that,
>> that make people buy online.
>
> What's a shoe girl?

Congrats, newlywed!!!

I'm guessing it's not the same thing as a shoe ****, not
that I would know.
<g>

penny

 

[Monique Y. Muda]

On 2004-04-06, Penny S penned:
> Congrats, newlywed!!!

Thank you =)

> I'm guessing it's not the same thing as a shoe ****, not
> that I would know.
><g>

I have this image that "shoe girl" might be like a young
Imelda Marcos ...?

--
monique

 

[S O R N I]

Monique Y. Mudama wrote:
> On 2004-03-31, Brian penned:
>> lucky you. i have never had a good experience at my LBS.
>> dont ever buy a bike from Gregs Green Lake Cycles in
>> seattle washington. rude staff, no post sales service at
>> all. unknowledgeable parts and service staff, stuffy rude
>> shoe girl at front counter. i'll never buy a bicycle from
>> a shop again because of them. its bike shops like that,
>> that make people buy online.
>
> What's a shoe girl?

Shoe Goo's mistress?

Bill "thought they only worked in bowling alleys" S.