With summer creeping up on us, it’s easy to start daydreaming about what kind of adventures you can take, solo, with friends, family – wherever the spirit takes you. What better way to explore than on a bicycle? Zero emissions, zero dollars spent on gasoline, a great workout and much easier to park. Cheaper, too!
But getting that perfect two wheeled companion takes a bit of work, especially if you’re looking for any sort of specialty bike. From ultra lightweight road bikes for zooming around, to heavy duty mountain bikes built to handle more challenging terrain, there’s a whole world of bikes out there. With easy shipping, you don’t need to limit yourself to your local selection. In fact, the sooner we help you narrow your search while simultaneously opening up cross border possibilities, the sooner you can start exploring on your new chariot.
We take care of customs so you can get your hands on the bike of your choice, wherever it is in the world. For small orders like a bike or bike parts, we have a simple, streamlined process that takes care of any paperwork and border duties so you don’t have to. By browsing a few bike forums, it’s easy to see that many would-be bike owners have found themselves in love with a bike they’ve seen on their travels or even found online, but are flummoxed at how to get their hands on it whilst staying abreast of the requisite duties. That’s where our calculator comes in handy!
Let’s start browsing, shall we? Here are some sites that we love to visit and “window-shop”.
How to Buy from Private Sellers
Lots of places where you can buy bikes also have their own shipping schemas built in, which sometimes works in your favor, sometimes doesn’t. Please note that while we’d love to be your partner in importing or exporting your bike, our bottom line is making sure you’re happy and satisfied, so consider us a resource for you as you make your buying and/or selling decisions. Bike Radar is a terrific, unbiased resource for anyone looking to buy a used bike and what pitfalls to watch out for. We recommend giving them a few clicks as they are knowledge leaders in their space and their passion lies in satisfying would-be bike enthusiasts.
Taxation and Importing Bicycles into Canada
Perhaps unsurprisingly, bringing whole bikes VS bike parts into Canada carry different taxation laws and fee rates. For instance, a complete bike falls under customs tariff #8712.00.00, which has a 13% tax rate PLUS GST/HST, which can add up. However this rate only applies to “complete” bikes. Subcategories are then based on wheel size. If the bike you want to import has no wheels, it’s not recognized as a complete bike. Thus, you can avoid the 13% tax rate and pay 6.5% if you get a bike without wheels. You can have the wheels shipped separately, or not at all.
If you just want the hub, ask the seller to solely send the hub. You’ll not only avoid 6.5% duty, but the package will be much smaller, and so will the shipping costs.
Finding Bikes to Browse
The Bike Exchange is a mega website with every kind of bike and part you could need. From custom bikes to refurbished race bikes, it has everything. It even has handy guides like how to buy the best bike rack. It’s a huge company, which may be daunting for some, so if nothing else, it’s a great resource for all things biking.
Used Bikes
The Pro’s Closet is an incredible and interactive site, with new (used) stock being added hourly. It even shows you how many hours ago a certain bike was listed, and it is a visually delightful site. This buyer’s delight also has a handy comparison matrix on the different perks of buying with them versus a marketplace or private seller. If you do find a private seller on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or other buy and sell networks, BorderBuddy can take care of everything with importing and exporting duties.
You could be pedaling through the winding, pastoral roads of France or supercharging your adrenaline on soaring altitudes in the trails in Squamish – you find your bike and we’ll handle the duties and legalities of getting it to you! Contact us today and let’s get you riding.