Where to buy in the Twin Cities?

[justanotherkiwi]

Hi,

Does anyone know of bike shops in the Twin Cities area that actually list the models they sell and the price of each bike on their website?

I’m looking for a Kona Fire Mountain so ideally it would list Kona bikes!

I’ve looked online and can’t find anything. It’s frustrating how all the stores seem to link to the bike manufacturers website and have nothing on prices.

I’m trying to do the maths and work out whether it is cheaper to buy one here in New Zealand and bring it with me on the plane next week or buy a bike when I get there…. It would work out about $550 USD if I bring it with me.

Thanks. :)

Oh, and if you heard anything bad/good about this model of bike, or know a cheaper/same price bike that is comparable/cheaper then feel free to post that!

[justanotherkiwi]

Or in South Dakota or Wyoming since we will be driving out that way within the next month...

[bike>>rider]

I know that Gravity Lab and Now Bikes & Fitness both carry Kona locally. Not sure about their websites though.

There may be other local shops that stock Kona, but I can't recall seeing them anywhere else. Good luck!

[Paul Swenson]

I don't know about other shops but Penn Cycle puts their inventory on the web:

http://penncycle.com/page.cfm?PageID=396

If you're looking for a Kona e-mail Chuck at Behind Bars. I don't know the guy but he has a great reputation. His website is:

http://www.behind-bars.com/bikes.html

[jeffgude]

Eriks and Bokoo also show the bikes on their site. They show the in-store price not just the manufactuer's price. Penn does the same plus they have a separate spreadsheet showing bike inventory at each store.

[bike>>rider]

Oh yeah, Behind Bars is another one. Email Chuck like Paul suggests. He posts on here and rides Theo. Gravity Lab is higher-end so not sure they'll carry your bike.

Is $550 your upper limit? If I were buying a bike at that price point I'd also look at Specialized, Gary Fischer, and Giant. Used could be another option.

The nice thing about waiting to buy here is that you can start to build a relationship with a shop, which can be nice.

[Trevize1138]

The Alt sells Kona, too. They just moved to Lyndale, 1/2 a block south of Lake St.

[Rocky Mountain]

Highly recommended by alot of people, Freewheel Bike, http://freewheelbike.com/catalog.cfm?catalogId=249

Closeouts listed on site as well.

The cool thing is that you will see the owner, Kevin, there on Sundays, weekends, most of the time. I know the smaller shops are like that, but small limits selection and who wants to wait for a bike.

[Pete Hamer]

If you're looking for a Kona e-mail Chuck at Behind Bars. I don't know the guy but he has a great reputation. His website is:

http://www.behind-bars.com/bikes.html

Definately call Chuck at Behind Bars.

[Tex]

Definately call Chuck at Behind Bars.

I agree. Chuck's a great guy and loves to cater to the MORC crowd. Behind Bars even won "best bikeshop" in the Twin Cities from Cities Pages magazine.

[SuperClydesdale]

Definitely check out Chuck's shop. MORC member and supporter, good guy.

http://www.behind-bars.com/

Mark

[thebionicman]

Go see Chuck, he will take care of you. Great guy and a great supporter!

[justanotherkiwi]

Cheers guys.

I have been in touch with Chuck and intend to go in and see him as soon as I get to MN!

[justanotherkiwi]

Oh yeah, Behind Bars is another one. Email Chuck like Paul suggests. He posts on here and rides Theo. Gravity Lab is higher-end so not sure they'll carry your bike.

Is $550 your upper limit? If I were buying a bike at that price point I'd also look at Specialized, Gary Fischer, and Giant. Used could be another option.

The nice thing about waiting to buy here is that you can start to build a relationship with a shop, which can be nice.

Yeah, that is about how much I want to spend. I'm thinking of buying a bike to muck around with for a few years, and then perhaps looking at getting something a little more advanced.

And I have to wait three months for my work permit to come through which means three months of being unemployed, and as much as I love mountain biking I don't know if I can justify spending any more at this stage!

Any particular models from those others that you would recommend looking at? I would be a bit apprehensive about buying a Giant because a friend of mine has a relatively new one and has had a lot of problems with it.

:)

[bike>>rider]

I was thinking the Specialized Rockhopper, but on second thought I'd say just roll with the Kona. It's kind of nice not to have the same bike that everybody and their brother has, and Kona is pretty distinctive. Plus, with 3 months of free time waiting for your work visa, you want to maximize riding time, not be paralyzed by indecision and waste that time. 3 free months to just ride sounds amazing - enjoy it!!

[justanotherkiwi]

Yeah, it should be fun. I can think of worse ways to spend three months off of work. :D

I'll have a look into the Specialized Rockhopper. :)