I’ve been doing the ‘buy Canadian’ thing for a few years now. I actually enjoy the game of trying to find cool folks making cool stuff and I know that there are others like me just like there are people who lack the time or inclination to do the research.
I also think it can be tricky for people looking at starting a business to be able to identify a need.
So what’s a product you don’t know of a Canadian alternative to?
Personally, it’s cast iron cookware. Meyer makes great stainless stuff, but there isn’t a single foundry making cast iron cookware in Canada. I’ve actually started emailing a few to see if I can find a Canadian foundry that would be willing to batch produce cast iron skillets. Finding a local brand already doing it would be a LOT easier!
Check out Whistler Performance Lubricants (WPL) - locally made and my favourite chain lube.
North Shore Billet does chain rings, pedals, stems, brake adapters, and other small parts.
I’ve also got some We Are One carbon wheels on one of my bikes which are amazing despite my qualms about the sustainability of carbon.
My next set of hubs are going to be Project 321.
Oh and Kruch and Schon both make amazing steel frames by hand. I have a Kruch Shrimpalicious that I adore and was built within pedal distance to me.
I’ve seen the WPL brand, but had no idea they are Canadian. They don’t do chain wax, but I can use their cleaning products and gease 😁
I’ll check out the other brands. Thanks for sharing!
Try the dry lube - it changed my life. That said, don’t over apply - every complaint I’ve seen is due to over application.
Once you go wax, you’ll never go back to anything else.
I know a number of people who got too much buildup from over applying and decided it was crap. My advice was always - be more lazy.
They weren’t going it right then! I use a combination of immersion and drip wax, but it’s easy to do wrong if you over-apply the drip wax or pull the immersion wax out when it’s too cool (the wax should run off, not stay stuck to the outside of the chain).
There is some flaking the first time riding after a wax, but that can so be minimized.
The real time saver with wax is less need to clean the chain (or use solvents). And because chain wear is almost nonexistent, components last “forever”.