Cheap Thrills. Selling crap tires since forever.

So lemme tell you a story.

Roughly two months ago I was in a bit of a situation… I had my winter tires on my Bullitt and with the spring weather came a period of two weeks where we had great, warm sunny days. You know I can’t fault Mother Nature but as I was still rocking soft winter tires the poor things were basically melting away each commute to school.

Relying on these wonderful and expensive winter tires to last another season, I had to change ‘em up. Now, for those who don’t know… I’m a student. I do not have the ‘budget’ to buy the tires I really wanted nor the heart to put something sub-par on my baby. I decided to go to Cheap Thrills in Milton.

You know that saying “You get what you pay for”? Well, at first it was a pretty decent experience. The guy helped find a pair of 255/40/17s for the front and 275/40/17s in the back (wider back tires). If I had known a little more about tires and more importantly how to ‘date’ a tire I would have avoided buying tires that were indeed cheap and thrilling, if by thrilling you mean 12 years old and after a few weeks of use, cracked and split open. Hm.

How someone could sell 12 year old tires is beyond me.

What if something had happened? Would they be held accountable or is there some sorta loophole these guys are operating within?

I learned my lesson and after a failed attempt to rectify “the situation” (another story) at the Cheap Thrills shop, I will never, ever do business nor recommend ANYONE to buy tires from them. I should have known better by their name.

Today, I went to J&D Tire in Milton, a tire shop my dad has been going to for our vehicles for the last twenty years. The experience was amazing, the shop crew was friendly and my problem was solved.
Yikes. Whada siduation! A situation that could have been avoided. So, if I can leave you with any wisdom it is this:

The two most important things for your car are your tires and brakes. Period.

Also check out this article on used tires

What’s your worst auto shop experience?

Hockey's Next Step

How many of you are frustrated by the lack of Canadian teams competing for the Stanley Cup, the new rules/policies/practices of the NHL and.. Gary Bettman. Whether it's labour disputes and lockouts or moving Canadian teams to deserts, the Americanization of the game continues.

Who can forget the glowing puck on FOX? Who else is inspired and impressed by the KHL in Russia? The game is under ATTACK. Here's what I'm thinking ... let them have it and take Bettman with them.

I suggest to you, my 6 point plan to change the game of hockey.

1. Get rid of the NHL and let's focus on the game here in Canada. 10 Canadian teams, creating a true CHL / Canadian Hockey League.

Including: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa, *Winnipeg, *Quebec, *Hamilton and *Halifax.

*I shouldn't have to go into detail about bringing/maintaining Canadian teams BUT... click here for an example

2. American teams can choose to assemble the AHL resting in the 4 of the "Original 6" i.e. Detroit, Boston, New York and Chicago AND open to other clubs.

3. Like the KHL in Russia, (the strongest hockey league in Europe) teams must be representative of the country, allowing 5 international players max.

4. Competitions like the IIHF Championships, Olympics, World Juniors and Spengler Cup are left uneffected.

5. By creating the CHL, Canadian teams would play against each other in the regular season with the top 6 teams competing in playoffs. There would be a CHL champion along with the top 3 teams progressing to the World Stage, a Champions League for hockey.

6. The Champions League will include the top teams from the KHL and all European elite leagues and run concurrent to the regular season. The format could follow Champions League of European football (soccer).

Sounds like a logistical nightmare BUT it seems the game needs a new global direction. Similar to football, I think the the game should welcome it's global audience and progress to the next level. Maybe I'm just a sour Leaf fan but I know that something fishy is going on within the NHL under Bettman's control. I'm not the first and certainly not the last to criticize... but come on! It's our game.

I'm not saying... I'm just saying.