Eastern Canada - Favourite Bike Shop in the GTA

Hi,
I'm wondering what you GTA'ers think is the best bike shop in the area. I like bayview cycle for their educated staff and good quality work, as well as MEC for accessories and their no pressure environment. You?

I was a bit dissapointed with Bayview cycle when I went there.... they didn't seem to interested in addressing my needs and were a bit paranoid about having their bike taken for a test spin.... on seprate occassions they told my friend and me that they expect us to test the bike in the parking lot.... we were like "OK..... ".

I've found the customer service at Bike Sports (they have a Newmarket and Richmond Hill location) to be very good. They are a bit pricey for acessories/clothing. The bike prices seemed to be standard with fairly good towards end of the season. And I had my bike tune up done there once and was satisfied.

I was a bit dissapointed with Bayview cycle when I went there.... they didn't seem to interested in addressing my needs and were a bit paranoid about having their bike taken for a test spin.... on seprate occassions they told my friend and me that they expect us to test the bike in the parking lot.... we were like "OK..... ".
I can understand that, but from the viewpoint of the shopkeep, if a customer is considering making a big purchase, I think it would be wise to let them take a good test ride. Perhaps some sort of collateral would help?
I know for sure, that when I buy my bike next spring, I'll definitely want a test ride outside of the shop parking lot.

Bike Depot, and Enduro Sport.

Perhaps some sort of collateral would help?


I totally agree with the collateral part and at the other shop my wallet/car keys were used as such.

La Bicicletta

La Bicicletta

For those with lots and lots of cash.

Urbane Cyclist for the rest of us.

La Bicicletta

+1

La Bicicletta
Website, address?

Website, address?

http://www.labicicletta.com/

La Bicicletta

You have not been kicked out of here yet!

Ooh La Bicicletta's not too far from my house :D

but whoahhhh - those prices on the website are steep!!!

Their prices are actually good. It's the quality of bikes that are steep. Labicletta sells bikes and components for better prices than many shops in Toronto. It's just that they only sell high-end bikes.
If your looking for a high-end bike that is the only place in Toronto I would buy it. I would gt Heath to do a proper fitting first--he is their salesperson and the most knowledgeable bike persoon I've ever met.

Is this a plug thread?

www.silentsports.com

I'm going to throw a plug in here for the Urbane Cyclist. One of their mechanics there donated a bit of time to adjust my bike's headset. :)

Found that they're always friendly and helpful!

Cycle Therapy (on Queen East) has always treated me and the bike well. Mike (think that's his name) is a friendly and knowledgeable guy. Same for the mechanics.

It's also within walking distance to a couple of great fish & chip places (i.e., Reliable), too!

Yep, CT is pretty decent. Talked to Mike about my headset and he suggested that I go to Urbane if I was in a hurry to replace it. Wow! :)

Don't mean to be contrary but I find Cycle Therapy terribly over priced and rather unknowlegeable. Most dangerously I don't think they know/admit what they don't know.

No worries, fredf, we all have different experiences. :)

Bay Cycle in Pickering is dope.

Not from T.O. but I went to one on Queen St. W. It was nice, but can't remember the name. Pretty much the corner of Queen and Bathurst.

I haven't visited many stores but the ones I have seem to have crappy selection of cool weather clothing. Any suggestions for a store that is not overpriced relative to others?

I haven't visited many stores but the ones I have seem to have crappy selection of cool weather clothing. Any suggestions for a store that is not overpriced relative to others?

Try Mountain Equipment Co-op for clothing.

I purchased my bicycle from Urbane Cyclist initially because it was the only shop with stock of the model I wanted (a higher-end Dahon folding bike). I've been back a few times since, and have been treated well, even though it's been a different individual serving me each time. I wish they were closer to my neighbourhood, but I often combine a trip to Urbane with a browse at MEC.

MEC was my first choice as their website showed quite a few items with decent prices, however, when I got there literally everything was out of stock. I had a worker check the distribution centre for some of the stuff because I asked "what if I just order it on the web" and the DC was also out of stock.... which according to him there must be a vendor issue. So yeah not a great experience there.

I will try Gears if I can get there and D'Ornellas, plus there is the bike show this weekend.

For those with lots and lots of cash. And attitude. :)

Though when my rear wheel was stolen, they were the only shop that had the same model in stock (I wanted to preserve the aesthetics).


Urbane Cyclist for the rest of us. +1. Cavern Cycles on Queen East has a good reputation and afaik is popular with bike messengers, but I don't have much experience with them. I also like the staff at Cyclepath Yonge & Eglinton. MEC is good for accessories (can't beat the prices unless you shop online), though the selection tends to be limited in some areas, and the brands they choose to carry and to omit surprise me sometimes.

And here is a list of some not-so-best bike shops I've had experiences with, just for perspective and comparison:

Mixed feelings about Curbside Cycle on Bloor W. Their selection is good and the staff seems ok; they were happy to let me test-ride a cool bike (Strida) even after I told them I had no intention of buying it. However, I had a couple of not so great experiences with their mechanics. Also their prices seem slightly higher to me than prices at other places. Their sister shop in Kengsington, Bikes on Wheels, once did a pretty horrible tune-up job on my bike (they replaced my cables with rusty ones which really screwed up my shifting... wtf?). Broadway Cycle at Bloor & Lansdowne was a kind of a hit-and-miss for me as well. Duke's staff seems to have a pretty bad attitude: they are intent on ignoring you until you yourself hunt down a staff member to help you (which is not always easy); I've been there twice, and I'm not coming back.

Found that they're always friendly and helpful! They did some little things for me for free. I brought in a wheel with a stuck freewheel once (I spent a helluva lot of time and effort trying to get that thing off), and they removed it at no charge (yes, I did put a toonie in the tips jar :)).

Favorite Stores;

Cycle Therapy

When it comes to pricing and knowledge my experiences at CT are the opposite of Fred's. CT are by far my favorite although I do have few other stores worth mentioning.

I bought a Argon 18 Krypton from them in June. Did the comparison pricing at all the usual suspects and was looking at other bikes such as the Cannondale Caad 8 and Giant OCR1. Mike was the ONLY vendor who when I came to the store did a bike fit (no chagre), prior to even getting me on a bike. Sat me down, talked about bikes and wht I was looking for. Very impressed as other stores were not willing to put the effort in...perhaps they would of after I bought the bike but I was wary of purchasing a bike with the wrong frame size. A couple years ago I bought a bike from a reputable downtown store ( total newb purchase ), only to realize later it was definately not the correct size...I was stupid for not doing my research at the same time I should never of been sold the bike it's obvious to even the semi trained eye that it's too small a frame. Made a tour around Lake Ontario rather painful. It's commuter now and this winter I will strip it and build a new bike.

I originally only had a budget for the Plutonium ( $1.7k )ended up walking out with the Krypton at $2k. Other stores sell it for $2.4k - $2.8k depending on components. No pressure whatsoever in the sale...I almost had to hit Mike over the head to buy it :>) Most important - the frame size fits me and the bike is well adjusted to my body type.

Also, less than a month after buying the bike I was hit by a car and without the help of CT ( and bike forums ), I'm positive the drivers insurance company would of screwed me...seriously screwed me.

Finally, yesterday I was at the Bike Show ( or garage sale :) )and saw an awesome (too good to be true), deal on a Jamis Aurora ( $799.00 usually around $1.2k ) and picked it up (after some negotiation) for $720.00 They had three sizes in stock , a 54", 57" and 59" I figured I was either 57" or 59" but wasn't sure and was about to walk away as I didn't want to purchase another ill fitted bike. A quick call to Mike at CT and he was able to advise me which one would be best for my size. He keeps a record of your measurements and also sells the Jamis so I was confident that I had good advice. I can't wait for the bike tour next spring. Vancouver to San Francisco !

Urbane

Close to home, they've always helped me out with emergency repairs ( wheel truing, gear adjustement etc ). A good group of friendly people, no sales pressure, this must be why MEC always recommends them for bikes etc.

They helped me out a couple weeks ago right before big ride. The hydro was out downtown and they did the tune on the street right away. Niice.

MEC

( no bikes just components & other goods )
Probably the most kick ass store in all of Canada. Who doesn't love MEC?
If they sold business suits I'd by them there. :)

Pedal Performance (Pickering)

Good selection of bikes. The mechanics and store owners are very helpful. They have group rides every Sat/Sun. I stop in when I'm in the area.

I've dealt with a few stores.
Dukes on Queen W east of Bathurst seems a bit snooty, almost boutique-like feeling, and the attitude I seemed to get there equalled that. I might go in there again one day, but it's not somewhere I would think to ever go to unless I was bored.

The Cycle Shoppe at Queen/Bathurst (North side Queen, west of Bathurst) was where I got my MTBs road tyres and OnGuard lock, prices are a bit higher than the web, and the staff seemed a little abrupt, but they answered all my questions and helped me nonetheless.

West Side Cycle (Roncesvalles/Wright I believe) is a nice friendly shop. The mech. there took some time out of her work to help me right out, and William (I think..) is incredibly helpful, and very customer-service friendly. I got my daughter another helmet from here and he went through the fitting with her properly. Little pricey, and the wheel repair I got done there was slower than I wanted, understandably so in peak season, but a good experience.

Urbane (Queen W/John) has always been great for me, and I've had some killer turn arounds on some emergency repairs I've had to get done (cotter-pin crank replacement, rear wheel spoke replacement+truing).

Cavern Cycles (Queen E/Jarvis) - I've been here a couple of times to meet up with a few of the FG/SS crowd. I recently had a new back wheel built up by Keith at Cavern, based on many strong recommendations from folks here. No complaints whatsoever, and I really get the feeling Keith likes to look after your own best interests regardless of the business. Great place to go to for SS/FG related stuff, as well as anything else really - wheel work was in high regard, which I'll also vouch for.

I went to CyclePath at Danforth/Coxwell for some cleats, and though they only had the expensive Shimano ones, they were very helpful. In the same journey, I went to the bike shop (I forget it's name) at Danforth/Parkhurst (east of Danforth/Broadview on south side) for the same thing - this shop has never impressed me. I went in there once looking for Freddy fenders, and they had no clue what I was even talking about.

Cycle Therapy I've been in once, and they had the cheaper well-go cleats I wanted (same day as above jaunt) - the ladies in there (this was a Sunday) were marvellous, friendly and very helpful - I hung out there while I fitted the cleats to my new shoes, which is always cool to be able to do. Being wished a "good ride" by the mech. as I was leaving felt nice, too - they seemed to care a lot there, which goes a long way for me.

MEC is hands down a must-go for any cyclist, the price/equipment there is fantastic.

The place at Bloor/Spadina (Curbside?) is pretty decent, I like the crowd/atmosphere I saw there one Friday of a Critical Mass, but my experience was limited to helping a buddy fix a flatted rear at the front of the store.

Set-Me-Free at Roncesvalles/Howard Park (roughly) wasn't bad, I went in there only looking for a pump/pannier and I was in and out before speaking to anyone really - nothing to note.

I've been in the place on Augusta just by College, which might be closed now (can't remember the name.. Bikes To Go?) but that was pretty cool, no pressure but seemed to be helpful where necessary.

I've never been there, but I've spoken to Mike at Bicycle Specialties and he's been very helpful and friendly with my questions over the phone.

I've not been in many other shops in town yet, my preferred favourites based on reputation or personal experience would be Cavern, Urbane and MEC. If I'm ever in the east side, I'd go to CT again for sure.

Looks like Cavern is calling it quits:

http://toronto.craigslist.ca/tor/bik/488778259.html

Looks like Cavern is calling it quits:

http://toronto.craigslist.ca/tor/bik/488778259.html

Sad but true.

Well said flimflam.

You'd have thought that bike shops would be doing better these days. CycleTherapy is giving up its swank digs and moving into the basement of its present location.

Enduro Sport - not the Beaches location, but the main one - was fantastic when I bought my new Cervelo there. Great to work with.

I had bad experiences a long time ago (10+ years) with Dukes who sold me a bike way too big and wasn't impressed with them. However, a friend went there last year this year and got a great Cannondale on sale and got great service. I believe it was the salesman who made the difference in both cases.

Who ever said Bay Sports in Pickering is good mustn't be dealing in higher end road gear. Every time I've been in there they have absolutely nothing in terms of selection.

who provides the best fitting in the GTA?

who provides the best fitting in the GTA?

Had great experience with Enduro Sport when I bought my Cervelo. Never knew a bike could be so comfortable after having it fit correctly.

I used their shop that was up by the 401, but they have since moved that shop. Check them out - can't say enough about them.

for fitting I would definitely recommend Heath at Labicletta. In fact he is the only one in Toronto I would trust.

Mike Barry at Bicycle Specialties is retiring (http://www.bikespecialties.com/site/index.html).

Mike's a great guy and he's got a wonderful collection of classic/vintage bikes.

Mike Barry at Bicycle Specialties is retiring (http://www.bikespecialties.com/site/index.html).

Mike's a great guy and he's got a wonderful collection of classic/vintage bikes.

That sucks. Well for me, not for him. I was planning on ordering a Mariposa within the year.

That sucks. Well for me, not for him. I was planning on ordering a Mariposa within the year.

Boy, that does suck. I was going to order a Marinoni through them.

I wonder how many other custom builders there are in Canada now. I know there's True North in Kitchener...

My fave shop is Cogs (cogscycle.com) - close by and very helpful.

I've gone to Cyclepath on the Danforth on occasion and they're very helpful for a bigger store.

The Cycle Shoppe at Queen/Bathurst (North side Queen, west of Bathurst) was where I got my MTBs road tyres and OnGuard lock, prices are a bit higher than the web, and the staff seemed a little abrupt, but they answered all my questions and helped me nonetheless.



They definately aren't the cheapest in town, and to be honest, not that well stocked. Kind of a small store. But I'd trust them with my life when it comes to repairs. I bought a 1953 CCM bike from a junk store, that was in decent condition, but needed new rims and some major mechanical TLC... I took it everywhere, and just got laughed at, and people shaking their heads at me as I rolled that heap into a bunch of other stores. I took it into The Cycle Shoppe, and Chris there, said.. "Yeah man, we can fix that up.." and asked what I wanted, and I was specific about wanting it freshened up, but still kept fairly accurate to it's dating. He did exactly that, and it was done when he said it would be, at the price he said it would be and the bike is awesome now. Still not much to look at though, but I love her. It's my sunday-night-after-dinner-neighbourhood cruiser.

I just bought a Cervelo RS. I spent several months trying to decide which bike to buy and visited several bike stores in doing so.

I bought it from NewWorld Cycle in Burlington. Excellent store!! Very pleased with the sales staff, layout of the store, selection and pricing. Staff were attentive and spent several hours with me on three occasions before the sale was complete. The sales person took me out for the first test ride and then spent approx. an hour on the fitting. I was then able to take the bike for a 45 min test ride. Very happy with the purchase!!

Remy-Sports in Streetsville (Mississauga) also deserves honourable mention. They have knowledgeable and enthusiastic sales staff. I would have liked to have bought from Remy-Sport but they specialize in Look, Cannondale and Giant (not Cervelo). I almost bought the Cannondate Synapse from them. Have bought various accessories and had several older bikes tuned. Great store!!

can anyone recommend a shop in north york thats open on sundays and has a pump that can do more than 80psi?

im having a lot of trouble mounting a tire and everyone is telling me i need to over inflate it (>100psi)
this is my first time pushing over 70psi on any kind of tire...... =(

Not quite in North York but somewhat close... D'Ornellas Bikeshop in Scarborough along Lawrence, about midway between Vic Park and Warden on the north side... I believe they are open on Sundays up to 5pm.

I got a Blackburn AirTower 2 pump from them that can go up to 160 psi. The head has holes for both Presta and Shraeder valves. I regularly inflate my road tires to about 110psi with no problems with this pump. I am assuming you are looking for a foot pump here as hand pumps are usually good only for up to 60 psi unless you really have strong hand/arm muscles.

Bayview Cycles just north of Bayview and Finch is terrible. I bought a rack from them and they tried to charge me $10 to install it on my bike. I said no and used their tools to do it myself, and the guy stood there *****ing the entire time. Then, a year later, I was passing through the area when I stripped my seatclamp. I walked to the store and they didn't have my diameter. I ended up taking the bus to Cyclepath on Yonge near North York Centre.

Dukes (now on Richmond) is friendly and helpful. They also gave me free bar end caps when I mentioned I'd lost mine.

Cycle solutions on Parliament used to be my favourite shop in Toronto, but recently a friend bought a bike from them and they let him out the door without even a basic fitting. They seemed more interested in getting the sale. I don't think I'll go there anymore.

Cycle Cambridge (in Cambridge) is a fantastic shop. I inquired about the Surly Crosscheck, and one of them took me into the back, where one was being worked on, and we spent atleast 10 minutes discussing it in detail. I think I'll buy one from them.

Try Mountain Equipment Co-op for clothing.
+1 for stuff (other than bikes themselves).
I just discovered this place two weeks ago, and I love it!
I'm a low-budget type person...

Bayview Cycles just north of Bayview and Finch is terrible. I bought a rack from them and they tried to charge me $10 to install it on my bike. I said no and used their tools to do it myself, and the guy stood there *****ing the entire time.
Whoa, hold on there...a bike shop wanted to, horrors, actually charge you for spending time working on your bike, you said no, and then you used their tools? Goodness, never mind that bike shops barely make enough to survive from repairs, this does indeed sound like a terrible shop.

Who do they think they are asking for money for spending time working on your bike? And who the fukk do they think they are lending you their tools? Ingrates.

+ 100000000 for MEC.

I just found the place last month and i've been an addict, buying stuff for me, my bike and my gf. i think i've been there once a week now.
prices for panniers and bags are 1/2 of what other bike shops are.. simply cuz MEC stuff is only at MEC.

Folding basket for the bike is $15.. where the WALD brand at urbane (so far the next cheapest) is $30.

other things like replacement discs are great, helmet selection is pretty good for the average consumer + endless selection of bags, backpacks, gloves etc.

for repairs and such, i'll bring my bike down from midtown to urbane... the staff is great, friendly and will try to get you the most knowledgable member of their staff to take a look at whatever the specific problem is.

btw anyone have issues with cyclepath in north york?
i also found bayview cycle to be a bit on the "we have the best prices, really we really really do!!", but their stuff is all trek/bontragger.. so nothing really great.. its more tailored for the moms/dads that want to get lil-johnny a bike..

sporting life, bikes & Boards are really friendly and helpful. they helped seat a stubborn set of tires/rims for free. and they got a great selection of stuff to look at while waiting (carbon fiber < 12lb racing bikes omg)

Enduro Sport north was friendly and answered all questions i threw at them. Bought 2 pairs of Oakleys from them. Good prices.

La Bicicletta's new location is in an odd area now IMO. They had better selecton of high end gear when they were on Bloor. Its still tough to get any sales help from anyone in there. Seems they are always under staffed.

Racer Sportif on Bloor is worst place ive ever been to. They may talk to you if they think your interested in a full bike purchase but DONT go in there to buy a part. They hate answering questions!!!. I think they actually hate talking to people. They'd rather you buy your part the get out. Never again!

Wheels of Bloor is only high end boutique i found to be friendly. Nice showroom and display area without a lot of mess or the snobbery of Bicicletta. Highly reccomended.

Gears in Mississauga was also friendly. Great selection of various accessories.

SportingLife Bikes and Boards on Yonge and Eglinton was great. Nice staff always willing to answer questions and give suggestions. None of them ever seemed in a rush to want to be somewhere else. Two floors of great stuff. Highly reccomended

I bought it from NewWorld Cycle in Burlington. Excellent store!! Very pleased with the sales staff, layout of the store, selection and pricing. Staff were attentive and spent several hours with me on three occasions before the sale was complete. The sales person took me out for the first test ride and then spent approx. an hour on the fitting. I was then able to take the bike for a 45 min test ride. Very happy with the purchase!!


I second the NewWorld cycle comment. Bought my Equinox there. Great service and spent lots of time with fitting. And the shop is pretty cool too. (drop the wife at Ikea and walk over to the shop)

Urbane sounds like people like it. And I work in the vicinity. Added to my "to visit" list.
Thanks!