December 7/20 14:40 pm - 2020 Canadian Cyclist Best Bike Shops - The Winners

Posted by Editoress on 12/7/20
 

We are pleased to announce the winners in our ninth annual search for the Best Shops in Canada, as chosen by you, the readers of Canadian Cyclist. Thousands of votes were cast from all across Canada. It's been a difficult year for small businesses across Canada, and bike shops had it extra hard after being declared Essential Services in many regions and suffering supply problems.

We have gone through the ballots and broken them down by region to determine the 2020 Canadian Cyclist Best Bike Shops. Thirty nine (39) shops from across the country have been selected, and they will each receive a certificate identifying them as the local bike shops most respected by their customers.

Seventeen (17) shops repeated as winners - the lowest proportion we have ever had. The two shops that won in the previous eight years - The Cyclery in Ottawa and Pedalhead Road Works in Edmonton - are on our list again, making them the only nine-time winners.

Nearly 200 shops received nominations, with many shops tweeting about the competition, or including a link to it in their newsletters and Facebook pages. There were many newcomers to the nomination list.

Two things shone through for all of the top ranked stores: customer service and passion for cycling, often expressed by involvement in the local community.

Congratulations to all our winners.

Here are the 2020 Canadian Cyclist Best Bike Shops. We have included a quote from a voter for each shop.

Atlantic Region

MacQueen's - Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island The owner, Danny, and his right man, Dayan, will do anything to get people riding and to keep people riding. They will lend you a bike while yours is getting repair of you needed a bike. The staff is friendly, and the deals are good :)

Mike's Bike Shop - Dieppe, New Brunswick Rick Snyder and his staff are always so welcoming and offer fantastic advice. Moreover I've purchased all of my bicycles from Mr. Snyder since he bought MBS in the early 2000s, and there is no other business I rather support than his. There's a reason why he has the biggest bike shop in Atlantic Canada!

My Bike Shop - Moncton, New Brunswick Jim and the gang are passionate about making sure I love riding my bike... No matter where I bought it! They are the epitome of what a local bike shop should be.

Velofix Nova Scotia - Halifax, Nova Scotia They come to me! Always get the best service from these guys. Incredibly knowledgeable and always give the right advice and best service. They've been very easy to work with during the pandemic!

Hub Cycle - Truro, Nova Scotia They are amazing owners and staff. They always have time to help and instruct my daughter who has turned some of her focus to mountain biking now that team sports are unpredictable these days. Daisy is part of a local women's riding club and is always eager to join us for a ride and assist with any training we may need! A true small town business thats always paying it forward!

Pictou County Cycle - New Glasgow, Nova Scotia They accommodate all my oddball requests for recumbent and fatbike upgrades and have kept me on the road and commuting for over 10 years. And I could not imagine you will find a more generous shop owner who in addition to organizing events, trains for running, biking and triathlon events with his customers. Clint sees it not just as a business, but a community.


Quebec - Greater Montréal Region (GMR)

Cyclosphere - Mirabel The service is amazing, you get welcomed within the second you are in the shop. The employees know their product very well. I bought 2 mountain bikes, one for myself and one for my girlfriend and each of us got exactly what we needed. The specs for our abilities and budget were totally respected!! They prepared the bike suspension and tire pressure for my height and weight :) I recommend this shop for anyone looking for the perfect bike! A very nice shopping experience :D

Pignon sur roues - Montreal The staff is super genuine and competent. They have been around for 35 years celebrating this year. They've got 2 of the best mechanics in the business. I tried all the shops before finally going there following many references. No one could fix my bike and they did it, fantastically, for a fair price.

Cycles Dupuis - Repentigny They give always the best service, they organise a lot of activities for cyclist beginner and expert. The customer is always the most important thing for all the team. The best mechanics, the best shop. Nothing more to say.


Quebéc - East

Zone Vélo Ski - Sept-Iles This place feels like home. Best place to chill. Excellent service. Excellent recommendations. These guys are pros.

Laferté Bicycles - Trois Rivières The owners know you by name and they work hard to always find a way to help. They are passionate and inspiring people. Every single person feels like a friend in their shop.


Quebéc - West

Centre du Vélo La Shop - Gatineau Over the last year, Centre du Velo LaShop has shown tremendous resilience and hard work ship. When COVID19 forced all bike shops to close in March 2020, they showed innovation by making multiple webinars in order to maintain a close relation with their customers. Covering all types of bike disciplines, these webinars greatly help people in choosing their next bike not being able to show in person at the store. Many changes were made to the store footprint to follow health/safety protocols to ensure the safety of staffs and costumers. They pushed the innovation boundaries by making a new partnership with a local business to flourish the buy local trend. I invite you to take a look at this innovative collaboration (two amazing beers were born out of this great initiative: "Sur ta Tailgate" and just released "Entretien Annuel") with À La Dérive Brasserie Artisanale. We can all agree that a great local craft brew feels so good after a bike ride. Once again, no matter what situation and challenge that present itself, Centre du Velo LaShop are always once step ahead to make it the best experience for its employees and customers. For all the above reasons, my vote goes to the amazing crew at Centre du Velo LaShop. Cheers. James.

e-Cycliste - Aylmer They are super helpful and generous with their advice. They are very honest and even don't charge labour for some repairs. They don't look down on anyone. They regard every customer with the same respect and consideration, regardless of their gender or age or bike or budget. They understand what it means to use a bicycle as transportation and as a car replacement. They advocate for cycling with all their energy and all their heart.


Ontario - Greater Toronto Area (GTA)

D'Ornellas Bike Shop - Scarborough The owners and staff are very dedicated and care about every customer to ensure they get the best equipment for their needs. I have shopped there for 6 years and never had a bad experience. During this pandemic I have even had amazing personal delivery of goods I ordered online - dropped off by the owner!

Gears Canary - Toronto Although I don't drop by the shop too often I am still stoked every time that they recognize me and greet me. They even remember what bikes I have and give me great advise when buying supplements and spares. Feels like a family and friend shop.

Forza Performance Bicycle Repair - Mississauga Incredibly knowledgeable staff (Nick DiCristofaro). Pleasant, helpful and willing to take the time to teach me things about my bike! Fast service. Totally trustworthy!!!

All the Right Gears - Stoney Creek The knowledge and the expertise that they have. Great service. Lots of bikes parts and accessories. I have purchased 3 bicycles from Sam. He has taken care of all [my] cycling needs. Always a fair price. 15 years have been going here.


Ontario - East

The Cyclery - Ottawa Even during [the] COVID-19 lockdown, The Cyclery has been at the beacon call of the cycling community, keeping bikes and the public safe and operational. There's a reason they keep getting voted #1 year after year.

Velofix Ottawa - Ottawa Velofix's Adam Kourakis comes to our home - even during the pandemic - to trouble shoot and service our bikes. He prepped my 2006 Gary Fisher XC Trail bike for a 13 day bike-packing trip in early 2020 through Andean high roads in Chile/Argentina and the dear old bike endured all manner of challenges.

Wildrock Outfitters - Peterborough More than just a bike shop with amazing service. They are involved with the cycling club, getting routes marked and mapped, trail clearing, and improving the cities cycling infrastructure.


Ontario - North

The Hardwear Company - Kenora Steve and his staff are very knowledgeable, friendly and community minded. Hardwear is in a stunning historic building that is an experience just to walk into (it could be part of a movie set it's so great). They also have the best greeter at the door (Taxi, the wonderful three legged dog). Our small town loves its top notch bike shop.

Parry Sound Bikes - Parry Sound Thomas and Aleesha are friendly and knowledgeable. They carry quality gear. Most importantly is their drive to get everyone into cycling and skiing. They do so much for our community!

Crank & Sprocket - Orillia Tristan and the crew always take the time to make me feel valued and welcome. They always answer my questions and go above and beyond to make my shopping and service experience a great one.


Ontario - Southwest

Forks Bicycle Shop - Owen Sound (formerly Erin) Forks Bicycle shop moved from Erin to Owen Sound in 2019 and the shop just gets better and better as each year goes by. Brian is a dedicated, extremely knowledgeable and passionate master mechanic and has worked even harder this year to meet everyone's needs during the pandemic. You always feel welcomed. If you enter the shop as a stranger you will leave as a friend, knowing that Brian has your best interests at heart and will provide you with exceptional service every time. Forks Bicycle Shop deserves to be voted the best for the 5th year in a row!!

London Bicycle Cafe - London The owner, Ben, is really friendly and helpful, and has worked hard to advocate for all ages and abilities biking in London. He also sells beautiful European-style bikes that are great for day to day transportation needs. He's encouraged me to make biking a bigger part of my life.

Liberty! Bicycles - St Catharines The staff at Liberty! are extremely helpful and always go out of their way to support the local community. Throughout COVID they organized virtual events, and kept the community safe while still providing excellent service.

Cycle Culture - Tecumseh (Windsor) The customer service is top notch 100% of the time - friendly, informative, timely & done right the first time with repairs. Did I mention their social media platforms are fun & inspiring? As well they organize, participate in & volunteer at a large number of community events, walking their talk.


Manitoba/Saskatchewan

Woodcock Cycle Works - Winnipeg, Manitoba They have friendly, helpful sales reps who are ready to answer any question you have about cycling. The shop also has a great open layout that makes shopping easy and enjoyable. On the subject of COVID, they've perfected that as well, with social distancing/cleaning protocol in place.

Bikes & Beyond - Winnipeg Between 3 of my friends they have sold us 7 bikes. When it's time to upgrade gave us a great price on both the old one and new one. Their service is the best, staff the best. The owner Phil is a pioneer in cycling in our community and one of the nicest people you could meet.

Dutch Cycle - Regina, Saskatchewan Best guys and most down to earth! Amazing antique bike display too!


Alberta

BikeBike - Calgary They carry upright bikes, cargo bikes, electric bikes - the kinds of bikes that you'd find in Europe but are harder to find here. They support our local #yycbike community and they also support local group bike rides like the full moon ride. They have definitely been a big part in building up our urban biking community!

Bike Bros. - Cochrane Graham and Andrea give SO much back to the community. This year COVID and people flocking to their store to get a bike. They took all health guidelines seriously and continued to serve the community EVERY SINGLE DAY. They never seemed to take a day off! Yet, they were always smiling, always able to get us an appointment and kept our bikes in perfect running order. The pandemic was a little easier for so many people in our area because of Bike Bros.

Pedalhead Road Works - Edmonton COVID changed the way we all act outside our homes. Some ppl refused to work, others refused to believe it was true and many couldn't find the right way to deliver services to ppl. Pedalhead created a new model that that may change business forever. Guri and his staff created a private appointment model for individual shoppers that delivered excellent service and still provided the same or better experience they have prided themselves in for 20 years. The new model protected both the shopper and the staff but still allowed business and the relationship to exist in the shop bubble. The appointment method ensured the shop could be cleaned between appointments and exposure for everyone was limited but safe. Pedalhead continued to deliver exceptional service and products all the while providing an experience that let the visitor feel like they were the sole focus of the visit and also feel like the visit was a tiny reminder that things haven't changed and I can still ride my bike and have a safe refuge away from COVID. Riding my bike in 2020 has been one of the only things that kept me sane and heathy this year. Pedalhead's support and resources gave me a chance to feel safe and normal and let me go out for a ride and enjoy that simple act that is so important this year.

Wheeler's Bicycle Repair - Red Deer Even though I run my own bike shop, Nathan @ Wheeler's is a very community minded & caring shop owner. He hosts regular club rides of all sorts for all ages & riding types. His heart is in this industry more than anyone else I know - even more than me. I own & operate Nickson's Bike & Ski, but I vote for Wheeler's Bike Repair.


British Columbia

Kinetik Cycles - Coquitlam Best brands, best service, awesome staff with a good mix of men and women that know the product and they all ride. Kinetik gives back to the community in sponsorship and support of local trail associations and other causes. They did an amazing job keeping people riding during the pandemic safely. Best shop ever!

Independent Cycles - Mission Indy is a new shop that filled a big hole in Mission. They are knowledgable in MTB, provide great service, and give back a ton to their community. These guys actively build and maintain the trails that they and their customers ride.

Velofix Kelowna/Okanagan - Kelowna Andrew the owner operator is amazing. Incredible service, massive convenience, great products, amazing bike knowledge and one of the friendliest people I've every had the pleasure of dealing with. 10 out of 10 in every respect

Velofix Victoria - Victoria Service is always awesome. They take such great care of us; great work; and give us lots of advice on how to make our bikes work better for us. Love that they come to us. They are, simply put, the best.


Yukon

Icycle Sports - Whitehorse Amazing mechanics, friendly service, they prioritize hiring women and a super cool vibe with a coffee roaster/shop in the same building.