Any regular visitor to my site would know I have a little bit of a Bike Fetish. But rarely do I capture them in action on the sidewalk. I ask you Torontoist Readers, where is the best place to buy a bike in Toronto?
This photo was taken along Spadina, just north of Queen.
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not pedlars. but you knew that.
I really liked buying my last bike at Duke's on Queen. Good, knowledgeable advice and, um, interesting terrain for the test drive.
I'm a proud supporter of Urbane Cycle just north of CityTV. For repairs the Bike Joint on Harbord is great.
The used bike I bought at Dave Fix My Bike six years ago is still serving me very well indeed, though rumous has it he upped his tune-up fees when the ttc strike was pending, which strikes me as a bit of a shit thing to do (don't quote me on that, though, I haven't actually been to see him since he's reopened at his new location at Christie and Harbord). When I was shopping around last spring (for a new bike that ultimately got stolen exactly one month to the day I bought it), I got good vibes from the people at Urbane Cyclist on John just north of Queen (also, one of the mechanics there fixed my gears in a pinch for no charge, thereby generating eternal love from me).
I popped into Dave Fix My Bike a couple of summers ago to borrow an allen key for a quick seat adjust. He charged me $2!!! for the 30 seconds it took for me to raise my seat. I'll NEVER go to Dave Fix my Bike EVER again. Always a great experience at The Bike Joint on Harbord.
I'm a total bike n00b but I bought my first bike (since i was a kid) at Broadway cycle on Bloor/Dufferin ... they helped me pick something out and haven't charged me anything for the little tune-ups I've brought it in since.
furthermore, i called one saturday morning before their business hours, and when the store did open, the owner checked his call display and called me back. I thought that was cool.
Wow, look at all the suggestions.
Lemme add a few more questions into the mix
So it's August now. Do you think it is too late in the season to get a Bike?
How much do you think is a reasonable amount of money to spend on a bike?
Is it worth buying new, or should I just go with second hand?
Was this person really bicycling on the sidewalk? I can't stand that. It gives a bad name to all of us who bike on the street where bikes belong.
1. Definitely not too late - given the weather this year, you'll probably be able to ride comfortably into October.
2.
3. If you can find a decent second hand bike, go for it. The sex appeal of a brand-spanking-new bike isn't usually worth the stress of the worry of theft - the last new bike I bought I had for all of a month before it was ripped off (which happened the day after my sister's bike was stolen - bad weekend!). Besides, you can always jazz up a good used bike with some shiny paint, streamers, and a banana seat. Happy riding!
a banana seat? ouch. i used to put basketball cards in the spokes. my whole back tire was dedicated to dominique wilkins.
ps. given the city's persecutive attitudes toward biking and bikers, i see nothing wrong with riding on the sidewalk.
If you have some knowledge about bikes and know what you're looking for, I'd look in the classified section at Canadian Cyclist website. I don't know if they still have it but Sport Swap have used bikes as well. But probably the best place to go for used bike would be Silent Sports bike swap but the next one is on Sept 17.
It's never cool to ride your bike on the sidewalk (no matter where you bought it), but it is even LESS cool to ride the wrong way on a busy street to get to the light so you can cross...
Check out http://how-did-they-do.blogspot.com/2005/07/some-laws-arent-for-everyone.html for one runner's experience trying to get something done about the problem in Scarborough
the way to ride on the sidewalk (when and if you're forced to do it) is to stand on your pedals, pedal lightly and cruise, be aware and respectful of pedestrian and never ride as if you're going after a sprint finish
If I ride my bike on the sidewalk, it's usually because a)the the road is too busy, and/or b)no one's on the sidewalk. However, if I do encounter a pedestrian, I'll either ride around them(ie on the grass), jump on the street, or get off my bike and walk my bike past pedestrians. I never zip by pedestrians ever because I don't like to assume that they know I'm coming up behind them.
For bike gear (lights, seats, etc.) MEC is surprisingly good and cheap. Plus the staff are reasonably friendly and helpful.
As for riding on sidewalks.... I do it sometimes but very diplomatically, slowly and carefully. I never go at full tilt on the sidewalk and I never ring my bell at pedestrians, it's just rude. You're not supposed to be there so why are you ringing your bell at pedestrians?
Also... why hasn't Billonlogan commented on this topic yet?!
If you're still holding off on buying a bike, and you don't mind waiting till October, the Fall Bike Show at the Exhibition is a great place to find deals.
Oct 15th http://www.telsec.net/bicycleshow/
Totally forgot about MEC, those Turtle lights ($3) are a lifesaver, not to mention the inner tubes! Toronto has so much glass on the roads in the spring.