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| - As a generally shy person, and a newbie to the very intimidating prospect of cycling in TO, the last thing I wanted to deal with was a pretentious bike shop. After reading countless "Best Of" lists and on-line reviews, I was starting to get the impression this was unavoidable, so I decided to opt for convenience instead.
I recently adopted a charming Super Cycle from my Step-Father, and judging from the clunking sound it was making, I wasn't sure if it had received a proper tune-up since the 80's. Ride Away Bikes was offering a basic tune-up for $49, which seemed on par with other shops in the city, and reasonable for saving me the effort of doing it myself (time is money, folks).
The shop itself is small and minimalistic, but clean, with a small stock of bikes and biking accessories for sale. The staff were friendly and helpful, and assured me my bike would be ready in a day or two. They were true to their word and when I got the call, they informed me that since my bike didn't actually need that much work, they were knocking $10 off the cost (THANKS GUYS!).
When I came to pick up the bike, I decided to grab a bell as well. My total came to $60 and some odd dollars, but they said I could just pay $60 flat (thanks again!). As I was walking out of the shop, they offered to quickly install my bell for me as well, which only took them 30 seconds, but still one less thing I had to worry about myself.
The bike itself feels as good as new and I am eager to hit the mean streets of Toronto! It's reassuring to know that I have a fast, friendly, reliable bike shop in my neighbourhood - without the attitude.
Side note: While I'll definitely be back for future repairs or emergency parts/accessories, their supply is somewhat limited, and therefore, not necessarily the cheapest. In looking for lights for the front and rear of my bike, I found better deals at MEC!
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