I went to a couple of bike shops over the weekend looking to buy a new bike - it was like pulling teeth to get someone to help me. I had a basic idea of what I wanted, a flexible budget, a tonne of questions and I was looking for test rides. The difference in service between this bike shop and the others I visited was night and day. As soon as I walked in, someone immediately started to help me (key point - they have enough staff) and he was amazing. He setup 7 different bikes for me, was knowledgable about the differences in geometries, components and brands and didn't rush or upsell me.
The good:
- the BEST service I experienced by a significant margin
- they chopped the bars down and swapped out the seat at no charge
- free tuneups for 2 years
- the most bikes that were built and ready to go in the shops I visited (all east of Yonge)
- bike slightly cheaper here than list price/other stores
- bike was already built so I took it home 30 mins after buying it (it only took them 30 mins to install my accessories, modify the bars and do a final tuneup)
The bad:
- limited brand selection IMO (but they have good brands so maybe that's ok... it's probably better for me not to be confused by too many choices)
- at the top of an enormous hill (if you ride your bike there)
- when it's busy I feel like I'm in everyone's way (speaks to the number of staff working)
- not a super good selection of locks
I will shop here exclusively (barring emergency items like a flat across town or something unavailable). The service made such a huge difference to me. I had 2 friends with me and they commented that they were also going to start shopping there because it was a completely different experience than at the other local shops and the service was very customer-centric and helpful.