Sweet Pete's Bicycle Shop

For competitive road racers, urban commuters or fair weather cyclists, Sweet Pete’s Bike Shop has been a Toronto west end staple since the late 1990s. After a decade of supplying the Bloorcourt Village with its wheels and repairs, shop owner Pete Lilly decided it was time to expand the business westward in the Annex neighbourhood.

Pete found Sweet Pete’s second location in the space of an old dive bar at 517 Bloor Street West. Walking into the store, it’s hard to imagine at one time its patrons were sipping ale instead of choosing the best bike lock or ride.

But remnants of the store’s past life still poke through the store’s modern finishes and wall of shiny commuter, mountain and road bikes. In fact, the old neon tap sign is still above the door and the exposed brick still lines both sides of the store’s long, narrow interior. “When I first visited the space, it brought back memories of 20 years ago when I was a customer playing trivia at the bar,” says Pete.