by Michelle Trottier
Word has it that Montreal has over a million cyclists plying its streets. That’s more than half the city’s population, and they reportedly own 1.5 million bicycles. No surprise, then, that there's a multitude of bike shops in Montreal for all needs, tastes and budgets. [image credit: iStock/filadendron]
The specialists
There are a number of large shops in Montreal where you can buy all kinds of bicycles – from city to high-end to children's bikes – as well as electric, folding and other specialized bikes. Quilicot on Masson Street also offers recumbent bikes, for example. Dumoulin Bicyclettes, an institution founded in 1952 and now located in Little Italy, also stocks cargo bikes. Cycle Campus Verdun, whose name gives a clear indication of its location and Cycle Neron in the southwest of the city are also included in this category of shops, where you can purchase accessories and clothing as well as having your bike repaired.
Used bikes
For a cheaper bike, buying second-hand is a popular option. For more than 20 years, SOS Vélo in Hochelaga has been recycling parts and whole bikes through a social integration programme. Vélo Urbain, a shop on the Plateau, sells used and highly affordable bikes of various types (hybrid, road) on Kijiji. Finally, there's Cycle Régis, in Outremont, which offers refurbished and certified top-of-the-range bikes.
If you're just looking to repair your bike, Montreal also has several repair shops of varying sizes. On Cherrier Street, close to Lafontaine Park, repair shop Le Grand Cycle has been helping cyclists with their bike troubles on the Plateau since 1999. They also rent bikes to occasional cyclists. It's also all about the repair and rental at Ça roule Montréal in Old Montreal, Ma Bicyclette, on the Lachine Canal near the Atwater Market and Vélo Montréal, a few blocks from the Olympic Stadium.
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If you want to go DIY and teach yourself how to do your own bike repairs: here are two options. The first? Take bike mechanics courses at Techno Cycle, for example, also located on the banks of the Lachine Canal, which has provided training for individuals and industry professionals alike for more than 20 years.
The second option: attend community bike mechanic workshops, where you can maintain and repair your two-wheeled steed under the watchful eye of mechanics, who are often student volunteers. Many of these workshops are located near universities, including BQAM (UQAM), Biciklo (Université de Montréal) and Le petit vélo rouge (Concordia).
Tempted by a custom bike made to your specifications? Recycle Cycle, in NDG, specializes in just that: repairing and building custom bicycles. Ibike, on Rachel Street, repairs and assembles fixed-gear (fixies) and single speed bikes. Then there's Jacques Gallant, a passionate cyclist and seasoned blacksmith, who manufactures – amongst other things – custom bike frames, from the very simplest to the most complex at his Mile End workshop.
In addition to the usual services, some of the city's bike shops also offer an opportunity for their guests to have a coffee or a bite to eat in the shop. Cycles C&L, on Rachel Street, boasts the Café Bassi, named after the Montreal makers of bike frames and parts. Allo Velo, in Saint-Henri, also houses an Italian café in its shop. Lastly, there's Cycle Technique, a shop specializing in triathlon gear located a few steps from the Lionel-Groulx metro station, has its very own pastry shop, the Libertine Bakehouse.
Montréal is full of good cycling shops run by enthusiasts and connoisseurs of all kinds. Try a few and figure out the one that right for you and your bike. Happy riding!
