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Cycle Solutions
Category: Shopping Sporting Goods Bikes Bikes [Edit]
444 Parliament StToronto, ON M5A 3A2
Neighbourhood: Cabbagetown
(416) 972-6948
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 9 am - 7 pm
Sat 10 am - 6 pm
Sun 12 pm - 5 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
8 reviews for Cycle Solutions
8 reviews in English
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Review from Luke H.
Toronto, ON
3/30/2012
Fair prices, no BS repairs/upgrades and fast service. Friendly staff.
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Review from Brian K.
7/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Given that good customer service is hard to come by these days, I was surprised and impressed with my experience at Cycle Solutions.
Being an idiot with tools and repair, I brought my girl's Giant cruiser in for some assistance. Shit was squeaking, and parts were loose - the bike was a mess, and I lacked the tools to facilitate a repair.
Without even asking if I had bought the bike there (I hadn't), friendly dude Patrick was quick to assess the problem and fix it up. As he declined payment for the service, I chose to buy the tool from them for future use; he was helpful in this regard too, understanding that my limited skills would not require the fanciest of tool sets.
This fifteen minute exchange earned Cycle Solutions my future business, and I will be back to pick up a new ride as my current shitbox is near death.
Note: I came into the store near the closing hours of the day. Had it been peak hours, my experience would have likely been different. -
Review from Marie F.
8/4/2011 2 Check-ins Here
The staff here is super nice and very helpful, but I didn't really like the selection. First off they had very little in the way of female frames... most of their bikes were unisex mountain/road hybrid. Needless to say they didn't have many small frames.
On one of my visits I was shown the "Africa Bike". It had everything I wanted... fenders, back rack, step-thru design and just under $$450. The guy helping me also explained that for every bike they sell of this model, a replica will be sent to a village in Africa. I liked the idea of helping the environment and helping a third world country... but (and this is going to sound terrible) the bike was sort of ugly. Ok maybe ugly is the wrong word, but it was very sporty looking, white and once again a hybrid model. The guy helping me sort of dismissed my aesthetic opinion of the bike and recommended I give it a test drive when I was appropriately dressed. I was wearing a below the knee dress with flats... clearly this guy did not understand that this would be the exact thing I would be wearing ridding my bike! But I was tired and in no mood to argue so I took a pamphlet and plan to return.
The second time I came to this location I was greeted by another sales person who seemed a bit more in tune with my dissatisfaction with the Africa bike. I asked him if I could take her for a spin and right away he knew I hated the bike. I explained to him my last encounter and he said that he frankly did not think this was the right bike for me. For starters it had an 18" frame which at 5"1 was way too big for me. Secondly he made me lift the bike... I did it but struggled. This beast was about 45 pounds and since I lived in a basement, I would have to carry it in and out of my apartment every time I used it.
He suggested the Via II by Global, which was a little bit more expensive and did not have a basket or back rack... but she was beautiful; a greenish yellow base with baby blue accents. The frame came in a step-thru and I tried a small. It was still a little too big for me, so the guy called their second location to see if they had an XS. They did and they said they would hold it for me for the day.
Despite not having found what I was looking for here, I would still recommend this place, just make sure you do your research and follow your gut...Listed in: Ramblings of a Bike Mercenary
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Review from private p.
Toronto, ON
10/26/2011
I have used this store for mostly acessories and a few quick fixes.. I have found the staff to be knowledgeable and helpul. I am also very appreciative of how women friendly this store is .By this, I mean,talk to me directly about my bike even when I am there with my partner. Way too often I can be ignored or talked down to in a bike store as a woman. They also are more than willing to order in acessories with a quick turn around time...
I have come to appreciate this bike store more and more. -
Review from Andre G.
Toronto, ON
4/13/2009
Great shop with lots of selection. Run by bike guys who know their stuff. If your ride needs TLC their service department is priced well and manned by the best in the business.
Trailbikes, 29ers, Fixies, Road bikes - they're your place. -
Review from Mark S.
Toronto, ON
1/19/2010
Only go because I have to.
I am close to this bike shop so that makes it an obvious choice. After having been a long-time customer for many years and spending countless dollars here, I finally faced a huge repair bill over $100 at one point.
I felt like I wasn't getting a good deal because all the services were being priced individually. For the amount of different services I was paying for, I should have received a break - for example I needed rear wheel work where the gears are, and then work near the pedal. Instead of being charged for labour as a total, every different thing is charged as it's own job.
While the staff are generally friendly, there have been some exceptions where I have received rude or curt service. I feel that because the store knows it is the only one in the area they do not have to treat customers as well as they could or give regulars any sort of break in combination pricing.
I left this shop for CycleMania on the Danforth, and then came back today to give it one more chance. After the rude service I received when I wanted an inner tube replaced, I asked for the tire back and immediately went to CycleMania where they did the job on the spot at a lower price. I am never going to Cycle Solutions again unless I have to! -
Review from Nick C.
Toronto, ON
3/15/2010
Got a new rack and panniers as well as some nice tires here and was happy with everything...will definietely try service dept out this year.
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Review from Peter D.
Toronto, ON
6/17/2011
The staff seem friendly which is all good and well but the actual service there leaves much to be desired.
I booked my bike in for a service and as others have mentioned it takes a while before your bike can be serviced which is fine - if they tell you you have to wait and you're willing to then it's all good. BUT when it came to the actual day for me to pick up my bike they said that they were going to ring when it was ready - so I waited but no one rang. I went to see them the next day and they were like "it's not been started on, we had a really busy day yesterday". So what really p***ed me off was the fact that they scheduled me one week in advance, had my bike for two whole days (I gave them my bike on the morning of the previous day) and still weren't able to schedule their mechanic's time in order to get me my bike when they said that they were going to and didn't have the courtesy to give me a call to tell me that it was going to be late! If you've scheduled something so far in advance you should be able to deliver. If you're not going to be able to deliver the least you could do is give me a call to tell me that it's going to be late!
After I got my bike back there were also other issues. The brakes weren't aligned properly and so there was quite a bit of chaffing. I had my crankset changed because I had complained that the gears weren't changing as crisply as used to and while they did replace my crankset they didn't re-align my derailer properly so there was a lot of "clicking" noises. It was almost as if because they were so busy, they'd rushed the job, still completed it late and botched it up. If you're going to complete a job late the least you can do is to complete it well!
