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The Bike Joint
Category: Shopping Sporting Goods Bikes Bikes [Edit]
290 Harbord StToronto, ON M6G 1G6
Neighbourhoods: Palmerston, Bickford Park
(416) 532-6392
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 8:30 am - 7 pm
Sat 10 am - 6 pm
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
8 reviews for The Bike Joint
8 reviews in English
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Review from Paige M.
8/18/2011
My friend and I were exploring Toronto for the day when we became lost. There we were, just off of Bloor Street with our giant, 10-pound bags from Honest Ed's, a non-functioning GPS, and my friend's two kids in tow. Lost.
Exhausted from searching for our car, we walked past The Bike Joint. A kind employee was just getting on his bike, ready to leave work, when he saw the grief on our faces (or perhaps our audible complaints.) He offered his assistance. We told him the intersection where we parked our car, and he knew right where to send us. (Boy, had we wandered far in the opposite direction!)
Before we parted, the employee ran into the shop and gave us a map of Toronto. He pointed out where we were, and said, "Remember, if you ever need help, just stop in a bike shop!"
I was impressed with his courtesy, especially as it was the end of his workday. Kindness goes a long way, and I'm glad to have experienced some Toronto hospitality. And yes, we arrived back at our car with ease. -
Review from Jose O.
Scarborough, ON
6/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
I'm going to give them all out 5 stars because Derek and his team at the Bike Joint fixed up my CL special red early-80s Bianchi to more than road-worthy in Toronto's streetcar-track laden battlefield of cars and potholes. From looking into reviews from blogTO, these guys are just an awesome place to get your bike fixed if youre in the area, and I highly recommend them. But here's my experience:
I moved in to the downtown core a couple of months ago, and as a longtime Scarborough resident I relied mostly on my car which I no longer have due to a serious car accident. A bike was my only form of transportation at this point, and I got a fairly good Bianchi as my road bike while I move about the core, and of course bikes are EVERYWHERE in this city so there is a healthy selection of shops for the commuter of every kind of bike they use.
One night, I rode my bike along and suffered a punctured tire, AND I fell as my thin tires caught the streetcar tires. I thought, well no problem, the next day I went to the nearest bike shop which will remain unnamed and had a rear tire replaced for around $40. My knowledgeable cyclist friend told me it may be the entire tire or the tube, but I had no time so I had it all replaced anyway. That's when the faults of a beater Bianchi started to reveal themselves. The derailleur fell off, fortunately not while I was biking, and going back to their shop they told me the derailleur hanger is stripped, and the only choice I've got is to convert to single speed. $50 poorer and I was back on the street.
Then while biking along Elm St., my rear wheel seized, and found out my rear axle was bent. Went to that shop and they told me I would have to replace the entire wheel; I figured my bike is such a beater it needed a thorough run down, so I also opted for the $40 tuneup in addition to the replacement of rear brake pads as was recommended by the friendly staff. Now, the whole estimate was around $180, and that shocked me, because I talked once again to my good bike mechanic friend (and mind you I do not have the tools or time and my bike mechanic friend lives in Milton) that the axle and bearings if damaged can be replaced, but I was given the idea that the entire wheel should be replaced for safety reasons.
At the same time I feel that after bringing my bike to that shop after a rear tire, I think I should have been told of the problems with the rear wheel and derailleur as they would have removed the wheel and tire and looked to see if there is something funny and concerning that the bike should not be on the road; they could've recommended me to a. your rear axle is bent as we replaced the tire and saw something funny with your wheel (and given me the necessary advice) and b. your derailleur is stripped you shouldn't ride this bike at all blah blah blah. I feel that especially when I saw the estimate (and the appointment being three weeks away) that I needed a second opinion. At least they put my rear wheel back so its quasi-rideable.
So I e-mailed Derek Chadbourne (the owner) about my situation and offered to look into my bike. I biked to The Bike Joint with my limping Bianchi and was offered an estimate of $80, which I found very reasonable. He was also very friendly and he gave me a vibe that I was very comfortable with; he was obviously busy but he was very accomodating and the experience was a contrast from the other shop closer to downtown. He also offered to fix my bike within a week. Though my busy life afforded me picking up the bike four days after it was done at the specified date, the one thing that amazed me was I ended up paying a reasonable fee (almost the same as the tune up service they offer).
I am extremely happy with them at this point and I will go back to them again for my bike tune ups and what nots. I feel that they are really taking care of the cycling community in the city who needs to have their bikes on the road, regardless of whether its a beater bike or a lightweight superleggera tourer :D Riding my bike back home was an absolute blast. They ended up fixing my rear axle, put the chain in a gear that I liked (the other shop put the chain in a much lower gear that made my Bianchi too easy to ride around), tuned up everything, and saved me a ton of cash.
I really really appreciate the courteous service. After riding my bike around, I feel they have really provided competent, quality work. I was afraid my bike would not hold up for a kilometre or two at first because of my past experience with the other shop, but when I got my bike back the courteous service was phenomenal. Even Derek noticed that the front tire needed air while he was with customers. From my experience in customer service, that is exceptional work to really look after your customers. I will be finding myself at their shop once again when my Bianchi needs it because they really helped me out. -
Review from Kieran S.
Toronto, ON
4/29/2011
I too have had mixed experiences with the Bike Joint, but for the most part they're quite good.
I've taken different bikes there over the past few years. I have a beater road bike, and if you do your own repairs, Bike Joint is great for parts. They have cheap tires, wheels, brake pads, pedals and other parts which are good for older bikes.
I once went there with a flat, and they fixed it on the spot in a couple of minutes which was very great.
I've also had a tune up there, and the work was good. They didn't replace any parts that didn't desperately need replacement. I've found their service to be really friendly for the most part as well.
I have had a couple of situations where they haven't done a great job. In every instance, they've honored their warranty on the work, and haven't charged extra, and most importantly, resolved the error. Obviously, this isn't ideal, but at least they resolve the error.
From what I gather, they are pretty much the cheapest place to get work done in the city (maybe with the exception of Red Arrow in Kensington). Also, I think a lot of bike shops these days give appointments, and in general the wait in early spring when the weather starts to get nice is at least a week and a half. Urbane Cycle has the same policy. -
Review from Sam G.
Toronto, ON
6/1/2010
I have had a good experience with Bike Joint:
- inexpensive tune ups (I'm not one that could really evaluate quality)
- I've come by and shown them a problem and if its just a small thing they've fixed it right away
- friendly service
- When he didn't have to, he gave me a good deal on a new bike light when he couldn't just sell me the little plastic piece on the back that mounts it to the bracket
- When I had a wheel problem, he gave me a repair option and a new wheel option - I took the repair and he said he'd put the cost of the repair toward the new wheel if the repair didn't work (it seems to have).
Other comments
- When I first got a tune up in Toronto I was surprised that I had to make an appointment two weeks away (it was the busy season) and could only bring in the bike on the day. But when you see the place you'll know why they can't just store a lot of bikes for days on end.
- A couple of times the told me my bike would be done by the end of the day - once it wasn't (if I recall correctly, memory hazy) and the other time they called me after closing time to come pick up the bike within 10 minutes. So I'd knock one star off of that - they are pretty good but if you really need your bike at a certain time you should make that clear. -
Review from Jon S.
Guelph, ON
7/4/2009
I really wanted to love The Bike Joint. The shop is a really cool, low-key place on Harbord street, and the staff seemed really down to earth.
I took my bike in for a tune-up ($40+tax), and dropped it off on Sunday with intent to pick up on Tuesday. My bike had loose brakes that didn't work properly, a flat front tire, and a few other minor alignment issues that needed to be fixed, since I bought it used for cheap.
Monday afternoon, they called me because they had found that my rear tire was cracked, and wanted to know if they could put a more expensive tire on that would last a bit longer. I called them back Tuesday morning, and they assured me that they could have the job done.
When I arrived, I paid the fee for the repair plus the tire (around $70 with tax) and got on my bike to ride home, only to find that my rear tire seized immediately because it was off-center.
I took it back, and they repaired it, joking that "some newbie must have put this on". This really put me off, because according to their website, they "Test ride [their] repairs so [I] don't have to". Obviously this was not the case, since my tire seized less than 10 feet from the store, before I had even reached Manning Ave.
As I was riding home, amid Bloor's rough bike lane, I realized that there was a rhythmic bumping noise coming from my bike. I pulled it over, and found that there was a bulge in my back tire due to the tire being inflated improperly. I walked the rest of the way home, and sent the shop an email.
It's been two weeks, and I still haven't had a response from them. Obviously I could have called them, but I work the same hours that they are open, and I'm fairly sure that if you offer an email address as a valid form of communication, it really should be checked now and then.
I fixed the bulge myself, but my back brakes still rattle, and I have a general feeling of unease of what exactly was 'fixed' for my 40 dollar tune-up.
All in all, I was really unsatisfied with the service, and would probably not go back. From the other bicycle riders I have talked to, my service was really out of bounds from what they usually provide, but the fact remains that it was my first interaction with the shop, and it was really not positive. -
Review from Betty D.
Toronto, ON
12/30/2009
They fixed both my tires in one day because I was desperate to have my bike back
They did not make fun of my shitty 1991 Sky Line which I appreciated.
They promptly emailed me a receipt when I requested it.
They were very friendly and my bike was like new when I got it back, as if I used a time machine to go back to 1991. -
Review from Billy A.
Toronto, ON
5/19/2010
Wow. Somewhat in shock, as The Bike Joint is one of blogTO's 'Best of Toronto.' I'll guess I'll be writing them next.
My boyfriend inherited an old mountain bike. It's not completely unrideable, but desperately in need of a new wheel and a tune up. After reading the blogTO review and the Bike Joint's own web site (which even has a "Philosophy" tab with the following text, "The important thing is that you receive quality service at a fair price. That you are treated with respect and are happy with the work done."), we walked the old bike to The Bike Joint. Hindsight being 20/20, we should have called first. We should not have gone on a Sunday in late spring. We should have read the Yelp reviews. We should have done any number of things that do not include going to The Bike Joint.
There was an unruly stack of bicycles chained outside the storefront on Harbord, in what I hope is a daily necessity and not overnight storage. At any rate, it did not inspire confidence. We were greeted with an intended-to-be-hip-but-actually-quite-off-putting "Guys in the door -- what do you need?" A very cool and realistically dirty gal took a look at the bike, and suggested a number of repairs, totalling over $150 (about what we expected). We were not expecting that a bike tech wouldn't be available until 12 days later, and that a $10 deposit is required to hold the appointment. Additionally, they can't hold the bike until the appointment, even in the outside stacks, and we'd have to bring this not really rideable bike home and then back again. Hindsight again being 20/20, we should have asked if the deposit was refundable. We should not have not made the appointment. We should have read the Yelp reviews first. We should have done any number of things that do not include going to Bike Joint.
Fast forward two days, and the weary old mountain bike is at another shop. It was taken immediately into their secure repair area with a lower estimate, and no deposit required.
As you can imagine, when I called to cancel the appointment, I was informed the deposit is nonrefundable. I said I understand the deposit is to hold an appointment -- no-shows do suck, especially during one's busy season -- but I was giving them back their appointment with 10 days notice, and in exchange I would like my $10 back. No dice -- they suggested I pass on my appointment slot to a friend. I told them I certainly did have something to share with my friends, although it would not be that time slot.
So here you are, friends -- my one-star review of The Bike Joint! -
Review from Ezra H.
Toronto, ON
5/3/2011
these are real bike guys working there, but they want all bike riders of all types to get good treatment. they do good work and try hard to be fair. don't go in with a stick up your butt and you will love the bike joint and the work they do.
