When you first pass by “Spokes ‘N’ Pedals” on Alymer Street, it isn’t clear that it’s a bike shop. The storefront is very modest, almost blending into the surrounding residential buildings. The “Spokes ‘N’ Pedals” sign is very simple, it also blends nicely into the building (a nice contrast to the screaming visual discord of, say, Landsdowne Street). Even the bike rack out front, cleverly designed not to look like a bike rack, fits nicely along the front of the building. It is only when you step through the unassuming front door and gaze upon the near forest of bikes suspended from the ceiling that you realize what is going on: this is a serious, old-school bike shop that is about bikes. And bikes and bikes and bikes.
Spokes ‘N’ Pedals Aylmer Street Storefront
There are no corporate displays. No slick advertising. No marquee, high-end bike on display front and centre. Just rack after rack after rack of bikes, all carefully standing in rows on the ground or hung from the ceiling. And what a collection of bikes it is. Among what at first looks like chaos is a great selection of bikes for all types of riders. Add in a good selection of bike accessories and parts and the scene takes on even more complexity.
A Wide Range of Bikes at Spokes ‘N’ Pedals
Fortunately, Dave and Susan Frise, owners of Spokes ‘N’ Pedals, are on hand to help. The couple, who between them have over 80 years of experience selling and servicing bicycles in Peterborough, know their shop inside and out. Whether it is for a particular type of bike or a certain accessory, every customer’s question has them going to some part of the shop and pulling out one or more items for the customer to consider. It they don’t have it, they are happy to discuss other options.
A Wide Range of Accessories
Their customers range in age from two to seventy-two and, from daily commuters to occasional riders, fall into all sorts of rider categories. Selling a range of bike styles from Canadian-based companies Norco, Raleigh and DCO, Dave and Susan carry cycles from around one-hundred dollars to higher-end bikes in the thousands. They support these bikes with the experience they have accumulated over the years to deliver friendly and knowledgeable service.
Clearly, they take their follow-up service very seriously. Besides keeping the bikes they sell in top form, they do a lot of repair work on older bikes and bikes that are difficult to repair. This attention to after-sales service is clearly important to their clients as many of their customers are word-of-mouth referrals from existing customers. They service every type of bike from all manufacturers. Talking to them we got the sense that they get excited when presented with a unique repair challenge or a weird old bike.
Repair Central at Spokes ‘N’ Pedals
We talked to a few of our cycling friends who shop at Spoke ‘N’ Pedals and they confirmed what we had seen at the shop. They noted the personable service, the ease of dealing with Dave and Susan, the time they took with their clients to sort out their questions and the excellent parts and repair support. A few more…um…’seasoned’ friends noted how the shop reminded them of the bike shops of their youth—which they liked very much.
When asked about trends in bikes and running a bike shop, the couple noted the many different styles of bikes these days and how customers want their bikes to serve many different functions. Many customers use their bikes regularly but will also take them on vacation. They also noted the trend to lighter and faster bikes that customers want to use on our ever-expanding trail system.
They Start Small at Spokes ‘N’ Pedals
Susan and Dave pride themselves on personalized customer service and excellent repair support. If you are in the market for a new bike or your current bike needs some attention, drop by their shop on Aylmer Street to check out the wide selection of bikes available.
Spoke ‘N’ Pedals
464 Aylmer Street North
705-745-7343
Spokes ‘N’ Pedals is a valuable part of our local bike shop network. When you shop local you get a better return on your investment: you get the bike you need, you get better customer service and your money stays in our community.