Switchback Cyclery

Just moved to the neighborhood and needed a quick tune up for my road bike. Dan got to it right away, and I was in and out in no time. Looking forward to Switchback being my go-​to for all things bike related.

I’ve been here twice now with a punctured tyre and both times they sorted me out right away. Both times the staff were friendly, thorough and extremely helpful. And for the level of service you get I’d say the price is a bargain. Would not hesitate to recommend this place to anyone in need of bike repairs.

Recently dropped by for a tune-​up. Due to the summer season they were very busy, but instead of just asking me to wait a few days to get the bike back, they booked me in for an appointment that allowed them to get me the bike back on the same day.
Prior to beginning any work they called me to provide an itemized breakdown of what they thought needed to be, and what could be done. The final price matched both that breakdown and the initial estimate they provided when I walked in the store.
From my online research the prices are comparable to larger stores, only you get the personal service of a smaller shop. And most importantly, my bike rides exponentially better than it did before the tune-​up. Recommended.

All I can say is that these guys rock.
I booked an appointment in advance by email a couple of weeks ahead. This seems to be the standard for spring tune-​ups in the city, so plan ahead! The lady who booked the appointment was very prompt in responding to my initial request and subsequent questions. All communications were well written and professional (that’s for bonus points!)
I dropped my bike off the evening before my appointment right before the store closed. The guys were awesome and said they’d look at it in the morning and send me a quote, which is exactly what they did. About noon the following day I got a detailed quote explaining all of the adjustments that needed to be done and what parts would be required to get my bike back into tip-​top shape (it is a 12 year old TREK mountain bike, so I knew it was time to invest.) the quote came out to about $ 160, and I asked them to go ahead with everything.
When I went to pick up my bike the following day (they called to say it was already ready), all of the repairs surprisingly came to only $ 93. Dan explained that once they started actually taking things apart, they realized that some of the parts were still in decent shape, and therefore didn’t need to be replaced.
Overall, I was very impressed with the professionalism, their itemized quote and the fact that they didn’t try to do extra work that in the end they didn’t feel was required. Super honest, great work, efficient… I can’t say enough.
Thanks again and I’ll see you guys next spring!

I shipped my bike to Toronto in a box. I put it back together myself but I wanted a professional to adjust my brakes. I walked into Switchback Cyclery with my bike and one of the mechanics looked it over quickly and was able to adjust my brakes on the spot. It was a quick fix but I was lucky to have it done right away since they were very busy. I was very impressed by their friendly service and their willingness to quickly assess my bike. I will definitely go back and I would highly recommend the shop.

Friendly, honest, good selection.

I had a great experience here. I popped in for an emergency tune-​up, and Steve discovered that there were quite a few problems with my front dérailleur. He spent some time figuring out what exactly was the problem and then realigned the whole thing. My previous bike shop installed the dérailleur a few millimeters too high and it’s been causing problems for months. Steve not only fixed it but described what he was doing while I stood beside him. The price was also very fair considering he planned it to be a much simpler job. Although free tune-​ups from the shop where I bought the bike were free, they weren’t worth the hassle. I’ll be coming back here for future maintenance.

Absolutely terrific experience today. Cynthia, the store’s manager, is extremely knowledgeable and friendly. Though the shop is definitely a hike from my condo, I’ll make the trip for excellent service

I like to fix my own bicycle. But there is so much one can do at a basement workshop. When your bike suffer something difficult such as a case of warped-​wheel-​itis, you might want to take it to the pros. In this case, it meant going to a place I’ve already been before for bike parts.
Switchback’s (ie. Steve Hunter and crew) friendly service and enthusiastic knowledge of all things bikes and cycling in the city never disappoints. They’ll ooze some of what they know as they discuss your situation and work on your bike while you watch (there’s a living room style lounge space at the front if that’s not your thing). It’s nice their repair shop is out in the open in this open concept space, as opposed to tucked in the back like many other bike shops.
Whether you have a fancy thousand-​dollar racing rig, or just a crummy Canadian Tire SuperCycle beater, they’ll gladly fix it. Might take longer than they say they will get the job done, but they’ll own up and get’er done without any hassles. I generally have no major complaints about the quality of service they deliver here.

Just picked up my bike from Switchback today, and was very impressed with their customer service. My seat post was totally seized and way too long, and I got a tune-​up while my bike was there. They emailed and called me with my quote in a timely fashion, charged a fair price, and were all very personable. I’ll definitely return if I have any more bike issues. Great customer service!

Having changed neighbourhoods, I needed to find my new bike store. One that, like Curbside Cycle, was politically active for cyclists, and community-​minded.
I found it. Switchback Cyclery works with Sanctuary, does good bike repair, sells good products, and uses one of only two eco-​degreasers in the whole country. See photos. This excellent machine eats grease, produces no waste, and means that Switchback doesn’t have to dump degreasers and grease into toxic waste dumps. Which I’d never thought about before, but I guess all other bike and auto shops have to do a toxic dump on a regular basis. Until they catch up and start using the eco-​degreaser…

Everyone here is great… Steve, Dave, but don’t forget Cynthia too! Everyone is very knowledgeable & friendly & love talking bikes. I’ve come here to buy parts as well as have them true wheels & replace cassettes. So many bike shops will only spend as much time with you as your wallet is thick, but the crew at Switchback is different. Plus, they have a great logo for those of us branding/​graphic design nerds that enjoy that kind of thing!

What a great find this turned out to be and right on my door step. The everything you could need type of bike store from repairs to a simple air pump. Saw a neat document bag that snaps onto the bike, on sale… I just cant say no, got to go back and get it!

The best experience I’ve had with a bike shop to date. Steve and Dave are incredibly personable and knowledgeable about bikes and it’s clear that they are in the business for exactly the right reason: to make cycling safe, accessible, and enjoyable for anyone and everyone.
Prior to going to Switchback, I had an unfortunate experience with another bike shop wherein I bought an expensive new bike and was told it passed a safety check. Within the first 3 days of owning it the chain fell completely off 3 times mid-​ride and then finally broke in the middle of a busy intersection– not exactly safe. I went to Switchback and they took care of me so well: they measured out and installed a new chain (the previous one was the wrong length) and did a thorough safety check which included tightening every bolt and checking the alignment on everything. Dave even took it out for 3 or 4 test rides before he was satisfied (I sincerely appreciate that kind of perfectionism when it comes to bike safety!). I should mention that they did this all free of charge and without ever saying a negative word about the other bike shop. It really felt like they value rider safety more than anything.
This will be my go-​to bike shop from now on. Keep up the fantastic work Switchback!

Best service. They care a lot and want to make sure you have the best ride. I was a bit embarrassed bringing in my crapy bike, but I’ve always been made to feel welcome. They take extra care when it comes to the details. I love just letting them do their thing, allowing my bike to be the best ride it can be.

I dropped in with a puncture in my rear tire and tube. Cyn was incredibly helpful; I was up and running again in no time and it didn’t cost an arm and a leg. Very quick and friendly service!

I wanted to post a review and say how pleased I was with the excellent way Steve and Dave at Switchback handled my recent bike repairs. I didn’t have a lock on my rear easy-​release wheel and someone walked off with it in the middle of the night. I have gone to Steve 3 times and each time he never tries to upsell and gives fair advice. This time he rebuilt my bike’s rear end and recommended some anti theft devices to prevent a repeat performance. The bike runs like clockwork now — thanks Steve — thanks Dave !

I phoned this new store in my neighbourhood (discovered through a Unilocal search after google turned up nothing nearby) at 11 in the morning and asked them if they could help me out after a weekend wipe-​out, and an hour or so later my bike was restored to better shape than before the accident, even though everyone was extremely busy preparing for their grand opening weekend. The service was great and prices more than fair. When I need (or want) a new bike, I will make them my first stop. Welcome to Leslieville.

Friendly, neighbourhood bike shop. The guys who work there are super nice. The owner, who also worked on my bike, which needed minor repairs was extremely competent, smart, extremely personable and knew the Toronto road cycling scene.
As a relatively serious road cyclist, I’m happy to have these guys in town and will be back to give them more business and send more their way, as they get more and more performance bikes and gear in. No price gouging and they’re more than happy to talk bike with you as long as you want.
It’s nice not to schlep to midtown or the west end for bike repairs and kit!

Great new neighbourhood bike shop. Friendly and helpful.