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The cycling community is strong in Huntsville – with an abundance of events like the upcoming Spin the Lakes Tour, now in its twelfth year, biking trails around Muskoka where riders can take their skills off road, and multiple triathlons to choose from, its no wonder that its a popular local activity.
The Bike Shops want to extend the cycling community even more. With a new store in Huntsville to complement their Gravenhurst location, Huntsville residents Kristi MacDonald and Matt Todd are bringing the same stellar service, affordable options, and rider camaraderie to their home town. If you’re a triathlete, you’ll find Trysport founder David Bialkowski, who has been serving athletes in the Huntsville area for many years, operating at this new location as well, usually on Wednesdays and Fridays.
The Bike Shops’ popular group rides will run Sunday mornings at 9 a.m., weather permitting, from the May long weekend through to Thanksgiving. Check their Facebook group page for all event and ride information or call the store for details.
They’re hosting two Bike n Brews group rides this summer. The first is on Sunday, July 30, starting from Lake of Bays Brewery in Baysville. There are two route options – 30 km or 76.4 km – and your $25 registration fee gets you ‘a beer, a bite, koozie, store discount & a Lake of Bays beer glass’. For the second ride – the Muskoka Brewery Detour Bike Ride on Sunday, August 6 – riders start from Muskoka Brewery in Bracebridge, cycle around Lake Muskoka, and return to the brewery for a cold beer and barbecue. Proceeds are donated to local charites.
A ladies’ night and ladies-only rides are pending for later this summer, and spin classes will be available in the winter. (If you’re into indoor training, check out the Zwift-based system that will turn your ride into a video game.) Maintenance nights will start in the fall for those who want to learn how to properly maintain their rides.
The Bike Shop has become known for its bike maintenance service by Matt Todd and Matt McLean, who wrenched for Trysport and will be familiar to local triathletes. They can service everything from BMX to mountain bikes, old CCMs to high end Cervelos, whether the bike was purchased at the store or not. A man stopped in this week to ask if they could rebuild his old, neglected 1968 Peugeot bike – they can. “Our honest and knowledgeable service is our highest compliment,” says Kristi. “Once someone buys a bike, they keep coming back because they like the way Matt works on it.”
The store sells bikes for both beginners and advanced riders, everything from bikes with no pedals and quality kids bikes starting at $250, to adult bikes starting at $500, to high end mountain bikes and road bikes.
They also have cycling clothing, active wear for running or training, wet suits for triathlons, lifestyle apparel, and helmets for riders of all ages. Ryder eyewear offers three different photochromatic lenses at a $50 pricepoint. Mountain bikers looking to outfit their Rocky Mountains in a west-coast mountain bike style will find Chromag parts for the purpose. And there’s much more – even a coffee and smoothie bar where you can enjoy our drinks in, take them to go, and indulge in a homemade treat of the day.
Stop in for The Bike Shop in Huntsville’s grand opening today, May 20, on Hanes Road across from Robinson’s Independent Grocers, to check out what they have to offer. Learn more at thebikeshops.ca.
Stop in at The Bike Shop in Huntsville for a coffee or a smoothie and a treat, and say hi to Kristi and Matt