Services
Broadway Cycle
Broadway Cycle differs from many of the other stores I've been visiting in that it doesn't try to cater to only one type of cyclist. Instead of targeting urban utility cyclists or commuters or the high-end roadie crew, they prefer to act as a jack of all trades. Far from a bad thing, this is how most bike stores used to operate 10-15 years ago prior to the trend of specialization. Although this approach might diminish the overall selection of bikes and affiliated products in one particular sphere, it has the advantage of servicing a wider range of needs for those who do more than one type of cycling.
I'd put myself in this group. I own one bike for tooling around the city for work or to shoot photographs, and I have another for when I'm felling like showing off in my spandex (trust me, not a pretty sight). And because it's important to establish a relationship of trust at your bike store of choice, there's a logic to sticking to one place for all your bikes — assuming you like the staff. Such a strategy might not work for those looking for a ton of selection at the super high-end, but a place like Broadway Cycle can cover quite a bit of territory with a price range of $400-$10,000 for their bikes.
Despite the do-it-all approach, naturally there are a few areas that the store focuses a bit more energy on. Entry to mid-level road bikes would be one of these. You'll find an ample selection of Specialized Allez and other Shimano 105-outfitted bikes here, the "105" being a reference to the name of the main componentry on the bike (shifters, breaks, drivetrain). These will start at around $1500 (with an aluminum frame) and get burgeoning roadies started with a quality bike that'll offer surprisingly similar performance to what's offered by more expensive bikes. Even better, the staff at Broadway will do a professional fit on road bikes purchased over $1000 (just make sure to commit to clipless pedals; otherwise the whole exercise is a total waste).
Another strong suit is the $650-$850 urban bike. They've got a few to choose from, but the winner in this category is the Globe Roll (a sibling company of Specialized), which had me drooling the entire time I was in the store. I actually checked my bank account when I arrived home just to see if I could somehow justify buying one (alas, I couldn't). If you're not into the single speed/fixed thing, there's also a good selection of more commuter-friendly options from Marin in this price range.
From a service standpoint, my chat with Broadway's head mechanic leads me to believe he ain't fibbing when he claims that the shop will do most repairs under the sun. When I ask about running a newer version of Shimano shifters with older brakes and derailleurs, he's quick to note that the newer component has a different leverage ratio and might lead to mushy braking. I'm not used to fast and direct answers like this from mechanics, so I'm pleasantly surprised.
As far as accessories and clothing go, the selection of the former is better than the latter, but they both reflect the store's large size and target clientele. In other words, there's lots to choose from. There's an obvious prevalence of Specialized products, but that doesn't come as a complaint from me because I'm a fan of their stuff.
I initially thought that the competition for Broadway Cycle from Sweet Pete's would be quite strong given that they're only separated by about a 100 feet or so, but after a more thorough consideration, I'd say they're really quite different stores. While Pete's has a better selection of utility-type bikes, Broadway's mid to high-end road and mountain bike offerings probably ensures that the two don't step on each other's toes as much as you might think.
THE SKINNY
Who the store caters to: Everyone! More seriously, beginner roadies, commuters, those looking for a tricked-out city bike (fixie/single speed)
Bike price range: $400-$10,000 (Sweet spot $800-$1500)
Service capabilities: Almost everything, including hydraulic brake work and wheel builds
The tune-up: For $50 you get complete external adjustment of the bike (bikes, gears, bolts), and on-bike truing of wheels. If you purchase a bike at Broadway, they offer this service for 5 years free of charge.
2nd Location: The Bike Depot (7043 Yonge St.) is under the same ownership as Broadway.
Discussion
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BD has responded to my every need as I went from novice to ( pro in my own mind) rider , Aarif and Eb are above the mould when it comes it to customer service!
there is nothing they cannot do.
BIG thumbs up!!
BIG THUMBS UP!!
BIG THUMBS UP!!
BIG THUMBS UP!!
The people working there better know what they are doing....believe me the staff at Broadway and Bike Depot KNOW what they are doing!
You can go to these high end boutique shops around the city (won't mention any names) but you just won't get the personal and genuine care you get at BD. Won't let anyone else tune my bikes. Keep up the good work guys you Rock!
Good selection, great deals and freindly service. I'll definately recommend these guys..
Like the new look and layout of the store, very clean & inviting. Keep up the good work.
Great Job......
thanks
Patrick, most of the comments were posted just after the review was put up. doesn't look shady at all. take a look at the other reviews on this site, seems like a lot of comments happen the day of or after. check out sweet petes review. the first 10 comments happened in the first 2 days. doesn't seem shady at all.
1. the rod which connects the fender to the axle would keep coming out of it's housing and would rattle.
2. get brakes fixed, and not have the bike make a weird noise every time I used the brake (brake shoe rubbing against the rim I think)
3. general tune-up
I was told the total would come to about $ 90 for the above. But then the store help recommended that I change my pedals. I did not find anything wrong with the ones I had but I went ahead and okayed $ 75 worth of pedals.
Looking forward to picking up my bike, I paid $ 185+ and rode away. About 20 minutes later the front fender began to rattle as the rod came out of it's housing.
Next morning I rode to the grocery store and on the way back found that the front brake was again making the sound that the Broadway cycle was supposed to have fixed. About 10-minutes away from home I realized that the brakes were working sometime and sometime not. Scary. I walked home from there.
I do not have a car, so just the hassle of walking the bike to Broadway cycle prevented me from going. And I kept procrastinating doing it until the summer was over. I haven't ridden my bike since.
I have walked into a few bike stores, one on Parliament, Duke's, and a couple of others, including Uncle Jacob's. I think Parliament was, relatively speaking, my friendliest encounter. Uncle Jacob's was scary because it just felt seedy in there and I was afraid I might get hustled. At the other stores I did not encounter one single store person who was helpful. I think at Duke's my questions got yes/no answers, and then a patronizing "you might want to try Canadian tire". Well, I guess Toronto is bike geek town. Kind of like the guys in the music store in "High Fidelity".
Toronto claims to be a bike town, and I hear echoes of comparisons to Amsterdam. Sorry Toronto, but this is no bike town, regardless how many bicycles you see on the road. *Riders* on Queen West and those on College may be the exception.
Going by my experiences bike store snobbery is the thing in Toronto. Compare this to my experience at Henry's (cameras) where I spoke to the sales help, who was friendly, made good suggestions. I walked out buying a used Canon with an excellent lens with a 2-year extended warranty for just a little over $ 300. I would certainly go to Henry's again because I felt that the store wants to encourage novice photographers. Not so with bike stores.
I was ready to buy a bike today at Broadway, but after this experience left Broadway and took my business to Sweet Pete's, where I had an excellent experience.
I would highly recommend trying any one of many other bike stores in the city before going to Broadway.