Services
Cogs Cycle
Cogs Cycle is a down-to-earth repairs-oriented shop that will shower your bike in TLC no matter how fancy or modest your ride is. The mechanics at Cogs take pride in the quality of their repairs and the fast turn-around time. The store also has a selection of new and used bikes.
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But I was wrong...Coggs, you suck.
I have been going to Coggs Cycle for a very long time for all my parts and service work. I like supporting local business and small shops which is why I have kept going back.
Since I have been going there, I have found the presumed owner and mechanic for the most part rude and condescending. Today was the final straw.
I recently bought a bike for my girlfriend from Kijiji that when I took home I discovered had a loose bolt in the neck. I decided to take it to Coggs and booked an appointment. I arrived and told the guy at the counter about my appointment and began to describe the issue. He informed me that the mechanic was coming up and to save it for him. I began to again describe the issue. I used the term "partner" to describe his colleague at the counter saying: "As I was telling your partner, I bought the bike...etc".
The mechanic immediately began to criticize the way the bike was put together calling it "jerry-rigged" and "cobbled together". I repeated that I was hoping he could tell me what was wrong with it and he said it could be a number of things. When I asked him if he could tell me definitively, he told me me that he didn't want to touch the bike and that I should "ask for my money back". He turned and walked away back into the shop behind the counter.
As he was leaving the room with his back to me he also made a point of telling me that the other guy working there was "not his partner". I'm not sure why he was upset by the comment but he clearly was.
As we left, my girlfriend asked me "What the hell was that about?". I just told her the truth...that this is just plain and simply the UNFRIENDLIEST bike shop in the city.
Bike culture should be inclusive. I'd rather take my bike to an alley in Kensington market where their is no self-righteousness....just someone who wants to help you get your bike back on the road - even if it is shitty.
After all - it's two wheels, pedals, and a seat. Not everyone can afford a $500 bike so try to less judgmental Coggs.
Terrible service. Do not go there.
Then, when someone brings said bike into their LBS to have a minor part tightened, the mechanic can often assess the bike to not be roadworthy without some major repairs; these modifications would often be more expensive than the purchase price of said bike, and even then, the Bike shops' owners and staff are liable to guarantee their repairs, and they also feel the obligation to assure the overall safety of the bicycle's rider.
These indie bike shops depend on their local community, and i promise you they have seen their fair share of under $500 bikes come through their bays, but even they have to have standards below which they will not stake their professional reputations on.
I am currently rebuilding a bike from a frame I found on trash day, with parts scrounged and searched for in several small shops with NOS or used parts. I rely on their expertise to tell me the good, bad and ugly of the frame and fork, as well as the parts they sell me and rely on their advice on how to make the best bicycle possible for as little as possible and still assure its roadworthiness (so far I have spent $190.00 total on parts such as Campagnolo cranks, Ritchey clipless pedals, Mafac RAcer brakes, Weinmann levers, 3T handlebars, Mavic Open rear wheel with an old High-flange hub and a BMX freewheel)
What i mean to say is yes, you can definitely get a wonderful bike for under $200, and yes, you sometimes have to battle bike-store 'tude (they are humans after all) but it might also be that you have learned a relatively inexpensive lesson on buying from a guy who will complete the transaction in a parking lot, e.g.
On a related note, a friend of mine was doing renovations to his house through a contractor, and the contractor became unreliable, abandoning the project half way through. My friend had the hardest time ever getting ANY new contractor to finish the last bits of the job, because no contractor wanted to take on the responsibility of fixing the work or the damage done by the previous contractor, and taking on the responsibility of making sure the renos are done properly and safely...
I too had the same pompous attitude just yesterday. Last week I bought two new tires and two inner tubes. I installed the first one without a problem and then the second one had this huge bulge in it and to me that didn't seem right. I installed a tube from another, because the hours at Cogs are not as regular as most stores, and had no problem with that one.
When I returned the defective tube to Cogs, the guy there told me that there was nothing wrong with the tube and told me that I got lucky on the other tube. I could have easily got into it with him but it seemed obvious at that point that he couldn't care a less about what I had to say. He then told me that he would refund me my money but said "I will not admit that there is a problem with this tube." What an Attitude!!! I smiled and waited for my refund. I will never go there again and if any one asks I will tell them to stay clear.
the staff doesn't care you any more after you purchase ur bike.
conponents are expansive such as cranks, locks, tires……
I've bought a MASI from his shop a few years ago (with a bit of a dispute between my father and him), and walked out with a great price. I've come back to him with a flat two years later which he fixed up, tube and all, for only $10 in less than 10 minutes (he even oiled and tightened my chain free of charge), had new brakes installed for a relatively reasonable price, and a few months afterwards my chain got loose, so he tightened it for just $5 and even showed me how'd I'd be able to do it myself.
I recently asked for their store sticker to cover a poor paint job I did on my bike to fill in some paint chips, so I asked myself why not cover it up with a Cogs Cycle sticker?
Although Clay may come across for some people harsh, he's very honest and competent. Will be going to Cogs Cycle as my LBS whenever I have a problem.
I had a great experience getting some minor work done on my bike - I prefer the no-nonsense approach of the shop, as I don't like smoke blown up my ass, and especially as a female people generally assume I know nothing about bikes and treat me as such, but Clay didn't. Prices were great, service was fast and thorough, and Clay treated me with respect. I'll still go back!
I disagree with the (all too common) attitude that spending money at a place entitles you to treat someone like a subordinate, or that "good customer service" equates to servility or over-exuberant, feigned friendliness. For those who prefer this sort of "service", there are any number of large retailers who will greet you like a long-lost friend, suggest all kinds of wonderful additional things for your bike and send you off with a friendly wave with a crappy, inferior bike and parts/services that you may or may not need. Of course they will also heartily agree with any opinions you have, correct or not, as long as they lead to more potential revenue.
At Cogs, Clay would actually prefer NOT to take your money if what you are asking for does not actually meet your needs, or if he can not meet your request without compromising his own standards. This is called integrity, and most people have very little experience of this in a commercial setting. I have never found him to be rude or inappropriate - he simply states the facts and has enough true respect for people to treat them like adults who can make informed decisions.
Cogs provides an excellent product and service at extremely competitive rates. At this point I have purchased three bikes from Clay - hand built bikes that feature build quality and specs that would cost you double the price from any big name. The price also includes one year of free adjustments / maintenance and even after the one-year period I have often gone into Cogs for adjustments that Clay has done without accepting payment. That, my friends is good value and excellent customer service.
If you want your bike, and your riding experience, to be the best it can be, go to Cogs. If you need to make new friends, have your ego stroked, or feel that spending a few bucks entitles you to act like you own the place, please don't bother.