Services
Duke's Cycle
Duke's Cycle is back at 625 Queen Street West — where it belongs. After a six-alarm fire destroyed it and nearby buildings in 2008, it's been a long and expensive return journey, but one that the Duke family was firmly committed to when they decided to keep their nearly century old business alive in the wake of the blaze. And although it's the only one of the buildings lost to the fire that has been rebuilt, the homecoming is surely a positive sign that the renewal process is well underway.
When it was first announced that Duke's would return to its original location, urban enthusiasts and architecture buffs expressed some concern over the exterior design of the new building. Gone was the red brick typical of Queen West, to be replaced by a somewhat bland facade with little historical connection to the area. Strangely, although the actual structure sticks very closely to the renderings, these concerns and criticisms seem less founded now that it's complete. The building might not be a masterpiece, but it certainly looks like it belongs on the street. And besides, one can only imagine how much worse it could've been.
The inside of the store is, as far as bike stores go, pretty much fantastic. Post-fire, the retail space has expanded onto the second floor, and now makes up a total of 5000 square feet. An airy space, the new layout has allowed Duke's to add a few features that wouldn't have been possible before. Already in place is a women's section at the southeast corner of the second floor, beside which will eventually be a full-service fit studio. On top of these more functional features, the showroom is dotted with black and white photos of the old store and framed jerseys, both of which give the sense that this is place that takes cycling very seriously.
The two-floor arrangement also helps to divide the the types of bikes and merchandise on offer. Generally speaking, the first floor is reserved for commuter-oriented bikes and accessories, while the showroom on the second floor features higher end road, mountain and tri (time trial) bikes, along with all the spandex you could ever care to outfit yourself in.
Brand wise, the store continues to feature a wide variety of big-name manufacturers, including Trek, Cervelo, Kona, and Cannondale. Typical of full-service shops, the price range is enormous — starting at around $500 and going up to $10,000+. With so many different kinds of bikes on offer it's tough to give a so-called sweet spot. Suffice it to say, that if you're willing to spend over the minimum, there'll be a good selection in whatever price range you choose.
Same goes for accessories and attire. You want; they got. When a shop has this amount of space, there's really no option other than to fill it up. And while the bikes are still arriving from the temporary Richmond location and from suppliers, my walk-through yesterday revealed that when it comes to tires, tubes, gloves, fenders, locks and the like, the store is stocked up and ready to go.
When chatting about the new location and whether or not the store's identity has changed during the rebuilding process, Duke's manager Michael Cranwell is quick to point out that the plan to move back to Queen had everything to do with the desire to maintain the reputation the shop has built over the last 97 years or so. As much as this is a place to buy a dream bike, they want customers to feel like they can bring in a beater with a flat tire as well. The cycling scene "has many communities," Cranwell explains. "But the bottom line is we're all cyclists. We think the store has always represented that."
Indeed. Welcome back to Queen, Duke's.
THE SKINNY
Who the store caters to: Everyone! Enthusiast roadies, commuters, mountain bikers, triathletes
Bike price range: $500-$10,000+ (Sweet spot $800-$3500)
Service capabilities: Almost everything, including hydraulic service and wheel builds
The tune-up: For $69.99 you get full adjustments of brakes, gears, hub and headset, free
labour on the installation of any parts associated with these adjustments (i.e. cables, housing, brake pads, etc.), lubrication of derailler pivots, cable and chain, inspection of all all bolts and tire pressure, minor wheel tuning, and a surface wipe-down of bicycle
Discussion
22 Comments
Sort By Oldest First / Newest First
Subscribe
but i am also wondering if you are selling used bikes. i really want to buy 2, one for myself and one for my wife. i don't want to pay too much money for new ones.
omer
http://www.sholod.com/en/6250511397636246691
As for Dukes being back on Queen - I am hopeful that they regain the same customer service they once had and make a strong effort to really encourage cycling in the community.
I’d very much like to thank everyone who stood by us the past three years and continued to support Duke’s.
In response to some of your questions above:
Yes... we do sell some fixed bikes from Kona and Trek. Prices range from about $450 to $1000.
No... we do not sell used bikes. However, we do sell bikes starting at about $450. Keep in mind that a new bike also comes with a warranty.
No... we do not sell e-bikes. Call us old fashioned, but we like to pedal our bikes.
With regards to customer service, this is has always been very important to us. And now that we are finally under one roof it will be much easier to avoid some of the confusion and challenges brought forth following the fire. It was tough going being spread our over 3 locations..., struggling to rebuild a business and an new building.
The odds are heavily stacked against any business that suffers a complete loss. Hard work, determination, a fantastic staff and the support of our cycling community have helped us to fulfil our dream of moving back to Queen.
Thank you all.
I had an appointment for Dukes to perform a basic tune up ($69). When I arrived at the store, and explained what I was looking for (concern for tires as the bike hadn't been ridden in some time), I was told that I should get the $99 tune up. I did, and when I picked up my bike 4 days later, my bill was over $150.
When I left the store, I found that the pressure in my tires was less then 20psi. I contacted the store and was told that, "we only fill them with air, we don't check to see that they hold it".
I sent an email outlining the situation and so far (three weeks later) they have not responded.
But they aren't alone: Curbside and its sister store Bikes on Wheels is just as bad. High prices, too-hip-to-serve-you-because-I'm-really-a-professional, all the gloss and glitter that belies no substance at all.
There are a few places on Harbord west of Bathurst that do honest work and sell bikes as decent prices. Bathurst Cycle too, just north of Bloor.
Extremely over rated by the media.The problem with Duke is their attitude. Rude and poor customer service. This usually happens when you assume that you are the best.
I bike a lot both mountain and road. Visited them twice and on one occassion was looking for some real good biking jersey. Enquired about them and he just frowned and walked away. Seriously, here I am paying money and is that how you treat people ?
There are plenty of good bike stores in Toronto and they carry all the brands that you can dream off. As an example - Gears (Cannondale and Specialized), Broadway Cycle (BMC,Marin Specialized and other good brands)and of course Trek has its own store at Eglinton.
This is ironic, as I did do my homework, and read about all the attitude in this store, I chose to go in anyway, and sadly, it is true. He wasn't interested in helping me.
Too bad, I have $1000 to spend, will spend it at Curbside cycle, where they took me seriously and were attitude free.
I also find it weird to read Michael Cranwell's assertion that customer service has always been important to Duke's. Like many here, I have run into the brick wall of Duke's attitude. If you're not already a bike jock who loves to rattle off jargon and brand names, be prepared to be ignored. They are the closest shop to me, and I don't go there. I stopped years ago, because I got really tired of being treated like I wasn't worth their time.
I was in there for 30-40 minutes hoping to get some guidance on getting a road bike, and all I got was a once over.