Ride Away Bikes has a wide variety of used bikes, and is a good place to pick up a single speed or fixie for tooling around the city. In general, the store avoids the type of vintage junk that barely functions, so you'll want to be prepared to spend at least $250 for something with sturdy steel frame and a drivetrain in good working order.

On warm summer days, a crew of bike fanatics assembles in front of this shop on College near Ossington, no doubt drawn by the vintage steel frames that adorn the walls bearing names like Cinelli, Copi, and Colnago. This is pretty much the best place in the city to get a vintage single speed.

Around since 1931, Newson's does both a bike and hockey equipment exchange. As far as the former goes, it's a good shop to trade in an existing bike to move into something new or to snag a deal on a refurbished ride. In other words, if you have bike riding kids, it's a smart place to go to get them the next size up. There's adult bikes too, but the selection isn't as robust.

This DIY lover's paradise in Parkdale is a great place to find genuine deals on used frames and refurbished bikes. Complete bikes start at $50 (that'll get you a true beater), but the best way to do it here is to build a bike up from scratch under the watchful eye of the staff, who will pitch in with instructions and advice. A registered non-profit, Bike Pirates "sells" used parts by donation.

Wheel Excitement does a big bike rental service in the summer months thanks to its waterfront-facing location on Queens Quay. But in addition to rental and repair service, the shop has a steady stable of used bikes on offer. If you're looking for a ride that's more about utility than strutting, this is a good option.

Mike the Bike left its longstanding home in Kensington Market for a shop on the busy commuter stretch of Adelaide St. This is the type of place to get practical commuter bike for cheap. There's better stuff that comes in, to be sure, but the stock is unpredictable, so it's a good place to make multiple visits to when you're on the hunt for a new (er, used) ride. Prices typically range from $250 to $400.

BikeSauce keeps strange hours (it's generally only open in the evenings and weekend afternoons), but it's still an excellent place to get an inexpensive used bike. Along with DIY bike repairs, part of the shop's mandate is to refurbish used bikes and make them available to the public at reasonable prices. If you need a low cost commuter bike guaranteed to work, this is a great place to find one.