Bike stores in Toronto are scattered throughout the city. There's bound to be a spot near you that will suit your needs, whether you're looking to pick up a shiny new ride, get repairs done, order a custom build, or even pick up some new skills for yourself.
Here are my picks for the top bike stores in Toronto by neighbourhood.
THE ANNEX
Curbside is a haven for lovers of swoopy, elegant city bikes. Though many of them have a distinctly Dutch feel, they carry everything from British Bromptons to Belgian Achielles to Toronto's own Simcoe. Their friendly staff will also sell you some quality hybrids, folders, a few cargo bikes, and tons of cute accessories to boot.
BAYVIEW AND LEASIDE
Enduro Sport is notable among the city's performance-oriented cycling specialists for catering to triathletes, offering road and tri bikes in addition to wetsuits, footwear and goggles. (Sandy's is a close second for being the city's only bike store-and-bookshop hybrid.)
BLOOR WEST VILLAGE
Wheels of Bloor is one of the best high end bikes shops in Toronto for road riders. Specializing in brands that you'll see in the professional peloton -- you know, Cervelo, Pinarello, BMC, and recently, Specialized -- here you'll get top notch fitting and mechanic services. Just make sure to wipe the drool off your chin when passing through the showroom.
BLOORCOURT
Riders Cycle and Board at Dupont and Dovercourt is Bloorcourt's friendly neighbourhood bike store, complete with coffee bar. In addition to offering repairs while you wait (and sip on a latte), they're popular with those looking for a one-of-a-kind ride made from vintage parts. By the way, they're careful not to sell any stolen rides.
BLOORDALE
The original location in the trio of Sweet Pete's stores occupies a substantial 4,000 square feet in Bloordale. They're a friendly, laid-back spot, with hands-off service that won't intimidate non-experts, and stick to mid-range rides from Trek, Giant, Kona and Opus that work well for casual city riders.
CABBAGETOWN
Cycle Solutions' original Cabbagetown location (as well as its sister shop in the Upper Beach) carry a smattering of everything - commuter bikes, road bikes, BMX, and family-friendly options like kids' bikes and carriers. On the whole, they tend to favour budget-friendly rides instead of the top-of-the-line stuff; they also carry out knowledgeable and speedy repairs.
THE DANFORTH
Named for the vehicle that follows riders at the Tour De France and picks up stragglers, Broom Wagon Cyclery aims to help those who need a little help when it comes to cycling. There's a strong city bike focus - but, true to their aim of flexibly suiting the neighbourhood's needs, there's a few racers, hybrids, mountain bxikes and kids' bikes mixed in as well.
DUNDAS WEST
Ride Away Bikes at Dundas and Markham is devoted to refurbished rides, collecting donated bikes and selling them back into the community for around $100-$250. Since they're used to working on the older stuff, they're also a good source for quick, inexpensive repairs (to even the oddest of bikes).
EAST CHINATOWN
They won't sell you a bike at Bike Sauce, but this volunteer-run co-op will gladly teach you how to fix it yourself. In addition to hosting cycling-related advocacy programming, they also refurbish old bikes for sale at inexpensive prices, and offer a sizeable trove of new and used parts for sale.
EGLINTON WEST
Dream Cyclery is a brand-new addition to Eglinton and Marlee, where owner Linus Kwak repairs all manner of bikes and hand-builds his own custom parts. If you can't get to him, he also offers a pickup and delivery service for repairs.
ETOBICOKE
Chain Reaction is known just as much for their indoor cycling studio (featuring bikes that measure your energy output in watts) as they are for their actual road-ready rides. However, they do a solid job of meeting locals' cycling needs, including a strong selection of road bikes and products for kids.
JUNCTION TRIANGLE
Their name is Spanish for "race", which should tell you a lot about the offerings at La Carrera: Bikes built for speed, as well as the high-performance parts and services to complement them. They offer custom builds and frames decorated by local artists - but their thorough tune-ups also make them a popular service option for all kinds of local cyclists.
KENSINGTON MARKET
Bikes on Wheels has spread to Queen and Dundas west, but the original is still a Kensington favourite for cute city bikes from Simcoe and Linus, high-end track bikes from Masi and Fuji, and pretty much everything in between.
KOREATOWN
Gallant Bikes custom-builds urban bikes based on two basic frame shapes, the rider-forward No. 1 and the swept-back No. 2. With 14 colour options and a lot of top-flight add-ons available, you can wheel out of there on a stellar ride for a good price (and bring it back for $40 flat-fee repairs for the next 10 years, if needed).
LESLIEVILLE
Velotique began as a cycling accessory specialist, and still maintains a strong selection of parts and add-ons - but they'll also sell you a road, hybrid or MTB bike, and supply you with one annual free tune-up for life.
LIBERTY VILLAGE
Liberty Village Cyclery is the place for you if you're looking for speedy, friendly repairs, a custom-built ride, or an accessory for your daily commute. You won't find too many floor models for perusing, but feel free to hang out at the bar near the repair area while your fixes get made.
LITTLE ITALY
If you want a vintage one-speed, look no further than My Little Bike Shop on College, which focuses on bikes from the '60s to the '90s - some of which owner Cam Zalewski finds in near-mint condition, while others are lovingly refurbished. They'll also do repairs on your ride (Zalewski has been known to come in for customers who can't make it during regular shop hours).
NORTH YORK
While the "sports" part of the equation in Spokes and Sports covers skating, curling, and even ultimate Frisbee, they cover off plenty when it comes to cycling, too. BMX, comfort bikes and hybrids are all well-represented, mostly low-to-mid-range models from Opus and Trek.
OSSINGTON
The Pedal Stop is another repair-oriented spot (so if you're looking to buy one of those cool vintage bikes hanging around the shop, you may or may not be out of luck). However, they're a popular destination for local cyclists for fixes and $50 tune-ups, and they'll do a custom build for you starting at just $550.
PARKDALE
Bike Pirates just moved down to Parkdale from Bloordale, but their aims haven't changed: Teach Toronto to fix its own bikes, one visitor at a time. You can also use their facilities and tools to work on your own bike, buy new or used parts, build your own bike from scratch, or attend workshops and community events.
QUEEN WEST
Their convenient Queen and John location makes Urbane Cyclist a popular choice for downtown riders in need of a quick fix. It also shapes their product offerings: Since most of their clients ride bikes to get from point A to point B, they stock an array of city-friendly models, including their own in-house line.
RIVERSIDE
Switchback Cyclery has style to spare, thanks to their roster of glossy city bikes from Linus, Devinci, Fuji, and others. But there's a lot of heart behind all those glossy city bikes: the shop is run by the Toronto Enterprise Fund, which helps those struggling with the job hunt to find positions. Service is always friendly, and there's a great selection of fashionable, practical accessories.
RONCESVALLES
Blacksmith Cycle specializes in race-ready Italian road bikes - and sets themselves apart through a vast array of customization options. They also ensure a tailor-made fit thanks to their use of the Juteau-Cantin fit system, and will also help you lock in the perfect fit on your existing ride, for a fee. (Bonus: A refined atmosphere and great coffee.)
SCARBOROUGH
If you're looking for a top-flight mountain or road bike, head to D'Ornellas in Scarborough. Former racer Eon D'Ornellas' shop stocks higher-end models (read: four figures and up) from Scott and Specialized, and offers the fit and repair services to match.
WEST QUEEN WEST
Giant Bicycles is dominated, as you might have guessed, by the mega-manufacturer's models, available in every concievable style, shape, colour and price point. Fittingly for such a big company, technology permeates the shopping experience, from the profiling matrix that helps you pick the perfect bike to their high-tech Bike Fit Studio.
YONGE AND EGLINTON
In addition to a range of Trek-branded bikes and accessories, from cyclocross to road to comfort, the Trek Bicycle Store offers plenty of extra perks to shoppers: complimentary fittings, a price-match guarantee, and a free two-year tune-up plan.
Did I miss any? Give props to your favourite neighbourhood bike store in the comments.