Backpeddling Inc

My husband and I started looking for bikes at places like Sport Chek and Canadian Tire. Well, for the prices they were selling their bikes at and the terrible selection, it didn’t make sense to buy from them. So we did some research online and found Backpeddling. We don’t live in Guelph, but the drive was doable (we’re an hour away), so we went one Sunday morning to check it out. This place was awesome! We got there early enough that it wasn’t too busy (probably around 11am or so), and immediately Dave asked us what we were looking for. This guy was EXTREMELY knowledgeable. I was looking for a cruiser bike (basically something comfortable for casual rides), and Dave clarified exactly what I wanted and why, and he got several options for me to try. Now there’s the key part — bikes I could try out (you can’t really do this at big box stores). Dave encouraged me to ride up and down the street, around the neighbourhood, up and down hills, etc., to make sure this was the right bike for me.
He did the same thing for my husband — asked him what kind of bike he wanted, made recommendations, and then let him try out a few models.
Once we selected our bikes, they did a tune-​up while we went and explored the city (I wanted to go to the cat café that the city has. On a non-​bike related note: don’t go to the cat café! That’s a review for another time, but you’ve been warned). They held onto our bikes while we went out and about, and when we came back an hour later they were set to go (I think it only took them 10 – 15 minutes, but they were able to hold onto the bikes is the point of this comment). Now, when we came back, the place was BUSY! So my advice is to go early.
The bikes are pricey, no doubt, but the quality and selection were amazing, and the knowledgeable staff make you feel confident in your decision. Plus, you get free tune-​ups for a year (which, for people like us with little to no knowledge of bikes, is a nice little perk… even if we do live an hour away!).
I read a few other reviews online about the store and the people, and I’m not really sure why there were some negative reviews. Everyone we encountered was awesome (including Clay, the owner, who seems to specifically have received negative feedback on some sites) — everyone was super friendly, super knowledgeable, and not pushy at all. We had asked about lock recommendations and they told us what they had and what was best, but they didn’t force anything on us.
Overall, an awesome experience and I would happily recommend this place to anyone. The review gets a 4 out of 5, only because star 5 says «woo hoo! As good as it gets!» — well, this is really the only true bike place we went to, so I don’t know if it’s the be-​all and end-​all of bike shops, but it IS pretty awesome.

Sell ur bike on kijiji as you’ll get nothing for it on trade. Also (as u should anywhere) do some research on pricing so you have some idea what your looking at. Buyer beware as always and especially with used stuff.

After having purchased a bike at another shop in Mississauga, I can say I’ll be returning to Backpeddling over them any day.
My first personal experience with Backpeddling started a couple of weeks ago when I had picked up my bike from the other shop in Mississauga for its tune up and was surprised to discover they had not fixed my brakes after I had told the mechanics that they were not functioning properly. As soon as I found out they had disregarded my request I took my bike to Backpeddling and asked the guys there if they could take a look at them; they made an obnoxiously loud squealing noise when I would brake hard and it took a long time for my bike to come to a complete stop. They were quick with their diagnosis and informed me I needed new brake pads. I was relieved to finally get some information on why my brakes made that terrible noise and was glad they were going to take care of it. They told me it would be a week before I could pick it up.
I went back to pick up my bike where the mechanic went through all the details with me of the job he had done and what needed to happen in order for my new brake pads to be fully functional again. I was appreciative of the thoroughness of their work and the after care my bike needed.
A day later that bike got stolen so I found myself back at Backpeddling again, this time in search of a new bike. They were, again, very helpful when I explained the situation and helped me find a new bike that ended up being in my price range as I was hoping for. They were honest with their opinions about which bike to purchase in the end and I walked out of there with a new bike the same day. They informed me to come back within a year for a free tuneup and they informed me to come back after having ridden the bike for 8 – 10 hours for a gear tuneup as well. Again, I was impressed with their thoroughness and their attention to details regarding the aftercare of my bike.
I will be returning to Backpeddling for any future services I require for my biking needs.

Crazy, busy (at times) place.
New, used, fancy or simple, they’ve got so many bikes!
Knowable, friendly staff.
Decent prices.

I’ve been coming to Backpeddling for years. Clayton, the owner, has created a shop that welcomes anyone, and has the greatest parts selection in Guelph by far. My family has bought over 10 bikes and countless parts from them over the past 6 years, and we have been nothing but happy.
I think of the head mechanics Nils has moved on, and same with another guy, so I cant comment on the mechanic service. However, every used bike I have purchased from them has preformed better than expected. All the shifting has been locked in and honed.
These guys have an amazing ability to source parts from anywhere, and carry a wide range of bikes. That being said, their specialty is bmx, dirt jumping, park riding, etc. Don’t bring your Durace 9000 here, because the mechanics probably dont work on that very often.
The walls of this warehouse are smeared with bikes from all eras. Penny Farthigs, retro bmx, track bikes, everything you can think of. It is very neat!
The only downside to this place is the chaos. In the summer you better be prepared to wait because the shop is tremendously busy, and there is no organization or «lines», just first come, first served. If you take your time and wait for a worker, they should set you up properly. This could be disorienting if you are not used to it, and you might feel ignored. But this is just the norm here.