McWhinnies J Cycle Enr

They’re blunt, that’s for sure. Lots of sass. Rude, though? Nah. And they did a good job on my bike, at a respectable price (way better than what I was quoted at Recycle Bicycle, those guys are hustlers), so that’s all that really matters.

I’ve been here a couple times and time and time again I’ve been let down. They have a decent selection but the staff can be very rude to the point that it would be bullying.
The first couple of times I didn’t mind dealing with it. I was dealing with the owner and his intentions were genuine and he only told you what he knew.
The third time I went, a staff member named «Bruno Mastantuono» crossed the line. I was a bike mechanic through highschool and I knew what I needed was a quick adjustment of the gears and a new pair of brake pads. I just moved out here and I don’t have the tools here yet.
He told me I had to replace my crank, chain and hub. I told tried to explain to him that no that is not the case. He rebutted by saying he’s been doing this for 32 years and rudely began hurling insults my way. He continuously cut me off while speaking as well.
I decided I would only take the brake pads as I can suck up sticking to one gear.
I asked him for a pair brake pads (MX2) and he says I have to take them off so he knows which is which… for those of you who don’t know, disk brakes write the type of pads they take on the outside of the lever. This is very standardized and most hobby cyclists know these as well.
Anyways, I really needed the pads as mine were bare. So I took off the front wheel and he mocked me and continued to tell me that MX2 was not a thing and that I was «stupid» whileI was trying to remove the pad. Fortunately a mechanic came out and rolled his eyes and passed me the brake pads.
He didn’t seem too pleased with Bruno either. Anyways I have to say I have never been bullied by a salesman and he clearly knew nothing about bicycles. I ended up at a shop down the street later that night.

In my opinion this is a great bike shop. Yes the owner can be blunt, he’s got a sense of humour though that you have to realize may be different than yours. He’s old school. So if you’re easily offended you’re probably better off somewhere else. At this bike shop though, you’ll get the real deal. They will tell you how it is, make recommendations, and save you money when you don’t need to spend it. For instance, I was considering a new bike to fit my style better and they stopped me. Instead, we made a few changes to my existing bike that cost me a hundred dollars or so, (compared to the $ 1500 I was looking at for a new one).
All the staff is friendly, they will all talk to you, not just the guy serving you. I had one of the techs come out the other day when the other guys were busy. He found out what I was looking for and helped me out. I wanted bar ends and he told me he may have to replace my grips also, asked me if I’m ok with that and I said yes. So when I came back a couple hours later fully expecting to pay for new grips as well he told me he was able to leave the existing grips, again saving money.
My advice here is give these guys a go and stop being so serious!

Okay. Are the people at McWhinnies friendly? Yes. Sort of. I find going to McWhinnies is a lot like going to a bar. An old dive bar, where things are told as they are, where opinions are expressed forthright. It’s a place where people tell stories that may or may not have anything to do with buying a bike. But it’s got character, and I like that.
I bought my last two bikes here over the past 12 years or so and it was no surprise that I was going to buy any new bike through them as well. They offer quality bikes and very reasonable prices. Often, you can find new, last year models for a good 40% off, you might not get the colour you want, but really, I don’t care enough about that to pay more.
Now, there are many places where you can find quality bikes in Montréal, in fact, before I started coming to McWhinnies, I used to frequent a place in Verdun called Wolfies (?) but they closed when the owner passed away. I find bike shopping a lot like car shopping, I have found a dealer I’m comfortable with and will always come back to him when I am looking for a new ride.
Another positive is that I know I can go in to McWhinnies with a price point (on just about anything) and they will get me what I need within my range, without pushing me into something more expensive.
I ended up buying myself a sweet new bike, sexy little wicker basket, a quality lock and a noggin protector that will have me riding (safely) into the sunset for a long, long time!