Bateman's Bicycle Company expanded from their original Barton St. shop in 2012 to this 2,000 sq. ft.location that used to be home to Bathurst Cycle. "We cater to all rider types from regular commuters to competitive cyclists," says Josh, the shop's Assistant Manager. In just a few minutes of chatting with staff, I've seen a rider in office attire, a young family of three, and a cleated 'spandexer' walk in.

Bateman's takes pride in promoting and selling Canadian bike brands. Top names include Norco, Linus, KHS, Rocky Mountain and Brodie. "We like to keep things local when we can, since Canadian companies have supported us in big ways so we choose to support them," says Rob Bateman, owner We have local sales reps in our store on a weekly basis, and they're also involved in the grassroots scene. I've also found Canadian consumers like to purchase Canadian bikes."

Hybrids can start from the low $350's up to $5.5K."You can get a fully accessorized bike for about $750 - $800," says Colin, informative bike mechanic par excellence. "We also get a few custom-made orders online, which keeps the work interesting when mixed in with random walk-in's." I notice the Linus brand stand out, especially in a row of lifestyle bikes with suitably retro pastel hues reminiscent of homemade ice cream and helmet-less breezy pedalling.

A basic $50 tune up here includes gear and brake checks, minor bearing tweaks, lube of chains/external pivot points and install of basic parts. A $35 tune up with the same service is offered to single-speed bikes. Folks tend to take advantage of Bateman's $25 March tune up promo, so that's worth noting for next year.

Cycling accessories include brand names such as Bern, Lazer, Bell and Garneau. They carry commonly sought-after parts (tires, tubes, fenders, brakes, cables etc.), which are available online as well. The middle-right section of the store is devoted to mountain bikes, something Rob is passionate about as a competitive rider himself, "Competitive riding keeps me sharp both personally and technically. It keeps me up-to-date on all the new bikes and what's going on in the competitive cycling world. It also allows the store to sell higher end bikes, and we actually use them. It's a great community thing and I love bikes, racing them is just another avenue to get involved."

Bateman's also boasts a thriving rental service for all cycling occasions where you can rent a hybrid or a Linus Lifestyle bike for $20 an hour or a mountain bike for $100 per special event/race. See full rental details. They also offer guided inner city mountain bike tours, ideal for avid mountaineers wanting to cover intermediate to advanced tracks with a serious group of experts.

THE SKINNY

Who the store caters to: commuters, urban riders, mountain bikers, competitive riders, students, families

Bike price range: $350 - $5,500; within $750 for fully accessorized bikes

Service options: Full service shop, with several tune up packages and specific basic services including: Flat: $17.70; Wheel truing: $20 (each); Bike boxing (if you ever have to travel with or ship your bike): $35 and Brake (hydraulics) bleeding: $25 per brake. Booked appointments tend to get faster turnaround (usually within a day or less after drop off)

Tune up: Tiered packages available from Basic (per above) at $50 (or $35 for single-speed); Advanced (Basic + detailed drive train work, install of replacement components) at $80; to Premium (Advanced + repacking of all adjustable bearing components, install of all replacement parts including jagwire, pads, housing and cables) at $150.

Writing by Autom Tagsa

Photos by Jesse Milns