UPDATE: Sadly, Elfsar's storefront closed in May of 2010, they've now been added to the RIP file - you can still visit their website for info.

I have a confession. I've developed a new little vice: I think I'm becoming a comic book nerd! I never really read a lot of comics growing up, other than the odd Archie comic, and though I knew graphic novels had been becoming more popular, I never really jumped on that bandwagon either. I read Persepolis, and really enjoyed it, but what really got me hooked is the comic book Proof.

Location

I started hunting for a new bike a couple months ago I went to a bunch of shops around town over the course of a few days and test drove a whole bunch of different styles of bikes to see if the style I thought I wanted, a cruiser, actually felt like it was going to fit my needs. I arbitrarily decided to start with the furthest shops out and work my way towards my neighbourhood, and I found a few that were okay, but wasn't really falling in love with anything. Plus, a lot of the shops were either so busy I could hardly get anyone to hook me up with a test drive, or the sales people would peddle bikes to me in a really insincere way, obviously just trying to make a sale as quickly as possible.

I pressed on, and finally ended up at the Denman Bike Shop, which is right in my neighbourhood, only to find that it was where I really should've started my hunt! They specialize in cruisers (though they do sell other styles as well), and have a great selection of bikes ranging from the practical to totally decked out one-speeds for leisurely riding and lots of attention. They have a huge selection of Electra bikes, who make a couple of the models I wanted to test out, which is how I ended up spending a good chunk of my afternoon there trying out bikes.

One of the mechanics there (whose name I didn't catch - update: been informed his name is Brad!) as well as Paul (I think that's his name...?) who helped me with test driving bikes and hooking me up with accessories, etc. were both extremely helpful answering my incessant questions and patiently helped me out test driving a whole bunch of their bikes. Both really knowledgable and from what I could tell, very used to people coming in and milling around looking at the bikes and taking their sweet time!

I ended up with a bike that I'm really happy with, and when I needed some help adjusting it a couple weeks later, they were really great with helping me out and genuinely wanted me to love my bike. It felt more like I was stopping by an old friend's place than a store in a big city. They've consistently ended up on the WestEnder's reader's choice list of top bike shops, and come by it honestly.

If you're looking for a new bike or just want to gawk at the pretty cruisers, be sure to make your way down to the West End and pay them a visit!

Location

Jenn sent me an email a while back (I think she found my blog through HappyFrog.ca), telling me about her shop, and I finally made it over there last weekend to check it out and snap some photos! She was super friendly and we ended up chatting for quite a while--be sure to introduce yourself if you stop by and she's there!

The shop itself is not new, but Jenn took over from the previous owner only a couple months ago, and has been working on making it more eco-friendly bit by bit as she goes along. She is covering all the bases, from buying directly from plant growers to decrease how much the plants are transported back and forth, to buying free trade and certified products whenever possible, to using green cleaning products. On top of that, they buy carbon offsets and compost their plant waste! Read more about Pollination's environmental practices here.

Location