Cyclemania has taken Montreal over: with its 2,000 kilometres of bike lanes and paths, the city finds itself in many Top 10 lists for cycling in North America. Not surprisingly, a number of specialized boutiques have been popping up throughout the city to meet the demand.
“There are lots of bike shops in Montreal nowadays, it’s more competitive than before,” says Owen Eastmond, owner of Lachine’s Rossi Bicyclettes et Skis. “In this context, quality customer service becomes paramount. So in addition to our expert know-how on bike repair and maintenance, we make it a point of honour to go above and beyond for our customers.” The entrepreneur, who has been involved in the world of cycling since his youth, can invoke his team’s expertise with confidence: the store has been in operation since the 1980s, which gives it a mythical level of experience as far as Montreal shops go. “I was a bike racer my whole life; I raced here, in the States and in South America. Bikes hold no secrets for us,” Owen says.