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. read more

Only got prices of parts and the employee there was able to asisst me with prices sounds like solid people

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

We turned up 5minutes before they close on Sunday to be told very abruptly they wanted to go home, we were going to spend probably $700 in there for two bkes, very rude service obviously don't give a toss about customers, I've been in the hospitality industry for 35 years and never treated a customer like that, I will never go back and recommend not to go there, can't believe they are still in business treating people like that! read more

We were warmly welcomed. These guys are very knowledgable and friendly. We will definitely go back again and again. They have everything right there in the coolest space! I was reading the other reviews. That guy who said he used to be in hospitality but shows up a few mins before closing on a Sunday and complains when they told we are about to close and eager to get home after a long day of helping people is ridiculous. Don't listen to him. Be sure to give yourself some time to poke around and really take this place in. They have so much to offer, quite a lot to see. Have some fun. These guys are a blast! read more

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. read more

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 cafe that the city has. On a non-bike related note: don't go to the cat cafe! 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. read more

This is the best place in Guelph to get a used or inexpensive bike. I bought a KHS road bike, it is a basic road bike, but I think it is good value for a beginner like myself The staff are helpful and will make adjustments for a year after the bike is purchased. I have taken it back twice to have the cables checked. Once they did it on the spot and the other time I took it in at lunch and it was ready after work. Also the shop is a bit of a bike museum read more

Worst experience ever at a bike shop! I purchased a used wheel from Backpeddling earlier this spring. It was a fairly expensive one ($100 for a campy hub and older mavic rim). I rode on it for about 2 weeks in Toronto (I work in the city and ride from Union station to my office). While riding along King St. during rush hour, the wheel suddenly "tacoed" (http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/dictionary/taco/) and I crashed. Needless to say I was shocked and injured -- though it could have been much worse (if I was close to the streetcar tracks and a tram was right behind me for example). I went back to the shop with the damaged wheel and explained what happened to the owner. I asked if he could compensate me for the damaged wheel. His reply was immediately no. He said he wouldn't compensate me and told me (after explaining he'd been in 'the business' for a long time) that what I claimed happened was impossible. I was shocked by this response. I asked him if it was possible if the wheel was not trued properly. He said no. I said I should have a reasonable expectation that a product he sold wouldn't be defective...despite being used. Again his reply was he wouldn't do anything for me. So it was a $100 lesson for me...maybe buy a brand new wheel in the future...and DEFINITELY don't ever deal with Backpeddling again. (if I could give less than a 1-star rating I would) read more

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. read more

I had been told these people at Backpeddling were good at what they did, and so I was bringing my trike in to them for servicing for a few years, but now I will not do so ever again; when I took it in recently to be dismantled so I could paint it (then re-assembled) it came back with the back brake not working (as in "failing entirely to stop the trike"). I had also been told beforehand that the bike parts would receive a lube job. This did not happen as promised. When I brought it back in to have the brake thing made right, all they pretty much did was fiddle about and wring their hands and scratch their heads. (So much for being able to "service bikes of every year, model and make") and the owner also verbally insulted me in the process. This after I shelled out $250 for these "services". I was thinking of buying a new trike ( $800+) but it won't be from Backpeddling, that's for damn sure, and I will never darken their doorway with my business ever again. read more