Power to the People who Power Themselves

Welcome to Urbane Cyclist!  We are a worker cooperative bicycle shop dedicated to servicing people like ourselves – daily commuters – the non-lingo, plain talking individuals who use their bikes to get around.

Commuters and couriers form our core clientele, and we build and service the Toronto Police bikes as well as other City of Toronto departments.  We are also extremely popular among recumbent riders, touring cyclists, users of folding bikes and builders of alternative bikes and trailers.

Our History

We opened our doors on March 30, 1997 and since then Urbane has grown leaps and bounds to become one of the most cycle friendly hubs in downtown Toronto.  We started out as a repair shop and expanded into bikes and accessories.  Now we carry many leading brands and even design our own line of bicycles.   

Lasting Power

As commuters first, durability, serviceability, and functionality and have always been our main concern.  We assemble our own Urbanite bicycles with these principles in mind.  Bike shops dedicated to the recreational rider often chase trends, selling low end parts and accessories that feed into today’s throwaway culture.  Our repairs are always done with quality parts, because many of our customers ride daily, all winter long through snow and salt. 

People Power

Urbane Cyclist supports all pedal powered cycling and our shop services all kinds of bicycles.  Our shop is open to special needs people so they are able to enjoy the benefits of cycling; we even repair flat tires on wheelchairs!  If you’re walking, running, skateboarding, roller-blading, or taking public transit you, along with us, are part of a larger alternative transportation movement that challenges the supremacy of cars and other fossil fueled vehicles.  This is something we strongly believe in.

Cooperative Philosophy

Urbane Cyclist is a worker cooperative.  Each worker member is part owner, and all major decisions are made in a collective, non-hierarchical process.  Worker cooperatives support workers' livelihoods: a very different approach from the corporate focus on the bottom line.  Co-ops aim to serve the needs of a community with integrity and a vision towards social justice and genuine alternatives to corporate culture and values. If you are already a part of a worker co-op, or are interested in the idea, feel free to contact us. Co-operatives working together, supporting each other in our work is a natural extension of the co-op spirit.

For more information on CO-OPs, see the Ontario's Workers CO-OP page , and the Wikipedia Entry.