Graham Pye couldn’t have been more surprised to find his bike shop, Bike Bros., topping the 2013 list of Canadian Cyclist Best Bike Shops.
“I found out secondhand,” said Pye, who first opened the shop in Calgary in 2003. “I wasn’t expecting this.”
The list, which was released early this month, includes 16 Canadian shops that have been broken down into region. In addition to Bike Bros., Edmonton’s Pedalhead Road Works was honored under the Alberta umbrella.
According to the Canadian Cyclist media release, the top-ranked shops had two characteristics in common: excellent customer service and a passion for cycling. More than 3,950 ballots were cast by shop customers and Canadian Cyclist readers.
Pye has logged many years in a bicycle seat over the years, eventually landing himself a job in a bike shop in the mid-80s. At the time, he was 15 years old.
“My obsession with bikes made me leave my engineering job,” Pye remarked. “It was such a strong feeling.”
And he never looked back. Bike Bros. made the move to Cochrane in 2006 with the goal of becoming a bike-shopping destination for cyclists in Southern Alberta. Now, Pye has a staff of five — each passionate about cycling and dedicated to providing top-notch customer service.
Most of Bike Bros.’s customer base is driven by word of mouth, explained Pye. Customers include a number of cyclists from Cochrane and the outlying areas of Calgary and the Bow Valley, along with those from as far away as Winnipeg, Man.
“We take this as a sign of our customers enjoying their experience at our shop,” he said. “What we’re doing is connecting with people.”
And now he’ll have a certificate from Canadian Cyclist to display on the walls of his shop.
“This recognition is appreciated but it doesn’t change anything for us,” he said. “We need to look at what we do and keep on doing it, along with challenging ourselves to provide the best service possible.”
For more information on Bike Bros. and the products the store offers, please visit bikebros.ca.
