Vélo Oliver

I had 2 very different experiences here. The first time I went for some summer repairs-new cables, new bottom bracket, check and inflate tires, tune up, etc. The younger son helped me in English as my technical bike French isn't great. The prices were fair and the service decent. No complaints there! About a month later I have a flat-no exterior punctures, so i'm thinking it was a slow leaking pinch flat from when I had my tires put back on the last time. This time the father helped me and I did my best to explain the situation in French. He told me that whatever the cause it's 14$ for a flat (total came to 17.25$) and that their work is never guaranteed otherwise they'd go bankrupt. I was a bit taken aback by his attitude but I needed my flat fixed anyway. He then proceeded, totally unsolicited, to lecture me on how flats work, how air pressure and temperature work and how I must have hit a pothole. He treated my like a dumb girl who obviously doesn't know what she's doing...He said I must have a problem, why am I acting this way? and he really did a good job on trying to make me feel bad-all the while I'm paying him for a service! He then started asking me about my nationality and where I'm from-does that make a difference in how you serve me? I wasn't yelling, I wasn't complaining, I just wanted to check my flat and have it repaired. I really wanted to support this local bike shop but I can't say I recommend it, particularly if you're a woman. The service was way too inconsistent.
9 years ago (03-06-2017)

Super cool guy, he fixed my bike for free (all I needed was a bolt) and told me to come back when I need something more expensive.
9 years ago (30-05-2017)

I went to Velo Oliver with an issue regarding a reoccurring flat (the tube would puncture after 30 seconds of riding and i went through almost 5 flats) and Rudolfo suggested it was probably an issue with my tire. he said it'd be best for me to just buy a new tire and try that out. anyway, he grabbed a tire off the shelf, put it on, and i paid and left. he certainly solved my problem, so i was pretty happy about that, but when i got home i realized he put the wrong size tire on my bike. my tires were both 32's, and he'd replaced my tire with a 38, so i went back to the store to explain to him the mix-up. i made sure to be friendly and calm, since i still appreciated him fixing my initial problem. anyway, his response was hostile, aggressive, and rude. he basically said it didn't make a difference, then ignored me and started conversations with other clients, and he ended the exchange by literally laughing me out of the store. I'm going to be as fair as possible about my negative experience, since i don't love writing bad reviews, so i guess the 3 things you can take away from this anecdote are: 1) Rodolfo did a pretty good job diagnosing the problem i was having. 2) he didn't demonstrate great attention to detail since he replaced a tire with a way larger size. 3) the customer service is the worst I've experienced at a bike shop. I sorta expect a bike shop to be able to do all of the above three, so Velo Oliver is certainly not going to be my "Friendly Local Bike shop". There are a lot of options in the area, so i advise you keep pedaling.
10 years ago (15-04-2016)

new bike shop that opened last summer in petite patrie on bélanger east of christophe-colomb which is a godsend for me as the closest bike shop for me is probably dumoulin. the shop itself is pretty tiny and carries a bunch of very inexpensive accessories as well as some used bikes as well as many fixies and other bikes. like many shops, there's a repair area in the back where the owner takes care of your bike in no time. i went here because i got a nasty flat on labor day and was looking for a manageable bike shop where i could go after work and get there in time before they closed for the day as i can't take my bike in the metro during rush hour. so that's why i came to vélo oliver and he changed my flat in 15 minutes. while he took care of my bike, i got enough time to hit the little bio grocery store nearby. as my bike was ready, he asked me about the flat and who changed the tube. turns out, my previous flat, whoever repair it put in the wrong tube (tube was too small for my bike's tires therefore it was bound to explode especially left in the scorching heat) anyway, repair was fast, service was great. price wise, very inexpensive. great and very friendly owner and i'm very happy there's a bike shop not too far away. obviously, they are closed during the winter season but re-open starting spring to end of fall
10 years ago (12-09-2016)

It's the best and most friendly local bike shop in the city, very family oriented, hard working and they remember your first name. I will continue to support local Velo Oliver over any other big market bike shop.
10 years ago (17-08-2016)