Form Hobby to Career, This Toronto Bike Shop Gets Wheels Turning
Angelo Haramis always had a passion for bikes, but it wasn’t until he closed his business in the tool and die industry and had time to learn about bike maintenance and repair that he considered turning his hobby into a viable career. “I was building bikes up in my shed,” Angelo remembers of that time. “I was finding bikes and frames online, buying parts, building them up and selling them.” After honing his skills over a few years, Angelo set his sights on opening a shop on the bustling Bloorcourt strip. “I would drive down to this area and I would see the bikes all over the balconies and locked up on the street,” he says. “I always used to say to myself ‘this would be a great area to open up a bike shop.’”
Toronto Bike Repair started up in November 2014 on Bloor at Dovercourt, just as Torontonians were packing their bikes away for the winter. It was puzzling timing for some but a purposeful move on Angelo’s part. “I figured I’ll ease into spring and learn about the business.” This winter period gave him the opportunity to settle into the neighbourhood and understand his customers' needs. “When I first opened up I was selling higher-end bikes but slowly, as time went by, I saw that people wanted the old vintage bikes,” he recalls. Toronto Bike Repair has since become a Bloorcourt destination for lovingly restored yet affordable vintage bikes.