Courteous, helpful staff went over and above the call of duty and standard level of support. My…read moreson's heal plates to his favourite old 21 yo ski boots cracked off. Salomon redesigned their heal plates about 10 years ago. Alex made a detailed list of my son's old ski boot specifications and helped him try on various ski boots. Mike did not think that the heal plates for boots as old as his would be available so he transplanted the back heal plates from another pair of boots of similar size to my son's old ski boots and donated the boots to fix the front heal plates if they break. All work was done within 2 weeks and free of charge. My son's old comfortable ski boots were repaired to our full satisfaction.

Paige and Cameron were awesome! They helped us find new ice skates and answered all our questions…read more It was fast and knowledgeable service.

It had been years since I last stepped foot in an MEC store. The last time I did was in Montreal…read moreperhaps eight years ago. That particular store is long gone. My friend and I stopped by to check it out. She let me know that you no longer need a membership. Yep, I live in a cave. This store is huge. It's two floors of camping gear, bicycles, apparel, snacks, and more. I know many folks who think that MEC is strictly for campers. I have never done any camping in my life. It's not because I don't like nature. It's because I'd get eaten alive by mosquitoes. My bug bites get puffy and extremely itchy. Instead, I can enjoy getting hats and tumblers. We saw a flat flask that we both liked. It would be great in a bag or purse. Is it bad that I was thinking of filling it up with booze instead of water?! It was a bit expensive at roughly $60. Every water bottle that I own does not exceed a third of that price. I like the sling bags at MEC. They are durable, have many zippered compartments, and are comfortable. I still have my red one. This store had more updated styles. If it came in purple, I would have bought one without any hesitation. There were some sales going on. Prices are high to begin with, so if you can get something on sale, do it. I saw a sun sombrero that fit my large skull. I couldn't justify paying $40 for it. I hope that it goes on sale. I like the travel accessories. From charging adapters to mini flashlights, you can get everything here. My friend found a pair of Teva sandals in my size, at a reduced price. I haven't worn this brand in ages. I had just bought two pairs of sandals a couple of days earlier. Had I not, I would have probably bought this pair. Teva has velcro straps on all its sandals. I am into the convenience of velcro on footwear these days. This store had those massive Stanley tumblers that everyone seemed to want earlier this year. I held one in my hand. It was $60. I then put it down, similar to the flat flask. I enjoyed browsing around this store. I can now say that I've been to MEC in Ottawa. Yay! (286)

Store is well stocked unfortunately the staff are either useless, lost or douches. Call the store…read moreto order a bike. Told it will be put aside with our name on it so we can pick it up as we travel through the city. (Passing through on a 900km trip). Arrive at the store and they won't sell the bike to us because it hasn't been "safetied", and the bike tech isn't in until the next day... what a joke. Can we sign a waver, no. Staff refuses to help, and explains that safeties are only done at point of sale not before, because it might sit in the store... We were told we could order the bike and have it shipped to us, but we would have to assemble it. We asked who would "safety" it then? They reply it doesn't need one... so can we just buy the f***ing bike I ordered. Place it full of asshats. Re-routed our trip to pick up on the return and didn't even get the book or tag it was supposed to come with.... But apparently it's been "safetied". If you can avoid these assholes do so.

II brought my Miyata in for a gear adjustment. Service was immediate. The staff were super…read morefriendly and I was on my way in less than an hour, This is the place to go for last minute repairs.The cost was very reasonable. Hightly recommend them.

The Hintonburg location refused to fix a flat on my bicycle because the mechanics do not know how…read moreto work with Shimano nexus internal gears. It should be noted that they sell bikes with Shimano nexus internal gears.

I deal with a fellow named Duncan. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of bikes and cycling, and…read morestrives to procure what I need, usually successfully. (I felt bad for him and for the store when I asked to buy a Specialized Roubaix S-Works, and Specialized told him they'd basically decided not to sell any Roubaix models in Canada this year). Anyway, Duncan knows his stuff. He is also a pretty expert mechanic, and has taken excellent care of my Merlin Road and my Independent Fabrication Crown Jewel. I have recommended friends to Duncan, and they have been just as happy.

Today I received a master class in the opposite of a Fresh Air Experience. I visited the…read moreWellington store this morning and asked the manager in charge whether FAE carried a Canadian Branded bicycle that I was interested in purchasing. The guy went off at me as if I had insulted his mother and began to berate me about wrapping myself in the flag. Setting aside for a moment the shear boorish, un-Canadian rudeness of this remark, it was clear to me that the people at Fresh Air Experience find something deeply offensive about Canadians wishing to purchase products that maximize Canadian materials and labour. The tone-deafness and offensiveness of this remark by someone in retail and the way it was delivered was simply stunning. I left the store without comment. I certainly will not be spending my $4-$5K budget at this store and will be sure to communicate my Fresh Air Experience to my business associates and social circle.

What amazing service and knowledge. We had the best experience there today! The product selection…read moreand value was perfect! Thank you for the great service!

Really useful store when you are looking for less expensive sports gear. I cannot BELIEVE how…read moreexpensive some sports items can be, particularly for little ones who grow out of it all so quickly, and it needs to fit right so the turnover is fast. This place will not only help you find a new size, but also help to sell your old stuff to recoup some of the money! The staff seem to be pretty knowledgeable about the items they sell too, so for those of us who have no clue, that's a welcome bonus.

Trailhead used to be in a really cool rustic looking post and beam building at Scott St and McRae…read moreAve, but that building was torn down to make way for condos (story of my neighbourhood). So it moved to the Fairlawn Plaza which is across the street from Carlingwood Mall. The older building had much more character, and was really fitting for Trailhead, which is an outdoor adventure kind of store, like MEC. Nonetheless the new store is doing well. Admittedly, when I walk into these kinds of stores, I am like a fish out of water. I have zero interest in kayaking, camping or climbing mountains. I like the temperature controlled climates of enclosed shopping malls, museums, theatres, and restaurants (and don't ask me if I want a seat on the patio, because the answer will always be "no." Lol). Actually, I do like the outdoors, but only when the weather is fair (20 degrees Celsius, no precipitation), the sun is setting, and the bugs haven't come out yet. I am not sporty nor outdoorsy. So why the heck do I even go to Trailhead, you ask? Because they have some cute clothes! They have a great selection of prAna jeans (ethically made, sustainable, and organic fabrics) and they have clothes that are great for travel, like they fold up real small and don't wrinkle (brands like FIG from Montreal, and Toad and Co.). Their prices are on the higher side, but they do have sales, although their sales are not as discounted as at Bushtukah or Sail. Nonetheless, I like going in to poke around, but only for clothes because I have no idea what most of the other stuff in there is for ;) Oh, they also sell Canada Goose jackets. These are also of no interest to me, as I try to avoid situations where I have to be outside when it's -30 degrees. Lots of free parking in the plaza.

The person who helped me with the purchase of my cross country skis was Tyler. He was extremely…read moreknowledgeable, and very helpful. He taught me the proper way to use the bindings, and was patient with all of my unending questions. There was never any pressure, just education, and assistance. On another note, I was pleasantly surprised at the price of the skis and bindings. The same brand and style was much less expensive than at their competitor. I can honestly say that the only reason I was in there was because I had a gift card, but I realize now that my bias that they are too expensive has been quashed. their prices for good quality items was very fair.

This review is for the coffee house part of the business…read more.. Popped in here to check out this unusual cycle and coffee shop combo. (I had read a news article that mentioned it, noting you can park your bike inside while you have coffee.) Hubby and I ordered our beverage of choice - staff (and customers at the coffee bar) were friendly and gave their advice. I went and grabbed chairs and chatted with a lady at the front of the store. Capucinno was great - Hot Chocolate was delicious. Very happy with the coffees. Happy with atmosphere...and with staff. Had a lovely visit with a stranger. LIfe is good. Hubby did learn the history of the place, and that they offer spin classes. Here's your challenge: if you go here, ask how they came up with the idea of having a coffee and bike shop. Would I return: Yes. Would I recommend: Yes, I'd recommend for coffee shop. (I'll weigh in on bike shop part if I ever make use of it.)

This is a good place to go if you are a "serious" cyclist/Triathlete. I would not suggest going…read morehere if you would classify yourself as "recreational" I have a very "serious" road bike and I still don't feel like I get very good service here. In fact my bike is even from their shop (although I bought it used). For the "serious" cyclist, they are very knowledgeable and helpful. they have really great bikes in this shops by the likes of Cervelo (think tour de France), which are beautiful, aerodynamic bikes. I believe Cervelo was the first company to do the compact down-bar, which looks really cool. They also have a good selection of Rudy project glasses, and helmets. I use this place mostly because it is convent to Hintonburg if you just need a tube or wheel tape, or generally for parts but not for service ;)- The really neat thing about the shop is that they have a coffee bar in the front (coffee and cycling go together nicely) and you can park your bike INSIDE the shop while your have your coffee (Because if you're riding around on a 3000$ piece of equipment you don't want to leave it outside while you have your espresso. Now Ottawa just needs a shop like this for the recreational cyclist (it will have beer instead of coffee at the front)

During the past years, I have shopped at Sports Check (Barrhaven) about six or seven times. The…read morefirst time I went there, sales staff kept approaching me offering their help. I politely told the salespeople that I was just looking for now. A short time later I heard a manager (possibly the owner) yelling at her staff saying that they had to ask everybody in the store if any help was needed. I must have been approached by three or four salespeople within only a few minutes. It was way overboard and annoying. Getting frustrated, I ended up leaving the store without buying anything. Another time I went to Sports Check wanting to buy a pair of good quality running shoes. Despite trying on numerous different running shoes none of them fit my feet properly and they weren't even comfortable. When shopping at other stores, I always find good fitting shoes without too much difficulty. During my last visit at Sports Check, in the late Fall, I asked a manager about cycling pants. She said, "I show you what I have." The manager brought me over to the area where they display hiking pants. Over the years, I have found that Sports Chek usually doesn't sell what I'm looking for and/or often they don't have my size. Even when they do have my size, the clothes/shoes don't fit properly. I am an average-sized person proportionate to my body shape, height and weight. Also, I have found that staff doesn't know much about the products they are selling.

Needed to get new shoes for the gym. I usually go to Mark's, but I'm hard to fit, and I thought…read moreSport Chek would have a bigger selection. They did. Walls and walls of choices. Fortunately, I was approached/greeted by a staff member who was eager to serve. After trying on a few pairs and explaining what I needed, and the difficulties I usually have shopping for shoes, the manager helped with some more suggestions. The 2 of them narrowed down the choices the perfect shoe for me. I paid for my purchase, and left the store quite satisfied, and enthusiastic about sharing my experience here on Yelp, as well as my family, and friends.