Community support comes full circle

Elmwood

Wolseley

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/01/2025 (442 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two local bike shops are among the best on the prairies, according to a recent national poll.

At the end of 2024, Canadian Cyclist magazine readers voted in the magazine’s 13th annual “best bike shops” poll. Readers selected Bikes & Beyond (227 Henderson Hwy.) and Prairie Velo (967 Wolseley Ave.) as two of the top shops in the Manitoba/Saskatchewan region, with Western Cycle in Regina, Sask., rounding out the top prairie shops.

“What is really great about that is it’s driven by the consumer,” said Brett Zagozewski, owner of Bikes & Beyond. “It means a lot to us because it’s reflective of what our customers and community think of us. It’s truly peoples’ experiences that lead to that recognition.”

“It’s recognition from our customers, that they really care about what we’re doing here,” said Brian Szklarczuk, CEO of Prairie Velo Corp, and co-owner with Suzanne Druwe. “That speaks volumes. It’s recognition that a small shop can be recognized alongside a big, institutional shop, as well as recognizing that inclusivity has a place in the market. It adds a little feather to our cap.”

While Bikes & Beyond has been in business in Elmwood for well over 30 years, Zagozewski took ownership of the shop in the fall of 2022. However, he was no stranger to the business.

“During the 1990s up to early 2000s, when we were at our smaller shop on the corner, I worked there throughout high school and university. The former owner and myself remained tight over the years,” Zagozewski said. “We had a work relationship, and we were friends. My family and I were living in Alberta, we moved back here, and spent a couple years working in the store before we bought it, so there was a really smooth transition.”

Along with offering a full store full of new bikes, parts, and other gear, Bikes & Beyond also deals in cross-country ski and winter wear, and offers skate sharpening. It also features a Shimano certified service shop.

“We take care of peoples’ bicycle needs,” Zagozewski said. “We try to work with our customers to make sure their new bike or their older bikes are taken care of.”

Meanwhile, Prairie Velo began as a bike tour outfit in 2018 before opening a shop in Wolseley in 2022.

“Our mantra is ‘cycling for every body,’” Szklarczuk said (the separation between the words is deliberate). “We really try to address everyone’s needs and doing it in a way that’s very intimate, very much a European style approach. There’s a place for the big shops, but there’s also a place for the little shops, where you really get to know your customers and can offer value for that money, too.”

While Prairie Velo’s storefront is modest, it also offers a variety of bikes, ebikes, a service centre, and more.

“Folks will see a smaller bike shop with a great selection,” Szklarczuk said. “But we also have our high-end walking aid business, which we distribute out of our location here, as well as our specialty adaptive bikes. So we can wear three hats here.”

For both Bikes & Beyond and Prairie Velo, support from the community comes from supporting community.

“We’ve been in the community for over 30 years. Our business has grown with this community, so we try to put a lot back into it,” Zagozewski said. “We want the residents to feel welcome stopping in, whether they need bicycle service or not.”

“The award, ultimately, is about credibility and support from our customers, which was a real surprise,” Szklarczuk said. “We can be different and folks appreciate it.”