Racer Sport is located in the High Park area on Bloor St West (with a second location in Oakville) and caters to competitive road cyclists and triathletes, as well as road cycling enthusiasts.

Racer Sportif says “don’t be shy, get involved”

I met with Dennis, one of the owners of Racer Sportif, in the early morning last week. Compared to Sweet Pete’s and La Bicicletta, Racer Sportif was small in size, but don’t let that be an indication of what the shop can offer you. Dennis, is a proud man and after 31 years on Bloor St West (25 years in the current location) he knows the ins-and-outs of road cycling.

He told me that most of his clientele are competitive cyclists (tri, duo, or road), and those that cycle 12 months of the year (not in the winter snow, but the cyclists that go south for cycling camps and training, winter vacations I dream of). But what I found that really makes Racer Sportif tick is what it does on the road with its fellow riders.

Glossing over the details of the shop (clothing, bike, brands etc) we spent most the interview talking about what the shop does for the community- endless number of charity rides for local hospital and causes, as well as the Racer Sportif road cycling group and team. This is where I got excited and really giggly. Racer Sportif has cycling group that you can join for $150 (which includes a jersey, shorts, and a vest) and they host various different rides throughout the week … AND..wait for it… Racer Sportif  has a women’s specific group ride on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings!

I enquired further about these women only rides because I haven’t been able to find anything like this yet in TO (maybe there are more out there, but I haven’t been able to find any).  Dennis actually ran upstairs to show me his “women’s specific” Racer Sportif jersey that’s included in the sign-up fee (it’s pink argyle and really cute!). He further explained that in the past 2 years the women’s group went from 1-2 riders to 20, many of which don’t compete, but do it for the great workout and fun of it. Many of these women also go out on the Sunday group ride and some of them can really give the men a run for their money on the course. Woot!

Women’s Cycling Apparel and Gear

Racer Sportif offers more “exotic” bikes, so you won’t find Trek, Specialized, or Giant in this shop. Dennis said that he can start a beginner on a bike for around $1000 and then after that the sky is the limit for what you can spend on a bike. Dennis doesn’t think highly of “women specific bikes”, telling me that Racer Sportif uses a Bike Fit Kit, which in his opinion, is the best way to ensure that your bike is right for you.

For cycling clothing, it’s a small selection of mainly Assos brand, nice stuff, but Assos can be expensive (like everything in the cycling world.. it’s an investment). They have women’s cycling shoes in SIDI, Pearl Iszumi, and Adidas.

Overall, I found Racer Sportif to be a very different type of shop, one that was proud of it’s road cycling heritage, the community and the cyclists they serve. Dennis’s final words for a newbie road cyclist really summed up the interview for me, his advice was, “Don’t be shy, if you’re new to cycling, get out there, ask questions and get involved. That’s the only way you’re going to make the best of this sport.”

Check out Racer Sportif – www.racersportif.com

2214 Bloor St W
Toronto, ON M6P
(416) 769-5731