Keeping the wheels in motion in Belleisle
Physical, environmental benefits embraced by bike enthusiasts
Doug Brown has been fixing bicycles since 1981. As a University of Toronto student, Brown took a part-time job in a bike shop, and while he has had numerous careers since then – baker, home support worker and sales representative – cycling and repairing bikes has remained a constant fixture in his life.
“I’ve never gone a long time without fixing somebody’s bike,” Brown says. “Even when I was working other jobs, I fixed bikes for friends.”
In 1996, Brown opened Oakhaven Bike Barn in Belleisle, where he repairs, reconditions and sells used bikes, serving customers from as far away as Aylesford and Clare.
June 3 is World Bicycling Day, an observance to raise awareness of the environmental benefits of cycling, as well as the health and fitness benefits to cyclists. Brown not only fixes and sells bikes but is also a major promoter of bicycling in the region. Several years ago, he encouraged Annapolis County to partner with the route planning app Ride With GPS.
“I’m an avid cyclist and I know the area, so I uploaded a number of cycling routes,” Brown says.
Using the mobile app, riders can monitor their distance, speed and even their heart rate. They can create trip reports and recommend the route to others.
There are more than 20 safe and scenic routes that can be downloaded on the county’s website and they have become popular both with local cyclists and the growing number of cycling tourists who visit the region. The concept has proven so successful that the website now includes links to hiking, paddling and ATV routes.
One of the biggest trends in bicycling has undoubtedly been the electric bike. While it was once considered a niche luxury item, the e-bike has become an integral mode of transportation and recreation.
“Older cyclists are getting e-bikes so they can keep cycling the same distances they are used to without being exhausted,” Brown says. “It gives riders a sense of security in that they have help if they need to accelerate quickly.”
Fat bikes have been another major trend in the industry in recent years. Fat bikes are offroad bikes that use oversized tires with low air pressure to allow riding on soft terrain, including snow, sand and mud.
The pandemic had an impact on most business sectors and none more so than the bicycle industry. The demand for bikes skyrocketed in large urban centres as many people were loathe to use public transit, while at the same time supply chains were disrupted and factories that made parts could not find employees.
“Most of the product that was available was going to large stores in urban centres but even the big stores were struggling,” Brown recalls. “There was a huge shortage of parts for everybody.”
Brown still rides a Colnago Road bike that he bought in 1981. Keeping old bikes on the road is good for the environment, Brown points out, and good for the health and fitness of riders.
“I’m semi-retired, but I’ve kept this going simply because I enjoy doing it.”