Cycle shop has become something of a local legend

By Howard Pressburger

Finally, there is some good weather, and I’m walking home from the gym, and I run into Aaron Enchin outside his store, Curbside Cycle. We stand in the sunshine, a warm breeze blowing, and have a friendly chat. And Aaron points across the street at the Brunswick House and tells me that’s where his business started.

Back in the early ’90s, Don Watterson, Aaron’s step-father, had a vision, and not the kind that was a result of his participation in the ’60s. It was a realization that there was a void in practical cycling. Most people hadn’t ridden a bicycle since childhood; they may have owned a bicycle, but it was tucked away in the back of the garage or rusting out in the backyard.

Don set up a tent beside the Brunswick House and offered his service as a bike mechanic, trying to get those machines back on the road, not just for recreation, but as a useful mode of transportation. 

I’m not sure if it was because of Don’s radical notion of a bicycle as a legal, effective, and environmentally friendly method of commuting, or that he was operating an unlicensed business on a street corner, but after a few run-ins with “the man,” Don moved his business, Curbside Bicycle Repair, into the storefront at 402 Bloor St. A couple of years later he moved the business to its present location at 412 Bloor St., the former home of Weller Publishing. 

Fast forward a decade and Curbside Cycle is no longer just doing repairs, but also trying to outfit folks with easy-to-ride bicycles. This isn’t as simple you might think, because at that time, most bicycles in North America were either road bikes (think Tour de France), or trail bikes, designed to be used off-road. Neither of these styles were ideal for Don’s vision to get people commuting with ease, and maybe a little bit of style. 

This all changed when Curbside began to import bicycles from Europe. The first brands to arrive were Kronan from Sweden and Pashley from the U.K. These bikes were made for daily errands, family outings, or commuting to work. They are sturdy, comfortable to ride, easy to get on and off, and allow the rider to sit straight up, no longer having to lean forward in an aggressive riding style. Some are step-through, so the rider can wear a suit or skirt or casual clothes, without the worry of getting dirty or tangled up or being uncomfortable. These bikes encapsulated Don’s point of view, that cycling should be just a normal mode of transportation. 

The European bicycle business grew and grew, so much so, that Don and company opened an importing and distribution arm. A venture not without risks, but one that may have meant to be due to their building’s infrastructure left behind by Weller Publishing. The two upper floors had been modified to carry heavy loads like printing presses and tons of paper, and there’s an external lift crane which makes receiving, storing, and shipping dozens and dozens of bikes pretty easy.

Don passed away suddenly in 2017, but before he died, he introduced us to one more innovation: cargo bikes. You might recognize these two-wheelers with their low centre of gravity and large box in front. Adopted early by major courier companies for downtown deliveries, they have now become a viable alternative to owning a car for urban families. With their safe, sleek design, ample room for kids, dogs, and groceries, Aaron has a hard time keeping up with the demand, even with some models having a five-figure price tag.

This year Curbside celebrates its 35th anniversary, and it is still on the leading edge of practical cycling. Aaron modestly refers to Curbside as a family-friendly neighbourhood  bike shop, but the scope of their impact is evident. There have been a number of spin-offs lead by former employees including Bikes on Wheels in Kensington Market, Bateman’s, which just recently moved from its location on Bathurst between Bloor and Dupont, and Pedaal on Harbord street, which is a café and bike store all rolled into one. 

Curbside is a store that takes its role in the community seriously, but warmly, and with a wry smile.

Before I part ways with Aaron, I ask about his take on the politics associated with cycling in this city. There’s no denying that Don was very involved in getting the Bloor street bike lanes created, and through the years, Curbside has supported various initiatives to get cycling normalized as just another form of transportation. But as Aaron puts it, “Sometimes a bicycle, is just a bicycle,” and I’m good with that. 

Howard Pressburger is manager of Wiener’s Home Hardware, the beloved and essential retail institution established in 1922.

READ MORE BY HOWARD PRESSBURGER:

• LIFE: At Knifewear it cuts both ways (May 2026)
• LIFE: A tale of two bookstores (Apr. 2026)
• LIFE: Coffee two ways (Feb. 2026)
• NEW IN BUSINESS: Clothing options on Bloor for the fashion conscious (Dec. 2025)
• NEW IN BUSINESS: Delightfully Turkish (Sept. 2025)