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February 2022: Local Bike Trails at Risk! Your Help is Needed!

The City is threatening to make singletrack trails in Edmonton illegal (again...). They are holding consultation sessions this month about new river valley policies. Please consider going to one of these online sessions or doing their survey. Letters to the Mayor and Council wouldn’t hurt either.

The Details

  • The City is updating policies related to the river valley and ravine system, which will impact our amazing network of singletrack.  
  • The new policies will determine what activities and amenities are allowed in different areas (called ‘river valley reaches’ in the City’s documentation) - including mountain biking and mountain bike trails. 
  • The proposed policies would make the vast majority of the river valley and ravines ‘preservation areas’. Only foot traffic would be allowed in these areas - not cyclists. It seems like new bike trails wouldn’t be allowed and that any existing trails could no longer be used for biking. 
  • This would mean that some of your favourite trails like Six Shooter, the Trap, Go Trail, Root Canal, West Coast Trail and many others would become illegal. It would also mean that local clubs and groups would no longer have the City’s permission to maintain trails in preservation areas. 
  • Those of you who have been around long enough will remember that singletrack was illegal in the late 90s. We thought we were past that, but evidently not. Ironically these new policies come at a time when access to trails close to home is more important than ever, and as interest in mountain biking just keeps growing. 

Here's What You Can Do

Public consultation sessions: The City is hosting two public consultation events in the next two weeks. If you can, please sign up for one of the two online workshops. They are happening Feb 7 (afternoon) and Feb 8 (evening). There is already a waitlist for the Feb 8 session! (Maybe the City should add more sessions?)

City survey: You can fill out the City’s survey, but know it doesn’t give you an opportunity to review the details related to where singletrack trails will and will not be allowed in the future. You''ll still be able to share your thoughts though. 

Write to your councillor: A letter or email to your local council member wouldn’t hurt either. Maybe tell them how important mountain biking and singletrack trails are to you, your family and your community, and that more consultation and more details are needed (now not later) about the future of Edmonton’s trail network. Find your councillor here. 

Find Out More

City of Edmonton Information: You can find maps and information about the ‘Ribbon of Green’ on the City’s website. Their maps don’t show any singletrack trails though. (Be ready to compare with Trailforks and/or Strava). They mention bike trails very briefly in page 9 of their Project FAQs. 

Edmonton Mountain Bike Alliance: EMBA has more information about what’s happening on its website. 

January 2022: (Re)Introductions

2022 will be our 33rd year in business. Some of us have been around since the early days, and others joined us just last year. No matter, everyone is a key part of the shop, and what we all have in common is a love of bikes and a love of helping other people love bikes too. You can find out a little more about each of us (including what bikes we ride, if you're curious), under 'About'.


December 2021: Buffalo Bicycles - A tool for change

Reliable transportation has the power to transform lives, but it can be hard to come by in developing countries. Buffalo Bicycles help fix this problem by providing a durable, reliable, and easy to repair solution!

Because they’re so sturdy, they withstand the rugged rural conditions where they’ll be used, empowering people to attend school, grow businesses, and get healthcare.


November 2021: 2022 Pre-Order FAQ

As cyclists during the COVID-19 pandemic we were all fortunate to still be able to do the sport we love. The increase in popularity of cycling has, however, meant a huge increase in the demand for bikes. That combined with continuing disruption of bike manufacturing and shipping capacity shortages meant there are ongoing delays and shortages. Lead times on new orders have grown some as long as 18 months.

We have large orders of bikes coming from Trek, Marin, Yeti, Ibis, BMC and Frog so we still have great options available to pre-order despite the challenges.

How to Order

Get in touch by phone or email and we can let you know on availability and pricing.

How Accurate are ETA's

Due to delivery disruptions we have seen delays in ETA's so we can't guarantee them. We will do our best to let you know about delays.

How Much of a Deposit do I Have to Put Down? Is it Refundable?

Depending on the lead time we ask for a 10% to 50% deposit. We ask for this deposit by e-transfer, debit or cash so that we can easily, and without fees, refund you should you change your mind. The exception is on custom bike orders like Yeti where we are ordering a specific build for you. Then that order is non-refundable. 

Will the Price, Spec and Colour of my Bike Order be the Same as What I Ordered?

With long lead times on bikes as well as parts shortages we have experienced price increases from our vendors. We have also seen colour or spec changes. If that happens we will let you know and you will have the option to cancel the order for a full refund. 

August 2021: Our Post-July 1st Covid Measures

First off a big thanks to our customers for the support during the last 15 months of Covid measures. Despite line ups and bike shortages everyone was great and we are thankful for that. 

As of July 1st the provincial and municipal governments removed many of the Covid restrictions in public spaces including retail. Our plan is to continue with our current Covid measures until August 1st. That's when our entire staff has been fully vaccinated. As an employer we have a responsibility to protect the health and safety of our staff as well as that of our customers.

  • We will continue to use the rear entrance only
  • Masks are mandatory for staff and customers
  • We will continue with increased hygiene measures
  • The number of customers in the store will be limited

We know everyone has Covid fatigue and we appreciate your patience and understanding for just a little longer.

If you are unable to wear a mask please check out our online store, contact us by email or phone and we are happy to provide curbside service. 


February 2021: Love Your Bike


Once again, February is "Love Your Bike" Month here at Hardcore Bikes. We will be offering discounts on our service packages to get your bike ready for Spring riding. As we often point out, a clean well-adjusted bike is a happy bike. Also, by getting your ride working great in February you will beat the Spring rush. 

Last season we saw wait times for service at all bike shops grow to over a month due to the COVID bike boom. This can be frustrating for customers who, like us, love to ride. This year will likely be similar so don't wait until the snow melts; by then we will be very busy again. And don't worry if the service needs to be done in March due to scheduling or parts on order; as long as you book your bike in in the month of February you will get the discounted price.

Be out riding instead of waiting when the snow melts with these great service deals:

  • Professional Tune Up: $109.99. Love Your Bike Price: $99.99
  • Major Tune Up: $179.99. Love Your Bike Price: $169.99
  • Major Plus Tune Up: $259.99. Love Your Bike Price: $234.99
  • Hardcore Overhaul: $499.99.  Love Your Bike Price: $449.99

For what the above service packages include go here.

Drop us an email or just drop by with your bike and we'll take care of the rest.

And don't forget we have a great selection of parts and accessories just in case you'd like to get something nice for your bike this Valentine's Day.

Happy 2021

January 2021

Happy New Year to you from all of us at Hardcore Bikes. 2021 is shaping up to be much better than last year with light at the end of the Covid tunnel. As cyclists we were fortunate to be able to still take part in our favourite pastime despite the health restrictions we experienced last year and still are under this year. 

Here at the Shop in January we are hard at work improving our physical plant and procedures and adding staff to better serve our customers. We are increasing our service capacity, adding new faces to the sales floor, upgrading our equipment and generally preparing to be ready for what is likely to be another unusually busy year.

If you bought a bike from us last year, don't forget to bring it in for its complimentary tune up if you haven't already. We strongly recommend not waiting until Spring for that as wait times for service are likely going to get very long then. If you are wondering how busy our service department is an easy way is to look out the window. If there is snow on the ground you're still good. If the snow has melted we will be extremely busy. In all seriousness though, we'd be happy to tune up your bike. Click Here to get in touch. 

Don't Wait

November 26, 2020

If you are considering a bike for next year of any type be it road, commuter, mountain, fat, e-bike, etc. now is the time to start looking. Even if you buy a bike from another shop, we can't stress enough how all bike brands are looking at shortages and long lead times. To avoid disappointment come Spring, we recommend you begin your search sooner rather than later. We still have good options on many types of bikes but we can see how that window is rapidly closing. By Spring the only bikes us shops will likely be able to order are 2022's with late Fall or Winter delivery times. 

Similarly to bike supply, time on bike mechanic's benches has been in short supply. You will likely hear us harping on about this between now and March but last year wait times at all bike shops in town, including us, during the Spring were up over a month and stayed there until August. We are working hard and investing in our service department to better handle the volume next year but we still anticipate a very busy year for service. 

If you think your bike is going to need some TLC this year please consider doing so between now and the end of February. By mid-March almost certainly we will be back to wait times measured in weeks, not days. Give us a call, go to our online service page, or send an email and we would be happy to book you in. We aren't the biggest shop in town but we have 30 years of experience fixing the stuff the other shops can't. You won't be disappointed with our service.