Four hundred square feet is all it took to get Velo Lab Cycle Works off the ground. The little bike shop that could got its start three years ago in a Dartmouth garage on the corner of Thistle and Victoria Streets, the garage of longtime cyclist and mechanic Shawn Marshall and his wife and business partner Keli Marshall. The pair had recently returned to the east coast after living in Ontario, where Shawn had been working with pro-level teams as well as Canada’s national team, and started their little backyard shop, offering mostly bike repairs and tune-ups.
As their customer base grew, so did the demand for more, and since April 1, Velo Lab has called a much larger space at 71 Queen Street home. “We had an idea of demographics, but starting small really gave me a chance to get a finger on the pulse,” says Shawn. His expanded Lab now carries the Canadian-made Opus bikes, “a dream brand” for the shop, helmets and continues to offer pro mechanic services. “There’s something for kids, recreational riders, commuters, racers, mountain bikers…they’ve got everything. And we kind of want to cater to everyone. I have a racing background, so on that side of it there’s been a good draw—people looking for a solid experienced mechanic—but we’re also seeing neighbourhood commuters.” Velo Lab and the Marshalls welcome you Tuesday through Friday, 10am-6pm, Saturdays from 10am-4pm or
by appointment.
This article appears in Jun 4-10, 2015.