Photo Karen Graham. Dave helps Peter Ramsay with a quick bike repair at his pop-up shop at the Millbrook Farmers’ Market.
Dave Bourgeois has come back to the community with some new skills he is eager to share. Growing up in Millbrook, he explored the area extensively, cycling along local roads and trails, and has intimate knowledge of the local hills and terrain which put a strain on bicycle and cyclist alike. A committed cycling enthusiast, he has taken his love of cycling and turned it into a career.
In Calgary, he worked for Mountain Equipment Co-op, the well-known outdoor retailer, where he took advantage of their extensive in-house training to develop skills as a bike mechanic and ski technician. In this city the retailer is known for its bike expertise, servicing a community with more than 1,000 paved bike paths as well as road, gravel and mountain biking opportunities close at hand. For eight years he worked with their large staff of experienced mechanics building and repairing thousands of bikes of all types. He has recently returned to Cavan Monaghan and is offering to help the community enhance their biking experiences. His new venture, Drumlin Cycle, offers repair and maintenance services to ensure cycling equipment is ready to deliver a great cycling experience for riders of all ages and levels of proficiency.
This repair service operates as a pop up shop in the Millbrook Farmers’ Market, where he can perform quick repairs on site. He also operates a mobile service where Dave comes to the customer. More extensive services are performed at his Cavan workshop. He offers a wide range of services, from quick flat tire repairs and minor adjustments to comprehensive tune-ups- $30 for kids’ bikes and annual adult bike tune-ups starting at $90. He will assemble new bikes and perform complete overhauls on older versions, making them feel like new. He also performs mechanical repairs on e-bikes, but does not deal with their electrical systems, batteries or motors. Not sure what kind of repair you need? On his website, www.drumlincycle.square.site, an image of a bike identifies the name of each part- a bike anatomy, if you will- helps customers explain their problem which helps Dave arrive with some bike parts which may be helpful in the mobile repair service.
Drumlin Cycle was one of twelve small businesses that recently completed PKED’s five-week online business training program, where the owners developed a business plan, pitched it to a panel of experts. Last month, Dave was one of seven participants who received a $5,000 grant based on the strength of his pitch. The award was made possible by the provincial government’s Starter Company Plus program. PKED Entrepreneurship Officer Madeleine Hurrell was impressed by the participants this year which have launched and grown in the midst of the pandemic, demonstrating the ability to adapt to constantly changing economic and public health conditions and demonstrating resilience.
There is no doubt the pandemic stimulated interest in cycling, and offering a mobile service reduces the pressure of operating in a bricks and mortar retail location, keeping his costs down. Increases in the price of gas also work in his favour, as Dave promotes the business as offering repair and maintenance services for cyclists and commuter bicycles in Cavan-Monaghan. If only he would offer to cycle us up those hills!
