Shop Stop 4: Video, Photos & Story

This past weekend was the last Shop Stop of the 2012 season and boy it was fun! The location, East Side Cycle in Kitchener, ON. Everyone in attendance was psyched all day long and this made that Saturday that much more fun! You can totally witness it by watching our video edit just under! Video by none other than Louis Lhomel.



East Side Cycles first came about in 1998 as both operators as well as father and son, Art and Eric Gruber, found a need for a specialty shop in the Kitchener/Waterloo area. Starting out small with a 2500 square foot showroom, they have now grown to double their original size and in the process have moved a total of three times. East Side's philosophy has always been "you gotta have it to sell it" and its evident in the massive selection of bikes, parts and accessories that are available and yes, actually in stock.



After we got everyone gathered at the shop, we packed up and headed straight to the warm-up spot. Five minutes away from the shop, the small but functional concrete park had funny peanut shaped bowl which we had a rowdy long jump contest and threw a bunch of givaways for the kids in there!



Quick lunch break later, we headed to the next spot which was the McLennan Park and/or Trashmore Mountain, which ever one you like the most. Basically the city of Kitchener transformed their dumping ground into a huge green park with dirt jumps, north shores, pumptrack and a concrete skate plaza! (Other cities take notes!)



Started out with a dirt jump sesh and Louis ended up jamming on our mini drum set on the last one while everyone was riding over him! Then we switched over to the concrete plaza and bowl for more action. If that wasn't enough, some boys took a shovel out and dug a fun little dirt hip. The riding part of the day ended up with a footdown contest in the bowl where we really had everyone in the skatepark get in there for a chance to get some sweet NS Bikes and Octane One parts. Loads of close calls later, Croteau and Parappa battled it out for the win with everyone throwing their bikes in there and Croteau ended up taking the win, chainless! We sent everyone back in the bowl and it was freebie givaway time!


Back at East Side Cycles, the staff greeted us with a BBQ with juicy burgers and tasty hot dogs. Loads of chill and chat, fireworks, a parking sesh and signed poster givaways wraped-up our last 2012 Shop Stop. Thanks to everyone who came out and the staff at East Side Cycles for this beautiful day! You guys made it happen!


We would also like to thank everyone who came to ride and chill with us this summer and also a huge props to the shop owners and staff for being so welcoming! We all had really really good time doing it this summer and we're really looking foward to next summer!