One of the questions we get most often is "where is your store located?"
When we respond saying we don't have a physical location but offer test rides along Calgary's bike paths, we get opinions ranging from "Let me know when you become a real business" to "What a brilliant business model".
Regardless of the many opinions out there, we wanted to share our rationale with you. Because ultimately, we made the decision to not have a physical store with you in mind.
The 9 Reasons We Don't Have a Physical Location
The Pandemic invited us to adapt The inception of TuffHill eBikes was during the height of the pandemic. With store closures and constantly changing rules, it didn't make sense for us to sink money into a physical store. During this time, we adapted and started meeting people outside, along Calgary's beautiful bike paths. People loved it and so did we.
We can offer a quality test ride experience There’s a big difference between learning about the bike's features and experiencing them for yourself beyond the confines of a parking lot. By meeting at a park, we can offer an engaged learning experience in a setting that best simulates your real riding environment. We want you to have an accurate sense of how our bike performs for you.
We are free to attend and support local community bike events TuffHill eBikes is about more to us than selling awesome e-bikes. It's about being part of changing the way people move. We are one piece of a much bigger movement happening in Calgary and around the world. Not being tied to a physical store gives us the freedom to build relationships with people out in the community.
It allows us to keep our costs low and pass our savings onto you It's important to us that we build dependable, high-quality e-bikes. The components required to achieve our standard of quality are not cheap. Reducing our operational costs by not having a physical location allows our customers to save hundreds of dollars on a premium e-bike.
It keeps our business more sustainable long-term Having a physical location is a substantial financial commitment. We would rather invest in achieving our long-term goal to build a strong and sustainable business. We're here to create and service high-quality e-bikes in Calgary (and beyond) for the next 50+ years.
It helps us keep a relaxed, low pressure sales environment Because we don't have the financial pressure of maintaining a physical store, we are free to authentically connect with people. We're not interested in selling someone a bike that isn't right for them. We love being able to focus on meeting real needs rather than making enough sales to pay rent.
We have flexibility in where we can service your bike We build low-maintenance bikes so most fixes only require basic tools. This means we don't need a big space to work on our bikes and can often come to you.
It helps us learn We love riding our bikes and hope you will too. We are committed to continually improving our bikes and our sales experience. The more we ride with people, the more we learn. We love connecting with our customers and learning what’s important to them. It helps us make our bikes even better.
You get to know us better An e-bike is a big investment. You're not just buying a bike, you're investing in the way you move. When you book a test ride with us, you get our undivided attention. We want you to be able to look us in the eyes and know that we’ll do our best to make sure your bike is amazing!
Where You Can Find Us Spring 2023
TuffHill Pop-Up in the Park @ Confederation Park
Saturday, April 29th 1 - 4 pm
Stop by or book a time slot here. Please bring your helmet (we will have extras if needed).
Google "Confederation Park Playground" / 905 30 Ave NW. We'll be set up next to the parking lot.
Alberta Bike Swap @ The Genesis Centre
Saturday, May 6th 8 am - 4 pm
If you're saving for an e-bike, this is a great opportunity for you to safely consign your old bike. Find out more information here. (Note: this is not a TuffHill eBikes test ride event.)
TuffHill Pop-Up in the Park @ Confederation Park
Saturday, May 6th 3 - 5 pm
Stop by or book a time slot here. Please bring your helmet (we will have extras if needed).
Google "Confederation Park Playground" / 905 30 Ave NW. We'll be set up next to the parking lot.
Bike Fest @ the Banff Trail Community Centre
Saturday, May 20th 12:45 - 4 pm
Join us for the second annual family bike parade with our friends from Capitol Hill and Banff Trail. We will be offering TuffHill e-bike test rides and have some great door prizes to give away! Find out more details here.
FESTIVÉLO @ Hidden Valley Community Association
Saturday, June 3rd 11 am - 3 pm
Come celebrate World Bike Day with us as we support Hidden Valley in their first annual bike event offering a bike repair clinic, bike cleaning, bike decorating stations and a bike parade. Fun for the whole family! Watch for more details here.
Save the Date! The 2nd Annual TuffHill Tour de Calgary
Saturday-Sunday, August 12th & 13th
A two-day leisurely ride around North America's longest urban pathway, Calgary's own 145 km Rotary- Mattamy Greenway. More details to come.
The best way to see if a TuffHill e-bike is right for you is to get in touch with us. Whether you email us directly, come find us at a community event or book a personal test ride, we look forward to meeting you!
Yours in biking,
Sean, Steph, Brian, and Alex
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