About Ace Custom Cycles

The Early Days

I grew up in rural Ontario where having a bike was the only way to get to the local corner store located 5 km from the family farm.  The first bike I can recall was a Mustang with a purple banana seat and white grips on monkey handlebars; it was a fun bike and gave me the freedom that I craved as a young boy.  Then one magical Christmas morning (…I am only 10 at the time so bear with me) my older brother Doug and I got matching white CCM Supercycle 10 speeds.  Man did I fall in love with that bike the first time I laid eyes on it!

Many summers were spent riding to friends houses and even biking to school - 20 km seemed very far in those days. 

Triathlon

Fast forward my mid twenties, working in the field of Mechanical Engineering, a bit out of shape and looking for a way to burn off steam.  Friends of mine were doing triathlons and encouraged me to come out and do events in team form, as I was a decent swimmer I got the swim leg.  

I did not mind the swimming but when I was watching the rest of the race I always loved the biking portion.  The bike bug had bit me again and after one season of swimming I got myself a second hand Miele, steel frame 14 speed.  It was a great bike and I quickly fell in love with cycling again.  Participating in a number of sprint and Olympic triathlons gave me a better understanding of how the body and bike need to work cohesively in order to get the best performance. 

I had to push myself to do workouts for the swim and run but never the bike.  There is something special about spinning down a nice paved road on a sunny day with the wind in your face.   Cycling gives you an instant feeling of adventure; you can go anywhere, freedom, the thrill of speeding down a hill, the sound of the tires on the road, being one with the outside world…just like my first rides on the Mustang.

New Ventures

Skip ahead to 2004 and I am still working in the field of mechanical engineering, specializing in product design for woodworking and gardening tools.  It is interesting work but I am stuck in a cube for 8 to 10 hours a day and not feeling very self empowered. 

Combining my technical background with my love of cycling the idea of starting my own cycling business was born. I decided on a home based cycling studio, where customers are treated on a personal level in a comfortable non-pressure environment.  After 18 months of studying the market and contacting different suppliers I was ready to go.  I plunged into entrepreneurship and have not looked back. 

I have great suppliers such as Serotta, Zipp, Spuik and Ritchey to name just a few.  I love my job, I get to help people everyday in the pursuit of athleticism, health, freedom and fun.  I treat every new client with honesty, integrity and a high level of professionalism.  As we all share the same love of the sport many of my clients have become friends and that is one of the best parts of running this great company.

Best regards,

Richard Coburn

Founder and president of Ace Custom Cycles

  Copyright 2006-2010 Ace Custom Cycles Ottawa Ontario - 613.220.9359