Origins Story - Standing Up Excellence
Founded with a desire to do things better, Jake Brennand, an experienced sports retail professional and veteran technician, symbolically stood up Hogtown Spokes in Spring 2018. That’s right - stood up, an homage to elite military professionalism. Tired of the necessary compromises - on quality, time, materials, expertise, and customer experience - involved in buying from big-box retailers, and disturbed by the sometimes sketchy variance in quality (and sociability) at too many Local Bike Shops, Jake “dared to win,” as the famed British SAS says. Taking matters into his own hands, Hogtown Spokes Elite MTB was the result. We’re an online-based concierge and crafthouse for elite custom wheelsmithing. We’re a proud disruptive retailer overall and an influencer boutique brand. We know precisely what to buy, whom to trust, how it fits together, and how to do the parts justice with high technical skill and clever Canadian pluck. No more relying on sketchy blog posts and assorted conjecture in local bike shops about wheels. Say-so and superstition have no place in buying parts and building wheels - we rely on proven facts and first-hand experience. Park Tool’s renowned Blue Book, Jobst Brandt’s seminal The Bicycle Wheel, the teaching and research of wheel scientist Bill Mould, and tons of testing and development govern our building and design principles, as does Jake’s original background in the golf industry - where, frankly, technical standards of excellence are even higher and customers even more expectant.
We’ll absolutely never be the bike equivalent of doctors who stop reading medical journals after medical school. For this reason, professional development and daily learning are a part of our normal routine.
In essence, we’re the anti “typical bike shop” or back-slapping “bro” wheelbuilders.
We’re proud of that.
We READ, STUDY, PRACTICE, and APPLY.
We’re obsessed with knowledge. Handcrafted in the Big Smoke. Military professionalism applied to retailing.
(Picture: WWII SAS in North Africa, Imperial War Museum)
Expert wheelbuilding may be thought of - and often is within the trade - as the “special ops” of bike mechanics. Dedicated, reputable wheelsmiths are expected to walk a little taller and set higher standards within the field. It’s the sharp end of the wrench life. Hogtown is called Elite MTB for a reason.
Jake Brennand
Jake has worked in Canadian sports retailing since 2005. Originally trained as a professional golf fitter and technician (he’s fond of telling people, “If you can build clubs at a high level, then great bikes are fairly easy”), Jake now applies his passion, perfectionism, and skilled hands to the world of cycling and skilled wheelbuilding. Jake has experience working at several high-end Toronto bike shops, where he further honed his craft. With a High Distinction Honours BA in history from the University of Toronto (Vic 1T2), a two-year postgraduate Advanced Certificate from the University of St. Andrews, in Scotland, continuing studies accreditation in financial compliance and conversational French, and, from March 2020, status as an LLB course student with the University of London, Hogtown’s Owner brings communications skills, critical-thinking abilities, and a worldly mentality to his clientele. Jake sees himself as a white-collar guy with a blue-collar work ethic and unassuming style.
Hayley B. Damecour
Hayley is Jake’s partner in life and in business. Also a proud and accomplished history grad, an alum of the University of Guelph, Hayley wows Jake daily with her talents as a thinker, graphic designer, and all-around operational guru. Hayley splits her time between the business, a full-time job in education, and ongoing study. In 2022, Hayley completed a two-year Harvard Extension School postgraduate program. She has a lovely demeanour and great heart, as well as a huge soft spot for animals. Customers love Hayley. Hayley checks Jake’s more radical “mad scientist” moments in the workshop and, for any of you El Cheapos out there, trust us - Hayley is the voice of the customer perspective on pricing!
“El Jorge”/The George
Also known by his given Canadian name, George, “El Jorge” is Hayley and Jake’s mischievous, ridiculously smart, and devilishly handsome all-black Maine Coon mix. He’s the Dark Knight of Wheelbuilding. George loves bikes. He possesses stealthy style and charms most of the local cats. He also goes by “Gnarfield” on the streets and on the trails (“Le Gnarfield” eastward of Ontario). He enjoys being spoiled by his grandma as well as (unsuccessfully) attempting to disappear into his grandpa’s garage. Georgie is our brand’s catscot.