Tour de Romance

Trek with sports biz owner on bicycle built for two redefines speed dating

By Alana Kainz, Ottawa Sun

"We'll start at the store in Kanata and go downtown," says Eric Kunstadt, owner of Kunstadt Sports, suggesting a biking date.

50 First Dates takes a light-hearted look at the world of dating by describing "first dates" with interesting, eligible men. These aren't real dates, but fun encounters that offer a bit of a profile of some of the men out there and a glimpse into a variety of dating experiences.

"Oh, downtown Kanata. How far is that?"

"Umm. Downtown Ottawa."

"Okay. You may be Lance Armstrong, but I'm NO Sheryl Crow." "We'll take a tandem bike," he suggests.

Now that sounded workable. If I get tired, he could do the work. Kunstadt Sports' two locations -- Bank St. South and Hazeldean Rd. in Kanata -- sell mostly bike, tennis and hockey equipment, and they rent bikes including this tandem for $30 a day.

SPOKES AND ATTIRE

He brings me a bike jersey. "Presentation is content. I feel faster already," I add to my effusive thank you.

Starting and stopping on a tandem is tricky. I get into the pedals while Eric, sitting up front, holds the bike. And away we go, practising around the parking lot and then off on our 35-km trek downtown in 30C-plus weather.

Tandems are a social first date. You can chat. Eric tells me his story:

Growing up in Bridlewood, at 16, he and his brother Ron -- 11 months apart -- bought a tennis stringer to mend their own racquets. Then they began taking in friends' equipment and a network of customers began.

Their sister Monica is 11 years younger and is marrying a Toronto Argonaut later this year.

After Eric went to Algonquin College for business, they opened their first store in Kanata in 1993 when he was just 22 (He's 35 today.). The second store opened in 1999. Their childlike logo is an excellent corporate identifier.

But what really separates you from the big-box stores or the larger chains?

Service, he says. Repeat customers. They also take trade-ins and sell used bikes -- a plus for families. They have to advertise differently as well.

They opt for sponsorships and demos at clubs. For instance, they sponsor the Ottawa Masters Ski Team and the Kunstadt Tennis Tournament held earlier this month. Eric is also on the board of the Canadian Ski Museum on Scott St.

Ron is married. But Eric just hasn't found the time between scheduling, training and managing 30 to 35 staff -- dating is tough in a service-oriented business.

"But with all those women who come here for bikes, or clinics, in tight shorts. You'd think you'd have a field day." Sometimes, I guess, the tight shorts are too much of a giveaway.

URBAN WARRIORS

We've earned a cold drink at the new Metropolitan downtown. From there we hop on the bike and enter traffic. I white-knuckled that, especially when Eric says -- without any alarm in his voice -- that if the bus squeezes us in, it's best to lean into the bus and then the curb. I'm glad I didn't have a brake lever, though I was squeezing the handlebars like a nervous back-seat driver. On the back of a tandem, you can just shut your eyes.

I suppose a bike like that is all about trust and I had full faith in Eric by the end of the journey.

The cab ride back to Kanata in rush hour took longer than our one-hour bike ride.

"I think with gas at $1.05, you'll see a lot more bikes on the road, like in Europe," Eric says.

In total, we pedalled about 40 km. Even Eric had a good workout.

"Hey I don't feel so bad," I say in my parting words only to change my mind the next morning.

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Places to ski:

1 Calabogie Peaks

2. Chamonix (France)

3. Camp Fortune

4. Mont Tremblant

5. Le Massif (Quebec)