The Nielsen Family

From a young age, Matt Nielsen (current owner of Nielsens Bicycles) was surrounded by all things “two wheeled”. In fact, Matt was able to ride a bicycle before he had even mastered the art of walking.

Those of you who know Matt understand that bicycles are his life’s passion. This passion quickly grew into a love for all things bicycle. Matt’s tinkering on his own bike led to fixing friend’s bikes, which in turn led to his first bicycle mechanic job in his father’s shop.

Kurt Nielsen - Matt’s father - followed this same passion and opened the original Nielsens Bicycles in Bracebridge in 1996, starting with a modest five bicycles for sale. Nielsens was the first bike shop in Bracebridge; locals still reminisce about their first purchase from Kurt. Unfortunately, Nielsens Bicycles was forced to close its doors in 2012 when Kurt was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Over the years, Matt’s knowledge of bicycles and bike mechanics continued to grow. His unique skill set offered opportunities that took him to British Columbia, where he worked in bike shops in Whistler, Squamish and North Vancouver. Outside of the the shops, Matt also had a hand in projects with Rocky Mountain Bicycles, SRAM, and BC Bike Race.

In the summer of 2016, Matt moved back to his hometown of Bracebridge, ON. Since 2016, his dream had been to re-open Nielsens Bicycles. So, when 43 Dominion Street became vacant and was up for lease, he took the needed steps to re-open Nielsens Bicycles. With the assistance of an open-minded landlord, months of help from his brother Dan, and countless hours from friends; their dream has become a reality.

For those that visited Kurt’s shop, you’ll remember that 43 Dominion Street was the last location of Nielsens Bicycles. With this history in mind, Matt is thrilled to be operating in the same space and under the same name that Matt’s dad once did - where many a memory was made, and many a bike was wrenched on.

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