Our neighbour Kevin.
Can you believe KindHuman Bicycles has been at Avenue Road for over 10 years? During that time, we've made many friendships with the amazing people of the neighbourhood. Today we wanted to feature a fellow #KindRider Kevin, who is also the owner of Toronto Pets, just a couple stores down from our shop!
Learn more about Kevin below.
Hi Kevin! How did you get into cycling?
I started riding bikes when I was young. I remember packing PB & J sandwiches in my backpack and going for long day rides with my brother and friends. We grew up near a lot of hills so my leg strength was built naturally just by having fun outdoors.
I didn't get into cycling until recently (2023), when I was introduced to triathlons by a friend. Something about that sport really intrigued me. I've always been a great runner, a decent swimmer, and so it just made sense to invest in a road bike and get myself up to par with other cyclists.
Ayal and KindHuman really helped me with this as I didn't know the first thing about long distance cycling. I was confused when I heard I didn't need a kickstand. But since my first visit to KindHuman in 2023, I have broken several PR's and expect that trend to continue.
Tell us about your business, how did it start?
Toronto Pets is a premium pet specialty store which sells products from trusted sources that promote a healthier life for your pet. Growing up with dogs and cats, I was always an adamant animal lover. I believe dogs and cats make our lives so much more enriching. And losing them is a heartbreaking tragedy.
As a young adult, I became interested in human nutrition/health and transitioned to a plant-based diet. When I entered the pet food industry in 2014, I noticed many parallels between human and animal health. Being primarily concerned with prolonging the life of an animal, I decided to become an entrepreneur in the pet specialty business. Today, we service thousands of pet parents across Toronto and have something for almost every concern, including allergies, upset tummies, parasites, urinary health, overweight, or even pickiness (our most common request to solve!).
Although cycling may seem like an unrelated hobby, I believe it keeps me focused on health and wellness, where I often engage in research about gut health, diet, immune response, sleep, fasting, and exercise. These topics have direct relevance to the animal health & nutrition industry. We are, after all, animals. I'm really fortunate to be part of both communities. No matter how bad a day gets, I always think the cure is a good long bike ride or time with a best friend.
Learn more about Toronto Pets at: https://www.torontopets.ca/