06/10/2026
Nicolas, better known in the shop as Nico, is one of our knowledgeable sales associates at Woodcock Cycle, as well as our resident bike fitter. He lives and breathes cycling, and from daily commutes on city streets to podium finishes on his mountain bike, he knows a thing or two about getting the most out of a bike.
Nico's obsession with cycling kicked off in Brazil while he helped build the downhill mountain bike course for a local race, when his friend encouraged him to enter the race himself. While his skills at the time were modest, he had an absolute blast. In cycling, he found a community and a scene where he could thrive.
“In Brazil, if you don’t play soccer, it’s hard to fit in with a group… and I was really bad at soccer,” he recalled. “But after I started racing, I realized I was way better as a cyclist, So I decided I would do that.”
Before he left Brazil, Nico placed 5th in the downhill hardtail category of Brazil’s national mountain biking championships, and his race career has continued to progress since coming to Canada, taking home Manitoba’s provincial championships hosted at Bison Butte in 2023.
More than anything, Nico simply enjoys riding his bike.
“I do my best to ride every day, I rode every day last winter as well. I just love riding,” he says. “It trains my cardio and my legs, and keeps me healthy. My commute from Sterling Lyon is especially beautiful. It’s a 22km round trip, and when I follow the Green bus route, I barely touch motor traffic through the whole route.”
Nico commutes to work on his trusty Kona Rove AL, a versatile and accessible set of wheels that we love to recommend to customers dipping their toes into gravel biking for the first time. “It’s my jack of all trades. Summer riding, winter riding, gravel races, road races, everything.”
Nico also rides his Kona Hei Hei cross-country mountain bike, a classic in the Kona line-up that is the perfect balance of speed and playfulness for trail networks across Manitoba. “It’s my main race bike, it’s the one I take to all of my mountain bike races.”
For folks looking to take their first dip into cycling, Nico strongly recommends a hardtail mountain bike as a first bike. “They’re the most versatile type of bike out there. They can do a little bit of everything, from roads to gravel to trails, and there’s a lot of options available at every price.”
Most importantly, finding a bike that is a perfect fit has never been easier.
“Back in the day, it was complicated to fit someone for a bicycle,” he said. “These days, everything is made with purpose, and bikes fit a much wider variety of people.”
June 8-12th is Bike Week in the City of Winnipeg, and to celebrate, we’re sharing how cycling has impacted the lives of some of our passionate employees, from their commutes to work to their lives off the clock.
