LIV OUTSIDE - Gear + Adventures

I was following their online inventory of Rockshox Pike Ultimate in a no longer offered offset (51mm) at a sale price and sent an email Jan 3,2024 asking if they could confirm the production date on the fork as well if they would knock a few more dollars off shipped within Ontario.

No reply.

It gets better.
Magically that cached page is error404’d now and I wasn’t able to screen capture the sale price before it got yanked. No wonder I didn’t get a reply to my email.

Now, the price has been cranked over $500 what the sale price was (same fork, spec, offset) on an item that there’s a pretty small market for.

Disappointing.
New old stock only gets older, especially in the off-season…. In a declining market.

This is the right place if you want to have some canoe fun with your toddler when you travel to Muskoka area. Nice staffs and rental is reasonable. You can rent from short as an hour or more. Highly recommended!

I had a great experience at the shop. Thomas is a great guy and took care of me. I bought a Crescent Kayak Lite Tackle 2. Its amazing and just glides in the water. I will definitely be doing more business with them and look forward to going back. Thanks again Thomas

Very unpleasant experience.
I signed up for an introductory course on Ice climbing. A few days before the day, the forecast showed -27 and -34 with Windchill. I contacted them and expressed my concern. The response was, "Hello sir! It's only a low of - 9. Everything is still a go! " and "Hmm I've looked at 2 sources and it says - 9. It should be fine".

Trusting the "well-known" company,  I drove 2.5 hours in the storm to arrive in the parking lot with a temperature of -30.
It was only in the parking lot that Peter mentioned those who don't want to participate in this extreme weather condition can reschedule!  His reply to my complaint later was, " I regret that our communication was not clear enough. "

Lastly, 7 out of 10 people who participated in the course had experience with Ice-climbing, and the "introductory course" turned into a competition for who could climb faster. I was freezing and unable to compete, so I turned around and drove back home.

They responded to my complaint letter two weeks later to let me know there would be no refund.

We arrived 5 minutes prior to the times provided and we let, I believe Peter, (the tall lanky bearded guy) know in advance that my wife and I were not swimmers but we had signed up for the 'Guided' SUP tour. We expected him to be encouraging and tell us that it's OK and he would be around to help etc. To our surprise, firstly he started off saying we were late! We should have come in 15 minutes earlier. There was nothing in the booking or any email that we should come in early. He also told us maybe we should think of a Kayak instead. Discouraged my wife enough for her to switch to Kayaking. He also sort of told us we may fall many times over! Throughout the experience, I felt that he was at the least condescending if not racist? He reminded me of the terrible US immigration folks that I have had some bad experiences with. He was less of a guide than just showing how stuff was to be done. I wasn't even sure I would be able to stand up. He was more engaged in chatting up with some folks in the group who were, let us say more white than us! He did not even bother to check whether I and my daughter were doing OK. Both of us are first timers. We successfully completed the trip without falling once. Cerainly not thanks to whoever it was 'guiding' us. Anyway, the Gear was Top notch and the experience was great.

Friendly, knowledgeable, helpful staff. Great selection. They carry Crescent kayaks!
VERY happy with our purchase.
Worth the drive from Kingston!

It was our first kayak experience
very reasonable price,
Great experience.
And the owner was so helpful in instructions and the process.
Definitely visiting again here!

If I could give them zero stars, I would. Even after having made a pre-booking, arriving well before the scheduled time-slot, we had to wait a good 45mins. Only to be later told that the kayaks or even paddleboats were again no longer available, which was super frustrating! One of the main management people was extremely rude when we asked if they had more kayaks or paddle boats after having waited for so long. One other group that came before faced a similar issue, and a similar response from him where he was quite rude to them. Clearly, there was some miscommunication to which this person was very “we do everything right so it may have been you’ll”. Overall, a very off putting experience. Definitely was not hoping such a horrible experience specially since they have good reviews online.

LIV OUTSIDE is a wonderland for outdoor enthusiasts. Fairly priced high quality gear for any adventure, diverse rental options, in addition to a friendly and helpful staff make this place a must visit for anyone in the area. Don't miss out people go Liv Outside!

Worst spot didn’t even allowed us to use the trash can because it’s closed. I wouldn’t suggest it.

Reply to the answer from LIV:

Well how do you call using the trash can as littering the ground. I don’t known what to say they were rude from the beginning

I tested 2 fishing kayaks that I wanted (Shoalie and Lite Tackle). These were 50 yard test paddles. The owner told me to try a CK1 but I never wanted that. I’m 60 years old but never been in a kayak. I set my mind on the Crescent Lite tackle. It’s a sit on top kayak. Quite heavy as well but a great ride. I asked for one test in a sit in kayak before buying the sit on top Lite Tackle I was told by the owner that he didn’t think I was serious so no more test paddles. In fact I was at the store to buy either the Crescent lite tackle or the sit in. I had changed my Jeep Wrangler Rubicon the night before to hard roof from summer soft top. And installed the purchased the night before Jeep Roof Racks so I could pick up the Kayak at Liv. The owner Peter walked away from a done sale. I’ll get the Crescent Lite Tackle elsewhere. Will never return.

Been a few times - Never been impressed with the customer service when I asked for questions about a watch. The owner acted like he had better things to do than help me. Probably won't go back.

Had the WORST experience with regard to Customer service. I have been calling to ask if the money they charged was for one day or the entire weekend as that information was unclear on the website re: Ice climbing.
The guy who AFTER DAYS answered my phone says that they are too busy and I shouldn't be bothering them with questions. If this is owner of the company then please improve your customer service as you have a customer facing business and if this was an employee please FIRE who don't want to do their job.

Response to LIV for their answer:
I have read all your FAQ's but kudos to your ego!
We all have work and are all busy. I didn't call to chitchat with you. Didn't know general decency comes at a high price at your institution. But glad you replied the way you did so it kind of speaks for my previous review about customer service.
People reading this review will have a great insight at what they are signing up for.

Wandered into LIV OUTSIDE while on holiday in Bracebridge last August to see if we could get the brakes replaced on my wife’s mountain bike (she crashed!). Peter was great to deal with and had a new set of brakes installed in short order. While there, I basically convinced myself (with Peter’s help) that the Revel Ranger was the bike I’ve been looking for all my life. Once again, Peter was a total pro through the sale, the subsequent build and delivery a few weeks later. I’d definitely shop there again! Wonderful experience.

Gorgeous place to kayak excellent location and staff is very nice I often rent kayaks from them 4 times this year and will definitely tent many more times. They have Delta kayaks and they are great. Definitely will rent from them again

Reasonably priced and VERY easy way to experience the Muskoka river. We came with no prior experience but we were given a quick instructional demonstration and were helped into the water on a canoe. The view was stunning.

Cannot wait to return next summer/fall to explore more and spend more time on the water. Thank you for making our first experience such an enjoyable one!

Great venue and operation. Friendly and helpful staff. Rented six good quality kayaks that were well maintained. Loved our kayak ride. Highly recommend.

Very good experience.enjoyed my kayaking alot.we had for one hour but as it was our first time we did for 30 to 45 mins.very good guidance given by the person on front desk

Pre-Ordered a board from Peter and just picked it up this week.
Advice, communication, responsiveness was excellent throughout.

The store/location on the river is stunning. The selection and service is top notch. Liv Outside goes the extra mile and I highly recommend them and their amazing facilities.

Amazing store with helpful staff. Great selection for fishing kayaks and much more. Definitely worth the drive.

We had such an amazing time ice climbing yesterday. Thank you Peter for showing us the ropes, for making it fun, and for providing us with such a great overall experience. We look forward to our next adventure with this outfitter and highly recommend them to anyone looking for an awesome experience in the outdoors.

Not interested in working on your bike unless you buy all the parts from their store. It is difficult enough to get the parts to begin with, just looking for a LBS that could do the install. Bad news spreads fast, I won't ever go back there for anything and will make sure I tell everyone I know not to go there.

Updated after response by owner:
Would have been a lot better if you had said that on the phone instead of just refusing the work, but what do I know, I'm not a bike store owner trying to help out locals in a pandemic.

Fast communication and easy transaction! I had been looking for discontinued XC bindings for ages, and heard through the grapevine that Liv Outside had a pair! They weren't on the website so I ordered by phone. The staff were great to deal with, shipping was reasonable, Great experience

We had a great 2 hr kayak experience with our kids (10 and 13 yrs old). The staff was fast and helpful. The river / creek is the perfect place to work on kayaking skills with no boat traffic to worry about. Very peaceful.

I dont know why but they charged my credit card as US dollar when i booked snowshoeing in advance online. The purchase said $139.926 and had no mention of US dollar. Besides, i’m not even going to the US! So i never thought i will be charged for the foreign exchange fees. But my visa bill came out with FX charge. This is very disappointing and shocking.

Also after purchasing 6 tickets for snowshoeing we were worried that there wont be enough snow so we emailed twice and called but no response until the day of the trip.

The staff there was nice though. Very helpful and friendly.

The snowshoeing path was close by 1min by car 5 min walking. It was fun activity but the money part was a huge disappointment.

I recently purchased a custom built wheelset with HED alloy rims and i9 hubs and I am super happy with the purchase. These wheels are light & fast, with instant engagement and the perfect addition to my race bike. Peter set them up tubeless with Dillinger 4's. I have a few icy rides on them and the FBC new Hexed studs grip on the iced up trails was near perfect, in fact I find they perform better than the original studs that come pre-installed in some tires. I also purchased a pair of 45NRTH Wolvhammer with Boa lacing and these boots are super warm and comfortable. Thanks Peter for the great advice and service!

Great experience! Went ice climbing for the first time and it was so much fun. Our guide was super good, patient, chilled, knowledgable and professional. Thumbs up all the way! If you are ice climbing be sure to take hot drinks, food and something to entertain yourself as you wait for other climbers to go up. Highly recommend gaters and goggles.

A great place for an afternoon!
I went here with my friend about 5 days ago to spend the afternoon, we didnt know what to rent but the staff helped us make a decision.
The young boy at the waterfront gave us tips on how to use our stuff and got us on the water quick, it felt legit and safe

Got to try paddleboarding for the first time here. Had a blast even during the storm and heavy rain. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful.

Over the weekend I rented a tandem kayak as well as a paddle board in two different sessions. Both times I was there, the staff were very welcoming and enthusiastic to help. There are three different directions you can take, and I chose to take the route with more nature scenery, which was beautiful.

Great prices, great people. We were canoeing for the first time, Nigel have us a quick 5min tutorial on how to canoe. We figured out how our to enjoy our time our in the lake with his advice.

Went with girlfriend over the long weekend to rent mountain bikes for a full day and then canoed the following day. Prices were perfect and we got awesome bikes. Canoe was great. Staff is super helpful and the store had everything we needed. Also location was the best near everything. We had the best weekend ever thanks to these guys here.

So good! Tried canoeing for the first time!
Went with friends for a 2 hour adventure on the lake.
Very good service, instructions and help.
Thank you!

Don't walk in their parking lot during the winters, they don't salt their lots! I went to Liv Outside to get a winter coat for my daughter. When I got there, I parked my car in front of the store, got out of my car, got my baby out of the car (she was in her bucket car seat) and was holding onto her carseat with my left arm, I then started to walk around the back of my vehicle to get to my other daughter in the other back seat, when I slipped on a patch of ice and I fell - quite hard on my side - and my babies carseat landed on the ground! Thank goodness she was okay, just startled! She was safely secured into her carseat with the belts snug against her body. I got up and got my baby and my other daughter. We went into the store, and I'm not sure if I was speaking to the store owner, or just a sales associate, but the man who was working in the store that day was so rude to me when I told him I slipped on the ice in the parking lot. He didn't apologise to me and he didn't even ask if I was okay! He even said that it's not his fault or responsibility to salt the parking lot because according to him they "have a company come and do it". Well I think that is totally unacceptable and that any responsible shop would ensure their walk ways and parking lots are salted and safe for their customers! I will never go back to Liv Outside!

Very disappointing dealings. We booked in one month in advance for kayak rental and instructor and called in twice before our booking to ensure everything was good for our booking. Peter the owner called us at 5pm night before and cancelled our next morning appointment of 930am since he was busy with big group now and his other instructor was also busy with another group. The excuse we were given is that his instructor called one day earlier and cancelled but they could not explain why it took them more than 24 hours to tell us that they are cancelling our booking/reservation and not informing us in advance when he learned about it. Peter called us at 5pm when all the other stores were closed and we have no way to make any other arrangements. Very disappointing service and attitude that we were given - only things which was said to us that he cannot do anything. Does not even deserve the rating of one out of 5
Very disappointing cancelling our appointment at last minute and we took day off to do this.
Hopefully they will not treat other people like this with small groups.

Great staff. Very knowledgeable & easy to talk to. Excellent variety of products to suit your needs