Tampa Area Local Bike Shops?

Outspokin and Chainwheel Drive both in Clearwater
Ride N Roll in Largo - awesome and unique selection !!!
TREK on McDill - Tampa  

These are the ones I know have GOOD tri-specific gear, no gimmicks to attract !

I live in Brandon/Valrico and both AJs and Cycleworks carry some tri stuff.

Good luck!

Theres Trek and Flying fish in South Tampa right by MacDill AFB.  Theres University Biycle Center on Fletcher.  Then theres Chainwheel Drive and Outspokin in Clearwater.  I myself like Outspokin best but Trek is also real good to me.  Ther's a few more aroung here that i just cant think ...

University Bike on Fletcher
Good prices, helpful people
Good selection of bikes(cannondale,specialized,scott) and gear

Carrollwood Bicycle Emporium is on N Dale Mabry (near Erhlich). Family owned and operated, friendly service, great mechanics. I prefer them over the others even though they are not close to me.

The guys at AJ's seem almost normal.

Val runs a great shop at OutSpoken and is a triathlete.

The folks at Ride and Roll in Largo seem almost normal too.

University is great once, you get past the sales people and deal with Artie and the family in the back. Very accommodating.

Bike Works has a very nice carbon offering, but is really more of a road shop.

Trek has lots of apparel and Newton shoes and lots of variety.

Never had a bad experience at Flying Fish, but I found that their prices were a bit off, nice selection though.

Oh, and for running, check out Hit the Trails in Fish Hawk.

Hit the Trails will soon be moving right next to JUST RIDE a new, small road bike shop at intersection of Boyette and Fishhawk Blvd.  This new location will certainly expand their exposure and market.  I only hear great things about this store and the people who "run" it.  

Also, if you're looking for quiet roads to run/ride flats, rolling terrain... you wanna come down to this area.  Check out some of my routes for an idea but the possibilites are endless.

There's a new IRONMAN store in New Tampa -- right next to the LA Fitness near the Target at Bruce B Downs and County LIne Road.  I haven't been in it yet -- ironically, it wasn't yet opened when I was on my way back from spin class last Saturday, I guess they open at 10 -- but it looks interesting!  Can't tell if they carry only branded stuff or other tri gear.  Lots of pretty tri bikes in the window, though!

I've been in the new IRONMAN store! It is AWESOME! It seems to be the one-stop shop for triathletes and road bikers. Not sure what all the brands were but they were not a Trek or Specilazed only store. I'm soooo tired of that!
Oh yeah, they also had a lot of Ironman stuff, like coffee mugs and things.

I've since been to the Wesley Chapel IronMan store as well.  They have a bike shop in the back, and lots of brands other than IronMan.  They carry bikes, swimsuits, running shoes and other gear, transition bags, you name it. I happen to work across the hall from the WTC headquarters, and I mentioned the store to some folks in the elevator. They told me it is a company owned pilot store -- they are hoping to open more, nation wide, if this one does well.  Worth checking out.

I so wanted to support them and buy cycling shoes there, but they didn't have my size.  The guy who helped me was not an ironman but had done many sprints and knew what he was talking about.  He spotted me as a newbie and steered me toward the servicable lower end cycling shoes, not the $500 ones, and told me my flat bar hybrid was fine for initial training/a sprint.  So I found them friendly, knowledable, and not at all "Ironman or you're not a real triathlete," which is sort of what I feared.  I hear they are going to organize some training groups, too, but who knows.

awesome store...

they don't have any set plans for group training but I hope they do SOON.  The location is perfect for retail as well as easily accessible.  Anything triathlon related you need - they have it (except for wetsuits which should be coming in soon). 

I should circle back and add that after I left the first time, I bought cycle shoes online.  Then I went back to the Ironman store for cleats and they pointed out (a) that the cleats I needed for my pedals wouldn't fit the shoes I had bought, and (b) that they did, in fact, have shoes in my size as long as I didn't need WSD, and steered me to something in my price range (ie, not the $600 ones!).  They installed the cleats for no extra charge, and Hunter, the owner, also took me next door to the LA Fitness to make sure they were on right when I was on a spin bike.  He was very, very encouraging of my newbie aspirations.  Good folk.

You guys are killing me. Until recently I worked in the area and had a membership at that LA Fitness. It would have been so convenient.

I'm thinking I'm just going to have to drive up from Bradenton and check this place out.

Blue: by all means, pay them a visit - you will not regret it.

SERVICE is what's giving these folks such a good report.  Yes, there are other LBS in the area that give it too, but this is a tri store, and they want our (us triathletes) business, and I think we should support them IF they are doing the right things, which apparently they are doing.

They will try to match a verifiable price too, they can't commit to this 100% but most times I am sure they can do it. 

YOU WON'T REGRET THE TRIP; and be ready to make these guys your new friends too, everyone at this store is pure sunshine. 

Edited by TrkHilo2k 2010-02-04 8:22 PM

They made me a crazy deal price matching on some shoes!  I can't praise this store enough... you'd think i worked there?  Great store and great people!

And the head bike tech today very kindly installed my commuter-pedals-purchased-elsewhere on my not-a-road-or-tri-bike for me, without laughing at my level of gear.  He also couldn't help himself and tweaked the rear wheel and brakes, just because he saw stuff off balance and couldn't not make it right.  I bought a swim cap, and they didn't charge me for the bike work.  They really are about service there, and building a loyal fan base.  Got one here.  I am loving feeling welcomed as a beginner triathlete even though I probably will never race iron distance.

(As an aside, I rode my bike there -- NOT a good idea.  Bruce B Downs is a nightmare on two wheels!)

just to add a little more personal experience....i went in one saturday night a few weeks back with my girlfriend, just before closing time. we were going out to dinner, but i had to check this place out, it sounded like paradise!!! well, long story short, i wasnt really looking to purchase anything at that moment, and im sure the guys could sense that as well bc of what time it was, but they all sat there and chatted about all things triathlon with me until closing time had come and gone. i called my buddy who was looking for some zoot shoes and told him he needed to come down the next day bc they had about 6 different pair. he went down on sunday and bought some stuff immediately and loved it. this place has everything that we need, and everything that we dont need but want. i drive an hour away to my bike shop, and this place is only 20 min down the road. i think its time for some bike shopping!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they carry if i remember correctly......scott, ceepo, quintana roo, blue and bianchi bikes. im going to head down there this weekend bc i need a new xlab and some gels, but i think the convo may sway towards a new QR as well. see you all down there

I went on the web site ironman360.com
It's awesome! They have some contry designed race kits that I have never seen before. Very "Olympics" feeling. You can also shop by "pro". Click on a pro's name and you can buy the gear that the pro uses. I have never seen a site with that option. Very cool.  

im going to have to pay a visit to the ironman store when im home in april sounds amazing! and as for other shops personal experience i cant stand university bike shop always made to feel like an inconvience to the employes and was never treated that well. Carrolwood bike emporium was helpful from what i can remember but i havent been there in a few years