Monday Business Profile: Citrus Park Cyclery

This week’s business profile is on Citrus Park Cyclery, 6573 Gunn Highway. Find out more below:

Owners:

Family owned and operated by Andy Baxter and his son, A.J.

Vital Stats:

Phone: 813-644-7222; On the Web: CitrusParkCyclery.com; E-mail: info@citrusparkcyclery.com. Operating days and hours: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Doing business since July 2011.

About the company:

Andy Baxter had been retired for two years when talk began with his son about running a bike shop.

“Retirement was nice, but I enjoy working on bikes and building bikes," said Andy. "I was always mechanical.”

A former resident of New York state, he enjoyed building street rods. But during the long northeastern winters, he’d also build bicycles.

As a father, Andy helped both his sons learn to ride when they were growing up. “Both our boys got bikes for Christmas, and both our boys are athletic, so they learned very fast," he said.

Said his son, A.J., who lives in Original Carrollwood: “We’ve always had a passion for bicycling. The bike shop has been something we’ve talked about for 10 years. It’s a dream come true for us.”

A.J. and Andy have said they try to offer lines of bikes and clothing that are a little different than the other bikes shops in Tampa Bay, and say they have created an environment where bicyclists can hang out for a few minutes or a few hours.

“Our goal is customer service,” said A.J. “We listen to you, and we’ve got a casual, friendly atmosphere.”

Camaraderie is also important in the shop, as is building a sense of community. The shop organizes two local bike rides a week.

“We’ve made quite a few friends that way,” he said. “We pride ourselves on friendliness.”

One of the shops advantages is the store's proximity to the Upper Tampa Bay Trail, an eight-mile stretch that connects Peterson Road Park and stops at Memorial Highway.

Andy said bicycling has become more popular as the price of gasoline remains high. And as winter descends, cooling off Florida’s sometimes oppressive humidity, many families are taking their bikes out of the garage.

“For a lot of people, there’s fitness and fresh air,” said A.J., who is also a clinic manager at Select Physical Therapy in Carrollwood. “For me, it’s very therapeutic. You get away from day-to-day craziness, get out and relax and feel the breeze on your face.”

In addition, A.J. said that bicycling can be a lower-impact alternative to running.

“Cycling is a great form of exercise," he said. "It gets you off the couch, you lose pounds, and it can be done as a family.”