Bicyclists Invited to Hit the Road

Bicycle enthusiasts are invited to rally at Bike Works in Brandon Saturday morning for a community bicycle ride in honor of the grand opening of the store at 6048 Winthrop Town Centre Ave.

Previously under other ownership, Bike Works at Winthrop Town Centre closed about six months ago. That's when David Luppino, owner of Just Ride Bicycles on FishHawk Boulevard, stepped in and reopened it.

A cycling enthusiast himself, Luppino is no stranger to the bike business. He's been selling bicycles and related gear for 14 years, previously out of three stores he owned in Tampa and Carrollwood.

He sold those stores and opened Just Ride Bicycles, 13431 FishHawk Blvd., two years ago.

"When Bike Works closed after 19 years in business, I decided to buy it and rename it Bike Works of Brandon," said Luppino. "It just makes sense to have a bike shop in this area. It's only seven miles from my FishHawk store, but they're worlds apart."

Luppino did make some changes to the Winthrop store, cutting the space in half to 1,600 square feet. The vacant space next door will become Menchie's yogurt shop, set to open this weekend.

The Bike Works shop carries Trek, the largest manufacturer of bikes in the United States, along with Gary Fisher and Mirraco BMX bicycles ranging from children's bikes for $150 to road bikes for more than $10,000.

"Bikes just make sense," he said. "They're healthy, good for the environment and they provide transportation."

In addition to selling and repairing bikes, Luppino carries an assortment of bike packs, seats, helmets, shoes, gloves, water bottle cages, handlebars, bike stands, baskets and bike shorts and tops.

As he does at his FishHawk store, he'll offer once-a-month flat-fixing classes at the Winthrop store.

Luppino also hosts 30-mile bike rides every Thursday at 7 a.m., leaving from Just Ride Bicycles, along with periodic trail rides.

His grand opening bike ride will begin at the Bike Works store at 7 a.m. Saturday morning. Anyone with a road bike is invited to join the ride.

Afterward, cyclists are invited to gather at either Bike Works or Just Ride Bicycles to watch the Tour de France on the big-screen televisions and enjoy refreshments.

Bike Works also will raffle off a Team Radio Shack kit (matching bike shorts and top), valued at $210.

In addition, Luppino will have sales throughout the weekend including bike seats and gloves for $10 and Team Radio Shack kits for $100. Anyone who purchases a bicycle for $1,000 or more will receive a free kit.

The store is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

For information, visit www.brandonbikeworks.com.