By Michelle Caceres
Whether you’ve caught the cycling bug and want to train for a hundred mile road race or just cruise around the neighborhood for some fresh air and exercise, Just Ride Bicycle Owners Joe and Trish Kennedy help fit riders with the perfect bikes.
“Big-box stores don’t have the manpower or expertise to determine which type of bicycle is best suited to each rider and then find the right sized bike for them,” said longtime rider Joe Kennedy. “A properly fitted bicycle, taking a rider’s height and torso and leg lengths into consideration, can make all the difference.”
Gibsonton resident Kerry Hayes visited Just Ride Bicycles, located at 13412 Boyette Rd. in River Springs Town Center, after deciding she needed to get outside and exercise.
“I don’t like going to a gym and really wanted to do something outdoors since the weather is so great here,” said Hayes.
Kennedy talked to Hayes about her budget, the type of riding she wanted to do and fitted her with a Trek Lexa women’s road bike.
“Joe was very knowledgeable and I didn’t feel like I had to spend a ton of money to get a good bike,” she said.
Joe wants customers to leave his store with a high level of satisfaction.
“When our customers are happy with their purchases that means we’ve done it right,” he said.
Hayes has been riding now for more than two years and has traded up to a lighter-weight Trek bicycle with clip-in pedals. Just Ride Bicycles participates in Trek’s trade up program, allowing her to offset the cost of the new bike by trading in her old one.
“I’m hooked on riding,” she said. “My mind just concentrates on the road and before I know it I’ve been riding two hours.”
Just Ride Bicycles is open Monday through Friday 10 a.m.–7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sunday 12 Noon–4 p.m. It is a full service bicycle shop offering Trek and Gary Fisher bicycles, bicycle repairs and upgrades, custom bicycle fittings, rentals, car racks, Saris bike box rentals and Triathlon gear.
For more information about Just Ride Bicycles, visit www.justridebicycles.com or call 381-3907.
