LARGO - When they noticed other cyclists whizzing effortlessly along the Pinellas Trail, Val and Stanley Tavanese decided it was time to trade their slow beach cruisers with soft, wide tires for faster, high-tech road bikes with skinny tires.
In a matter of weeks, they each had a new $5,000 custom road bike - a major leap in quality and price compared to their old $99 cruisers.
"I wanted to go faster and get into racing," said Mrs. Tavanese, "We both wanted something we could enjoy for many, many years to come."
The couple became friends with Paul Williams, the manager of the store where they bought their bikes, and learned the year-old business, Outspokin Family Bicycles & Pro Shop, was for sale.
They did some research and discovered "the bike business is not something you get into to make money," Mrs. Tavanese said. But they had been bitten by the bug.
"We contacted the owner and bought the business," she said. "It just felt like the right thing to do."
Their initial investment in January this year was $50,000.
They renovated the store, expanded the inventory and added new lines.
"The place is completely different," said Mrs. Tavanese.
Bicycle brands include Klein, Fuji, KHS, Gary Fisher and Waterford. Children's bikes start at $99 and adult bikes start at $219. Custom bikes average between $4,000 and $6,000 but can go as high as $12,000. Bike styles feature mountain, road, hybrid, BMX, comfort, triathlon, tandem for two and recumbents. The store also has baby joggers that hook on to the back of bikes and tandems that can be attached.
Accessories include seats and gel covers, pedals, sunglasses, helmets, clothing, baskets, nutritional supplements and heart-rate monitors. There is a trade-up program for children's helmets and youth bikes.
"Since they've taken over, the look of the store is spectacular, the lines are great and it's a much more pleasurable experience," said Mary Beamer of Island Estates, a longtime cyclist who regularly rides around the island, Clearwater Beach and a local park with her husband and teenage son. "They have taught my son a lot about how to properly clean his bike, an important thing when you live on the water."
Education is a regular feature of the business.
A free Bike Basics Clinic meets from 6 to 8 p.m. every Thursday at the shop at 619 N Missouri Ave. The clinic covers everything from how to fix a flat tire, lubricate and maintain bicycle systems to advice on accessories and places to ride.
Shelly Allen, a world champion mountain biker and business owner who lives in Pinellas Park, said she buys all her clothing and accessories at Outspokin. "They're just great people, good to get along with," she said.
General contractor George McCormick of Gulfport, a former marathoner and bicycle racer, took his original bike to Outspokin service manager Ray Wright to see if he could get it in working condition. "It's a great bike, it's just 30 years old," McCormick said. "He put it on the stand and went on and on how they don't make bikes like this anymore while digging around in boxes for parts. Most places wouldn't even try to fix it, but he got it going again."
Paul Williams, who has 25 years of experience in the bike business, remained the store's manager when the Tavaneses bought the shop. Noel Karp, a former bike shop owner with 15 years in the business, is assistant store manager and also works in service. Service manager Ray Wright has 25 years of experience in the business.
Mrs. Tavanese said she and her husband began cycling for the exercise. "You get fit and it's a good feeling," she said, "plus you have fun."
The couple also own Tavanese & Co., an executive search business they started nine years ago in Clearwater after moving here from Massachusetts.
These days, Mrs. Tavanese spends more time at the bicycle store.
"It's such a fun business to own - being around people that have the same enthusiasm you have about cycling," she said.
One of those people, she said, is an 11-year-old boy who comes in to buy tools when he has saved enough money or to just chat with the guys.
"He knows everything about bikes, he rebuilds them," Mrs. Tavanese said. "He comes in and hangs out, I let him do whatever he wants. Sometimes he sweeps the store just so he can be around the guys. It's so refreshing.
"These are the reasons you own a bike shop."
Outspokin Family Bicycles & Pro Shop
619 N Missouri Ave., Largo.
Full-service bicycle shop - bicycles, accessories, repairs and instruction
Three full-time employees, three part-time employees
