The Bikery Coffee & Bicycle Shop — Attraction in Saint Petersburg

I recently visited this bike shop to inquire about truing a wheel, even though I didn’t have the bike with me at the time. One of the employees kindly explained what needed to be done, and I was immediately impressed by his pleasant demeanor and professionalism.

The next day, I brought the bike in and spoke with Alexander (or possibly Zan). He was equally courteous and clearly customer-service oriented. Two days later, I received a call from Dillon, who was incredibly polite and professional. Unfortunately, he had some bad news about the rim—it was damaged beyond repair—and quoted me a price that was a bit more than I wanted to spend on this particular bike.

To my surprise, Dillon suggested I could purchase a cheaper, used rim from another bike shop a "competitor" and even offered to provide the address when I stopped by. His honesty and helpfulness reminded me of the classic Christmas movie Miracle on 34th Street, where the department store employee, sends customers to other stores even competitors if it means helping them find what they need. That kind of integrity builds real trust and loyalty, and Dillon embodied that spirit perfectly.

Over the course of my visits, I interacted with four employees, though I regret not remembering the names of two of them. Each one was professional, polite, and consistently wore a smile, which is rare these days. Their warmth and attentiveness left me with a tremendously positive impression of the shop.

However, my experience took a disappointing turn when I returned on Wednesday to get the address of the other shop. I was speaking with another friendly employee when a man named John who I believe is the owner or manager interjected into the conversation. He spoke with an authoritarian tone, didn’t smile, and questioned who had told me about the other shop. He claimed not to have the address but gave me an idea of where it might be. He also quoted me a higher price than I’d previously been given, and when I asked if he could do better, he responded dismissively, saying, “I have to keep the place open!”—a comment I found unprofessional and rude. I replied that I wasn’t asking for anything to be done for free.

While the staff were truly outstanding, my interaction with John left a sour taste. Based on that experience alone, I wouldn’t return to this shop—even if it were the only one in St. Petersburg. John should consider staying behind the scenes and letting his exceptional team handle customer interactions. They are the heart of the business, and they deserve recognition for the great...

I sat among the scruff next to the Lincoln Highway, repairing my flat as fast as I could. Somewhere between Medicine Bow and Laramie, the summer sun was beating down on me. It was a hard beat down, a far cry from the mild temperature of the Grand Tetons high country only a few days earlier. I rode on, the front tire appearing to wobble, heck, the entire wheel appeared to wobble. Laramie was one of the “Hell on Wheels” towns built during the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. The Pedal House, a former saloon and brothel, is now a full-fledged bike shop. Dewey Gallegos, part owner of the Pedal House, listened to my concerns and placed the tire in the truing stand. He measured the spokes for tension. A few minutes later, he was plucking at them like he was part of the Laramie Symphony. Calling me over, he asked, “Were these wheels professionally made?”. “Yes”, I replied, “I had a master wheel builder in St. Petersburg, Florida built them”. He nodded admiringly at the wheels, noting that they were solid, well-built and would get me to St. Augustine (they did!). “Oh, in your haste to change the tire, you didn’t set the bead right. See how the reflective trim dips towards the rim?”. Spinning the wheel, the wobble reappeared. Letting the air out, I massaged the tire back into place. After six years, I had my Rohloff hub repaired and I trusted only one place and one man to rebuild my wheel. A huge," Thank you" John Johnson! I hope your visit to The Bikery fills all your cycling needs. Wide selection of gear, fair prices, excellent mechanics and wheel building master’s to get you back on the...

Wow!!! My first thought after sending a FB message minutes...more like seconds later I had an answer from Taylor online...Came in same day and got a race tune up for my wife's Orbea road bike. Pulled up the cool looking building and easy parking.

Walked in the door and boom...what an awesome looking bike shop...I'm a complete newbie and Taylor smiled and welcomed me from across the room. The place has an awesome vibe...what!!!! they sell coffee, wine, beer, food!

He got the bike in right away asked if I wanted to wait and after seeing the plentiful seating by the beautiful windows overlooking the outdoors I said aahhh Yeah!!!

He came back and said it needed a chain and explained the differences between several he had ranging from around $18 to $40 . I wanted my wife to be faster lol so I chose the sharp looking and lighter chain. He recommended some other items to consider for later and quickly saved us money.

Their are many bike shops around Tampa and St. Pete. I chose to drive 24 miles from Harbour Island and am so glad I did.

Everyone at the shop was super friendly...had I asked their names I would have included them.

Will be going back to support The Bikery...I see a KICKR indoor trainer in our...