Writer Shannon Severson
Big box stores seem to dot every corner these days and can be bereft of the personal touch and connection that makes shopping a more pleasant experience; but when it comes to bicycle shops, our area has a wealth of locally-owned businesses that provide expertise, customized service and sales and pride themselves on community engagement.
Flat Tire Bike Shop
6032 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek // 480-488-5261 // flattirebikes.com
Flat Tire Bike Shop is owned by Kaolin Cosmo Cummins, who styles his business as “less of a bike shop and more of a pirate ship.” The goal is to buck the trend of “lackluster strip mall bike shops” and bring passion and meticulous care to servicing customers and their bikes — whatever style that takes.
Community is at the forefront of the shop’s mission to serve the cycling community, and it welcomes customers who are looking for new wheels, a tune-up, a cute build or the assembly of a new bike. Customers rave about fast and friendly service, custom bike fitting and the shop’s team’s expertise.
The Flat Tire Bike Shop community enjoys rides through Cave Creek Regional Park and the Maricopa Trail through Spur Cross Recreation Area in Cave Creek.
Grind and Gears
10 Easy St., Carefree // 480-488-7981 // thegrindandgears.com
Grind and Gears bills itself as a “one-stop bike shop, coffee shop and pit stop.” Its unique business model fosters community with a dog-friendly outdoor patio and a menu of coffee drinks, smoothies and snacks to take on the road or enjoy with friends before or after a ride.
The shop carries a wide array of manufacturers for new bike sales, as well as accessories and apparel. Its inventory is available for viewing online so you can peruse styles and prices before heading in to get the team’s insight and expertise. New bicycle purchases come with free lifetime maintenance and the store offers free delivery and pickup within a seven-mile radius.
If repairs are what you need, Grind and Gears offers full tune-ups and has a menu of repair options and pricing online. For those who don’t own a bike and want to test drive one and those who have visiting friends and family from out of town, Grind and Gears’ rental service offers a selection of urban or mountain bikes, including those with e-assist and even a three-wheel e-assist style for rental in four-hour increments, all day or, for most models, two days.
JRide Bikes
28248 N. Tatum Blvd., Suite B2, Cave Creek // 480-590-2524 // jridebikes.com
Jason and Tisha Suarez opened JRide Bikes two and a half years ago in an effort to have some family flexibility. Jason, better known as Jay, has been in the industry for close to three decades and has a passion for riding. This experience serves their customers well, with a wealth of knowledge and an understanding of exactly the type of customer service cyclists are looking for.
“People like to come to our shop because we are active in our community and ride and race ourselves,” Tisha says. “We cater to everyone, from the basic rider to professionals.”
The shop’s motto is “service without the compromise,” and they sell and service a wide variety of road, mountain, triathlon, BMX and e-bikes. They are a full-service Bosche-certified shop and also specialize in Di2 and AXS drive trains.
Tisha says the couple has customers from out-of-state who travel here just for Jay to work on their bikes because of his mechanical expertise. The shop employs top-of-the-line, experienced mechanics and prides itself on thoroughness and quality of workmanship. They offer free pick-up and delivery within a six-mile radius of their Cave Creek location.
Jay’s favorite place to ride is Brown’s Ranch in Scottsdale. While Jay is definitely an expert, he notes that it’s also the best place for beginners. For intermediate cyclists, he recommends Trail 100, which is part of the Phoenix Mountains Preserve near Paradise Valley. His “experienced level” trail recommendation is South Mountain in Phoenix.
Spur Cross Cycles
6738 E. Cave Creek Road, Suite 3 and 4, Cave Creek // 480-256-BIKE (2453) // spurcrosscycles.com
Crystal and Garrett Topham bring 20 years of local riding knowledge to Spur Cross Cycles, which is tucked alongside The Horny Toad in Cave Creek. Both grew up with fathers who raced mountain bikes and cycled to work, so passion for the sport is in their blood. The couple saw a need for a bike rental shop that would allow patrons to enjoy the same roads, trails and bike paths around town that they loved so much.
They recently celebrated the 12th anniversary of their shop.
In addition to renting town, road and mountain bikes at half- and full-day rates, Spur Cross Cycles sells new bikes from makers Salsa, Surly and Kona, with options for factory complete or custom-build. Longer rentals qualify for discounts and the owners stress that every rental comes with a quality bike helmet free of charge, as safety is a top priority. Rental bikes are checked over and maintained after every return.
There’s no need to be a pro to feel welcome at this local business; the Tophams say they’re always willing to take the time to help cyclists who are just starting out.
“We all started out as beginners,” Crystal says. “I feel that everyone should be treated as if that’s the case. It’s OK to ask for help and get honest advice. [For] someone like myself who has been riding her entire life, I still, to this day, learn something new. We are all learning. Cycling is supposed to be fun and it’s healthy. We get to explore different areas and I just want everyone else to have a great riding experience.”
Offering tune-ups and repairs, the service side of the operation is Crystal’s specialty.
“I’m either wrenching or writing up a service agreement. I’m the one who performs the service so you’ll know your bike is getting full attention,” she says.
Crystal ensures that bike owners never feel theirs is “too old or too junky to repair” and can often extend the life of a bike with a thorough cleaning and by affordably replacing parts. Customers often marvel at the huge improvements that Crystal makes to their bikes.
Spur Cross Cycles can even help create riding plans that will meet the needs of any skill level, with its website featuring trail maps from Cave Creek Regional Park and Spur Cross Ranch for reference.
The Tophams recommend Brown’s Ranch in Scottsdale for beginners and, for the more intermediate/advanced, Cave Creek’s “C4 Loop” — which is right near the shop and is also the route of the town’s annual bike race/ride. They also recommend Black Canyon Trail, a 79-mile ride from the lowlands of the Sonoran Desert to the high desert grasslands of Prescott Valley.
Sunset Cyclery
42407 N. Vision Way, Suite 113, Anthem // 623-296-5915 // sunsetcycleryaz.com
Sunset Cyclery began under a different name in 2017 as Anthem’s first and only bike shop. When it faced financial challenges in mid-2020, five friends who loved riding bikes decided to team up to save the shop. Owners Cary Westmark, Alison and Shaughn Ryan, Roman Trujillo and Gabe Lucero have been serving Anthem cyclists’ needs ever since.
The shop offers new bikes, parts and accessories and repair and maintenance for traditional and e-bikes, as well as kick-scooters for the thriving skate park community in Anthem. Their sales and maintenance services run the gamut of all brands and styles of bicycles.
Being the sole cycle shop in Anthem is a natural advantage, but the ownership team doesn’t rest on the convenience of location. The shop gets many positive reviews both online and face-to-face and the many returning customers are evidence of their success.
“We are owned and operated by committed Anthem residents who share a deep passion for cycling,” Westmark says. “We take pride in providing quick and welcoming customer service and we are actively involved in community events. We are dedicated to supporting local youth sports through sponsorships and we cultivate a robust connection with our neighbors.”
As you might imagine, these five owners have some great recommendations for cycling locales. They recommend that mountain bikers check out Brown’s Ranch in Scottsdale and you can often find them riding near the shop at Sonoran Mountain Preserve. They note that both locales offer trails suitable for all riding abilities. For urban cycling, they say that Anthem has many bike paths and lanes and the beautiful Anthem Community Park is a delightful riding experience for all levels.
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