JCS CYCLES

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"Finally! A bicycle shop for the rest of us!" - Bill , JCS Cycles Customer

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April 18th, 2012

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    KHS Bicycles Soma Bicycles Co-Motion Bicycles Pake Bicycles YUBA Surly Bicycles Minnehaha Bags Brooks of England TOBA Racks and Bags Planet Bike VOYAGER Touring Phil Wood Velo Orange TUBUS Zefal Products

    Located on the Pinellas Trail

    Pinellas trail

    Bicycles and Accessories for Commuting, Touring, Cargo, and Recreational Cycling
    "The bicycle enables us to escape many other machines: We use it for transportation, sport, recreation, and make it a way of life." - Jobst Brandt


    Proud To Be A Transportation Bicycle Shop since 2008

    Daily Bicycle Comics - Yehuda Moon and the Kickstand Cyclery


    Our Promises to You

    We hold ourselves and all of our employees to certain standards here at JCS Cycles. Read about our promises to you ===> Here...


    New Early Hours and More
    New Hours

    We are expanding our hours to better serve our customers and are now opening at 8AM sharp, Monday through Friday. Now, if you need a repair job done quickly, drop your bicycle off when we open at 8AM, and if we have the parts in stock, your bicycle can be ready when you get through with work for the day. And if you are traveling the Pinellas trail and need a rest room or fresh water, stop by our store.

    Our new 2012 frames are starting to arrive, including the intriguing new SOMA ES, a TANGE Prestige steel framed model that can be built up in several different ways, from fast club riding "roadie" bicycle to randonneur/audax/century bicyle to a loaded touring bicycle. When you are out on a ride on the Pinellas trail, stop by Mile Marker 20 at Ponce de Leon Boulevard and see what makes us a unique bicycle shop.


    News From the Shop

    Automobile Addiction and the Energy Trap

    Our addiction to automobiles is taking a terrible toll on the average household. Nationally, we will spend over $490 BILLION dollars this year filling our gas tanks - nearly equal to the trade deficit. The Department of Commerce estimates that a household earning $50,000 - $60,000 per year is spending $7,000 on gas purchases. But if you look at the total cost of automobile ownership, it's more like $10,000 per vehicle. In many cases, even more. And for individuals in outer suburbs, or rural areas, higher still. Darren in the video above is stuck working two jobs, and in large part just to pay for his automobile to get him to those jobs. More...


    The Amazing Yuba Mundo

    Mundo hauling patio
    A perfect way to take a vacation - on a Yuba Mundo!

    We made the decision to go completely carless last year, and we can truly say that it would not have been so easy, maybe even impossible, without our Yuba Mundo. We have sold Mundos since the beginning of our business, and have sold a number of them over the years. There is a baker in Atlanta that sells cupcakes in parks from her Mundo. Another customer, facing the loss of his driver's license for an indefinite period bought a Mundo, converted it to an electric bicycle, and now rides happily around his Appalachian mountain town. Most of our Yuba customers simply want to use it in place of an automobile More...


    In Praise of Baskets

    Mundo with baskets
    Shop Mundo with Wald 157 and Cargo Net

    Yup. Baskets. And bags. Along with kickstands, these are bicycle accessories that the average roadie looks down on, if not outright sneers at. But if you a bicycle for commuting, or touring, or as a way to leave your bicycle around, these are necessities that you seek out. Cyclists that are new to using a bicyce for transportaion tend to look immediatly at racks and panniers, and tend to get steered that way by many shops. But before you equip yourself with enough gear to make an expedition for the Himalyas, take a look at baskets first.

    When more than half of local trips to the grocery store are 2.5 miles or less, you don't need to run full panniers front and rear. You just need someplace to put your bags. This is where a basket comes in handy. Go into the store. Come out. Throw in your bags. Ride away. Be happy! You aren't stuck in traffic.More...


    Fixed Gear Focus

    Mundo with baskets
    First Year Storefront Full of Fixies

    From our very first year in business we have sold, and rode fixed gear bicycles. Not just for racing, a "fixie" makes a great bicycle for either commuting or recreational riding. Fixies are simple yet elegant. No derailleurs, shifters, or cassettes. One chainring. Brakes are optional, although we use at least a front brake and don't sell any without at least one brake. Maintainance is simple. They cost less on the average than geared bicycles, are good for improving your pedaling mechanics when you are training, and the fun factor is through the roof.

    You don't coast. You can't. That's why it's called fixed. The rear cog is screwed onto the rear hub and locked with a lock ring that left hand threads against it. The pedals keep going around when the wheel moves. Try to coast, and you get a quick reminder of what you are riding. People that are "fixie fanatics" will tell you about a "feeling of oneness" or a "mystical connection" with the rider and bicycle. We think this comes from the experience of constantly pedaling while you are moving. Riding a fixie teaches you to pedal through the corners and pedal downhill. You are more involved with riding because you never really disconnect from the bicycle by coasting. More...


    Tips from the Shop

    Experienced Mechanic
    You need all of this...

    Should I buy a used bicycle online? How about a frame, and then build up my dream bicycle?

    Before you do, consider what we tell our customers when they ask us about buying used:

    "For a skilled and experienced bicycle mechanic, it's OK to buy used. For everyone else, please - just say no."

    No, we aren't Nancy Reagin, but before you consider yourself mechanically experienced, answer a few questions: More...


    Let Us Build You the Right Bicycle for You

    Custom Built Bicycles
    Custom Built
    One of the "insider secrets" of the bicycle industry is the majority "stock" bicycles are designed for lightweight racers. And by lightweight, we mean 160lbs and under. The frame styles are designed for the purpose of going as fast as possible, or in the case of off-road, handling "technical" singletrack trails AND going as fast as possible. Things like rider comfort and the ability to carry packages and bags, outside of a couple of water bottles, aren't considerations.

    So if you are looking to improve your CAT rating or accumulate enough points for a pro license, those are the bikes for you. For the other 99% of people that ride bicycles, well, we need something else.


    Breaking in a Brooks Saddle

    B17 in the Box
    B17 in Honey - Bought by a very happy customer!
    Over many years of riding, we have discovered that there is no substitute for a Brooks saddle. Their comfort, and durability, is simply the best. What they do require is a proper break-in, and then some minimal care, unlike artificial saddles. People that have a bad experience with a Brooks saddle have either not broken them in properly, not bought the model of saddle that was appropriate for their body size and type of riding, or have bought a used saddle that was broken in by someone else. More...


    On Building A Bicycle Friendly City

    Bicycle Traffic
    It's a matter of perception...
    The US is finally starting to see a rebirth of using bicycles as transportation, rather than strictly an activity for fitness or racing.

    If you are one of our "regulars" at our shop, you know we often have conversations ongoing as to how to improve the bicycling situation here in both Atlanta and the US as a whole. One point that we always come around to is changing the way the general public perceives cyclists. Another point that comes up is that we as cyclists need to take a look at the way we ride, and how it affects the opinion of the general public.

    This is a tough one for us to swallow, with our messenger and road racing backgrounds. But, it's a worthwhile, and necessary effort, if we ever want to get ourselves to the point where Copenhagen is today. Every day, 500,000 and more people take to the streets of Copenhagen on bicycles on bicycle friendly streets. How did the Danish do it when they set out to do so 30 years ago? Read More...


    We are a proud to be a member of

    Adventure Cycling association