Beloved St. Pete Bike Shop Closes

66 Fixed was never just a bicycle retail store. "The shop was more of a hub for people to share their love of cycling," said co-owner Carol Davis.

Carol and her husband, Michael, ran the Central Avenue store together since 2007. The store was a fixture downtown for biking enthusiasts.

The couple made the painful decision to close their shop on Dec. 31.

But Carol Davis said that it wasn't the economy that led to the doors closing. It was more about embarking on new adventures, rather than suffering from hard times.

"Michael has a new bicycle company that will get going soon," said Carol. "So that's exciting."

However, the new business venture will not be in retail. "We are ready to move on to new ideas," explained Carol.

Michael is an avid cyclist himself, which ultimately gave him an edge over competitors when the couple opened the retail store.

Since he knew the sport, Michael was able to incorporate repairs and mechanic work into the shop's services.

Retail was not the only thing that came from the store. 66 Fixed actually had their own cycling team, too. The group also hosts a cycling race called "The 12 Hours of St. Pete" that happens in April.

The race takes place in the scenic downtown area over a 12-hour period.

As the duo looks forward to their future, which entails the biking business, they remember the years they spent at the shop on Central Avenue.

Carol is proud of her peers and fellow cyclists. She says that it was a pleasure doing business in the downtown location. "We applaud our community for how supportive they were," said Carol. "I think it was nice to see people making it a point to buy local."

Facebook users left a lot of messages that showed their dedication to the store and the sport. "This is the saddest thing I've seen all day," wrote one user; another left a note reading, "This is sad. My bike will remind me how great 66 Fixed was and always will be."