- February 5, 2025
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One of The Hub Cycling's best sales associate is a German Shepherd named Lola, and she's part of the reason the local store was named one of America's Best Bike Shops of 2018.
Store owners Steve and Kristi Bodnaruk, along with Lola, opened the store three years ago with the goal of making it a hot spot for the local cycling community. In addition to selling bicycles, they deliver fast service, host group rides twice a week and hold happy hours on Fridays. Bikes purchased at the store come with a lifetime of free tune ups and a 14-day ride guarantee.
Brandee Lepak, board chairwoman for the National Bicycle Dealers Association, said in a press release that fewer than 200 bike shops nationally qualified for the award this year. The Hub Cycling has met the association's standards for three years consecutively.
Providing a great shopping experience and expert staffing are among the traits that helped the bike shop qualify for the award, Lepak said. However, the store's relationship with its customers and the community also played a role.
"We want to be a hub for the community, and I think we've stayed true to that as a business," Steve said.
Steve built the store around the cycling lifestyle and with the idea that it can be a home away from home for local riders. People can browse from children's BMX bikes to high-end (think Ferrari) bicycles lined up along the stores and displayed along the walls. Store associates can be seen working on bicycles, often completing repairs within 24 hours or on the spot.
About 20 hours of work each month is dedicated to repairing donated bikes that are given to children or adults in need of reliable transportation.
If someone wants to learn about the cycling world, or if they are a seasoned rider looking to plan their next ride, they can sit in the lounge area, watch television and even enjoy a beer or glass of wine.
For Steve, going to work means unlocking the door and waiting for friends, old and new, to walk in.
He became a cyclist when he was 13 years old. Now 45, he continues to ride recreationally and competitively. He worked as the neutral bicycle mechanic for small countries during the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Georgia and with Lance Armstrong during the Tour of the Roses in Texas.
He moved from Canada to attend Daytona State College. As a student, he continued working in bike shops and cycling to stay in shape for hockey. The freedom of exploring the city from the seat of his bike was too good to pass up, which is why he decided to pursue it as his career.
"It's all I know," he said. "I haven't worked a day in my life."
