TAMPA, Fla. - While most businesses are closed due to COVID-19, Two Broke Spokes in Tampa is rolling like normal.

“Did you realize that you guys were going to be deemed an essential business in a time like this?” asked Spectrum Bay News 9 reporter Ashley Paul.

“We kind of assumed because we are transportation, so if the buses are still running, if the automotive repair and gas stations are still functioning, there’s a lot of people who depend on their bikes,” said Curt Johnson, co-owner of Two Broke Spokes.

They depend on their bikes to get them to the grocery store or the bank, if they don’t have a car, making the bike shop just as essential.

“I would say our normal transportation customers are still coming through," Johnson said. "Folks that just need tubes or other minor repairs because they depend on their bike for transportation. I would say those folks are definitely depending on their bikes more because there is less interest in riding the buses and public transportation. But yeah, everyone is riding a bike right now."

That includes people who are getting stir crazy sitting at home.

“We cannot keep hybrids, neighborhood bikes, fitness bikes, stuff that would replace going to the gym, in stock,” said Johnson.

But just because they are open, does not mean they aren’t feeling the impact the virus is having on the economy.

“This would be the time of year we would be selling full suspension mountain bikes and folks would be going out with their new bike out to Alafaya and riding but the trails are closed. So nobody is buying a bike upwards of two grand. The bikes that we’re selling are staying in the $300-$400–$500 dollar range, we’re not doing a lot over a $700 bike. So while we’re seeing a large uptick in those smaller ticket bikes, we’re not seeing any movement on what we would normally see this time of year. So it’s kind of a wash,” said Johnson.

For now, they say they plan to take it day by day, doing what they can to help the community keep moving when the world is at a standstill.

“We will be here making sure people are riding as long as we possibly can, we said we will stay open as long as we’re legally allowed to,” said Johnson.

Two Broke Spokes is also open for bicycle repairs.