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Zachary Kulp, 24, started working at Bent’s Cycling when he was around 14. He was mentored by owner, Steve Bent, until the shop closed after over 60 years in March 2026.
Now, Kulp has opened Lakeland Bicycle Co. on South Florida Avenue just north of the former Bent’s location, honoring its predecessor’s legacy in Dixieland. The shop hosted a grand opening on April 4.
“I pretty much watched Steve,” Kulp said. “He taught me everything that I know today. But my role whenever I first started was just to help customers and then learn the mechanics and stuff like that. … We didn’t really have a set role there. So, it was ‘Do whatever needs to be done.”
Bent, who was 28 when he bought the original bike shop from his father, Roland Bent, said that Kulp is “four years ahead” of him. He said he plans to help Kulp at the shop when needed.
“He’s got a great attitude. He’s real good with people,” Bent said of Kulp.
“He never meets a stranger. And you can’t teach that — you either have it or you don’t, right? That’s what it takes to succeed in business. You gotta have a good product and you gotta have great service, and he’s got both,” Bent said.
A former professional
Kulp has been biking in numerous forms for most of his life: freestyle BMX, mountain bike racing, and urban mountain biking.
Specialized Bikes began sponsoring him in 2021. He rode professionally for around two and a half years, building up his reputation in Florida’s mountain bike scene, Kulp said.
However, he suffered a bad accident in 2024, which led him to riding mountain bike trails then racing electric mountain bikes. Today, he rides around Lakeland whenever he can.
Kulp said his job now is to build his own legacy. His goal, he continued, is to help people, fix their bikes, make them happy, and get them on the “right bikes” — continuing the work that was done at Bent’s.
“I want to be known as the kid who pretty much built a successful bike shop in Lakeland that was local, community-oriented, helped people out whenever they needed to be helped,” Kulp said.
A new vision that carries a legacy
Kulp planned to succeed Bent when he retired and continue operating from the original shop. But due to increasing insurance rates on the aging building, Kulp opted for a new location where he spearheaded efforts to refashion an old antique shop into his dream.
Kulp’s vision for the bike shop was an “open layout” where he could see everything from his workshop. The bike shop needed new paint and lights among other renovations.
He has sprinkled memorabilia throughout — like plaques of newspaper clippings that tie back to Bent’s, with more to come soon. Eventually, an old Schwinn display, about 17 feet long and 7 feet high, will be put in the bike shop.
Kulp admitted that it isn’t common for someone his age to own a physical location. “It’s been a learning experience,” he said.
His parents played a big role in helping him start the business, he said, and the search for the property was a quick one.
“I guess, ‘right place, right time,’” Kulp said. “Everything worked out.”
Bikes, accessories, and services offered
Lakeland Bicycle Co. offers two service packages for bike owners: Level one covers everything needed to get a bike “up and rolling again” for $79.99. Level two includes all level one services, plus more extensive maintenance for $149.99. Services are also priced individually.
“We try to have a little bit of everything for everybody,” Kulp said. “From baskets, tires, bells, lights — pretty much whatever anybody would need, we try to have it.”
The shop’s bike inventory includes electric, hybrid, mountain, road, BMX, and kids’ bikes — electric bikes are what’s “hot right now,” Kulp said.
“Pretty much just to grow,” Kulp said when asked about his future plans. “I want to be the best bike shop in Lakeland. I want to be community driven, for sure. I definitely want to be involved in the community.”
Lakeland Bicycle Co. is located at 923 Florida Ave. S. They’re open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed Sunday.
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