By B.C. Manion
At first glance, D & G Products Inc. looks like a bicycle shop.
All sorts of unusual bicycles sit on the lawn outside the business at 5151 Gall Blvd. in Zephyrhills.
Go inside and it seems like the business is a combination bicycle-skateboard shop, with a smattering of educational games for sale.
It turns out, though, that the shop is all that and more.
It’s also a place where you can buy solar-powered generators and find out about using solar arrays to power your home. And, if you enjoy riding bicycles in nature or going on canoe trips, you may want to drop by to see when the next outing will be.
The shop also repairs antique clocks, radios and all sorts of other items.
In a word, this business is eclectic.
There is a reason the shop has such an array of products and services, said Dave Emery, who opened the business with Greg Findlen on April 1, 2009.
“After retiring, I didn’t want a bike store,” Emery said. “I wanted a little bit of everything that I have a passion for,” he said. “We started out with just three bikes.”
Emery said he opened the shop after finishing his career at Verizon.
“I retired from there in very bad shape,” said Emery, who has since become much more fit by regularly riding a bicycle and eating organic foods.
He encourages others to do the same.
“I was a 58-year-old going on 80. Now, I’m a 60-year-old going on 40. By the time I’m 65, I want to be 35 (physically),” Emery said.
Regardless of what condition you’re in, if you want to ride a bicycle, Emery will find one to suit you.
A patron dropped by the shop the other day and told Emery he had not been on a bike in 40 years.
“That’s OK,” Emery reassured the man. “It’s never too late.”
The shop has bicycles designed to carry people who weigh more than 500 pounds. There are bicycles equipped with electric motors to help people who can’t pedal long distances.
There are bicycles with pedals that are closer to the front to give riders more leverage — and to help them to climb up hills.
Some of the shop’s customers can no longer drive cars, but they can tool around town on their electric-powered bicycles.
Besides stocking bicycles, the shop also sells solar-powered generators — which can be used in remote places or when the power goes out.
Emery knows a fair amount about solar power.
“I live in a house that’s 100 percent solar powered,” he said. His solar panels produce more than enough power to meet his needs, so he sells the excess to the power company.
Emery shares his knowledge of solar power at seminars he conducts at his Dade City house.
He also enjoys going on weekend bike rides or canoe trips with customers.
“That’s what this business is about. This is a store about getting in shape and having fun.
“We get to know our customers and they become friends. When I stop having fun, this business will cease.”
For more information about D&G Products Inc., call (813) 788-2000 or visit dgGreenProducts.com.
