Shopping in Chandler

Lance Muzslay has completed 20 Ironman triathlons, and his tally keeps on ticking. This means that, in races alone, he has swum 48 miles, biked 2,240 miles, and run 514 miles—the equivalent of a car-less road trip. At Sole Sports Running Zone, he applies his expertise toward outfitting runners with the garb, gels, and kicks they’ll need to pound the pavement. Muzslay works alongside a team of equally passionate runners at locations in Tempe, Scottsdale, and Glendale. Though the franchise has peddled its wares for five years, the Glendale location opened about six months ago and has the sharpest new-shoe scent. In 2011, the franchise clinched Phoenix magazine’s vote as the best athletic-shoe retailer in the valley.

Manned by a diverse and experienced dive staff, The Scuba Shop hosts scuba classes for all skill levels in a 10,000-square-foot facility that boasts an indoor training pool kept heated to a cozy 90 degrees year-round. There, unseasoned and uncertified divers practice essential skills in a controlled environment before moving into the unpredictable motions of open water or an aboveground pool being carried away by giant ants. In addition to its vast array of training opportunities, The Scuba Shop sells high-quality equipment that divers can use on personal expeditions or on trips the shop organizes to exotic diving destinations.

At Jerry’s Artarama, resident artists draw on personal experience and channel the shop's four decades in business to help create works in nearly any medium. Shelves bravely bear the weight of multitudinous tubes of paint ranging from traditional oil paints made from 150-year-old processes, to easy-to-use acrylic pigments. Artists can wield a Mejillo TruColor palette to serve as a launching pad for paints, or take up PrismaColor colored pencils to add vivid pigmentation to sketches. For more specialized projects, customers can stock up on the store's street-art supplies and screen-printing kits.

Meanwhile, the framing professionals at Jerry’s Artarama navigate a bounty of glass, mats, mounting, and moulding options to personalize the framing of photos, watercolor landscapes, and napping bats. Frame options include the warm whorls of wooden frames as well as silver, black, or gold aluminum frames to complement any work's color scheme.

The Urban Commuter operates under the mantra “Thoughtful Motion,” meaning it gets travelers moving in a manner that is both environmentally friendly and economically sound. The shop specializes in various modes of mindful transportation, including gas- and electric-powered scooters and bicycles. When visitors stop by with a broken scooter, or a bike that has slipped into a chain coma, the shop’s technicians can deliver full-service maintenance, repairs, and several different levels of tune-ups. For do-it-yourselfers, The Urban Commuter also carries a plethora of parts and accessories.

For nearly 50 years, Hiland’s Cigars has carried a cornucopia of imported cigars from brands such as Casada, Rocky Patel, and Montecristo. A visit to their store will also reveal an inventory of pipe and chewing tobaccos from lines that include Somerset, Black Gold, and Snowflake. And both in-store and online shoppers can snag cigar accessories in the form of ashtrays and stainless-steel cigar cases that could also transport miniature guitars in a pinch.

Trailhead Bike Shop and Cafe fulfils every gearhead's two basic needs: offering the sale and repair of all things bike-related, and calories. The shop's group of certified bike technicians keeps frames of all makes and models in bikini-ready shape and top form with detailed repair services, and can help customers find their steely soulmate from their selection of road and mountain bikes. On the other side of the shop, a café with blazing WiFi keeps riders as road ready as their two-wheelers, serving up a savory selection of breakfast and lunch sandwiches, smoothies, coffee drinks, and soup. After nourishing both selves and steeds, riders can hit the trails of the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, which begin just outside the shop.