Business

Sunday, Aug. 24, 2008

Business is booming at local bicycle shops

Outdoor enthusiasts aren’t the only ones biking to work these days; cycling shops selling new ones and cleaning up old ones

Comments (0) |

Outdoor enthusiasts in San Luis Obispo County have long thought of bicycles as a viable alternative to driving a car. Now that gas prices have spiked over $4, however, the practice has hit the mainstream.

Many local bicycle shop owners say they’ve seen up to 50 percent increases in demand over last year. Die-hard motorists are wiping the dust off old bikes and cycling into San Luis Obispo from other towns to go to work. And, employers are finding ways to encourage staffers to cycle by installing bike racks and implementing incentive programs.

Even as fuel prices continue to dip from their summer spikes, bike-shop owners say those who shifted to the cycling culture could remain there.

“People don’t want to be dependent on their cars all the time,” said Mitch Gaalswyk, co-owner of Trinity Cyclery in Grover Beach. “Higher fuel prices really opened a lot of eyes because it made people realize they never know what’s going to happen (in the market).”

The average cost of a gallon of regular unleaded in the area was $4.10 on Tuesday—about 47 cents less than it stood in mid-July. Still, Tuesday’s mark is just over a dollar per gallon higher than the average price for the same period last year. Economists aren’t sure if fuel prices will continue their downward slope or creep toward $5 a gallon.

Bike shops

Commuter and mountain bikes have become increasingly popular in recent months, said sales staff at local shops. Buyers are seeking them for their work commute or recreational needs. The demand for service repairs—sprucing up bikes that were stowed away until recently — has also increased.

“Our (sales) floor has been emptier than it has ever been,” Gaalswyk said, noting sales increased about 25 percent over last year at his South County store.

His suppliers have less to ship because stores nationwide are experiencing the same uptick in buyer interest, he said. Many storage accessories such as racks that can hold groceries are on back order because people are scooping them up to use on errands.

The trend has also reached the San Luis Obispo, North Coast and North County regions.

“I’m seeing a lot more people in the middle of their careers, trying to raise a family, pay a mortgage, etc., who want more choices to save money, and bicycling allows them that freedom,” said Kenny McCarthy, president of Cambria Bicycle Outfitters. His business has locations in Cambria, San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles.

Sales have increased about 30 percent to 50 percent over last year—a spike McCarthy began seeing in March.

Scott Smith, co-owner of Art’s Cyclery in San Luis Obispo, said he too has noticed more bike purchases throughout the year.

Benefits of biking

Consumers once dedicated to their cars are now see cycling as an environmentally and health-friendly practice, said Adam Fukushima, executive director of the San Luis Obispo County Bicycle Coalition.

“So many have realized the benefits of riding a bike that they don’t want to go back,” he added. “Even if gas prices do go down dramatically, there are still the exorbitant costs of making payments, registering, parking, insuring and maintaining a vehicle that are still really expensive.”

Billy Headrick of Grover Beach transitioned into bike riding in November. The 29-year-old either pedals to bus stops or bikes on Highway 227 into San Luis Obispo where he works as a teacher at C. L. Smith Elementary School.

“I started biking because I thought it would be a fun thing to do,” he said. “But then I realized how much I was saving.”

Headrick estimated he has saved about $450 by commuting approximately 670 miles by bike since last year. Much of those miles included places he would have driven to in the past, he said.

Benefits to personal health and the environment are also perks to cycling, Fukushima added.

“We’re so strapped for time

in our modern lives, and bicycling is a great way to multitask by combining your commute with exercise,” he said.

It also helps reduce air pollution because it takes cars off the road, he added.

Jan Lewis, an employee at Transitions — Mental Health Association in San Luis Obispo, waded into the practice by loading a bike onto her car, parking at a midway point between her Cayucos home and work and pedaling the remaining distance into town.

An added bonus to her choice, she said, is her employer runs an incentive program for staffers who choose to carpool, bike, walk or take the bus to the job. They are given sheets to log their miles and receive retail gift cards in return.

“We wanted to motivate people to choose alternative transportation,” said Kevin Selman, program manager for Transitions— Mental Health Association.

The company, like others in the county, also installed a bike rack at its office to help employees make the move from single-passenger driving. The stand has seven spots and is usually near capacity, he said. The firm has since ordered another rack.