Pump prices fueling re-emergence of bikes as transportation

Rising fuel costs are causing many North Shore residents to trade in their gas guzzling four-wheel drives and opt for a cheaper and healthier traveling option: their old 10 speed.”A lot of bikes that are 10 years old are coming out of the closets,” said Marblehead Cycles employee John Raymond. “We’ve had lots of repairs on dusty bikes that had been just sitting around in basements.”New bike purchases, particularly commuter bikes and road bikes, have been wheeling out the store’s door more than ever, said Raymond, who has spent many years at the turn of the century-old shop.”The customers have definitely changed,” said another employee, Doug Mahegan as he worked on a bike in the backroom. “It’s always been a family business, but we’re seeing a lot more new commuters.”Both agree that gas prices have had a large effect on their business over the past year. Raymond said it’s often the focus of good conversations held in his store as customers browse rows of bikes and shelves of helmets.”I live in downtown Beverly and even I drive a lot less,” said Raymond. “I just park my car everywhere and ride off (on my bike).”What used to be a recreational activity has become a serious means of transportation for those on a tight budget. Mahegan said more and more people are purchasing bike accessories, like baskets and trailers, to easily transport items that would have typically required using a car to pick up. Customers are also trying to save a penny or two by simply converting their old mountain bike into a commuter bike by using road tires instead.North Shore Cycle in Lynn has also seen an increase in sales, largely due to health conscious people and those wanting to save on gas.”There’s probably been about a 10 percent increase,” said store manager Tim Baker. “That’s not a huge increase, but gas prices are definitely something people talk about more.”Baker said that many people coming to his Western Avenue store looking for a mountain bike wind up choosing a bike designed for commuting instead.”If gas prices continue to be so high, we’ll surely see an increase in bike (sales) in the fall when the 2009 bikes come out,” he said, adding that many of those customers would likely be college and high school students needing a cheap way to get to and from school.According to “The (Original) Gas Savings Calculator” found on the Commute by Bike Web site, riding a bike to work could save the average commuter thousands of dollars each year.For example, a person who travels 30 miles to and from work five days a week (300 miles) in a car that gets 25 mpg on gas that costs $4/gallon will see a daily savings of $9.60; a weekly savings of $48; and a yearly savings of $2,496.And, although bikes don’t come cheap, they’re certainly less expensive than purchasing a car or making car repairs. Both locations displayed prices ranging from $325 for a standard hybrid bike to $750 for a more specialized road bike.”If you take good care of it and depending on how you ride, you could pass it down to your kids,” said Mahegan, noting the life-long durability of most bikes.”If you spend $400-$500 on a nice commuter bike, you’ll earn that back in a month if you commute to work,” said Baker.Those interested in making the switch to a two-wheeler should do so with the current sale prices. When new product comes out in the fall, prices are expected to rise by at least $40, said Baker, due to increasing production costs.For more information on how to start biking, log on to www.massbike.org or www.commutebybike.com.