US: Bicycle business is brisk

cfsmtb

Another positive take on the rise in cycling to work (from the US), interesting twist in the final paragraph.

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Daily Record/Sunday News: Bicycle business is brisk
http://ydr.inyork.com/ci_8710319

Some people might be using bikes to help save gas, some retailers said.

Wess Klunk of Adventure Cycling & Fitness in West Manchester Township pulls down one of the bikes he'll tune up for spring riding. Whether customers have been trying to save on gas or improve health or both, local bike shops have been busy. (Daily Record/Sunday News - Bil Bowden)

Wess Klunk checks the operation of a bike's disc brake during a spring tuneup. Higher-end bikes have switched to disc brakes. (Daily Record/Sunday News - Bil Bowden)

Many bicycle shop workers across York County used the same word to describe business on Wednesday.

Busy.

Some of the workers said the jump in business might stem from more people wanting to ride bicycles in an effort to spend less on gasoline while, at the same time, improving their health.

"People are making a concerted . . . effort to try to start riding to work," said Will Mahler, the bike

shop manager at Ed's Ski and Cycle in Spring Garden Township. "If you can kill two birds with one stone, it's a great thing."

York County residents paid Wednesday an average $3.242 for a gallon of gas - up from $3.189 last month, according to AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report.

Ed Brandt, owner of Adventure Cycling & Fitness in West Manchester Township, said the shop has been busy with requests to service bicycles.

"We're seeing a lot more people interested in commuting on their bicycles," he said. "I think it's obvious it's gas prices."

Brandt said bicycle sales might be up from last year, but it's too early in the season to know for sure.

"But, we've got good floor traffic," he said.

So did Ed Hughes, owner of The Whistle Stop Bike Shop in New Freedom.

"I'm really busy with repairs," he said. "The warm weather is really getting people thinking . . . (about) health and fitness."

Joyce Glatfelter, owner of The Bike House in Jacobus, said the chance to get back out on the Heritage Rail Trail County Park is bringing customers to her store.

"People are just getting their bikes out for . . . a spring tuneup," she said. "It's more about fitness. It's really not about gas."

On fair weather days, Mahler rides his bicycle from his home in Lancaster to work and back because he likes to combine gas savings with exercise, he said.

John Linden subscribes to a similar practice.

When the weather turns mild, he sometimes rides his bike from home to his full-time job as a machinist in Dallastown and, from there, to his part-time job
Before taking bikes for the initial spring ride, equipment such as tires, chains, drivetrains and brakes should be checked for safety problems, local experts advise.

From West Manchester Township, he heads back home, concluding a roughly 30 mile trip, he said.

Linden said he likes the idea of saving on gas while keeping fit.

"I try to avoid main roads as much as possible . . . I also try to avoid hills."

BIKE SAFETY

John Linden, a mechanic and salesperson at Adventure Cycling & Fitness in West Manchester Township, offered tips for bicycling to and from work:

· Always wear a helmet. Linden said he has seen customers come in with bicycles and helmets that have been through wrecks and car accidents.

· Use a headlight and reflectors for riding when it's dark.

· A hybrid bicycle - made for roads and racing in rough terrain - will be more durable than a regular road bike.

· Find a way to carry stuff, such as a saddle bag for lunch and a change of clothes.

ECONOMIC NEWS

Diehl Motor Company has laid off about 10 percent of its workforce because of the sagging economy.