US: Bicycle business is brisk

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.


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cfsmtb