If $4-a-gallon gas has you looking for relief, consider: A concerted effort is underway to attract casual bike riders into the fold.
The lure is a range of new commuting bikes that promise to make everyday travel by bicycle as comfortable and fashionable as it is cheap. And if time is the excuse you give for being a bit of a slug, what better way to fit in a workout than to make it your transportation?
“It’s convenient, it keeps me fit, and it’s economical,” says Scott Infanger, a professor at the University of North Alabama in Florence. He regularly bikes his daughter Elizabeth, 7, to school on the way to his nearby office in an effort to teach her that bicycling is a legitimate form of transportation. With Elizabeth hitched behind on a trailer bike, it takes about 8 minutes to get her to school, Infanger says, about the same time it takes to travel the 1 1/2 miles by car.
In a country where most grown- ups regard bicycles as kid stuff, there are signs that attitudes are beginning to shift. Bike stores and manufacturers are reporting significant upticks in sales.
“They’re selling out of all the commuting bikes — all bikes, by the way — that they can get their hands on,” said Bill Fields, a consultant who follows the bicycle industry. He anticipates a 20 percent bump in the “comfort bike” category, which includes commuting bikes, by year’s end.
Meantime, a bill that will allow employers to offer financial incentives to bicycle commuters is winding its way through the House and Senate. A recently unveiled bike-sharing program in Washington, which allows members to use bikes from 10 rental locations with the swipe of a card, has spurred interest in other cities. And, in Austin, Texas, Tour de France legend Lance Armstrong recently opened a cycling shop that caters not to racing enthusiasts but to commuters.
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama recently met with bicycle advocates and promised that he would increase funding for bicycling projects, while potential Republican vice presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has taken to biking around Little Rock, Ark.
Though old hat in many European and Asian countries, commuter bikes, which run generally between $400 and $800, are foreign to many Americans. A cousin to the mountain bike in the sense that it puts riders in an upright position, as opposed to the aerodynamic crouch of the racing or road bike, the commuter bike is more comfortable than either type of sport bike. Its tires tend to be large but smooth and perform better than rugged mountain bike tires on pavement; its wide seat distributes pressure more evenly than the narrow seats on sport bikes; and its ergonomically designed handlebars are curved back slightly for comfort.
Most commuter bikes come with lights and bells, a basket or rack on the back for a briefcase or groceries, mud flaps and an enclosed chain guard to protect clothes from grease or tears. Some even come with pedal-powered electrical generators that operate lights.
Shifting these bikes is less of an art. While sport bikes might have 18 or 24 gears, a commuter bike is apt to have just three, though some designed for hillier terrain have more. Many take advantage of an unusual shifting system that makes it possible to change gears when you’re not pedaling, while others even shift automatically.
The Trek Lime, for example, one of a series of coasting bikes designed for especially easy riding, has an automatic shifting system powered by a generator on the front hub, as well as old-fashioned pedal brakes designed to make the riding experience carefree. It runs slightly under $600.
Joe Breeze, one of the inventors of the mountain bike and owner of California-based bike-maker Breezer, says sales of his company’s commuter bikes are up 40 percent so far for the year. The Breezer Villager, which features a light aluminum frame and a seven- speed shifting system, was recently named best commuting bike of 2008 by Bicycling magazine.
Beginners and older riders might like Electra Bicycle Co.’s Townie, whose “flat foot” design allows for planting both feet on the ground for stability while seated. The company’s Amsterdam line is also popular. And Biria, a German company, offers an especially low step-through frame that makes boarding easy, as well as a number of models that come with racks, fenders and chain guards.
“This is my first bike in 50 years,” said Sylvia Reiser, 73, of Hamilton, Ontario. She recently bought her $400 Biria after her doctor suggested biking was a good form of low-impact exercise. She sometimes uses the bike to pick up a few groceries and also rides regularly with her husband for fun.
Because it’s often the serious sports enthusiasts who staff bicycle shops, the vibe can be intimidating for newcomers, cautions Amy Walker, publisher of Momentum, a magazine focused on bicycling. She suggests finding a shop where the service is friendly no matter what your experience level, and test riding as many bikes as necessary to find a good fit.
The Internet is brimming with helpful tips for new commuters. Try the Commuting 101 section of : “Essential Tips for New Riders” (wear a helmet, make sure you’re visible) or Paul Dorn’s Bike Commuting Tips for advice on how to plan your route. An online video from the bicycle advocacy group Bikes Belong (bikesbelong.org) offers a view of one rider’s commute, along with statistics extolling the benefits of biking.
A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration video has good safety tips.
One of the biggest concerns most new bikers have is safety. Some 773 people were killed bicycling in 2006 and tens of thousands injured. Rutgers University researchers who compared the safety of walking, biking, and driving found that, per kilometer traveled, bicycle fatalities were 11 times higher than car-occupant fatalities.
Still, the health benefits of cycling seem to far outweigh the risks. Regular moderate exercise is a boon for a healthy heart, and other research has shown that biking helps stave off obesity, arthritis and depression.
One Dutch study found that the health benefits of bicycle commuting reduced a person’s overall risk of dying by 40 percent in comparison with a similarly matched group who didn’t commute.
