Soaring Gas Prices = Bike Shop Boom Times
BISMARCK, N.D. — "Four-dollar-a-gallon gas is good for business _ if you run a bike shop. Commuters around the country are dusting off their old two-wheelers _ or buying new ones _ to cope with rising fuel prices, bicycle dealers say."
I did exactly what this article says people are doing - I took my trail bike down from where it hangs in the garage and made a vow to ride it every day. I've been wondering when we'd feel the effects of idiotically high fuel prices and it looks like we'll be seeing a lot more bicycles on the streets, especially when a gallon starts nudging the $5.oo mark when traditional vacation season rolls around and the corporations automatically gouge motorists.
The only thing about my trail bike and a lot of people's old two wheelers that have been gathering dust for years is that they're really not suited for street use or commuting. Older units can be heavy and those fat tires really slow you down. I used to have a sleek (for the time) 10 speed Schwinn decades ago that racked up thousands of miles because it was comfortable and fast. If you price comparable road bicycles these days you're looking at a base price that starts at around $600 if you want some quality, but how long will it take to save money if it costs a hundred bucks to fill your gas tank? Not very.
I did exactly what this article says people are doing - I took my trail bike down from where it hangs in the garage and made a vow to ride it every day. I've been wondering when we'd feel the effects of idiotically high fuel prices and it looks like we'll be seeing a lot more bicycles on the streets, especially when a gallon starts nudging the $5.oo mark when traditional vacation season rolls around and the corporations automatically gouge motorists.
The only thing about my trail bike and a lot of people's old two wheelers that have been gathering dust for years is that they're really not suited for street use or commuting. Older units can be heavy and those fat tires really slow you down. I used to have a sleek (for the time) 10 speed Schwinn decades ago that racked up thousands of miles because it was comfortable and fast. If you price comparable road bicycles these days you're looking at a base price that starts at around $600 if you want some quality, but how long will it take to save money if it costs a hundred bucks to fill your gas tank? Not very.
posted by nolocontendere at 7:49 AM
1 Comments:
I found a like-new, never-used mountain-bike for $250 just across town through the online Craigslist last year and it's the best bike I've had in my life. I could never afford one of these things brand-new in the professional chain-shops that are taking over everywhere, putting the private shops out of business.
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