Fitness, Fuel Costs Propel Bicycle Sales

At Easton’s Broken Spoke, business has kicked into high gear.

“We’ve gotten pretty busy,” says Jesse Check, co-owner of the shop. “Nice weather brings in a lot of repairs.”

Bike shop owners are gearing up for the hectic cycling season, providing everything from custom hikes and safety gear to service and advice.

Nationally, cycling is the seventh most popular recreational activity, behind exercise walking, swimming, camping, fishing, exercising with equipment, and bowling, according to the National Bicycle Dealers Association. Bicycle industry sales have remained steady at more than 13 million bicycle units per year, plus parts, accessories and service. The majority of bikes sold in the United States are imported – 98 percent – with most of the hikes coming from China and Taiwan.

The Lehigh Valley is a haven for bicyclists. Trexlertown is home to one of only 12 velodromes, or professional cycling arenas, in the United States. There are also dozens of clubs and organizations devoted to bicycling here and in Berks County.

Most people who buy a bike are interested in the health benefits cycling brings.

According to the National Bicycle Dealers Association, 94.5 percent of those who ride bicycles do so for recreation or fitness, 0.3 percent for racing, and approximately 5.2 percent for transportation.

Broken Spoke, a small family-owned shop, sells pretty much what any biking enthusiast needs to hit the road – bikes of all types, helmets, safety lights, protective pads.

“We sell pretty much any kind of bike out there,” Check says.

Check says bikes at his shop run between $250 and $2,500 and beyond depending on what you’re interested in.

Mountain bikes are the largest single bicycle category for specialty bicycle stores. A mountain bike has a sturdy frame and thick, rugged tires, originally designed for riding in rocky country.

Bike shop owners say they are also seeing more people interested in “comfort bikes.” They are similar to Mountain bikes but designed more for the recreational hiker who isn’t necessarily traversing rugged terrain. Comfort bikes have soft saddles, more upright seating and easier gearing than a mountain bike.

“They are very comfortable and a lot like driving a Cadillac,” Check says.

Check has also seen more people inquiring about what he calls “road bikes,” which are what we might think of as a traditional bike. They are meant for the street, with slim tires and turneddown handle bars.

“We have had a couple of people in saying they want a bike to take to work,” Check says.

That’s not so surprising when you consider that the average price of gas has reached $2.22 a gallon across the country A recent Gallup poll also shows that many Americans believe the escalating cost of gasoline is creating a financial hardship for them.

Steve LaBrake, owner of Saucon Valley Bikes in Hellertown, says he would love people to think more about taking their bikes to work. LaBrake says, however, that much of the Lehigh Valley isn’t really conducive to biking to work.

Chip Hoffman, manager of Spokes Bike Shop in Hamburg, says Route 61 can he tricky for cyclists and shares a common problem that many Lehigh Valley roads have – little to no shoulders.

“If you really want to, its doable,” Hoff man says. “Pennsylvania is full of back roads.”

Like other recreational activities, the bicycle industry is subject to the economy and its impact on discretionary spending. The industry is also seasonal and can be impacted by bad weather.

On top of the weather and the economy, there’s also stiff competition for the small locally owned bike shop: Many bigbox retail stores such as Wal-Mart, Target and Sears sells bikes and accessories.

What sets the independent retailers apart from the chain stores are high quality products, area shop owners say.

LaBrake says he had a customer come into his shop for a repair on a bike that was purchased at a major chain store.

“The bike could not stop,” LaBrake says. “We couldn’t get the brakes to stop this bike. The day of the $29 bike is going to be gone, which is a good thing.”

Bikes at Saucon Valley start at $90 for kids, $200 for adults.

In Hamburg, Spokes offers customers fittings for bikes. Hoffman says his store has a station that takes customers’ measurements to ensure the bikes they purchase have the proper fit.

“This is so you can get your optimal movement,” Hoff-man says. “Small moves make a big deal.”

Local shops also offer something else the chain retail stores don’t – service. Spring is the time of year when many people bring their bikes in for a tune-up.

“Our biggest thing we offer is our service,” LaBrake says. “We take care of our customers, after the purchase as well as with the purchase.”

Copyright Eastern Pennsylvania Business Journal Apr 25, 2005