By Rachel Pleasant
Staff Writer

Bikes are big business. Whether driven by a reaction to soaring gas prices, the fame of Lance Armstrong or a growing interest in exercise, bicycle sales across the nation, and here in the Lowcountry, are hot.

According to Bikes Belong, a national coalition of bicycle suppliers and retailers based in Boulder, Colo., 19 million bicycles were sold in 2004. That number is set to reach 20 million by the end of this year, said Bikes Belong executive director Tim Blumenthal.

“That will make this year one of the best for bike sales in a long, long time,” he said. “This will be one of the best years of the modern era.

“I think a lot of things are playing into it—gas prices, people wanting to be more active, frustration with sitting in traffic,” Blumenthal said. “It’s a general time of rediscovery for the wonders of bicycling.”

Blumenthal cautions sales numbers are estimates based on data from a variety of sources. There is no definitive voice on bike sales statistics, he said, but added that 2005 will unquestionably be remembered as a banner year for bicycles.

Charleston area bicycle sellers agree.

At Charleston Bicycle Co. on Savannah Highway, manager Mike Tremann said business is up and not showing signs of coming down any time soon.

“There’s definitely an increase in sales of new bikes and in repairs. We still have the same number of repairs coming in that we did over the summer,” Tremann said, adding that typically repair orders slack off considerably once fall rolls around.

Tremann couldn’t give specific sales numbers but said one of his best-selling bikes is a Jamis Explorer that goes for $260. The store is selling about 120 of those bikes a month, up from a year ago.

“It’s comfortable, and it has an upright seating position. You can see comfortably, and it has a simple gearing system,” Tremann said.

Charleston Bicycle Co. focuses on race and triathlon bikes, but the popularity of the Explorer, a bike perfect for more practical purposes, is indicative of a growing trend Tremann is noticing among his clientele: an interest in using bikes to get to and from work.

“I think it’s the obvious thing—gas,” Tremann said to explain sales of the Explorer. “People are looking for an alternative to ridiculous gas prices.”

Tremann said he is fielding more and more phone calls from people who are asking what equipment they will need if they want to use a bike as a means of transportation rather than recreation.

Also, on a mid-October evening, Tremann was planning a class on commuting for bicyclists. He expected nearly a dozen people to attend.

Bicyclists, of course, have to worry about whether they will be sweaty and stinky once they arrive at work, which is one of the major deterrents, Tremann said. But as temperatures drop, he expects to see more bikes chained up outside workplaces.

“If you ride to work four or five days a week, you’re going to save a lot of money and get exercise,” Tremann said. “There’s a lot of products and apparel that make it comfortable to ride. Some people don’t want to wear the spandex because they’ll feel like a weirdo, but there are a lot of alternatives to that.”

At Mike’s Bikes on James Island, owner Mike Keck said he is not sure how much influence gas prices have had in encouraging bicyclists to commute to work, in part, because there is no real way to gauge what a bike is going to be used for once it is sold.

But, Keck said, he has been selling more bags, racks and bikes outfitted with headlights, all pieces of commuter-friendly equipment.

The new Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge has opened up a whole new world of opportunities for bicyclists, Keck said, making it easier to commute to downtown or Mount Pleasant, whether it is for work or for pleasure.

The bridge, Tremann added, is a major improvement to Charleston’s deficient number of bike lanes.

“We have seen it really improve. It’s improved every year since we’ve been here,” said Tremann, whose shop, owned by John Glover, has been in existence for two years. “But there’s still a deficiency everywhere. I live in West Ashley and I work here, and when I ride to work, I’m never in a bike lane.”

The bridge, he said, has generated interest in biking and that interest will only grow as Charleston becomes even more bike-friendly.

At Charleston Moves, a nonprofit organization that promotes walking, running and cycling, board member Leonard Greene said the Charleston area has a long way to go when it comes to bike friendliness, but it is important to remember how far this area has come.

“Four or five years ago, South Carolina was ranked as the 48th state in the nation in terms of being bike friendly by Bicycle magazine,” Greene said. Current state rankings are unavailable.

Since then, Greene said, Gov. Mark Sanford and S.C. Department of Transportation executive director Elizabeth Mabry have put an emphasis on making the state’s roads safe for bicyclists, which includes installing bicycle lanes, sidewalks and wider shoulders to roads.

Locally, there are several bike projects in the works, Greene said.

Among those is a planned bike path from the foot of the Ravenel bridge on the Charleston side that would lead bicyclists down East Bay Street to Chapel Street.

Greene is also looking at perhaps having bicycle lockers installed on the Mount Pleasant side of the new bridge, giving bicyclists a safe place to store their bikes when they aren’t riding.

“We have the opportunity to become bicycle friendly, and we’re looking at making Charleston a more bike-friendly city,” Greene said.

Rachel Pleasant is a staff writer for the Business Journal. E-mail her at rpleasant@charlestonbusiness.com.

SUBSCRIBE | REPRINTS | CONTACT US

Phone: 843-849-3100    Fax: 843-849-3122