A shift in attitude toward bikes

The owner of the Black River Adventurers' Shop excused himself during an interview as he answered the phone. The caller from Canton was seeking a bicycle for his wife, who was interested in occasionally commuting to work on it.

The call was part of a buzz in the air created by the price of gas.

"I think a lot of people are buying bikes just because of the buzz," said Murat M. O'Hara, owner of Blue Cat Cycles at 99 Public Square. "They see the price of gas and say, 'I should get a bike.'"

"It's the reason many people have been looking for a bike," said Todd J. Phelps, owner of Black River Adventurers' Shop, 129 Mill St. "Many people live and work in town, and riding a bike to work works really well for them."

Theodore C. Prahl, owner of the Tread Mill, 55 Market St., Potsdam, has been in the bicycling business for 36 years and has seen similar booms, like the one during the gasoline-rationing 1970s.

"Business is really good," he said. "But I think there's a lot of reasons rather than to just save on gas."

For example, David P. Bartlett, owner of the Village Peddler in the Paddock Arcade, said the bikes he sells are mainly "for exercise and for the recreational rider."

He added, "Not a lot of people are coming in to buy a bike to ride to work, but it's happening."

DEDICATED BICYCLE COMMUTER

Aaron L. Docteur is a veteran bicycle commuter who has been riding from his home on outer Massey Street to his job as a state Department of Transportation engineer at the Dulles State Office Building for about five years.

"If the roads are dry, I ride," Mr. Docteur said.

The engineer said the only months he generally doesn't ride are February and March.

The ride in to work for Mr. Docteur is four miles. He said that if he dresses warmly and in layers, the cold isn't a big factor. Clothing such as wind pants, ear bands and gloves is essential. He carries spare clothes in his backpack. Once at work, he can store his Cannondale mountain bike on an inside bicycle rack out of the elements.

"I see a couple more bikes on the rack than I used to," he said.

Mr. Docteur said that saving gas isn't the sole reason he commutes via bicycle. He has been doing it since the mid-1990s when he used to live in Black River and ride to his job at GYMO Architecture, Engineering and Land Surveying in Watertown; a 10-mile trip. He said using his bike saves wear and tear on his car and it's good exercise.

REPAIRS SOUGHT

It's not just to buy quality bicycles that people are visiting bike shops. They seek repairs of old bicycles found in the garage and dusted off.

Mr. Phelps said he also is selling more add-ons to bicycles such as racks and panniers. "They're good for a quick trip to the convenience store. I've been selling a few backpacks too," he said.

Mr. Prahl said he's seen more college students scrambling to find inexpensive bicycles. Many are bought at police auctions. But Mr. Prahl said they are dumped when people find out how much it would cost to repair them.

"You have to have some disposable income to get into a decent commuting bike," he said.

Bicycles from bike shops generally don't fall below a price of $250, Mr. Prahl said.

Of course, a hindrance to commuting in the north country is the weather. Mr. Prahl, speaking on a blustery, rainy day said, "There's plenty of people talking about commuting, but on a day like today, how many people are going to commute when it's cold and rainy?"

"Right now, it's a method to save a few bucks," said Mr. Phelps. "They aren't hard-core commuters if the weather is bad."

Shop owners said most of the bicycles being sold are "comfort bikes." Features on them include wider tires and seats and flat handlebars. Fenders and suspensions in the seat posts and forks are other options.

"It's a bit more of a sit-up style so you can see where you are going when maneuvering around town, which makes it a bit safer," said Mr. Phelps.

"There are more creature comforts on them, by far," said Mr. Bartlett.