Massachusetts: Bike shops on a roll

From Patriot Ledger (Quincy, MA), 06.21.08:

A dollar drain for motorists has translated into a windfall for bicycle shops as gas prices force more commuters out of their cars and onto two-wheelers.

Many local bicycle shop owners say they’ve had their busiest spring in history. People are dusting off their 20-year-old Schwinns and Raleighs, generating increased tune-up work. And sales of new bikes are inching up, with many buyers choosing hybrids that combine elements of mountain and road bikes.

“I thought the tipping point was going to be $4 a gallon,” said Jim Quinn, owner of the Bicycle Link in Weymouth. “What’s noticeable is we’re getting a lot more bikes out of the shed with the cobwebs.”

Paul Anderson, owner of Anderson Bicycle in Quincy, has new customers coming in daily to buy a new bike or asking him to refurbish an old bike. Anderson said repairs are up nearly 50 percent over last year. “They’re getting them out of the shed and tuning them up,” Anderson said. (Read more.)

Interesting article from Boston's South Shore suburbs, featuring comments from several local bike shops and the National Bicycle Dealers Association. More evidence of the favorable trend, and that the bike industry is waking up to the market potential of cycling commuters. (For the record, early in my post-collegiate career, I was a stringer for the Patriot Ledger.)

Image: Patriot Ledger. Paul Anderson, owner of Anderson Bicycle.
Visit: Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition
Visit: Massachusetts: Bicycle shops reap windfall, Bike Commute Tips Blog
Visit: More Mainers Are Choosing To Bike To Work, WCSH-TV
Visit: Massachusetts: Bicycling surges, Bike Commute Tips Blog
Visit: Massachusetts: bike commuting's myriad benefits, Bike Commute Tips Blog
Visit: Bike station needed at MBTA, Bike Commute Tips Blog
Visit: Paul Dorn's Bike Commuting Tips Site