N1The bike lock maker Kryptonite says New York is the bike theft capital of the United States. Aggressive cab drivers compete with cyclists on the city's streets, and New York's master plan for more bike lanes and greenways is only one quarter complete. Yet the city's bike retailers are happy to report that sales are better than ever. John Keoshgerian is manager of Toga Bikes in west midtown.
AX1 KEOSHGERIAN (0:12)Bike sales right now are up in general. I think most people, between having a mild summer . . . and bikes are getting easier to use, and more comfortable, more user friendly. Bike sales have been up for the last two years.
N2Keoshgerian says new customers at Toga Bikes are competitive cyclists. But commuters are also turning to bikes in large numbers. Frank's Bike Shop is in the Lower East Side, on Grand Street. Owner Frank Arroyo has been in business there for thirty years.
AX2 ARROYO (0:08)You could actually spend a whole day in the city, without spending almost anything, and having a good time on your bicycle.
N3New York cyclists seem to agree with Arroyo. The city's transportation department says one hundred thirteen thousand cyclists ride each day, an increase of more than forty thousand from a decade ago. And all these new cyclists are buying new gear. R.E.Load Baggage makes custom-designed messenger bags at its Philadelphia store.
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N3 (cont'd.)Near the store's entrance, a R.E.Load employee is stitching together a blue shoulder bag. R.E.Load workers like Gerik Forston are avid cyclists.
AX3 GERIK (0:09)There's something very elegant about using your own energy to propel yourself forward just through, uh, a very basic technology.
N4R.E.Load bags are popular at Track Star, the East Village bike store favored by New York City bike messengers. Just a few blocks from Track Star in SoHo is Bicycle Habitat, one of New York's biggest shops. Owner Charlie McCorkell says his expanding store sells about twenty two hundred bikes a year. McCorkell says one customer is switching from car to bike to avoid paying for expensive gasoline. Store owner McCorkell says other customers say they want to be ready in case of a terrorist attack.
AX4 CHARLIE (0:05)We had a whole bunch of people who've converted over to be bike commuters just because in case of emergency they want to to be able to get home, and if you ride your bike you can always get home.
N5Shop owner Charlie McCorkell says there's also the Lance Armstrong factor. He says the seven-time Tour de France champion Armstrong has inspired new bike riders.
AX5 CHARLIE (0:08)He has just been a real boon for everybody's business. He has reawoken the possibility of road bikes to people . . . He has been an inspiration and he's gotten a lot of people on bikes.
N6 CONCLUSIONRetailers say they expect to finish the year strong as customers take advantage of late-season sales and buy warmer winter gear. I'm Max Dickstein, Columbia Radio News.