Hum Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 NEW YORK (Reuters) - A spike in gasoline prices is fueling what could be the biggest year for U.S. bicycle sales since the Arab oil embargoes more than three decades ago, a leading bike association says. "For bicycles, high gasoline prices are a good thing," said Tim Blumenthal, executive director of Bikes Belong, a national coalition of bicycle suppliers and retailers. U.S. gasoline prices struck an all-time record above $3 a gallon after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, shutting several oil refineries, though prices have eased slightly since then, according to government surveys. "People's eyeballs pop out when they see the gas pumps and they say they need to do something. One of the options is biking," Blumenthal said Wednesday. "Independent dealers, specialty sporting stores and big-box stores have told us that since Aug. 1, bicycle sales have jumped dramatically," he said. Close to 20 million bicycles are likely to be sold this year, approaching the record hit after a cut-off of Arab oil triggered gasoline lines in the United States. more: http://money.cnn.com/2005/10/06/news/funny...dex.htm?cnn=yes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bant Veteran Posted October 6, 2005 Veteran Share Posted October 6, 2005 good. now we just need a more bicycle friendly society. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudy Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 biking reminds me of high school.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingDrew Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 Yeah, I'm going to ride a bicycle 10 miles to work, 10 miles to school, and then 10 miles home. 30 miles on a bike... I doubt it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whiffle Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 I bought a mountain bike this year... but it certainly won't be replacing my truck anytime soon, as I got it for exercise and not-so-much for transportation. Most of the areas I've lived in are extremely not bicycle friendly. I was riding down a sidwalk the other day and bam...someone stuck a telephone pole in the middle of it, and then the sidewalk ended. We have so-called "bicycle lanes" in places, but no way in hell I'm ever going to ride on one. I want something more than a white line dividing my 200 lbs at 10 mph from the 1800-50,000+ lbs going 30 mph in the next lane. And then, once you get to where you're going, finding a place to park a bike is a pain, I usually end up tying up to a bench or something, although HEB grocery stores seem to have bike racks. Its just a major pain in the butt. On the other hand, in Holland, bike access is excellent. When/where I visited (1993, roermond), you could bike just about anywhere and have somewhere to park it. That and carrying anything larger than can what fit in backpack is awfully hard on a bike. Also note, the date when they said the bike sales started jumping, August 1. The Tour de France ended on July 24. I'd be interested to see if the bike buying trend continues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudy Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 Yeah, I'm going to ride a bicycle 10 miles to work, 10 miles to school, and then 10 miles home. 30 miles on a bike... I doubt it. 586632470[/snapback] exactly why i drive.... :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flae_qui Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 Yeah, I'm going to ride a bicycle 10 miles to work, 10 miles to school, and then 10 miles home. 30 miles on a bike... I doubt it. 586632470[/snapback] it's 40 miles to work for me one way.... bike umm no i'd have to leave like 5 hrs before works starts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imtoomuch Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 I'd rather drive a quarter of a mile than ride a bike. Pedal bikes are more of a hazard in traffic than anything and I believe they should not be allowed on the streets. Go visit any city and see all the idiots on bikes cutting in and out of traffic in front of cars. And then they want to complain when they get run over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RufioPan Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 I'd rather drive a quarter of a mile than ride a bike. Pedal bikes are more of a hazard in traffic than anything and I believe they should not be allowed on the streets. Go visit any city and see all the idiots on bikes cutting in and out of traffic in front of cars. And then they want to complain when they get run over. 586632511[/snapback] I think the model we should be working on is more like that found in some European cities. For example, in some cities one has to park their car on the outskirts and navigate the downtown core on bike or public transportation. In terms of civil planning and zoning, we should be building tighter packed communities that make it easier to get around in a bike. As it stands most North American burbs are not conducive to replacing automobile usage with bike riding in the least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kombolcha Posted October 8, 2005 Share Posted October 8, 2005 this article is ****ing retarded.. bikes have been outselling cars for the last.. hmmm i dunno.. the last century and more. i already heard about this discussion on the radio and it was just a way for bike shops to get some free advertising.. it is already known bikes outsell cars every single year and its not because people use them as an alternative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aristotle-dude Posted October 8, 2005 Share Posted October 8, 2005 That reminds me. The government here now wants to apply a 30% surtax on bicycles. I guess they are worried about a loss in tax revenue from gas sales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts