Story Photos
 There's a big backup of repair work for Ethan Anshutz as he assembles a bike at Bob's Sporting Goods in Longview last week. Bill Wagner / The Daily News
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Soaring gas prices have bike shops hopping
Monday, June 9, 2008 11:30 PM PDT
By Amy M.E. Fischer and Erik Olson
Printable version
E-mail this articleAs gas prices settle in at more than $4 a gallon, a rising number of Cowlitz County residents are ditching their gas guzzlers for smaller cars and strapping on bike and motorcycle helmets.
Despite the unseasonably cold and rainy weather, Longview bicycle merchants are scrambling to keep up with the demand for lower priced commuter bikes, motor-scooter sales have spiked and bike repair shops are doing brisk business.
And that could signal bad news for the state government coffers.
Statewide, gas consumption in 2008 was steady from January through March, falling only 0.4 percent from the same period a year ago, according to the Washington Department of Licensing.
However, state officials are preparing for a drop in gas sales, which means less money available for transportation projects, Brad Benfield, spokesman for the Department of Licensing, said last week. For the fiscal year, the state is down $35 million in fuel tax collection from 2007, indicating drivers are buyer fewer gallons of gas this year, he said.
One mode of transportation that hasn’t become more popular, though, is the local bus system.
Last week, Community Urban Bus Service officials said ridership numbers for January through May are about the same as the first five months of 2007, with an average of roughly 29,000 riders a month.
CUBS operations supervisor Cindy McCoy theorized more people aren’t taking the bus because buses come by only once an hour. Public transit riders in the Longview-Kelso area tend to be those who are completely dependent on the bus system, she said.
“Because we don’t run more often, where we’re more convenient, I can see why people ... aren’t using us yet,” McCoy said.
Instead, they’re dragging old bikes out of storage for repairs or buying inexpensive new ones to ride a couple miles to work.
“We’re seeing more people just buying bikes or fixing bikes because of gas (prices),” said Joel Beavers, head bike mechanic at Bob’s Sporting Goods in Longview. “It looks like on the whole, the industry is going to have a really good year on recreational bikes.”
Bob’s bike sales have jumped 20 percent in the last two months, estimated bike shop manager Genece Cooper. Two weeks ago, the bike repair shop had 82 bikes waiting for repairs, she said.
Bike sales at Fred Meyer and Wal-Mart in Longview are strong, store managers said last week.
“It just seems it’s very difficult to stay ahead of the demand now,” said Wal-Mart manager Michael Rainey, who estimates bike sales are up 25 percent from a year ago.
The Longview Wal-Mart is selling about 10 bikes a day during the week and 40 to 50 bikes on weekends, Rainey said.
“We’re managing to keep up, but we had to add an extra bike assembler,” he said, adding that he’s also noticed more employees biking to work instead of driving.
Rainey’s also observed that high gas prices seem to have changed customers’ shopping routines. The store’s customer count is down, but sale transaction amounts are up “because people are making less trips and buying more while they’re here,” Rainey said.
Sales of gas-efficient scooters and small motorcycles have soared locally, too.
Pro Caliber Motorsports in Longview has only seven smaller motorbikes left in stock, general manager Walt McPherson said Thursday.
“We’ve already run out of models we’d typically have until September. So get ‘em while you see ‘em,” he said, adding that he’s hearing word that all dealerships are running thin on scooters and 800 cc-and-under motorcycles.
Dealerships place orders only once a year based on the previous year’s sales, and the new shipment won’t arrive until this fall, he said.
Pro Caliber has sold more than 25 motorbikes this year and likely will increase its order for next year, he said. Customers tell him their motorcycles get at least 40 miles per gallon, and Yamaha claims one of its scooters gets 123 mpg, he said.
Fuel-efficient cars are outselling gas-guzzling SUVs nearly two to one at Bud Clary Chevrolet Cadillac, said sales consultant Ryan Allen.
Popular choices for new cars include the Chevy Malibu or the Chevy Aveo, which can reach as high as 32 and 37 miles per gallon, respectively, Allen said.
“We’re finding that many people are shifting the last few months,” Allen said.
The Hybrid Ford Escape, a combination electric and gasoline engine, is more popular at the Columbia Ford dealership in Longview, said general manager Pat Sari.
Customers are looking for smaller vehicles that get 30 to 35 miles to the gallon, such as the Ford Focus or a Hyundai, Sari said. The sales of sport utility vehicles and large trucks are down, but people still want them to haul boats and trailers, he said.
“People, at this point, aren’t willing to change their lifestyle because gas prices have gone up a dollar,” Sari said.
Other motorists are adjusting travel habits of their big rigs as fuel prices rise.
Longview developer Charles Blevins’ Hummer H2 gets 12 mpg driving in the city, and 14 mpg on the highway. Today it costs him $110 to fill his gas tank, whereas in the past, he could fill it for $70.
He began altering his driving habits when gas prices hit the $3.60/gallon mark.
“It’s almost like I can see the gas gauge moving. ... I’ve definitely cut back a lot,” Blevins said Thursday.
Instead of making several short trips a day, he plans a route before he runs errands. He also has started riding his mountain bike to his new business on 15th Avenue near Tennant Way, Bella Vita Beauty Spa, which is about 6 miles each way from his Mount Solo-area home, he said.
But he doesn’t regret buying a Hummer, because he likes the safety of a big, sturdy vehicle.
“I’m willing to pay the extra gas prices for that insurance,” Blevins said.
UW Squirrels wrote on Jun 10, 2008 12:02 AM:
mike oxard wrote on Jun 10, 2008 6:15 AM:
concerned wrote on Jun 10, 2008 7:12 AM:
Beer&Skittles wrote on Jun 10, 2008 7:40 AM:
The Stig wrote on Jun 10, 2008 7:59 AM:
MizLiz wrote on Jun 10, 2008 8:50 AM:
Tempest wrote on Jun 10, 2008 11:53 AM:
Atrucker wrote on Jun 10, 2008 12:58 PM:
So I am stuck with my 23mpg beater that is at least 20 years old .
A letter to Chrissie may help to tell her what you think about the gas tax and fuel prices "
lola*in*longview wrote on Jun 10, 2008 2:43 PM:
cheney wrote on Jun 10, 2008 4:01 PM:
mtnbiker72 wrote on Jun 10, 2008 4:19 PM:
cheney119 wrote on Jun 10, 2008 4:45 PM:
UW Squirrels wrote on Jun 10, 2008 7:56 PM:
WsuCoug wrote on Jun 10, 2008 9:05 PM:
Hey, my giant XC works great on the road and as a trail bike even if it was made in Taiwan. I have taken some pretty hard hits with it too and it still keeps on pedaling. "
cheney119 wrote on Jun 10, 2008 9:35 PM:
what i think wrote on Jun 10, 2008 9:45 PM:
NJGZ wrote on Jun 11, 2008 4:38 AM:
JD Hogg wrote on Jun 11, 2008 4:19 PM:
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