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BIKING BOZEMAN

Residents find reason to switch to pedal power
By JODI HAUSEN Chronicle Staff Writer
Bozeman Daily Chronicle

   Inhaling a whiff of lilacs on the morning commute isn't the only benefit of riding a bike to work and Bozemanites seem to be picking up on the trend.
   "Not only are more people doing it, but it's growing into a culture," said John Friedrich, a mechanic at Bangtail Bikes.
   Friedrich estimates that the small shop on Main Street has seen bike and accessory sales for commuters increase from about 5 percent of all sales last year to more than 30 percent this year.
   Though actual numbers of bicycle commuters are hard to come by, Bozeman bicycle shop mechanics agree that pedaling to work is a growing movement.
   "A lot of people are pulling out the old 10-speeds and tuning them up and recycling them for commuter bikes," said Ben Donatelle, a mechanic at Summit Bike and Ski Shop.
   Based on the number of dust-covered bikes they are refurbishing, the numbers increase by at least one or two every day, his co-worker, Ben Dodge, said.
   "Most of those bikes are older than me," said Dodge, a 25-year-old bike mechanic.
   At Chalet Sports on Main Street, Brian Wolgamott estimated that they are setting up about three commuters weekly. That set-up usually includes adding lights, fenders and storage racks.
   Andy Kemp, 30, lives on Kagy Boulevard and Tracy Avenue and commutes about a halfmile to work as the news director at KTVM television on South Wallace Avenue and Olive Street. He said it takes him 10 minutes or less on mostly trails. He was at Chalet getting a rear rack installed on his Elektra Rat Rod - a retro-style bike painted black with white and red flames. On the cross bar, a sticker indicates one reason he rides - $0.00 10 - 9 , it said in bold white numbers on a black background.
   Kemp moved to Bozeman from Atlanta, Ga., about six months ago and specifically chose Bozeman because it is easy to ride everywhere.
   "Having this as an option is just great," he said. "You could (bicycle) commute in Atlanta, but you take your life in your hands."
   Shane Metolyak, 33, lives on the west side of Bozeman and rarely uses his gasolinepowered vehicle, he said.
   "People say it's not safe (to bicycle to work), but it is if you follow the laws," he said.
   Metolyak has a nine-mile, round-trip commute but also rides to go grocery shopping and for other errands. He points out that bicycles are considered vehicles and are subject to the same traffic laws as motorized ones. He also recognizes that many cyclists are not aware or simply don't obey those rules of the road - a situation that can be dangerous and create animosity between motorists and pedalers.
   "I think motorists get upset when we act inconsistently, so I think if people would see more and more bicycle commuters out there obeying the laws, people would see it as a more viable means of transportation," he said.
   Though the savings in gas are impetus enough, Metolyak said he's probably not saving much because he's continually buying "new toys" for his bike. He recently bought a $300 trailer that he's even used to haul wood to a bicycle trail.
   "I just like riding bikes," he said. "If you want to ride, Bozeman is very conducive to it. I don't think I save a lot of money." But, he adds, "I lost track of the last time I bought gas - May, maybe?"
   Apparently, many are drawn to pedal power by the increasingly unaffordable price of gasoline, but some have other reasons.
   Elizabeth Bird, 51, said bicycle commuting accomplishes several goals. Bird is a member of the Bozeman Area Bicycle Advisory Board, a cancer survivor and a grants specialist at Montana State University. She bicycle commutes three to four times weekly, mostly on the Galligator Trail.
   It's good exercise, saves in gas expenditures and saves the environment in the cost of burning fossil fuels, she said.
   Bird said her committee mailed surveys in September to poll people about their walking and cycling habits. She said between 3,000 and 4,000 of them have been returned. Now the group is analyzing the data to determine where more bicycle and walking infrastructure is needed - things like bike racks, trails, curb cuts and bicycle lanes.
   Back at Bangtail, Friedrich said he commutes only a half mile each day but sees about eight others on his ride each day. "And they don't seem to be out on a pleasure ride," he said.
   And it's getting easier to do.
   Friedrich is a contributor to a locally produced free newsletter called "the Practical Pedal." In it are articles and advertisements geared towards, well, gear and the practicality of using a bicycle as a primary source of transportation.
   Friedrich said commuter bikes were the overriding theme at Interbike - an industry trade show held in Las Vegas in the fall each year.
   "Commuter bikes are becoming more fashionable in everyday life," he said.
   Several companies make bicycles specifically designed for traveling to and from work or on errands. Typical accessories such as racks, fenders and lights come standard on many. Commuter bikes also are designed for comfort, safety and efficiency with road-sized tires for speed, small wheel-bases for maneuverability and upright seating for comfort and visibility. And if one already has a bike that needs retrofitting with practical pedaling accessories, mechanics say it can be done for as low as $100.
   "There are so many types of commuter bikes these days," Donatelle said. "And the airconditioning is automatic."
   Jodi Hausen can be reached at jhausen@dailychronicle. com or 582-2630.