By Anna Guido
Enquirer contributor

At 33 and with three small children, Julie Smith of Fort Mitchell wanted to get fit but have fun.

She started running with three high school friends - all former swimmers at Notre Dame Academy in Park Hills - but their bodies took a pounding, Smith said.

Within months, the health conscious moms moved onto bicycling, and now Smith is a 35-year-old triathlete conditioning for her fourth event in 18 months.

A COMFORTABLE FIT

David Ariosa and Kathleen Krumme - owners of Oakley Cycles - are the bicycling equivalents of a tailor. Cyclists shopping for a comfortable ride are fitted on the store's "Size Cycle" before signing off on purchases. The contraption allows customers to be measured for seating and hand-bar adjustments. They also are asked about past injuries, checked for range of motion and flexibility and queried about lifestyle and bicycling goals. The result: "Our custom-built bikes are like tailored suits," Ariosa said. Oakley Cycles is at 3010 Madison Road. For more information, call 731-9111, or e-mail: webmaster@oakleycycles.com.

"With biking, I get a good workout, but it's a more enjoyable workout and it's not as hard on my body," she said

Smith this week brought her Trek 2100 road bike to Oakley Cycles on Madison Road for a tune up and some work on the back shifters.

She wants the bike in tiptop shape for the Half IronMan Triathlon Aug. 22 at Caesar Creek State Park in Waynesville, and for biweekly rides (some of them along Ky. 8) with her girlfriends.

Smith is typical of customers who frequent Oakley Cycles, storeowner David Ariosa said.

She's also among a growing number of enthusiasts boosting sales of road bikes nationally.

The sales boost is in response to many factors, one of which is Lance Armstrong's sixth consecutive win of the Tour de France.

"The 'Lance Effect' is real, but it's not new - it's been going on for six years and in some ways I think it's matured because he's now breaking records and setting new ground," Ariosa said.

Road, mountain and hybrid bikes (a cross between the road and mountain bikes) are the most popular models.

Oakley Cycles specializes in custom-built road bikes for a wide age range of riders - some in their 70s - at costs as high as $10,000. It's now seeing a growth spurt in road bike sales after five years of steady sales, Ariosa said.

Variety of factors

Environmental concerns, bike route construction and a growing number of higher-income adults seeking a sport that is kind to the body also are fueling renewed interest in cycling.

Pablo Martinez, a bicycle mechanic at Oakley Cycles in Oakley, does general maintenance on a road bike. (Enquirer photo/MEGGAN BOOKER)

"There are about 57 million bicyclists around the country and participation is increasing," said Patrick McCormick, communications director for the League of American Bicyclists in Washington. "People are riding more often, riding further and more people are commuting by bike to get to work," McCormick said. "About 3 million people now commute on a regular basis and this number is growing steadily."

The bicyclists league is an advocacy and education organization that works to promote cycling.

Media attention on high-profile riders such as President Bush (who rides a mountain bike) and challenger John Kerry (who rides a road bike) also is contributing to increased visibility of the sport.

On the other hand, the No. 1 deterrent to bicycling has long been "a lack of safe places to ride," said Fred Clements, executive director of the National Bicycle Dealers Association in Costa Mesa, Calif.

The association is predicting 2004 to be a high-growth year for road bike sales, based past trends and current figures, Clements said.

The organization collects statistics from 300 specialty bicycle shops nationwide. In 2002, road bikes represented 16.3 percent of the dollars generated by these shops; and in 2003, the figure rose to 20.7 percent. In addition, the average cost of a road bike in 2003 was $350, but the average cost of a road bike sold last year was $1,116.90.

"More people are buying road bikes and are buying a higher quality road bike," Clements said.

Alternative transportation

Even stores that don't specialize in road bikes are selling more of them, according to the association. "We're a mountain bike store that has sold more road bikes in the past two years than ever before," said Mitch Graham, owner of Bio Wheels in Clifton.

Graham said local advocacy for bicycling is directly connected to the growth of small businesses catering to the sport. "If changes are made in Cincinnati and people are informed about the best places to ride, then they're more apt to bicycle as an activity," he said.

One of the region's biggest advocates for bicycling as an alternative transportation mode is the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments. OKI has long promoted bicycling and was behind efforts to get federal funding for bike racks on Metro buses, bicycle and pedestrian coordinator Don Burrell said.

Burrell, who also is a member of the Cincinnati Cycle Club, said public interest in biking to work is growing and the cycle club encourages members to do it when possible.

Unsteady outlook

U.S. bicycle sales have retreated a bit in recent years.

Year	Bicycles sold (millions), 20 inches and above wheel sizes	Bicycles sold (millions), all wheel sizes
2003	12.9*	18.5*
2002	13.6*	19.5*
2001	11.3*	16.7*
2000	11.9*	20.9*
1999	11.6*	17.5*
1998	11.1*	15.8*
1997	11.0*	15.2*
1996	10.9	15.4
1995	12	16.1
1994	12.5	16.7
1993	13	16.8

*estimates

Source: Bicycle Manufacturers Association

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