Bicycling catching on for workers

With gas prices soaring and environment issues making headlines, some local residents are beginning to ride their bicycles to work and other places.

Beverly Arnold, owner of Bevy's, a custom drapery, monogram and gift shop in downtown Conway, said she rides her bike to work as often as possible and encourages others to do the same. She said perhaps Conway could have "ride your bike to work week" as some other cities and communities do.

"We're in the hot season now, but it could be a fall or spring event," she said. "A lot of people work downtown and don't live too far away."

She said she lives at the end of Robinson Street and rides her bike to her shop at 1022 Oak Street whenever she does not have too much to carry.

"The (Conway Area Chamber of Commerce) is trying to go green," she said. "I just don't think it would be that hard if we start promoting it. It might change the attitude of adults toward riding bikes, and kids might start to ride bikes."

She added the city needs bike lanes so bicyclists can feel safer on the streets.

Denise Bradley is a health and physical education teacher at Carl Stuart Middle School. While school was in session, she rode her bicycle to school each day, drove a bus route in the morning and evening, then rode her bicycle back home.

"I did not fill up my car for six weeks when I first got that bike," she said. "I live in (the Westminster subdivision in west Conway). It's a good little ride. It's good exercise. I just got addicted to it. I hated days when I knew it was going to rain and I couldn't do it. I loved it on days when there was not a lot of traffic out."

One of her students began referring to her as 'Lance Armstrong,' she said.

"I rode it to the pool today," she said Monday. "When Toad Suck Daze was going on I rode it to the Toad Suck store from school and back. I use it a lot even at school. It's been a lot of fun. Everyone needs to get one."

Nathan Vandiver is a bike mechanic for The Ride bicycle shop in Conway. He said more people are starting to purchase bikes for the purpose of commuting to work.

"We just got in a new order of bikes geared toward commuters," he said. "Four people have asked for less expensive bikes you can put baskets, fenders and racks on, just to be able to carry all your things for work."

He added, "They're talking about high gas prices. One lady, I asked her if she was going to start commuting. She said, 'It looks like we're going to have to.'"

Vandiver said the number of people buying bikes to ride to work "hasn't been huge, but it's enough for us to order things we don't normally stock."

He said bikes made for transportation are a little different and less expensive than bikes made for recreation, which are typically mountain bikes or road bikes.

(Staff writer Rachel Parker Dickerson can be reached by e-mail at rachel.dickerson@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1277. Send us your news at www.thecabin.net/submit)