www.brainerddispatch.com
Many spokes of cyclenomics revolving in the lakes area Renee Richardson Managing Editor When Russell Frey opened what he describes as his micro-bicycle shop in 2011, he had no idea what to expect as far as longevity. Each year built upon the previous one. Day by day, with a lot of work hours in between, Acceleration Sports and Fitness on Laurel Street on Laurel Street in downtown Brainerd grew. “I guess I’m shocked at how diversified it’s become,” Frey said. “It’s growing and it’s crazy.” Just look at the relatively recent surge in interest in fat bikes — those bicycles with the big, nubby 4-inch or wider tires noted for their stability and traction on dirt and snow. Frey said four years ago there were maybe a dozen manufacturers. The last time he looked, perhaps a year-and-a-half ago, he said the number had grown to more than 80. Now Frey suspects it’s even higher. The internet remains major competition for independent bike shops, Frey said. “That’s probably the biggest challenge,” Frey said, but noted something brick and mortar stores provide a service that
RECREATION
September 1, 2016 • September 5, 2016 S11
online operations may not be able to. “You can’t walk into the internet and establish a relationship.” Frey joined other bike shops serving the Brainerd and Baxter areas for decades in Easy Riders and Trailblazer Bikes. A push for fitness may be combining with increased options in terms of trails and technologies to bring people back to that shared first exhilaration of biking on two wheels — and the Renee Richardson/Brainerd Dispatch independence it promised Jim Anderson (right), Hackensack, checks his new electric bike at Easy Riders in Brainerd as technician Brian Moon adjusts the — for the first time. seat. Anderson said the pedal-assist bike allows him to stay active and handle hills while riding.
Electric bikes
What may the future include? In terms of electric motors to assist bicyclists, the future is already present. Changes in technology will likely be a driving force going forward. Electric or e-bikes have more than one variation. There are pedal-assist bikes to help the bicyclist who is pedaling based on the biker’s pedaling speed. It’s an assist to help a rider but doesn’t drive for them. A commuter may be more interested in an electric bike with power on demand using a hand throttle, so the bike can go forward without input from the rider on the pedals. For commuters and those tackling hills, the
motor is able to help them keep up with other riders and handle challenging terrain without being so taxed they have to get off and walk. Zac Swarthout, new owner of Trailblazer Bikes in Baxter and Nisswa, sees the electronic bikes and pedal-assist bikes as having a considerable future. “That’s by far where we are going to see the largest increase as we go down the next five to 10 years,” Swarthout said. His business focuses on the pedal-assist bikes that can now make the Cuyuna mountain bike trails more accessible to people. The pedal-assist bikes still leave the rider in control. It’s not a motorized bike,
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but makes it easier for riders to keep up with friends or handle hilly terrain. Overseas, Swarthout said electric bikes are 60 percent of new bike sales. But he noted that does come with a heavy emphasis on commuting. It’s not without complexity and even legal issues of which styles of bikes are allowed. Frey noted as avid bicyclists age, they may not want to do the 100mile rides anymore, but may still be able to do 40 miles on their own and then use an electric bicycle to assist them on the return home. Frey said he’s convinced those links to the electric industry — with concerns
for pollution and carbon credits among them — will continue as the technology gets better and better. Just as disc brakes provide an option and
advantages in being lighter as weight is not centered on the wheel but on the center bike hub.
BIKES: Page S15
For Your Info
Acceleration Sports and Fitness since 2011, Easy Riders since 1973, Trailblazer Bikes since 1998.
• 115 - the number of miles on the Paul Bunyan State Trail, which extends from Crow Wing State park to Lake Bemidji State Park. It is the longest of Minnesota’s state trails and the DNR reports it is the longest continuously paved rail-trail in the United States. • 25 miles of mountain bike trails in the Cuyuna State Recreational Area opened to the public in 2011.
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