With gas prices idling north of $4.00 a gallon in Hawaii, Luke Kudray parked his Nissan and now pedals to work downtown.
"It takes me 20 minutes in a car, 10 minutes on a bike," the financial analyst said.
Bicycle sales mirror surges in gas prices across the country. At The Bike Shop on King Street in Honolulu, more people are searching for cheaper modes of transportation. Bikes that collapse for easy storage are hot sellers. So are consumer-friendly rides that start at $275 and top out at $2,000.
"You spend $2,000 on a bicycle, you're getting basically a Mercedes or BMW quality. You spend $2,000 on a car, you're getting something that's in the shop all the time," The Bike Shop manager Chris Blumenstetter said.
At Pacific Mopeds, sales of motorized two-wheelers have steadily climbed as gas prices have gone up and stayed there.
"A hundred miles a gallon. You can't go wrong," manager Nick Youngleson said. "Parking wise, it makes a lot more sense for workers downtown than paying $300 a month."
He estimates you can pay off a moped in six months with the money you pay to gas up an SUV or a mid-size car.
At The Bike Shop, sales are up 30 percent over this time last year. Bike makers are cashing in on the gas crunch.
"They're offering bicycles now that are more eco-friendly with racks on it and fenders," Blumenstetter said. "It makes the commuter a little bit more comfortable,"
Comfort in the back pocket can offset the pain at the pump.
"Our whole office started trying to bike to work," Kudray said.
Judging by the bicycle racks downtown, more and more people are peddling it.
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