Bikes at Two Extremes Pump New Life Into an Old Industry

The bicycle industry is getting a boost from consumers at opposite ends of the recreational spectrum--daredevil youth and easy-does-it baby boomers.

Bike makers and retailers say both “comfort bikes” featuring cushy seats and swan-like handlebars and nearly indestructible freestyle bicycles for “extreme” sports have pumped some life into a generally listless industry.

In the 18 months since being introduced, comfort bicycles have “come from nowhere to grab about 5% of the market,” said Fred Clements, executive director of the National Bicycle Dealers’ Assn. in Newport Beach.

“Comfort bikes have become the new hot category in adult bikes,” said Cache Mundy, director of marketing at Schwinn Cycling and Fitness, based in Boulder, Colo.

The comfort bike is essentially a hybrid--a cross between the slender road bicycle and the heftier mountain bike--with added features such as gel-filled saddles and frames that pull the handlebars higher and closer to the rider.

The latest offerings will be on display today through Sunday at the Southern California Bicycle Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Also enjoying increased popularity are recumbent bikes--sort of a lawn chair with pedals on wheels--and tandem bikes, Clements said.

If there’s an “extreme” edge to the comfort category it would be the new electric bike, which has generated considerable publicity but has yet to find its niche, some insiders say.

“I could see RV dealers selling them like hot cakes,” said Peter Sweeney of KHS Inc. in Carson.

Industry giant Shimano American Corp., an Irvine company that makes bicycle components, is jumping on the comfort bandwagon. This season, it will offer a new four-speed electronic shifting system.

“It’s just like a Lexus,” spokesman Chris Denny said. “Every time you stop at a stop sign, it starts off in first gear.”

Some accessories also fit neatly into the you-can’t-be-too-careful category.

For example, dealers report brisk sales of saddles with hollow cutouts that relieve pressure on delicate nerves and blood vessels.

“That’s been very hot,” said Jim Schmidt, a buyer for Two Wheels One Planet bike shop in Santa Ana. “We have a hard time keeping them in stock.”

While baby boomers shift into the safety zone, their children and grandchildren want bikes that give them “big air” (translation: jump high).

Thus, manufacturers are making “overbuilt” bikes that are reinforced where they might otherwise snap.

“They’re indestructible, basically,” said Andrew Herrick, director of marketing for Santa Ana-based GT Bicycles Inc.

The hot freestyle bicycles also have foot pegs that riders can stand on while doing wheelie, and handle bars that spin for acrobatic stunts.

The bike expo will feature an indoor dirt test track and an array of bike styles visitors can ride.

The expo is open from noon to 7 p.m. today, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $7 for those 13 and older and $4 for children 6 through 12. Children 6 and younger are free.

Also free: valet bike parking.

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On a Roll

Biking enthusiasts in need of added suspension and padding are turning to comfort bikes. Defining features:

* Upright handlebars

* Wide, padded seat with springs

* Kickstand

* Smoother tire tread

* Gooseneck shock

* 10- or 21-speed gears

Sources: Diamondback Bicycles, Natl. Bicycle Dealers Assn.