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02/19/2008: "Lance Promotes Bike Commuting"
In what may be a first in the cycling world, a former racer--seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, of all folks--has opened a bike shop dedicated not to racing bikes, but to bicycle commuting! And in Texas, no less!The shop is called "Mellow Johnny's," after an American mispronunciation of "maillot jaune," the famous yellow jersey worn by the TdF leader, and will feature, the article from the Austin American-Statesman says,
...commuter bikes, mountain bikes, triathlon bikes, fixed-gear bikes, low-riders, cruiser-style bikes and even hand-made "art bikes" that look as good hanging on a wall as they do rolling down the street. Stock will also include gear by Giro, Nike and Oakley.The newspaper quoted Armstrong as saying that "he'd like to see Austin evolve into a place like Portland, Ore., where biking is part of the culture and people pedal to work, to restaurants and to run errands. 'Walk outside, and the streets are lined with bikes--because they have a safe place to ride'...."
Showers and a locker room will allow commuters who don't have facilities at their offices to ride downtown, store their bikes at the shop, bathe and catch a ride on a pedicab or walk the rest of the way to work.
Read more at the Austin American-Statesman website.