James Glover II / Star staff David Chambers of Thousand Oaks rides seven miles to work and says he's about 40 pounds lighter than when he started four years ago.

James Glover II / Star staff David Chambers totes his laptop computer, work papers, lunch and change of clothes in his bike's saddle bags.

Photo by Joseph A. Garcia / Star staff Simi Valley 07/18/2008: Simi Cycling Center certified mechanic Scott McClave(cq) completes the second check of an assembled bicycle before it is displayed on the showroom. Bikes are put through a 17-step check in this process.

A new kind of customer is stepping into bicycle shops these days and it isn't the industry's old bread-and-butter bike enthusiast.

The hard-core recreational bicyclists are slowing their spending just as more people looking to bikes as a means to get around are appearing in bike stores, said Fred Clements, executive director of the National Bicycle Dealers Association. These shoppers are simply seeking an alternative to their gas-dependent vehicles.

"It's not our usual customer is the safe way to put it," said Clements. "Most bike shops don't live or die on the commuter market."

Clements also said, "Service and repair departments in bike shops are just being swamped by people bringing in bikes they already own to get them repaired."

At Simi Cycling Center in Simi Valley, shoppers want the hybrid bikes — a cross between mountain and pavement bikes. They are the most popular for commuting, said Terry Hearne, one of the owners.

Hearne sells hybrids for between $300 and $500; with added accessories, the price gets bumped up into the $1,000 range, he said.

Hearne and his partner, Greg Dolder, purchased the store last year. It's been around for more than 30 years, so they kept the existing staff, whose experience was irreplaceable.

The sudden upsurge in interest from novice bikers has been keeping the shop busy.

Sales have risen 20 percent to 25 percent this year, so in March they doubled the store's size, adding 3,000 square feet to the location at 897 E. Los Angeles Ave. They've also upped the inventory size by 30 to 40 percent.

"We're seeing an interest in new procurement of bikes and refurbishment of old bikes," Hearne said. "So we, like many other independent bike dealerships, are trying to get our hands on more inventory to support that."

Hearne and Dolder joined the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce in hopes of pushing for more bike trails and funds allocated to support biking in the community.

David Chambers a Thousand Oaks resident who's been riding to work for more than four years, commutes seven miles to his office at Guitar Center Inc. on Lindero Canyon Road. He wears a T-shirt and shorts and puts his laptop, work material, lunch and a change of clothes in two saddle bags.

Once Chambers, 55, arrives at work, he does a simple cleanup in the restroom before changing into his work clothes. He said he doesn't need a full shower after the ride, so long as he starts his day with one.

"It's not an issue," he said, "I've never heard any complaints."

It wasn't easy in the beginning because of the hills between his house and office.

He started out driving with his bike in the car, parking a mile away from work and riding in. Each day he'd park farther away until he could go all the way from his house.

"It's turned into sort of a lifestyle thing," he said. "It's a kick."

When Chambers began riding to work, he weighed 220 pounds and had a 44-inch waist. He now weighs 180 pounds and the waist on his pants is a size 34.

"I'm in better shape than I've been in my entire life," he said.

For those thinking about riding bikes to work, Chambers recommends they do some reading, have changes of clothes and start out clean.