One might think with gas prices at record highs, more people would turn to bicycles for their commute, especially urban-dwellers living near uptown.
Not so, says Ethan Grossman, who opened Black Sheep Cycles three years ago.
Grossman envisioned his store as a social club, where cyclists could relax and watch movies. Two plasma TVs hang in the 3,300-square-foot shop, nestled off West Morehead Street in west Charlotte.
He also bought an espresso machine, expecting to sell lattes and other coffee drinks. The store offers showers for commuters.
That part of the business never took off. So the front of his store sits unused, filled with bike tires, sofas and armless mannequins.
But Grossman is hopeful he will weather the economic downturn because his core business -- selling and repairing high-end specialty bikes and accessories -- has remained steady. His store sells what Grossman describes as "weird" bikes -- such as single speeds, fixed-gear bikes and 29-inch wheeled mountain bikes.
"We serve a niche market," he said. "Our business doesn't change as much with the economy."
Why aren't more people biking to work? Grossman and service manager Steve Maoeski think it stems partly from Charlotte's lack of bike lanes and places to park and lock bikes. Charlotte drivers can be rude, intimidating cyclists on the road, they said.
What will it take for more Charlotteans to ditch their cars and ride a bike?
"Six-dollar-a-gallon gas," Maoeski said.
Coping in the downturn | your stories
