The Upstate’s popularity as a cycling destination is the starting line for a multimillion-dollar industry
Look anywhere in downtown Greenville on a nice day and you’ll see swarms of people riding bikes, especially on the popular Swamp Rabbit Trail. Hard-core cyclists practicing their skills share the road and trails with moms, dads and kids out for a Sunday ride. Greenville is a bike-friendly town.
But beyond the recreational aspect of biking are the nuts and bolts – or chains and gears – of a thriving local industry. Businesses such as Boyd Cycling, Pedal Chic and Hincapie Sportswear are just a few of the cycling businesses that sell to customers all over the world and have chosen Greenville as home.
According to Steve Baker, president of the Greenville Spinners Bicycle Club, more than 30 cycling-related businesses operate in the Upstate, equating to over 150 jobs and more than $23 million in annual gross sales directly from cycling. Then there’s the indirect impact of the cyclists who visit and spend money in restaurants, hotels and retail stores.
As more people migrate from the suburbs back to the city, alternative modes of transportation are becoming more popular, says Robin Bylenga, owner of Pedal Chic, a downtown Greenville cycling shop geared towards women. As a bike shop owner, “you’ve got to be passionate about cycling,” and hope the money follows, she says.
Bylenga’s was the first women-only bike shop in the country. After a divorce, cycling became her outlet and social time with her girlfriends, she said. Her body and mind grew stronger as she cycled. Bylenga says her customers, who aren’t just women, are like-minded, many of them living here and moving here specifically for an outdoor lifestyle. People who would never have considered climbing onto a bicycle are riding the Swamp Rabbit Trail because they feel safe.
The path to cycling paradise
Quietly over the years, Greenville has been growing into a burgeoning cycling destination. The region’s climate and topography is naturally suited to the sport: moderate weather and good biking terrain with flat trails and steep mountain grades.
Trek Travel, which provides premier cycling vacations around the world, developed ride camps in the Greenville area about two years ago with help from two local guides. Mark Thomsen, marketing manager, says the company chose Greenville for the “close proximity to the mountains and famous climbs in the area. It’s a secret cycling paradise.”
Thomsen says the company conducts trips weekly in October and November and from February through May. “We don’t do many East Coast trips, but Greenville has been a bright spot for us,” he says.
International cycling competitor Rich Hincapie and his brother George moved here because “it’s one of the best areas in the country to train on a bicycle,” Rich said. The brothers generate millions of dollars in revenue with Hincapie Sportwear and a professional development cycling team. They also sponsor corporate cycling events such as the Grand Fondo and are owners of the newly opened Hotel Domestique, where they host high-end cycling and triathlon camps and retreats.
“Greenville is well on the path to becoming a well-known, sought-after cycling destination,” says Jennifer Stilwell, chief marketing manager of VisitGreenvilleSC. “We have seen success and traction with past events” such as the USA Pro Cycling Road National Championships “as well as future cycling events such as the Para-Cycling World Championships.”
A few city employees and council members have been in Canada this week to get a firsthand look at the Para-Cycling World Championships Greenville will be hosting in August 2014. This will be the first time since 1998 that the event has been held in the United States, and Greenville beat out venues throughout the world for the honor, says Angie Prosser, director of public information and events for the city of Greenville.
More than 400 athletes are expected, says Prosser. USA Cycling predicts the area can expect to benefit from an estimated $4.5 million economic impact for the world championships, based on data from the event in Canada in 2010.
Open lanes to the future
So what can the city do or continue to do to keep Greenville as a top biking destination? More bike lanes and infrastructure are the most needed, experts say.
Both Hincapie and Bylenga would like to see more bike lanes, and more bike stands would be helpful around the city as well. Hincapie says awareness is also important from both motorists and cyclists.
According to Stilwell, Greenville needs “a continued presence of hosting and supporting signature, marquee cycling events.” A continued investment in infrastructure, a high-profile business component, elevated notoriety and credibility, and continued high-profile cycling events are four core pillars of growth in the quest for mecca status, she says.
Programs such as the B-Cycle stations, a bike-share system sponsored by Upstate Forever and other partners that offers six stations and 28 bikes, continue to increase Greenville’s awareness as a bike-friendly community, experts say.
Bikeville is another new initiative designed to increase ridership, encourage bicycle use, expand bicycling facilities, and provide useful educational resources to cyclists and motorists to share the road.
A Bicycle Master Plan adopted by Greenville City Council in 2011 presents a framework to help strategize the expansion of the existing bikeway network, complete network gaps, and provide greater transportation connectivity while educating and encouraging bicycling throughout the city.
The new Complete Streets Policy reinforces Greenville’s commitment to improving travel conditions and travel choices for people of all ages and abilities. According to the city’s website, “the City of Greenville is now committed more than ever to providing appropriate accommodations for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders … while promoting safe operation for all users.” The Complete Streets Coalition cites one study that “found that 43 percent of people with safe places to walk within 10 minutes of home met recommended activity levels, while just 27 percent of those without safe places to walk were active enough.”
“We have a very healthy cycling community,” says Baker, adding that cycling in the Upstate is every bit as important to our area as the beach is to coastal South Carolina.
