Company following Armstrong to success

Funny the influence one person can have on a sport, especially if that individual makes a favorable impression. Michael Jordan elevated pro basketball, Tiger Woods has done the same for golf and Lance Armstrong continues to champion bicycling, and in particular paved road riding.

The latest figures from the Outdoor Industry Foundation, which monitors participation in 22 human-powered outdoor activities in the United States, showed the "Lance Factor" is, indeed, being felt.

The latest study shows that more and more people are dusting off the seats of their bikes, pumping up the tires and going out for a ride.

Last year, 79 million Americans, 16 and older, settled down on the seat of a bike and went for a ride on paved roads, making it one of the most popular outdoor activities in the United States.

The study further showed that the average rider took 33 trips in 2004, making a total of 2.6 billion outings. A small group, only seven percent of the 79 million riders, took just one ride and then hung up the bike for the year.

While the entire cycling industry has benefited from his success the past seven years in France, the greatest benefactor has been Armstrong's biggest sponsor, Trek Bicycle Corp., operating out of Waterloo, Wis.

When the company signed Armstrong to a contract back in 1998, it was not for his riding power as much as it was for the human side of being a testicular cancer survivor. The company felt the public would embrace this story more so than riding the roads in France.

It was a gamble, claimed Trek officials, that paid off in gold bullion. One spokesman compared it to putting a penny in a slot and hitting the million-dollar jackpot.

Bike shop owners around the country are claiming that bike sales are up because of the "Lance Factor."

Alan Greenberg, manager of the Canyon Sports cycle store in Midvale, said even though he does not carry the Trek line, "I've seen a growth in road bikes over the past seven years since Lance started to win."

Chan Head, assistant manager of Guthrie Bicycle, said he, too, has seen steady growth over the past seven years in road bikes, and especially in the Trek line.

"Most of the people know Armstrong rides a Trek bike," he said. "They'll come in and ask to see Trek bikes or ask to see a bike like the one Armstrong rides."