Vintage bike shop practices three Rs of environmental responsibility

Sumi Das: There's nothing necessarily high-tech about this small bike shop in San Francisco. But it's a smart business nonetheless. That's because Sasha Gogorsich Barski Phonetic and Dallas Adams, owners of Citizen Chain Cyclery are practicing the three Rs of environmental responsibility. Reduce, reuse, and recycle. Dallas Adams: We do not turn our backs towards new bicycles. But the heart and the soul of the shop relies on rebuilding bicycles. Sumi Das: They opened their shop in 2007 with the belief that the best bikes to ride are probably still sitting were your garage. Dallas Adams: They probably just need some cleaning lube, they need some chains, they need some cables. Basic stuff. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with the bikes. Sumi Das: The small business owners also specialize in vintage bikes, looking to resell old bikes made from all over the world. Dallas Adams: Part of our theory is that steel bikes provide the best ride. For about 100 years it was pretty much the only thing that bicycles are made of. Sumi Das: Nowadays, most bikes are made of aluminum and carbon fiber. But the owners still believe in the feel of steel. Dallas Adams: We like how it's repairable. So we're looking at those older bikes which were high end back in the day. They're now readily available. Sumi Das: Since opening their bike shop Citizen Chain has been a success as more people commute to work on bicycles to cut down on gas and parking expenses. Dallas Adams: When people are forced to sell their car or gas gets really expensive, they turn to bicycles. Sumi Das: Used bikes, look good and reduce your carbon foot print when you ride. For Smart Plant, I'm Sumi Das.

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==== Transcribed by Automatic Sync Technologies ====