CYCLING: TOUR IS HELPING PEDAL BUSINESS CYCLE EVENT MAY BOOST SALES.Byline: ALEX DOBUZINSKIS Staff Writer SANTA CLARITA Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, -- For store owners awaiting next weekend's Amgen Tour of California The Amgen Tour of California is a professional cycling stage race on the UCI America Tour and USA Cycling Professional Tour that made its debut on February 19, 2006. Sponsored by the biotechnology company Amgen, the eight-day race covers between 650-700 miles (1,045 - 1,126 km). , throngs of spectators and local residents getting excited about bicycling translates into one thing: sales opportunities. The Santa Clarita Valley's many bicycle stores could benefit from the newfound new·found adj. Recently discovered: a newfound pastime. Adj. 1. newfound - newly discovered; "his newfound aggressiveness"; "Hudson pointed his ship down the coast of the newfound sea" interest some residents might take in bicycling when the tour comes through town. And store owners along the race route also expect to get a boost. "Summer's coming, it's getting to our busy time anyway -- it will just light a fire under people's butts to get them in here even more," said Bob Pottorff, who works at Performance Cyclery in Santa Clarita. The coffee shop Java 'N Jazz, at 24300 Town Center Drive in Valencia, is right by the race route. A portion of nearby McBean Parkway will be closed to vehicles from 10 p.m. Friday to 10 p.m. Saturday. With all those vehicles off the road, there will be plenty of spectators on foot to fill the thoroughfare THOROUGHFARE. A street or way so open that one can go through and get out of it without returning. It differs from a cul de sac, (q.v.) which is open only at one end. 2. Whether a street which is not a thoroughfare is a highway, seems not fully settled. . Tens of thousands of fans, family members and others are expected to come to Santa Clarita for the event. Nick Losorelli, 18, who works at Java 'N Jazz, said things were hopping at the coffee shop during last year's Santa Clarita marathon and he expects the Amgen tour to mean the same. "I heard that it was just like a line out the door the whole time, and we had someone stationed out front selling hot chocolate and coffee," he said. Bicycle stores in the city generally see an uptick Uptick A transaction occurring at price above its previous transaction. In order for an uptick to occur, a transaction price must be followed by an increased transaction price. in business after the Tour de France Tour de France World's most prestigious and difficult bicycle race. Staged for three weeks each July—usually in some 20 daylong stages—the Tour typically comprises 20 professional teams of nine riders each and covers some 3,600 km (2,235 miles) of flat and is broadcast. And similarly after the Amgen Tour -- for which Santa Clarita is Stage 6 -- cycling stores also could see a boost. "If they get into road-bike riding, they're not going to have a problem spending $1,000 or $1,500 bucks to get into it," said Ed Eckle, owner of Valley Bicycles in Santa Clarita, noting the costs for a bike, speedometer speedometer, instrument that indicates speed. A cable from an automotive speedometer is attached to the rear of the transmission of an automobile; the cable turns at a rate proportional to the speed of the car. , helmet and accessories. Meanwhile, many of those who work in the cycle shops say they, too, are eager to watch the Amgen Tour race. Pottorff said he will watch the race during his lunch break and Eckle plans to be at the family ride in the morning. As for Losorelli, the coffee shop worker? He already has a mountain bike but wouldn't describe himself as a biking fanatic. He's too busy with school for that. alex.dobuzinskis@dailynews.com (661) 257-5253 |
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