Gas: $0. Parking: $0. Traffic: none.

It's not a dream world - it's a bike world.

And if increased business for local bike shops is any indication, residents are switching from the gas pump to the bicycle pump.

At Mike's Bikes, Boards and Bows in Sennett, owner Michael Goss is in the midst of one of the biggest sales jumps of his 33 years in the business.

Over the last three years, he's seen a 40-percent increase in repairs and general tune-ups. And Goss has experienced a 20-percent boost in sales this summer, when compared to a year ago.

The reason?

Goss believes it can largely be attributed to high prices at the pump. A yearly tune-up for a bike will run you $39.95, less than what it costs many people to fill up a tank of gas.

Residents are going for a bike ride on the weekend instead of taking a drive around town, and people are bringing in "bikes they have in the garage that they haven't ridden for years," Goss said.

"They're telling us: 'I need something that's going to get me back and forth to work.' "

In the last few months, he estimates that 100 to 150 customers have talked of leaving the car keys at home and putting the pedal to the pavement for short commutes to the office.

The only other time he's seen his business soar so quickly was in the 1970s, when gas rationing and steep prices hit nationwide.

"During bicycle boom, it was unbelievable," Goss recalled. "You couldn't get bikes fast enough. They didn't care what they were, what brands they were."

Not that things are going so badly now. On a recent afternoon, he still had more than 35 bikes waiting to be picked up for repairs, a higher number than usual so late in the season. That tells Goss that people are planning to ride their bikes as long as the weather holds out - and maybe later.

Other area bike shops have also noticed an increase in business, but the reasons aren't always clear-cut.

At Geneva Bicycle Center, owner Jim Hogan said that repairs have increased by almost 50 percent since last year, largely because his shop has expanded its services and has lost some of its competition.

But part of that number may be due to financial-savvy customers; he estimated that as much as 10 percent of the increase can be traced to high gas prices.

"People who have been on the fence about riding their bike to and from work have used this (gas prices) as a motivator," said Hogan, who rides to work year-round six days a week and has about 200 customers who commute via bike.

And at The Bike Rack in Ithaca, owner Gary Weidberg said that he's heard several of his customers - many of them college students - talking about the financial benefits of commuting by bike.

Still, higher sales than usual may also be due to good weather and a Lance Armstrong effect, he added.

Such anecdotal evidence is all there is to go on right now, said Elizabeth Preston, director of communications for the League of American Bicyclists. Preston said that although no one is tracking how many people commute via bicycle, she has received a substantial increase in calls from league members and non-members asking how it's done.

"The fuel prices are the theme," Preston said.

Pete Davis, of Skaneateles, started saving money on his commute long before a gallon even hit the $1 mark. He has cycled his way to work several times a week, 12 or more miles a day, in sunshine, sleet and snow for the past 15 years.

Davis didn't start cycling because of a desire to avoid gas prices but figures that he has saved about $4,500 in gasoline, not to mention wear and tear on his car.

His 6 a.m. ride takes him along Route 41A and is about a half-hour each way, after which time he showers at the office. At other times, he runs to work.

"I couldn't stand driving to work in a car every day," said Davis, 46, an engineer at Welch Allyn. "That would kill me. It's just so useless. You're sitting there doing nothing."

And though this marathon-runner claims he was "getting lazy for a while" by not riding his bike to places other than work, he's got new motivation.

"I'm trying to do more since gas prices went out of sight," he said.

Jeff Collins, 47, of Auburn, is very cognizant of the money he saves by having a bike as his sole mode of transportation.

For the last nine years, Collins has peddled the half-mile to his job at the FingerLakes Mall, and he also uses it to get around the area.

"You don't have to pay car insurance," Collins said, noting that if it's really bad weather, he'll take a cab or a bus. "They're a lot cheaper to fix."

Both Davis and Collins also talked of the health benefits of opting to ride rather than drive.

Steve Sprinkle, 46, of Geneva, believes that his 3-mile round-trip commute helps him maintain his weight. Sprinkle has been a bike commuter - even in the dead of winter - since the summer of 2002.

Besides helping him address what he calls "a little bit of a belly," riding is also psychologically healthy, said Sprinkle, director of counseling at Hobart and William Smith Colleges.

"It takes a little bit longer, but it gives me a little time to wind down from work," he said. And with no emissions, it also makes him feel good about doing something "green" for the environment.

While Sprinkle is now accustomed to slinging a canvas briefcase over his shoulder and starting the day with a 10-minute ride, those who are just starting out - whatever their reasons - may view biking to work as a daunting task, said Joshua Poppel, executive director of the New York Bicycling Coalition.

To help ease the transition, the coalition began a "Bike Buddy Commuter Program" this past May that pairs novices with more experienced cyclists.

"It's kind of a learning process," said Poppel, who began commuting by bike 10 years ago. "It's just good to have somebody there with more road experience to offer good advice."

In addition to saving money on gas, Poppel also noted the health benefits of bike commuting. There are also many trips that can be made in equal or less time with a bike because of increased congestion on the roads, Poppel added.

Before heading off to work, Poppel recommends that cyclists ensure that they have a bike in good working condition, adequate lights and the right type of clothing.

And, so as not to offend your co-workers, find a place to change or shower when you get to the office.

"Once you get used to it, you actually get as comfortable on a bike as you do in a car," Hogan said.

If biking all time isn't feasible, you can also rotate days or drive part of the way and bike the rest.

And if all else fails and you still want to save money on gas, try a bike of a different kind.

"I ride to work on that thing," Goss said, pointing outside to his red Honda VTX 1800 motorcycle. It gets 40 miles per gallon.

Staff writer Linda Ober can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or linda.ober@lee.net