A briefcase, a tie and a bicycle might go together more often these days in Lawrence.

“I think people are starting to look at (bicycles) more as a form of legitimate transportation than they used to,” said Paul Davis, a manager at Sunflower Outdoor and Bike Shop, 802-804 Mass. “You can even wear a suit and show up and look good for work.”

Davis and others in the business said it was difficult to pinpoint the reason more people are taking to two-wheelers, but higher gasoline prices and an emphasis on health seemed to have sparked a recent wave of bicycle commuters.

Margaret Rausch had to think hard to remember a day when she didn’t ride her bicycle to work.

“There might be one icy day a year,” said the Kansas University assistant professor of religious studies. “It’s like part of my body.”

It’s too convenient to pull up near her office door or Watson Library without having to park and walk or navigate the campus traffic, she said.

She’s been pedaling to work each of her five years at KU. Though bicycles aren’t nearly as popular here as what she saw during time spent in Europe, Rausch said she’s starting to see some good signs for America’s bicycle culture.

“I think it probably has gone up. I wish it would go up more,” she said of bicycle use.

Nick Gardner, a manager at Cycle Works, 2121 Kasold Drive, says the shop is having its best year ever. He attributes increased interest in cycling to high gasoline prices and growing health awareness.

Cycle shops reported busy summers with repairs, and they are trying to give more priority to customers who rely on the bicycle to commute.

Nick Gardner, a manager at Cycle Works, 2121 Kasold Drive, said the shop is having its best year. During the summer, an average of about 40 people were on a waiting list for bicycle repairs, he said.

“I don’t know exactly, but I’m sure some of it is gas prices and people becoming more aware of their health,” he said.

Things have settled down some at the bike shop, but the average waiting list for a tune-up and repair is down to about 20 customers, he said.

“People just want to get out for exercise. The city is putting in more bike paths and bike lanes,” Gardner said. “I think with Lance Armstrong, that has got a lot of people into cycling that normally wouldn’t be.”

Davis, at Sunflower Outdoor and Bike Shop, said his store also has seen increased activity. A wait for a repair can range anywhere from three days to two weeks, depending on the season. Right now it’s about three days to a week, he said.

“We do try to keep the schedule flexible enough to accommodate certain situations,” Davis said of bicycle commuters.

Douglas County Administrator Craig Weinaug has ridden to work for more than four years.

“I know that the increase in the price of gas has caused people to take a second look at cycling as an alternative for transportation,” he said.

Rausch, the frequent rider and KU professor, has spent time in Denmark and Germany. There, she said, it was common to see dozens of bicycles outside building entrances.

“Here, people are just so used to getting in their car and driving a block to get carryout and a Coke,” she said.

“It’s a trend that the dawn of the age of the couch potato is fading,” Davis said, “and people are saying that I’ve got to keep moving.”