Commuters around the country are dusting off their old two-wheelers — or buying new ones — to cope with rising fuel prices, bicycle dealers say.

"Everyone that comes in the shop is talking about the gas prices," said Barry Dahl, who opened Barry's Bikes in Bismarck in April. He sold more than 50 bicycles in the first month, double the projections in his business plan.

Teacher Joyce McCusker of Herndon, Virginia, owns a bicycle for the first time in years. She bought it last month and uses it to make the 13 km trip home from work. A friend drives her pickup to take McCusker's daughter home from school.

"I'm still using fossil fuel," she said. "In two years, my goal is to ride both ways, every day through the year."

About 18 million bicycles have been sold annually in the US over the past few years, accounting for about $6 billion in annual sales, said Fred Clements, executive director the National Bicycle Dealers Association in Costa Mesa, California.

Bicycle shops across the country are reporting strong sales so far this year, and more people are bringing in bikes that have been idled for years, he said.

"People are riding bicycles a lot more often, and it's due to a mixture of things but escalating gas prices is one of them," said Bill Nesper, spokesman for the Washington DC-based League of American Bicyclists.

The League of American Bicyclists is promoting Bike-to -Work Week this week and Bike-to-Work Day on May 16.