Bicycle Buying Tips

I will try to simplify the process of buying a bicycle with a few helpfully hints to make the job less mysterious.

Making sure your child's bike fits now and will be able to grow with them for a couple of years can be done easily. The child's inseam measurement to the floor should give a solid idea of what to expect when searching for an adequate top-tube stand-over height. When the child is standing over the bar between the seat and handlebar there should be enough room to stand without touching. If you are buying a bike with training wheels stand-over is not as big an issue as the seat to pedal length. Adding an inch for comfort is not a bad idea. As your child grows raise the seat to ensure better peddling room. If the training wheel are taken off it is a good idea to lower the seat until the feet can easily reach the floor.

Quality built bikes must be purchased from an independent bicycle dealer. These quality bikes I'm speaking of will not be found at a department store. If you are able to buy a roll of duct tape, your wife's favorite shampoo, a Brittany Spears cd, curtains for the baby's room, and your child's bike. Chances are you are not shopping at an independent bicycle dealer.

I hope these tips help you find the perfect bike this holiday season.

Bicycle Safety Rules of the Road.

While riding a bicycle is great fun, it's best to stay safe when enjoying your rides.
Here are some safe bicycling rules to keep in mind.

1. Wear a helmet every time you ride a bike. Make sure that it is worn/fitted correctly and is ANSI or SNELL approved. If your helmet is 3 years or older we suggest a new one. Stop by any of our three location for a free bike helmet inspection and fitting. Wearing a helmet significantly reduces your risk of severe head injury.

2. Ride with traffic as near to the right side of the road as practicable.

3. Never ride against traffic.

4. Obay all traffic signals and stop signs. At Intersections, ride in the rightmost lane that goes in your direction.

5. When riding at night, use front (white) and rear (red) lights and wear bright or reflective clothing.

6. Ride in a predictable manner and use hand signals to make lane changes and turns.

7. Always be aware of your surroundings and be aware that you may be less visible to drivers of larger vehicles.

8. Maintain control of your bicylce and never ride under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

9. Ride no more than two abreast and single file on heavily-traveled roads.

10. Keep an eye on the road ahead to avoid road hazards suchs as potholes, gravel, broken glass, dogs and drainage grates.

11. Keep your bike in good running condition. The Great Escape can help you with any bicycle repair needs.

12. Share the Road.

Thank you for reading and applying these safe rules of the road.

History of The Great Escape

The Great Escape was established in Greenville,Sc march of 1973. Our Spartanburg ,The Great Escape opened in Oct. of 1973 and Our Anderson ,The Great Escape in March of 1974. We are locally owned and have grown to our current size by always keeping our custormer formost in our mind. Other stores come and go (in fact there have been 109 bicycle shops in our area, close their doors during our years of operation in our three cities of upstate South Carolina.

We carry the best quality bicycle brands ( only the top brands available in America ) in all ranges from the little tikes, beginner users to the hard core cyclist.
But our main goal is to exceed our customers expectations each time he or she visits our stores. We truly enjoy selling bicycles and our fun hobby items. Even better, our products make our customers HAPPY!

Customers love us

One of our customers with his gorgeous ducted fan aircraft. This a model of a navy "Panther".