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PHOENIX — Pedal power has returned as some Phoenix-area residents try to beat the high cost of gasoline by riding bicycles to work.

It's also proving to be a booming business for bike shops, with some reporting higher sales of commuter models plus added repair work.

As more workers ride their bikes to the job, some employers have responded by adding secure bike lockers and showers.

"We don't have good data because so few cities do bicycle counts," said Phoenix resident R.S. Matt, spokesman for the Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists. "But you see more of them in the streets, and we're getting lots of calls for bicycle education."

Higher gas prices led Kristin Heumann, 23, to park her Honda Civic and start biking to work.

The bike ride from her Chandler home to her job at Freescale Semiconductor in Tempe takes 35 minutes, or 20 minutes longer than by car.

"When I was in high school, it cost me $10 to fill the tank; now it's $40," she said. "I was tired of paying for the gas."

Freescale is one of those companies providing shaded and locked bicycle cages, along with showers, Heumann said.

Sales of commuter models have climbed 25 percent to 50 percent in recent months at one Chandler bicycle store.

"They're the kind built for long-distance comfort, have seat suspension and sell for $500 or more," said Alan Blackmore, an employee with Global Bikes in Chandler.

"There's a direct correlation between gas prices and the number of people buying commuter bikes," Blackmore said. "Some customers mention fuel costs, but most claim they're trading gas pedals for bicycle pedals for the health and fitness benefits," he said.

In Phoenix, workers at Landis Cyclery said they're getting an influx of new customers who are pulling their old bikes out of the shed.

"They're coming in for parts, tuneups, baskets and racks, said Justin Lafferty, a Landis employee.