NAME: The Clean Machine
ADDRESS: 104 W. Main St., Carrboro
PRODUCT: Bicycles and bicycle repair
ESTABLISHED: 1972
OWNERS: Scott Simon, Doug Venema
CONTACT: (919) 967-5104
WEB SITE: www.thecleanmachine.com
By Jonathan Tuttle
chh@heraldsun.com; 419-6654
CARRBORO -- Tamara Sanders, manager of Carrboro's bicycle and bicycle repair shop The Clean Machine, understands how passers-by might not immediately connect the name of the store with its product.
Since 1972, The Clean Machine has been one in a chain of bicycle stores across the Triangle. But while the others have changed their name to The Bicycle Chain to better reflect their product, The Clean Machine has remained The Clean Machine.
Carrboro's loyal cycling culture would have it no other way.
"I've seen people come in who got their first ever bike here," said Sanders. "And then they get a bike for their own kids."
Townies traveling in a Clean Machine T-shirt have had it recognized on the other side of the country, a tribute to the store's long history, stretching back to when bicycles really were the only clean machines.
Sanders began working at the store in 2000 as a student at UNC Chapel Hill.
Unlike many of her customers, Sanders was not a born cyclist. Her father started biking while she was in college, a step to decrease the risk of heart disease, and she followed him into the hobby, cycling around her hometown of Hendersonville.
Sanders credits her 10-year stay at the business to the friendly atmosphere of Carrboro's bike culture.
"In Carrboro, everyone has their niche," said Sanders. "I found that when I worked at The Clean Machine, my niche would come to me."
She started at the cash register, but Sanders has since moved on to work in almost every position at The Clean Machine. She considers her job now to be one of community outreach, much more than just retail management.
"Carrboro has such a large bike culture," she said, "that if you really provide to it, you're doing more than selling a product, you're giving a service."
The Clean Machine offers full-service repair of any bicycle, from a flat tire to mangled frame. The repair business shot up recently when gas prices hit $4 and bicycles were rediscovered in attics.
For those who don't have a bicycle to rediscover, but want to start with the perfect bike, The Clean Machine will build a custom bicycle based on one's measurements and preferences.
The bulk of The Clean Machine's income, however, does come from the selling of bikes. Its space has doubled since opening in 1972, showcasing a mix of road, mountain and kids' bikes.
Sanders' favorite at the moment is a road bike called the Simple City. It was displayed outside the store on Friday for the same reason Sanders calls it her favorite: it's an aesthetic as well as a technical achievement. She hopes to take it for a spin around town soon.
"We aren't Portland," she said, comparing Carrboro to the West Coast city famous for its bicycle-friendly roads. "But cars are becoming more aware and the culture is growing exponentially. Drive a few miles out of town on a sunny day and you're going to see a bike."
