RETAIL ROUNDUP:Get comfortable on a new bike

Gas costs a fortune, summer’s almost here and it’s time to slip into a bathing suit again. So now’s a good opportunity to get that bike out of the garage to save money on gas and get ready for the beach at the same time.

But keep in mind that if it has been awhile since you rode your bike, then it’s a good idea to have it checked out at your local bike shop.

So what else do you need to know about biking?

The most important aspect of bicycling is comfort, Newport Beach’s Chicago Bike shop owner Tony Parry said.

“The first thing is to get comfortable,” he said. “Number two is to get accommodated.”

By that he means the bells and whistles — well, maybe not whistles if you’d prefer one of those horns — but a basket can sure be handy while riding around.

To get comfortable, you have to have the right size bike, said Jason Gruner, manager of Costa Mesa’s Two Wheels One Planet bike shop on 17th Street.

“Beach cruisers are pretty much one standard size, but when you’re talking about road bikes and mountain bikes, you definitely want to get the proper size according to the rider’s height,” Gruner said.

Road bikes are made for speed and comfort, while mountain bikes are built for off-road terrain. Two Wheels One Planet also carries commuter bikes, which are basically mountain bikes with road tires, Gruner said.

A new bike doesn’t necessarily come cheap, ranging from about $200 for a basic single-speed beach cruiser to $8,000 for a souped-up road bike, Gruner said.

Garage sales can be an inexpensive place to buy a bike as many Newport-Mesa bike riders know, but Gruner said it may cost you more in the end if the bike has something wrong with it.

“You don’t know the history of the bike for one, and if the frame is cracked — it could be cracked internally — and if the bike fails you due to the crack, it could be a serious catastrophe,” Gruner said.

But Chicago Bike mechanics and workers at Two Wheels will give any bike a safety check.

So you’ve got a new shiny bike and you’re ready to ride. Now what? Remember safety and local laws. Gruner suggests everyone wear a helmet, although the law only requires that children wear one.

Although not mandatory in Newport Beach, registering your bike with the city can help police find it if it gets stolen, which happens often in Newport during the summer, Newport Beach Police Sgt. Evan Sailor said. In Costa Mesa, however, bike licenses are required. Bikes are also required to have a headlamp, tail lamp and reflectors on the front and peddles.

Also, remember that bikes are considered vehicles in the eyes of the law, which means you can get a DUI on a bicycle. So lay off the booze when you go bicycling.

Want to head to a trail? Check out Rack N Road on Harbor Boulevard in Costa Mesa. They can help you set up the right kind of car rack system for your bikes and the ability to lift them.

Racks can be put on the roof or the back of the car and can fit up to six bikes generally.

H&Ms; open at South Coast Plaza next week

H&M; is set to open at South Coast Plaza next week, with other stores piggybacking the much-anticipated event.

Two H&M; stores, which are known for their inexpensive but hip clothes, will open at noon Thursday. If the two openings — one near the new Bloomingdale’s wing of the main shopping center and one in the Crate and Barrel and Macy’s Home Store wing — are anything like other Southern California openings, be prepared to wait in long lines.

To entertain the throngs of people expected to show up, NikeWomen will have a DJ spinning music from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. April 14, and noon to 4 p.m., April 15.

Shoppers can enter to win a Nike prize package worth $250 and get a gift with any purchase of $100 or more.