I’m surrounded by pedal pushers.

My sister just splurged on a new bicycle and helmet, and when we go to Dick’s Sporting Goods, she’s all about the jerseys. Her boyfriend keeps a stock of those gooey power gel packs on top of the fridge. My brother-in-law spends more money on bicycles than some people do on cars.

Me? Not so much.

Sure, I have a mountain bike. From the ’90s. Let’s just say there’s more dust than dirt on my tires.

But since I’m always up for a challenge, I couldn’t resist when the organizers of next weekend’s Bangor Land Trust’s Frogs, Logs, & Bogs Road Ride called to suggest a bike-gear column.

Chandra McGee, the land trust’s community outreach and volunteer coordinator, recently attended a safety seminar sponsored by the Bicycle Coalition of Maine. There, she learned that when it comes to apparel, bright, light and tight – BLT – are the watch words. Bright and light for visibility and tight so you don’t get your pants stuck in your chain – which can only be described as disastrous.

McGee also learned her ABCs: Before any ride, check your bicycle’s air, brakes and chain.

Inspired by all these acronyms, I decided to visit the local experts to brush up on my BSA: bicycle shopping aptitude.

When I arrived at Pat’s Bike Shop on Wilson Street in Brewer, I realized how much I had to learn. Owner Scott Seymour quickly brought me up to speed. Depending on where you want to ride, there’s a suitable option for everyone. Including lazy old me.

The last time I shopped for a bike, I remember two distinct alternatives: road bikes (think Tour de France) and mountain bikes. Today, there are hybrids, which are a best-of-both-worlds cross between the two – with narrower tires and a more comfortable ride. Seymour introduced me to the comfort bike, which looks a little old-school, but is perfect for a leisurely ride on the carriage trails or, say, the Bangor City Forest trails. These start around $250, whereas road bikes start at $650 and rapidly ascend into the thousands.

Obviously, this was not the sparkly blue Huffy that I remembered from my teenage years. The difference in technology is astonishing, even compared with five years ago. Today’s bikes have more speeds than I’d know what to do with. But it doesn’t end there. Today, disc brakes, which perform even in the worst conditions, come standard even on lower-end bikes. Shocks and suspension forks won’t set you back a few grand. And lightweight, carbon-fiber frames are available for a more forgiving, more comfortable, less exhausting ride. These used to cost $5,000 to $6,000, but now hover in the neighborhood of $1,300.

As Jeremy Porter of Ski Rack Sports said, pointing to a carbon-alloy Cannondale near the counter, “They’re like computers now. This is my personal bike, which is technically a 2008 model. There’s already another one better than it. It goes so quick.”

Ski Rack’s bike shop, which is having a sale on 2007 models and summer gear, has a whole range of offerings, from baseline mountain bikes to the creme de la creme: the Santa Cruz line, which starts at $1,750 and lures in connoisseurs who know exactly what they want. Another bonus? Half of the line is still made in the United States.

At Rose Bicycle in Orono, which is also having a sale, performance hybrid models are popular now.

“They want to be faster but comfortable,” said owner Jim Rose.

When it comes to gear, LED lights are all the rage. They’re superbright – good for safety on the road or visibility on the trail. Plus, the battery packs last longer and take up less space than previous models. At Pat’s Bike Shop, the headlight-bright MiNewt from NiteRider ($190) is a popular model, but so is the tiny Frog light ($10), which is suitable for a rear safety light. It comes in bright colors, and it can wrap around any part of the bicycle. Sigma computer odometers with built-in heart-rate monitors are also available ($100).

For more gear and bikes, check out www.triathletesports.com, which used to have a storefront on Exchange Street in Bangor but now has an online marketplace.

I’d be remiss (and not ShopGirl) if I didn’t mention clothing. At Pat’s, I liked the loose but padded men’s shorts, which are not so loose as to get caught in one’s bike components. Ski Rack offers the L.E. Carbon collection from Cannondale – in shorts, jackets, jerseys, tights, socks and gloves. The fabric, which is injected with carbonized coconut shells, “wicks like nothing else,” Porter says. “You’d be sweating in it, but you’d be totally dry.”

In keeping with the bright, light and tight doctrine, Rose Bicycle has women’s jerseys in great patterns and phenomenal colors. I’m thinking of getting one of the retro prints for ShopGirl Junior. Neon brights and jerseys with the Rose Bicycle logo are among the men’s offerings. Lightweight jackets and padded shorts round out the mix.

But I won’t need those if I decide to dust off my bike again or, better yet, upgrade to a model from this century. After all this time, I’m pretty sure my lazy butt has enough padding of its own.

Register to ride

The Bangor Land Trust’s inaugural Frogs, Logs and Bogs Road Ride is a 20 mile bicycle road ride beginning and ending at the Bangor waterfront. It will begin at 9 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 14. To register online, visit www.bangorlandtrust.org. Registration forms also are available at many area businesses and in the lobby of the land trust office building at 27 State St. in Bangor. A pre-registration session will be held at the land trust office 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12. For more information, visit www.bangorlandtrust.org, or call 942-1010.

ShopGirl would love to hear from you! Send questions, comments or suggestions by e-mail to: kandresen@bangordailynews.net, by U.S. mail to Kristen Andresen, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329, or by fax to 941-9476. For exclusive online shopping tips, click on the ShopBlog icon on the bottom of the BDN homepage: bangordailynews.com.