Switch to two wheels to save gas
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Littman has found that she is saving even more as her other habits change along with her biking habits.

"My bike route doesn't take me past coffee shops so I've cut out lattes," she says. "Since I don't have my car, I don't go out for lunch. I'm not making as many small grocery trips on the way home."

She's earmarked her total monthly savings (including gas savings) of $125 for a summer trip.

Those potential savings are driving scooter sales, which are up 24 percent nationwide for the first quarter of 2008, says Mount. This continues a decade of explosive growth -- from 12,000 scooters sold in 1997 to a projected 131,000 sold in 2007. That's borne out in insurance purchases, too. Allstate Insurance has seen a 70 percent rise in the number of motor scooters and mopeds insured from the first four months of 2008, compared to the same period in 2007, Hollcraft says.

Bike sales, however, remain flat because many new bike commuters, such as Littman, already own a bicycle. But sales of hybrid bikes -- which are more pavement-friendly than mountain bikes and more rugged than road bikes -- and commuter bikes -- which have fenders to better protect the tires -- are growing as a share of overall sales because they're ideal for commuting, says Fred Clements, executive director of the National Bicycle Dealers Association in Costa Mesa, Calif.

Hybrid bikes accounted for 16.5 percent of bike sales in 2007, up from 13.9 percent in 2005. Retailers also report that more bikes are coming in for repairs, an indication that bikes are coming down from the pegs in the garage and hitting the road, according to Clements.

2-wheelers by the numbers
A small 50cc scooter similar to Lorie's will get 100 miles per gallon, costs about $750 new, and reaches a top speed of 40 miles per hour, ideal for city driving, says Bill Savino, manager of motorcycle press and production evaluation for Honda.

The large 600cc scooters average 50 to 60 miles per gallon, cost up to $5,000 and cruise at interstate speeds. A good compromise is a 150cc scooter, averaging 70 miles per gallon, 60 miles per hour, with a cost of about $1,500, says John Long of Long Motorcycle Sales in Miami.

Start out slow and take it easy

• Ride the route on a weekend first and look for less-congested back roads. Then, find an experienced mentor to ride along with for a few days. • Don't start off thinking you're Lance Armstrong. Drive your car most of the way and bike the last three miles. "If you have a 20-mile drive and you finish tired, it will be so overwhelming, you'll never do it again," says bike commuter Tim Grahl of Lynchburg, Va.. • Skip it on a rainy day. It's no fun riding a bike or scooter in the rain and car drivers are even less likely to see you through a downpour.

Serious bikers recommend bypassing the $100 bikes at big box stores (what they refer to as BSOs, or bike-shaped objects) in favor of spending $300 to $600 at a bike store where you can get a hybrid that's comfortable, tailored for your riding style, and made of better components. Count on $40 for a helmet, $20 for a lock and $40 for a good pump, says Kane. Expect to cruise at 10 to15 miles per hour, and of course you don't have to worry how many miles you're getting per gallon of gas.

It's possible to save on insurance if you park your car and make the switch to a bike or scooter. But how much depends on numerous factors including your age, driving record and where you live. "But if you're driving fewer miles, you'll typically save money," Hollcraft says.

Savino pays $119 a year for insurance on his 50cc scooter.