A DECADE AFTER GETTING dropped by booming Internet outlets, bicycle retailers have a new strategy: Don't just sell bikes; sell a lifestyle. Leading the pack is Lance Armstrong, whose first shop, Mellow Johnny's (from one of Lance's Tour de France nicknames), in downtown Austin, Texas, opened in May. "With the urban bike culture in places like San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, and Chicago," says Armstrong, "this could be the next big thing." Here's a look at the players.

Mellow Johnny's
AUSTIN, TEXAS
"Bigger in Texas" definitely applies to this whopping 18,000-square-foot foray into retail. Johnny's has a coffee bar, valet bike parking, showers for commuters, and diagnostic and training facilities. In the showroom, a phalanx of Armstrong's winning Tour bikes shares space with custom fixies, while mechanics at the Apple-inspired "genius bar" dispense both wrenching advice and smoothies. IN SPANDEX: Performance-minded dot-com types. mellowjohnnys.com

Cadence Cycling & Multisport Center
NEW YORK
Racks sagging with carbon-fiber swag compete for attention with steel-thighed personal coaches at Cadence's new Tribeca location. A month's worth of professional ass-whupping—including everything from biomechanics to VO₂-max testing—runs $995, but it all comes with secure bike storage and showers. IN SPANDEX: Private-equity gurus sick of playing squash. cadencecycling.com

River City Bicycles
PORTLAND, OREGON
With two stories topped by a rooftop sculpture of cyclists, the shop has a pro fit center and a 100-foot indoor test track that can accommodate three riders—and a weekly yoga class. IN SPANDEX: The whole damn city. rivercitybicycles.com.

One on One Bicycle Studio
MINNEAPOLIS
Started as a bike-and-coffee shop, this three-story Twin Cities cycling hub recently added a custom-fabrication shop, and a massage therapist occupies the space directly upstairs. Its gallery-style walls are hung with cycling art, while the basement junkyard houses old bikes clients can rummage through for that perfect pair of handlebars. IN SPANDEX: Messengers, commuters, and roadie geeks who can't stand the Minnesota weather. oneononebike.com