The demand for electric bikes is increasing as people desperately seek cheaper alternatives for travel amid rising gas prices. The price of regular gas was $4.26 on March 19, up over 20 percent from a month ago, and more than 47 percent from a year back, according to data from American Automobile Association. Electric bikes are seen as a viable and popular alternative to gas-fueled vehicles. For the Pedego Electric Bike store in St. Louis, February was a “bonanza” month due to high customer demand for e-bikes. “We’re seeing a big spike in orders coming in way ahead of the season. Every month there’s another record,” CEO Don DiCostanzo said to Bloomberg. “I’m not going to tell you it’s all because of fuel. But I absolutely believe it’s acting as a catalyst to get more people to consider alternate forms of transportation.” Some people consider the current trend to be …