-When stay-at-home orders began across the United States,
bike-shop owners quickly learned
what it meant to be truly essential to their customers.
And now, whether it's riding to work
or just a way to get outdoors,
people are turning to the two- wheeled mode of transportation,
and thus began what one bike-shop owner calls
the 2020 bicycle boom.
-The first bicycle boom occurred about 1970 to 1974.
The baby boomers were becoming, following the Vietnam War,
quite resistant to "same old, same old."
They were looking for change.
Earth Day was not too far prior to that,
so they were extremely eco-conscious.
-And it's not just DC.
Bike-shop owners in high bike-traffic cities like Chicago
and San Francisco are experiencing a similar effect.
-Our business has been effected pretty dramatically.
I'd say we're far, far busier.
We sold more than double the bikes
we normally sell at this time.
-Initially, you know, there's a lot of uncertainty,
but over time, as people have been sheltering in place longer,
we have seen an up-tick, and a lot of people
are just looking for more ways to kind of get outside
with their families and get some exercise.
-The bike scene is multifaceted here in the Bay.
We have lots of bike trails.
We have bike commuters.
Business has been really, really good.
We looked at five days of business,
and it equaled about an average winter month.
Those five days were just normal days
during this last seven to eight weeks.
It just happened upon us
that that's how much business we were doing.
-Reasons for the renewed interest in biking varies
for everyone,
including experienced bikers who need tune-ups and dust-offs.
But there are a few trends.
-A few weeks ago, when people were, you know,
doing everything they could to stay home,
there was no place to go, at least having a bike
gave them a way to get some exercise, get outside.
Now that we're getting closer to reopening,
more people are wanting to find a safe way to get around.
They don't want to have to rely on public transportation.
-Also, traffic is not as bad as it usually is,
so a lot of people who maybe were wary of riding
on the streets with their kids are now giving it a try.
-Bikes have this innate ability to keep people separated.
If you're too close to one another,
you're gonna crash into one another.
It enables them to social distance
and get out and exercise,
which is the mantra of what the government is telling people.
-These shops have also seen more interest
from first-time bike owners
who might be new to outdoor cycling
or how to keep a bike in good shape.
When people get a lot of anxiety,
when people get concerned,
when people become potentially economically insecure
or their future's a bit in doubt as to when is this gonna lift
and what are going to be the lasting impacts of it,
I think people tend to go back to basics,
and bicycling is a "going back to basics,"
"feel good," "put a smile on your face" thing.
-When shopping for a bike for the first time,
we always encourage people to think
about what they see themselves doing with it.
So, if you see, you know, crushed limestone, gravel paths,
or rails to trails kind of stuff,
if you see yourself commuting,
if you see yourself running errands,
to kind of think about what you want to do with the bike.
-Tire maintenance, keep them up to pressure.
Make sure your saddle height is proper.
You don't want your saddle too low.
Most new cyclists have their saddle really, really low.
And when they're purchasing a bike, if at all possible,
they can get it through a professional bike store
that wants to get them the right-size bike
and wants to get them as a good a quality bike as they can get.
-Whether you're looking for a tune-up or a new set
of wheels, your local bike shop
is likely operating under different protocols these days.
You might be asked to make an appointment ahead of time
or do a bit more research with your local store owner
before you come into the shop.
-I just notice the ease.
Like, it is pretty time consuming
and takes a lot more effort
to do all this communication digitally
or over the phone prior to their visit.
But then, in addition, it is really fun to actually,
like, talk to customers in person
and, like, be excited about bikes.
So, I still see that to an extent.
I just kind of miss having the more casual,
fun conversations with customers.
-I hope that people that are coming into our store
and other stores
are really going to catch the bug altogether.
Cycling has been a life-long blessing to me.
If they stick with it, give it a few months,
they could become hooked like we are.