Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
P a gear at bike shop
A Dundee bi ke shop says it is struggling to cope with demand from newbie cyclists eager to get pedalling during the coronavirus lockdown.
With the public being encouraged to avoid public transport where possible to slow the spread of Covid-19, more and more people have been getting on their bikes and discovering, or re-discovering, their love of cycling.
And Colin Murray, of Nicholson’s Cycle Shop on Forfar Road, said the shop was struggling to keep up with demand.
He said: “As lockdown has gone on, more and more people have decided to get out and about cycling. It was busy from almost the first week of lockdown but that has just escalated.”
Colin said that as well as buying new bikes many people were also coming to him to get their old bikes repaired.
He said: “It’s been incredible. We are so busy we are almost struggling to cope.
“At the moment we are selling as many bikes in a week as we would normally do in a month at this time of year.
“Last week alone we sold 50 bikes – we wouldn’t normally expect to sell that many bikes in one week. For us at least this pandemic has had a bit of a silver lining business-wise.
“It is even busier than in the run up to Christmas. Suddenly everyone wants to get out on a bike and we have been forced to take in huge supplies.”
According to statistics released by Cycling Scotland, a cycle counter on Arbroath Road recorded a huge 94% increase in people on bikes in the last two weeks of March.
Meanwhile, Colin said that one of the difficulties he was now facing was that suppliers and manufacturers were also struggling to keep up with demand.
“We have a good stock of bikes in of all types, but the suppliers are finding it difficult to meet the demands placed on them.”
Colin said that entire families were getting in touch to kit everyone out with a bike so they could get out and about for exercise together.
“People are mostly going for middle of the range style bikes, costing about £300, but there are other more expensive bikes selling as well.
“We are also seeing an increase in the demand for e-bikes. “
Experts have predicted the popularity of cycling could continue after restrictions are lifted because people feel safer than they do on public transport.
And Colin says he is hopeful they are right.
He added: “Many people coming to us are first time cyclists so it would be great to think this passion for cycling continues once we all get back to normal.
“More cycle routes are being created and widened in Dundee and it’s so more pleasant and safer for cyclists with fewer cars and other traffic on the roads.”