Bike Sales, Rentals See Drastic Increase During Pandemic

How an increased interest is impacting local businesses and people getting into the sport.

SEEN THE NEGATIVEEFFECTS OF THECORONAVIRUS, ONEINDUSTRY IS DOINGVERY WELL.OUR DIGITALREPORTER, JESSIKAED-SON, TELLS USABOUT HOW THENEWFOUND INTERESTIN BIKING IS HELPINGBUSINESSES ANDSUPPORTERS OF THEPAST TIME.WITH GYMS BEINGCLOSED AND MANYPEOPLE FINDINGTHEMSELVES STAYINGINSIDE FOR WORKAND SCHOOL, MORENEBRASKANS ARETRYING OUT A NEWHOBBY: BIKING."ANYBODY CAN LOOKOUT THEIR WINDOWAND THEY'LL SEE AHUGE UPTICK IN THENUMBER OF PEOPLEOUT BIKING ANDWALKING.I'M SEEING KIDS ONBIKES IN MYNEIGHBORHOOD THATI'VE NEVER SEENBEFORE." JULIEHARRIS, EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR OF BIKEWALK NEBRASKA- AGROUP THATADVOCATES TO MAKEWALKING AND BIKINGMORE ACCESSIBLES,SAYS THE NUMBERSSHOW MORE PEOPLEARE PICKING UP THISOUTDOOR ACTIVITY.IN APRIL, MANY TRAILSIN OMAHA HAD ATLEAST 74% MOREPEOPLE USING THEMTHAN LAST YEAR, ANDTHE WEST PAPIO SAWAN INCREASE OF 252%.WITH SO MANYPEOPLE BIKING,SHOPS LIKE THE BIKERACK SAY THEY'RESEEING MORE ANDMORE EMPTYSHELVES AS THEY TRYTO KEEP UP WITH THENEW DEMAND." COMPARED TOYEARS PAST, WE'REUP 150-200 % INSALES.I WAS LOOKING ATNUMBERS AND WESOLD ABOUT 18HUNDRED BIKESSINCE MID MARCHACTUALLY, JUST ATTHIS LOCATION HERE.SO ITS BEENMASSIVE." MANAGERROBB HEITT SAIDALONG WITH BIKESALES, THERE'S ALSOBEEN A HUGEINCREASE IN SERVICEREQUESTS AS PEOPLEARE PULLING BIKESOUT OF THEIRGARAGE FOR THEFIRST TIME IN YEARS."A LOT OF BIKESCOMING IN FORSERVICE.ACTUALLY OURSERVICEDEPARTMENT GOTPRETTY SWAMPED.FOR A LITTLE WHILETHERE, WE WEREABOUT 3 WEEKS OUTFOR GETTING ANYSORT OF WORK DONEON THEM BECAUSEWE HAD SO MANYBIKES COMING IN."ALONG WITH BIKESALES GOING UP, BIKERENTALS ARE ALSOON THE RISE.BENNY FOLTZ WITHHEARTLAND B-CYCLE,SAYS PEOPLE ARERENTING BIKES- NOTJUST FORRECREATIONAL USE ."DURING THISPANDEMIC, WE'VESEEN ALL SORT OFDIFFERENT TYPES OFBEHAVIOR.AS PEOPLE WERE NOTUSING THE PUBLICBUS, THEY STARTEDRIDING THE E BIKESMORE TO GETAROUND." THE BIKESARE LOCATEDTHROUGHOUT THEMETRO AREA, ANDTHE STAFF IS OUTEVERY MORNINGSANITIZING THESTATIONS.SINCE IT ISCOMMUNITYEQUIPMENT, RIDERSARE ENCOURAGED TOTAKE THEIR OWNPRECAUTIONS ASWELL."WE ALWAYSENCOURAGE ALLRIDERS TO WEARGLOVES AND MASKSAND DO THESUGGESTED 6-FTSOCIALLYDISTANCING, EVENWHILE RIDING A BIKE-THAT'S VERYIMPORTANT.AND THEN WHENYOU'RE DONE USINGTHE EQUIPMENT TOGO AHEAD AND WASHYOUR HANDS." THOSEWHO HAVE BEEN WITHTHE BIKINGCOMMUNITY FOR ALONG TIME, SAY THEYHOPE THISNEWFOUND INTERESTIN BIKING WILL STICKAROUND."THIS IS A REAL EYEOPENER FOR A LOT OFPEOPLE- MAYBE NOTTO US.BUT WE HAVE A LONGWAY TO GO TO REALLYBE BIKE FRIENDLY INNEBRASKA AND ITHINK WE'RE GOINGTO LEARN A LOT FROMTHESE FOLKS THATARE GETTING OUTFOR THE FIRST TIMEAND WANT TO KEEPDOING THIS EVENAFTER THE PANDEMICENDS." YOU CAN VISITHEARTLAND BCYCLE'S WEBSITE FORA DISCOUNT ONANNUAL MEMBERSHIPRATES, AND BIKEWALK NEBRASKA'SWEBSITE IS OFFERINGREFRESHERS ONRULES OF THE ROADFOR CYCLISTS.JESSIKA EIDSON, 3NEWS NOW.BIKE WALK NEBRASKASAID THEY ALSO WILLHAVE A MAP OF THEBEST BIKING PATHS INTHE AREA FOR THOSEWHO ARE WANTINGTO USE THEIR BIKESON PLACES OTHERTHAN TRAILS.