Cycling may have suffered with racing, sportives and other activities all cancelled in recent months due to Covid19, but Ireland might just be on the cusp of a new bike boom.
When the recession hit back in 2008, cycling surged in
popularity as people spent more time exercising and two wheels proved to be a
popular option.
And with the country opening back up again after the Covid19 lockdown, bike shops have been one of the first businesses allowed to re-open their doors; a recognition by government that cycling to work or college will prove very popular as people look to avoid crowded public transport.
A number of bike shops and online businesses have
reported a surge in trading, with some saying the boom had started even before
they were allowed to re-open their shops.
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In Dublin, Jimmy Stagg of Stagg Cycles in Lucan, has seen it all; from the Kelly-Roche boom to the recession and the cycling boom during that period. But he says the current surge in business is more hectic than anything he has ever witnessed.
Asked what it had been like, he said: “Absolutely unbelievable. I'm 45 years in the business and never, ever would I have dreamed anything ike this could happen in our industry.”
Eamon Marrey, who runs Marrey Bikes in Co Mayo, said his online shop did very well during even the most restrictive period of the lock-down. And now that his shop in Ballinrobe has been allowed to re-open, it is also busier than ever.
“Since Lock-down the surge in online
bikes sales and accessories has been unreal the past two months,” he told
stickybottle.
“We were sold out of turbo trainers in mid to late March as most cyclists took to training indoors due to distance restrictions,” he said.
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But children’s bikes have also been selling well, with many parents buying bikes for themselves too so they could cycle with their kids.
Marrey said many other people availed of the bike to work scheme for the first time and that others treated themselves to upgrades.
“Since the shop re-opened last Monday we took in more bikes in three than days than we would in a month to be serviced,” he added.
“This is what makes it different to years ago when we had our last cycling surge back in 2010; people have more confidence to cycle on our roads now because there is less traffic and it’s also family time together this time round.
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“All we need now is a bit more infrastructure for cyclists all round the country as this will hold on to the amount of people that have taken up the sport in the last few months and it would also attract people to come to Ireland and see our country by bicycle.”
Will Curtin echoed Marrey’s views, saying a surge in sales was very real and believing if it was handled properly it could have a lasting impact on cycling habits and on more people getting into the sporting end of cycling.
Curtin owns the Giant Bike Store in Ballincollig, Co Cork, and said it was very clear to him there was a renewed interest in cycling at present.
“What’s standing out in the store at the moment is the demand for a good quality kids’ bike and aluminium adults’ bike,” he said. “At the entry point of bicycle sales, the ‘new to cycling’ or younger customers give a very good indication of a possible cycling boom coming our way a bit like the initial cycle to work scheme.
“We are
seeing a lot of interest from GAA players in particular, while their current
events are in lockdown they are looking for a way to meet their needs and keep active. Cycling seems to fit that bill
and it’s not just GAA players.
“The huge success of Cycling Ireland’s Zwift league is evident. You can’t source a smart trainer anywhere in Europe at the moment. What’s hugely encouraging about the league to me is the attraction to a wide variety of people who previously had never competed in a cycling event.
“It boosts
the profile nationally of our local cyclists among a new audience of
supporters. If Cycling Ireland manage the transition of this to the road when
lockdown eases it could be enormous for the sport.
“Going forward in store as the restrictions increase in distance (permitted for exercising from home) we are expecting a demand for carbon and in particular Ebikes. We expect to see commuter numbers increase dramatically and Ebikes will be an important part of this.
“We’re
currently about to double our offering in this sector. Cities in Europe are
adapting to this with key infrastructure changes and Cork has made a few small
moves in this direction too,
with the announcement of a number of streets set to for pedestrianisation to
facilitate social distancing and cycling to work.”
Billy Keating, the manager of Richies Bike Store in Swords, north Dublin, said they had sold out of bikes last week such was the demand when the shop re-opened. However, he has managed to secure new orders of stock that were delivered today, Monday.
“Manically busy is the best description for it,” he said
when asked by RTE how trade had been since he re-opened.
“Everyone is cycling, it’s about the only thing people can
do within their 5km limit. It’s walk or cycling so cycling is taking a major
upturn at the moment.
“I’d say a lot of people getting into cycling now would
be public transport users in the first place and after this they’ll not be so
keen to get on public transport so they’ll now have a bicycle.”
Keating said while he could currently sell “as many bikes
as I could put my hands on”, sourcing bikes wholesale was difficult because
many were made in China where manufacturing had been closed for several months
due to Covid19 there.
The most popular purchases were bikes costing up to €900.
While some people were opting for the cycle to work scheme, others were
choosing a straight sale option so they could secure their new bike faster.
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