[Slashdot] - Wary of Public Transport, Coronavirus-Hit Americans Turn To Bikes

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Timothy Aeppel writing for Reuters: The coronavirus pandemic has sparked a surge in bike sales across the United States, according to a major manufacturer and a half dozen retailers interviewed by Reuters. Many of the purchases are by people looking for a way to get outside at a time of sweeping shutdowns and stay-at-home orders aimed at containing the virus: Even the worst affected states are allowing people out to exercise. [...] To be sure, bikes remain well down the list of U.S. commuting preferences. About 870,000 Americans, on average, commuted to work by bicycle in the five years through 2017, or about 0.6% of all workers, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The rate was higher in urban areas, at about 1.1%, and about 20 cities with at least 60,000 residents had rates of about 5% or more. A more recent survey, though, showed a higher percentage of U.S. workers using a bike to get to work. Private research firm Statista Inc.'s 2019 survey showed 5% rode their own bike, while another 1% used a bike share service, an increasingly common option in larger cities. The article notes that many bike shops remain open during the pandemic because many local governments have declared bicycles an essential transportation item. Kent International, a bike importer and manufacturer, said sales of its low-priced bikes had surged over the past month. "Kent is already out of stock on five of its top 20 models and expects that to rise to 10 by the end of the month," writes Aeppel, citing chief executive and chairman Arnold Kamler. "Kamler said sales at most of the major retailers he supplies were up 30% last month and are up over 50% so far in April, with the surge in demand forcing him to change shipping arrangements."

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