Bicycle sales in the United Kingdom are rising exponentially. Fear of contracting coronavirus is pushing people to change their habits.
Over recent months, the United Kingdom has seen a true boom in sales of bicycles and spare parts. With the lockdown, people's habits are inevitably changing, and more and more people are choosing to use their bicycle to exercise, commute to work, or simply as a means of getting around. Little by little, the British are rediscovering the pleasure of cycling.
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A 200 per cent increase in bicycle purchases has been recorded among people working in the emergency services. Fear of contracting Covid-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, on public transport is playing a key role in the decision to use a bike. According to the results of a recent survey, 61 per cent of British people say they feel nervous about the prospect of using public transport once lockdown ends.
Bicycle purchases have thus increased, and some shops are even struggling to keep up with the enormous demand. Stuart Taylor, who works at the cycling shop Broadribb Cycles in Banbury, England, told the BBC that he normally sells 20–30 bicycles a week, but that recently he has been selling an average of 50 a day. "It's incredible," he said. "People are pulling their bikes out of the garage and realising they need new cables and new chains. Normally you just bring them in and we fix them within a day, but now we're having to take appointments and we're booked up for at least two weeks."
The situation in Northern Ireland is similar. Andrew Hassard, who works at Mango Bikes in Ballyclare, north of Belfast, explained how the cycling industry is experiencing a true boom. "People are getting back on their bikes after 15–20 years. They're using them during lockdown, but they'll carry on afterwards too, to avoid public transport."
The situation in the United Kingdom is similar to that of other countries, including Italy, where citizens have begun spontaneously using independent means of transport that allow social distancing to be maintained without causing pollution. The city of Milan, for example, has approved Strade aperte, one of the most ambitious urban mobility projects in all of Europe, which aims to reduce car use during phase 2 by expanding cycle lanes and pedestrian areas. A change that is coming directly from people themselves, and one that could revolutionise mobility as we know it today.