SALISBURY, Md.- COVID-19 has many people seeking outdoor activities to exercise. As a result, bicycle sales nationwide have spiked. But because of this, some bike shops are struggling to keep up with the demand.
Mark Filipov, front desk manager at Salisbury Cycle and Fitness, says that at first, business was slow during the pandemic and then, "suddenly in a massive wave we had people coming to our store."
Filipov says many customers are first-time buyers, and others are people who have owned bikes for years and are now getting much needed maintenance and repairs.
"There is still a want in a lot of people around our community to stay active and stay fit, and biking is great for that obviously, but also it keeps yourself safe and others," Filipov says.
But with bikes selling so fast, it's been hard to keep beach cruisers and bikes like the Marlin 5 in stock.
"I've had probably maybe every day 10 or 15 people call me about it," Filpov says. "Normally we could get them back pretty soon, but with COVID-19, our supply chains are very hard to maintain."
Pedal Works Cyclery in Delmar, Del., says it has also seen an uptick. Nate Underwood, the store's owner, says the supply chain has gotten better over the past few weeks. But more than anything, Underwood says, "It's good to see kids get back on bicycles. It's a fantastic time to get back out and enjoy time with your kids on bikes."