Spring 2020 Might Be Biggest Boom Yet For Bike Sales

Joe Holden reports.

BACK ON "EYEWITNESS NEWS"WITH BUSINESS THAT IS BOOMINGDURING THE PANDEMIC.SPRING 2020 MIGHT BE THEBIGGEST BOOM YET FOR BIKESALES.JOE HOLDEN HAS THE STORY FROMHAVERTOWN.Reporter: BIKE SHOPOWNERS HAVE BEEN SLAMMED.THEIR BUSINESS IS OFF THECHARTS IN TWO RESPECTS.CUSTOMERS CYCLED THROUGH THEHAVERTOWN BICYCLE SHOP ONEAFTER THE OTHER GEAR TROUBLES,NEW TIRES, REBUILDS.JOHN NEUMANN HAS OWNED THEDARBY ROAD CORNER BUSINESS FOR40 YEARS.HIS DAYS ARE A BLUR.HE'S BACK LOGGED.THERE'S AT LEAST A TWO WEEKTURN AROUND FOR REPAIRS.THIS IS THE TSUNAMI OFBICYCLES.NEVER HAS IT BEEN ANYTHINGLIKE THIS.WE'RE OVERRUN WITH REPAIRWORK.WE'RE TWO AND A HALF WEEKSDEEP.Reporter: THE DRAMATICINCREASE IN BIKING AS ANATIONWIDE TREND SINCESHUTDOWN ORDERS TOOK HOLD.DEALERS IN STORES FROM THELARGEST OF CHAINS TO MOM ANDPOP LOCATIONS ARE WIPED OUT OFFRESH INVENTORY DUE TOTEMPORARY PLANT CLOSURES INASIA.REBUILDS LINE THE RACKS ANDTHEY'RE MOSTLY SPOKEN FOR.PEOPLE HAVE NOTHING ELSE TODO BUT GO FOR BIKE RIDES.THEY CAN'T GO TO THE GYM.THEY CAN'T GO TO THE MOVIES.I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, THEYHAVE NOTHING ELSE BETTER TO DOTHAN RIDE THE BIKE SO PEOPLEARE NOT ONLY BRINGING OUT THEBIKES THAT THEY NORMALLY WOULDAT THIS TIME OF YEAR BUT THEPEOPLE THAT HAVEN'T RIDDEN INA FEW YEARS ARE BRINGING OUTTHE BIKES AND GETTING THOSEREPAIRED AS WELL.Reporter: DREXEL HILLCYCLE HAS ENDURED A CRUSH OFBUSINESS WITH INTEREST INCYCLING SKYROCKETING.WHEN THE QUARANTINE FIRSTSTARTED IN CHINA THERE WASONLY SO MANY FACTORIES IN THEWORLD THAT ACTUALLY DO THEMANUFACTURING OF BICYCLES.SO THEM BEING CLOSED FOR ACOUPLE OF MONTHS MEANT THATRIGHT AT THE TIME THEYNORMALLY WOULD BE RAMPING UPPRODUCTION TO SEND MORE BIKESOVER IN PREPARATION FOR THESUMMER AND SPRING THEY WERECLOSED.Reporter: OWNERS SAY ITIS HIGHLY UNLIKELY NEW BIKESWILL ARRIVE FOR RETAIL BEFORE