THE coronavirus lockdown has brought soaring business to Redditch bike shop the Cycle Studio and town centre cycle repairer Doug Pinkerton.
“It’s just gone wild,” said Alex Keeling-Morgan, manager of the Cycle Studio on the Enfield Industrial Estate.
“We’ve sold out of bikes in the £400 to £1,000 price range.
“Obviously with dramatic changes needed with travel and commuting and people not wanting to use public transport people are turning to bicycles and it has been great for us.”
The shop is still has plenty of bikes on sale, but in the bracket up to £1,000 it will be some time before new machines come through.
“Most of the bikes are made in the Far East and with production some three months behind it’s going to be a while before we get more in,” he added.
That sales rush has proved good news for top cycle mechanic Doug Pinkerton who says his Millsboro House workshop has never been busier.
“When they announced the lockdown I took a look at what the Cycle Studio was doing – strict social distancing through the bike shop and appointments and did the same – it’s worked well and people have adhered to it.
“What’s been happening is across the board – I’ve had people dragging their bikes out of the shed or garage and getting them repaired, there’s been an increase in families taking up cycling and I’ve also been selling a lot of second hand bikes.”
The demand for bike repairs has also soared – Doug is repairing everything from full suspension mountain bikes to childrens bikes and runabouts.
Over at Cycle Studio Alex reckons they’re fully booked for repairs.
“The issue is getting the parts from the distributors – as soon as they’re in the warehouse they back out again and it’s worth here giving a shout out to the delivery guys who have been so good in getting us the parts we need.”
