Cycles sales rise amid fear of COVID-19

Consumers' attitudes, behaviors, and purchasing habits are changing—and many of these new ways will remain post-pandemic. Bicycles demand have seen a similar change.

#Bicycle sales around the #world have witnessed a spurt during the #coronavirus crisis with commuters looking for an excellent #socialdistancing means. Cycling is also turning out to be an alternative to #publictransport (which is currently limited in most of the places).

Some of the facts:

Daily Sale in local stores has increased to 3X in India
Earlier, demand for adult's Cycle was less in comparison to children's Cycle, but now it is around 50-50
Exclusive demand for #GearedCycles has increased
Respect for bicycles has increased
As commuting has become difficult due to inadequate transport facilities, many people are buying bicycles with modern features priced between Rs 8,000-15,000

How will adapting cycling during this pandemic benefit you?

WHO recommends cycling both as a mode of transport and as a way of staying healthy throughout and after the global crisis. with bicycles playing a vital role in offering a quiet, economic, and non-polluting alternative to cars and public transportation systems," said the UN official.

Cycle for your physical health – We all know that physical activity significantly contributes to maintaining a robust immune system. You are jumping on a bike, getting your heartbeat going, and breathing deeply clear your throat and lungs of bacteria, wards off chronic illness and boosts white blood cell numbers. Cycling also gets us out in the fresh air. It also allows people to keep exercising without using gyms, which will also save you a monthly gym membership fee.

Cycle for your mental health – The present situation of lockdown and quarantine, is becoming a source of anxiety and depression for many.  Cycling contributes to reducing stress and improving mental health. Multiple studies have shown that those who commute by bicycle are better-off and less likely to suffer from depression than those who use any other form of transport.

Cycle for the environment - It's a great way to reduce the carbon footprint while limiting air pollution in our cities. We have to perform a balancing act for a long time to come to restore the realm of nature.

Research suggests that even before this pandemic, many people turned to Cycle as an inexpensive and reasonable mode of transportation, leading to a longer and healthier life.

SAFETY NOTE: Always remember to wear a helmet, as well as high-visibility gear, if you're cycling at night or dawn. And if you like to listen to podcasts/songs in one ear, make sure you always stay aware of what's going on around you.

What can the government do to boost this?

In times of COVID-19, cities are being challenged to rethink their infrastructure.

The short-term strategy can be

Creating temporary pedestrian areas
Footpaths, and cycle lanes through removable barricades
Tape, cones, road markings/painting
Mobile signs on identified corridors/areas

This strategy seeks to enable closure of one or more lanes to promote walking and cycling at a specific time or on a particular day.

The government must use this budding passion for cycling, and work with local communities to redesign infrastructure and give a fair share to cyclists.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has advised the police to give cyclists more access to city roads.

“Cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, and Chennai, with a very high number of cases, must immediately create temporary cycle lanes and work to develop a plan for creating cycling infrastructure for the long run. While many cities, including Delhi, set up PBS [Public Bike Sharing] systems, they failed to develop cycling infrastructure simultaneously,” said Prof Avilash Roul, the principal scientist at Indo-German Center for Sustainability, Indian Institute of Technology Madras.

In the UK, a letter from a group of leading transport and public health academics have called on the government not to ban cycling. The letter also asks for "emergency infrastructure" to make cycling and walking safer for travel to work and shops.

Across the world, cities have created pop-up bike lanes using bollards or markings on roads. Cycling is a good option for people who have to travel short distances. It will also take the load off the public transport systems, which is already running on half or one-third capacity due to social distancing norms.

People will switch to cycling or walking if the government provides a safe infrastructure to the public.

Examples:

In New York, the government has added 64 km of new non-motorized transport (NMT) lanes.
Bogota, the capital of Colombia added 76 km lanes for cycling
Milan - the second-most populous city in Italy after Rome, converted 35 km of streets into cycling lanes.
In Auckland, a popular city of New Zealand, on-street car parking was removed to build 17 km of temporary bike lanes

How is Cycle renting business leveraging this opportunity?

Shared cycles will always be great alternatives and options for people without a bicycle of their own.

Organizations offering Cycle renting are sanitizing the cycles daily and following all necessary guidelines to make the best use of the opportunity.
Use of hand sanitizer, regular hand washing, wearing gloves and masks while riding the Cycle are made compulsory for renting
The use of the common sense of both firms and renters should be enough to make bike-sharing schemes safe to the public.

Conclusion:

Let's cycle against the COVID19, not towards it. We can take care of yourself and your bicycle by respecting strict hygiene rules, before and after going on a ride. We acknowledge the distinctiveness, longevity, and versatility of the bicycle.

More than ever, we are asked to reduce our trips and when we do, to be strategic. How do you keep it short and maintain social distancing, while providing to your food, medical, physical, and mental needs at the same time?