Bicycle sales and repair are always up during the summer months, but the Covid pandemic has more people than ever enjoying cycling. Bike One has seen a lot of business as cycling becomes more popular.
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"Nostalgia" is the new normal in the metro, as Oklahomans turn to old hobbies to escape the stress of the cornavirus pandemic.
American pastime is making a comeback, creating new adventures. Mark Otto, Bike One owner says cycling is bring families together during these unprecedented times.
"We're seeing a lot of families buying bikes for themselves and their kids" said Otto.
And its his job to keep up with the demand. Otto says he hasn't been able to keep track of how many bikes he's sold because his focus right now is to make sure he has enough inventory for his customers, but he admits there's been an early uptick in sales.
"Usually we see the larger traffic later in the summer, we're a high volume store anyway so we're use to the large numbers."
The bike store owner is no stranger to rise of cycling culture.
"This month is our 31st anniversary and, like state farm we've seen a lot."
Otto says he remembers the "Bike Boom" in the early 70's. People would line up before the store opened and fought over bikes on display.
The demand was largely adult bikes driven by a desire to "save the planet". According to Forbes magazine, in the early 1970s, entering a bike shop was like going into a bank: You had to wait patiently in line.The nation faced a serious bicycle shortage in the summer of 1971.
Not only are people coming to Otto's store to purchase bikes , they're getting their old ones fixed and the Bike One staff is working to get it done as soon as possible.
"A lot of times in small repairs or bikes that need a little tweaking, We'll try to do it while someone is at the store. Otherwise, we do have some backups, as much as a week, and sometimes on major repairs a little bit longer," said Otto.
So whether your getting a new bike, or "tuning up" an old one. You can't go wrong with two wheels and a family ride.
"It seems like there's nothing better than riding a bike", said Otto.
Otto hopes that the newest trend of "social distance-family togetherness" continues to be the way people buy bikes. He says it is the most rewarding experience to see families ride their bikes not only for fitness or sport, but because it's fun!
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