'We sold eight bikes in 20 minutes!' Will the cycling boom last?

09 June 2020 05:00
Shops can barely keep up with demand as bikes – and even parts – sell out. But experts say time is running out to grasp the ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ opportunity to change how we travelIt takes Sarah Cain, a medical secretary at the Callington Road hospital in Bristol, 40 minutes to get to work. Correction: it took Sarah Cain 40 minutes to get to work – until the day we speak, when it took 16 minutes. Because Cain, who previously walked to work, has got herself a bike. “It was a bit nerve-racking,” she tells me on the phone. “It’s been years since I’ve been on a bicycle.”But she set off early, the weather was fine and she knows the route. “I had my helmet on and a bright jacket,” she says. “I might be a bit shaky in more traffic. You see a lot more families out on bikes and that gets your confidence up a little bit.” She is determined to carry on: she knows it is good for her and good for Bristol. “I’m not going to be in the Lycra brigade, I’m just going to be your bog-standard cyclist.” Related: Two wheels good … Bike sales soar as UK takes to cycling Continue readingread full article

Source: TheGuardian