Is the Coronacycling boom coming to an end?

[Reynard]

My local recycling center is still asking about 20% more for bikes than they were pre-COVID, although if you know what to look for, you can still get a reasonably good buy for £50 or less. But you do have to be patient watch the website and reserve something as soon as it's listed; they don't have nearly as many bikes coming in, and the good ones are selling quickly. Most of what's been hanging around in the sales area are bikes for very small children and the usual BSO full-susser MTB.

They've currently got a decent-looking Trek hardtail in for £35 and a loop-framed Dutch bike for £55. Plus two junior / teen-sized BSO and five kiddies bikes.

As for cyclists, the early lockdown mayhem on normally empty roads has definitely subsided, but I am seeing far more utility cyclists pootling around town, mainly on brand harry spankers town bikes.

 

[weareHKR]

Not too bad in Hull for cyclists, although now the kids are back at school & lots of adults back to work its is quieter.
Lots of kids here who cycle, it's like Carrera City at school time, majority ride most of the way on their back wheels, I never was particularly good at that.
Lots of families out last weekend, it's easy to cycle here because it's so flat, a speed hump is as strenuous as it gets!

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

the real test in when and if the bargains show up on the used market...

I'm not really expecting much to happen in that respect until next year, apart from those who have bought new expensive bikes then lost their jobs soon after and need the cash. Most Coronacyclists bikes will need to be laid up over the winter before their owners accept the reality they aren't going to ride them any more. I can't see much nearly new stuff being sold at a large loss almost immediately. It would be less financially painful to do it a year down the road when the purchase is less fresh in the mind.

 

[Pale Rider]

it's like Carrera City at school time,

Happily for Halfords, the kids like Carreras.

My local bike shop regularly gets inquiries from parents with a child in tow for 'a Carrera'.

They sometimes buy an equivalent GT, but usually wander off in the direction of Halfords.

I can't comment on the recent boom because I've not been out.

There was a small Brad Wiggins/Olympics boom in 2012 - the bike shop sold quite a few road bikes, which is not a big market for them.

That boom bust fairly quickly, and the bike shop never saw the majority of those customers again.

On a separate point, the shop manager told me the vast majority of all customers, while not exactly regulars, have some previous connection to the shop.

I fall into that category, having bought a handful of bikes and accessories there in about 30 years.

The shop sells a decent number of bikes, but it is rare to sell a bike to a completely new face who then becomes a full on regular.

 

[Notafettler]

Maybe not many of the new to hobbies people want to break laws.

Doesn't mean I wouldn't have spotted some on a bridle path, that I am on a lot of the time. I just happen to be "harvesting!" at the moment. Blackberrys, sloes AND at last some mushrooms. Some, not so giant puffballs. I haven't spotted any walkers on the bridle path whatsoever. Or any mountain bikers. The latter went from rare pre corvid to almost one a day to.....none for about 3 weeks. Weather is changing. More importantly where are the weekend warriors even they have disappeared off-road.
I am not on the road that much so cannot be sure about that lot! But still none for 3 weeks or more

 

[Notafettler]

Maybe a better topic is what have you done to encourage somebody to take up or stick to cycling.

Nothing, nor do I intend on knocking on neighbors doors and suggest they take up cycling.
Which reminds me I have to pack a puncture repair kit as I have been offered a loan of a bike on my staycation in Herefordshire. By someone who bought it and rode it 2 or 3 times 4 years ago.
The vast majority of new cyclist bought them to alleviate boredom, nothing more nothing less!I they never ever had any intentions whatsoever in taking up cycling as a alternative commuting vehicle or a hobby.

 

[Notafettler]

I'm not really expecting much to happen in that respect until next year, apart from those who have bought new expensive bikes then lost their jobs soon after and need the cash. Most Coronacyclists bikes will need to be laid up over the winter before their owners accept the reality they aren't going to ride them any more. I can't see much nearly new stuff being sold at a large loss almost immediately. It would be less financially painful to do it a year down the road when the purchase is less fresh in the mind.

I expect they will start to come on the market more like 2 years plus. Specially the cheap ones. Nobody who bought a cheap bike will be bothered about leaving it in the garage for a few years as in "I will use it next summer!".

 

[slowmotion]

Quite a few people have taken up cycling because they don't want to use public transport to get to work during the Coronavirus pandemic. My daughter is one of them and cycles into the City from Brixton for the occasional day at the office while homeworking. Cycling's taken a bit of a grip and she's now trying to find her own bike rather than using Boris ones. I think quite a lot of other people will be doing the same.

 

[mjr]

It's a new lockdown but is anyone seeing a new coronacycling surge? Not noticeable here yet but tomorrow's weather forecast is mild for November so maybe that will tempt some. The roads are quieter but not like last time at peak, which I suspect is a mix of school run and more shops open for collection still wanting some workers in.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I've been off work most of this week, so I've been out for several rides to take advantage of the calm dry weather. Not that many other riders around, and most that were out were on hybrids or MTB's and not dressed in cycling gear. Far less roadies around than during the summer. When I was in the West End a few days ago it was really quiet, only half the number of people around you'd expect to see normally, and less riders than usual too.

 

[Oldhippy]

Hopefully I have inadvertently made people think about what can be done while using a cycle as daily transport. People have commented when I have had my trailer loaded with allotment goodies or shopping. They all thought it would really hard?

 

[fossyant]

There were quite a few older folk out around 2pm yesterday on bikes.

I'm waiting for a really nice hardtail to come up for £200. Ebay prices are still crazy.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Still a bit early in the year to buy bikes, IMHO - unless an absolute bargain jumps out at you. The second lockdown might make people think twice before selling off bikes until an end to it is in sight. I don't think this will be a normal very low demand winter market this year. Prices will soften, but I don't think they will really plummet yet. Might have to wait until next year for the market to be flooded with secondhand bargains.

 

[Jenkins]

There's been a few more out than the recent normal in today's sunshine, but nothing like he first lockdown. It's probably down to there being more work places and shops open plus children still at school so fewer families being able to go out as a group. It will be interesting to see the level of activity over the weekend if the good weather holds.

 

[steverob]

When out on my bike on Saturday, my route took me along a local Greenway route I use a fair bit - it's away from the busy main road through fields, but the path itself is mainly well paved with a short section that's fine gravel. Usually travelling along here, I'd expect to see about a dozen people as I proceeded along its length (it's only 2.5 miles long) with about half of those being on bikes, the other half split between joggers and dog walkers.

During the first lockdown, I'd estimate those numbers would have been about doubled in March/April, mainly through an increase in cyclists, especially family groups; but those numbers soon returned to almost normal again by mid/end summer. However this weekend was the busiest I'd EVER seen it, with easily 4-5 times the usual visitor numbers, most of whom seemed to be taking family group walks (some with, some without dogs). Cyclist numbers were maybe slightly higher than usual, but not by much.

No clear reason why everyone had descended upon this route all of a sudden that day when for most of the year it had remained fairly empty (maybe there was a local internet and TV outage and no-one had anything else to do?!) but it was interesting to see. It certainly wasn't busy two weekends before (last weekend was rainy, so unfair to compare to that), but was it just that lockdown was now "official" that caused people to look to do something outside, even though they could have done that any week during the year?