As the coronavirus outbreak continues, many Americans are fearful of using public transportation. They also are looking for ways to get exercise without having to go to a gym, as well as ways to enjoy the outdoors. So, it may not be surprising that the pandemic has led to a major increase in bicycle sales. In the United States, bicycles at big stores like Walmart have sold out. And small bicycle stores cannot keep up with demand for family-style bicycles, the low-cost, easy-to-ride models. The bicycle industry is seeing its biggest sales increase since the oil crisis of the 1970s, said Jay Townley, an industry expert. “People have panicked,” Townley said. He compared the sale of bicycles to the rush to buy products like toilet paper at the start of the pandemic.
