Summer Hasn't Begun But Many Twin Cities Bike Shops Are Running Out Of Inventory
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - Warm weather means more people are pulling out their bikes to get fixed up, or buying a new one. However, it might be harder than you think to do either if you don't act fast.
Gil Couronyea showed WCCO around his bike shop in Circle Pines and said the demand is already high this spring.
"Basically everything with a tag is for sale, and everything else is repairs. Right now repairs are the most demand," said Couronyea.
Couronyea owns On-Time Bike Shop, which sells used bikes and focuses on bike restoration. He hasn't seen inventory sell out this fast in decades.
"Right now we have like a dozen [bikes], but earlier, less than a month ago, we had over 80," said Couronyea.
Couronyea believes this surge in sales is partially a backlog from last summer when they saw a similar spike and people weren't able to find the ideal bike they wanted. He thinks tight inventory will spill into summer 2022 too.
The bike shop owner hopes this trend turns into a long-term passion for cycling.
"Right now people are discovering the psychological benefits with cycling, rather than just the physical," said Couronyea.
The trails around the metro are seeing the surge too.
"Definitely more people out," said Tim Ross, who was biking a trail cutting through downtown Hopkins on Saturday with his friend Paul Grausam. The trails in the suburbs are a favorite spot for avid cyclists, mainly, because there are fewer people on them than around the Minneapolis lakes.
"They're crowded and it's great, but we're all sharing out here, [people need to] just chill out," said Grausam.
The city bikers are happy to see more people getting interested in cycling.
"The more bikes the better, I mean I'm a big tree hugger," said Donna Ralle, who spent Saturday cycling around Lake Harriet.
A heads-up if you need repairs, "On Time Bike Shop" is seeing a backlog for several weeks. They recommend bringing in your bike sooner rather than later.