Shortage Of Bicycles During Coronavirus Pandemic

First it was toilet paper, now there's a new pandemic shortage; bicycles. 

Quarantine has sent families out looking for new wheels and fixing old ones.

“They are dragging them out of the barns and attics,” said Henry Holasek, owner of Al’s Bicycles Edmond.

New bikes have been rolling out the doors in record numbers since Holasek reopened Mays 1.

The store usually has hundreds in inventory on site. Now it has less than 100.

“It’s too fast too furious,” said Holasek.

He said due to the pandemic, the supply chain out of Asia for new bikes is way behind. 

He’s not sure when new orders will arrive.

“It’s a never ending problem,” said Holasek, who closed his store Tuesday so his crew could get caught up on repairs.

Bike racks have also been emptied at many sporting goods stores in the metro.

“I’m at home more now than I normally would be, so it’s a great time to get out,” said Vincent Lappano, who was dropping off his bike at Wheeler Dealer on Northwest 50th Street for repairs.

“There are many riders out,” said Lappano.

Wheeler Dealer said it sold more than 170 bikes in the first two weeks of May after reopening.

It’s now worried about having inventory for the Summer.

“I’ve been doing this for 30 years. I’ve never seen it this busy,” says Crag Cossey of Wheeler Dealer.