Myrtle Beach area bicycle sales kick into a different gear amid coronavirus outbreak
People along the Grand Strand are pulling out their bikes or buying new ones during the coronavirus pandemic, according bike shop managers in Myrtle Beach.
Bike sales and repairs, due to bikes that have been sitting idle in storage, are on the rise, with some bikes now out of stock because of the demand.
“We have been hopping,” said Dana White, manager at Pee Dee Bicycle Company near The Market Common. “It’s actually been off-the-chart busy.”
April is usually the start of the “busy season” at Pee Dee Bicycle, which specializes in selling Trek bikes, White said. There has been a 25 percent increase in sales, and a large increase in bike repairs, she said.
The business is operating with curbside service only — not allowing customers inside the store — and is sanitizing bikes after people take test rides, White said.
Bike shops across South Carolina may remain open as the businesses are classified as essential and fall under the transportation category.
Over at Beach Bike Shop on Broadway Street, General Manager Mike Miller said sales and repairs have increased, which came as a bit of a shock as other businesses were forced to close to help prevent the spread of the virus.
“We thought out of (peoples’) sheer boredom we would get a little bit of business,” Miller said. “We were anticipating the worst like every other business.”
But the opposite happened.
“People really are limited as far as options go on what they can do,” he said. “They are looking for anything to get out of the house, and bikes are a fun, healthy way of doing that.”
Though business has increased, Miller said he still wishes the tough times would pass.
“Even though this is a silver lining for us, I would trade it all back for things to go back to normal,” he said.
This story was originally published April 15, 2020 at 7:10 AM.
