One side effect of the pandemic shut down has been an explosion in cycling.

Just ask bike shop owners Jon Newman of Havertown Bicycle Shop and Kamal Gatewood of Drexel Hill Cyclery, reports Joe Holden for Philadelphia.cbslocal.com.

Both businesses can’t keep up with bike repairs.

“We’re overrun with repair work. We’re two-and-a-half weeks deep, we’re doing as much repair as possible as fast as possible,” said Newman, owner of the Havertown shop. “But it’s just been crazy.”

Karnal Gatewood just bought Drexel Hill Cyclery on Burmont Road from the original owners. It’s reported to be the oldest continuous bicycle shop in Delaware County.

“It’s a pretty interesting experience to come into as a first-time owner of a business at all, but especially at this particular time where there’s so many bikes coming in that I’m just able, with Frank’s help, to keep up with what’s coming in and out the door,” Gatewood said.

It is, of course, the stay-at-home orders that are driving desperate riders to their bikes.

Adding to the chaos are closed Asian bicycle manufacturing plants, causing a shortage of new bikes. New stocks aren’t expected until at least August.

Read more about the surge in bicycle repairs here.

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