Sales of kids' bikes climb at Charlottetown shops during pandemic

Some Charlottetown bike stores say they've been busier than usual lately — particularly when it comes to the sale of bicycles for children. 

Dayan Gonzalez, the acting manager at MacQueen's Bike Shop in Charlottetown, said the store has been selling four to five of these bikes a day, compared to its usual two to three kids' bikes a week. 

With schools and childcare centres closed, many parents are thinking of creative ways to keep their kids busy and Gonzalez said cycling is a good way to do this. 

"We see a lot of people — parents asking to get new bikes for their kids. We all know, being at home with a few kids is not super easy so they're trying to find an option to get outside," he said.

"That's the main trend right now in sales." 

In the last two weeks, Gonzalez said MacQueen's has sold over 20 bicycles for children.

'Missing his friends from daycare'

Alisha Knockwood, from Scotchfort P.E.I., said she recently bought her three-year-old son Simon his first bike. 

She said if it weren't for the pandemic, she would have waited longer to buy him one.

"With the pandemic and everything that's going on, he's been kind of missing his friends from daycare," she said.

"He's been kind of a little bit sad about it and so I wanted to get him something to kind of distract him.… It's kind of nice to be able to get outside and be active and not be just stuck right in the house."

Brett Doyle, the owner of Outer Limit Sports in Charlottetown said Knockwood's reasoning is a common sentiment he's hearing among parents looking to buy a bike for their children right now.

"It seems to be one of those activities that you're still able to do and practice social distancing and follow the rules that the province has in place," he said.

"So we've definitely seen a spike in interest and in sales."

'There's a waiting list'

Doyle said sales of kids' bikes has been "significantly more than any other normal season."

He said he's already sold out of several models and said the store is on its third delivery of the bikes — which isn't typical at this time of the year. 

"Even right now as we speak, after those three shipments there are several models that we're still currently sold out of that we just can't get them in quick enough," he said.

"As soon as we get them in, usually there's a waiting list of people waiting to get them and pick them up in certain sizes and colours."

Both MacQueen's Bike Shop and Outer Limit Sports are following the public health office's orders of physical distancing.

MacQueen's is limiting the number of people into the store to browse, usually one person at a time.  

Doyle said his store is not allowing any customers in and is using Zoom and Skype to show people its products instead.

When it comes to those in need of bicycle repairs, those are being done through a drop-off service at both locations.

Gonzalez said with bike repairs, each one is thoroughly sanitized before it's brought into the building. 

In an email to CBC, the province says bicycle repairs are an essential service because many people use their bikes as a mode of transportation.

COVID-19: What you need to know

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• Fever.
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