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Kamloops and Okanagan cycling companies are reporting a huge increase in sales amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

With less traffic on the roads and little to do besides go outside, Landon Bradshaw, with the Kelowna Cycling Coalition, said he’s loving the atmosphere.

He hopes residents will continue their cycling habits after the pandemic ends.

“I’m hoping that momentum helps give us a little more (attention),” he said.

Cyclepath Kelowna Inc. is currently having a record-breaking year, said owner Garry Norkum.

“With so much out there closing like gyms, the only thing people can do outside is either hike or bike.... We’re seeing people dusting off bikes that they haven’t seen in years so they’re pulling them out to tune them up and they’re also looking at getting a bike to get out there,” he said.

Since Bike to Work Week was cancelled, he hopes that as more people buy bikes, more people will keep using them after the pandemic.

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“We have quite a good infrastructure here in terms of how biking goes so maybe people will realize that this is fun and we have nice areas to go,” Norkum said. "I’ve never seen so many people out with families, or so many people out in general biking consistently and constantly.”

It started before the virus spread, even for the off-season the cycling company was doing well, he said.

“We’re not going to return back to normal maybe for a month or longer. I think the problem in the industry is maybe the bikes are starting to run out. This is not just Kelowna wide or B.C. wide, it’s North America wide,” he said.

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The company isn’t going to run out of bikes anytime soon, but has been running low on the number of less expensive bikes available, he said.

Compared to last year, which was their best year, sales have increased by roughly 58 per cent, he said.

“It’s a great problem to have.”

The store has also increased its marketing in the last few years, which Norkum said also contributes to the sales uptick.

The store has never been this busy and has even had to hire additional employees to keep up with the demand.

Kamloops cycling company Cycle Logic has also experienced a huge increase in sales, to the point where they can barely keep up, said store manager Sean Daley.

“The local trails are also very, very busy, the ones that are open,” he said.

While the cycling company has only been open for three years, it’s hard to quantify how many sales are directly related to COVID-19, he said. The store has seven employees.

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