What will happen with biking or ebiking post Covid ?

[Deleted member 4210]

Interesting article from another country...

Comment: Bike restock priority presents dilemma for southern hemisphere

With an early bike restock underway in the Northern Hemisphere, The Latz Report of Australia forecasts supply issues in the Southern down the road.

cyclingindustry.news

1. Will more people commute via bike ?

2. Will highways become more clogged due to less use of mass transit, or will more office people be permanently telecommuting and working from home, abandoning offices entirely ?

3. Will all the new people who crowded the trails keep biking or ebiking ?

Will be interesting to see how it unfolds ?

 

[TMH]

A couple more questions:

1. How much are supply chain and shipping disruptions still impacting bike/e-bike manufacturing volume?

2. Will bike/e-bike manufacturers go all out producing bikes (and for how long) to grab sales in a today's hot market, or will they proceed cautiously, believing that this sales bump is short term and not wanting to be left with a bunch of inventory when it cools off?

3. Will major cities continue to encourage more bike/pedestrian commuting via infrastructure improvements?

In the U.S. I really don't see any significant expansion of bike/e-bike commuting extending beyond the 'good' riding weather. We have some who accept and adapt to rain and snow bike commuting and they will continue to do so, but not many new bike commuters will. Seems folks in Europe and Canada are either tougher or more serious about bike commuting year 'round, even in rain or snow. And in the U.S. desert Southwest and central states, bike commuting in the high Summer heat may not be too healthy.

I also feel that in many regions of the U.S., a complete bicycle commute is not something which will catch on or stay used in large numbers, even with folks attempting to avoid the petri dishes which are trains, subways, buses, etc. I believe that U.S. commuters would be more accepting of a combined car/bike commute, where the bike is used for the 'last mile' (or last 5-10 miles). If major cities could provide simple 'Park-N-Bike' lots outside the crowded city centers (and reasonable bike lanes/paths into town), and if more potential bike commuters would try out e-bikes when shops have supply and can give demo rides, then there is an inkling of hope that non-car commuting could ramp up in the U.S. post-lockdown.

 

[AHicks]

My take - with e-bikes still in their infancy, I believe there are a lot of people who don't know about them yet, or if they do know of their existence, are not familiar enough with them to have any interest.

This covid thing may accelerate the popularity of the e-bikes, with all of the accompanying issues - packed trails for instance.

It may also hasten the development of some badly needed use rules as well though.

 

[Alex M]

Scared of uncertainty, are we, Mikie...
Here is another question - will there ever be post-Covid? There is no real vaccine (antibodies production doesn't mean it works), containment measures in most of the world - except for a few countries - were a joke, no screening at the borders, poor contacts tracking, no real control of self-isolation.

 

[JimFMB]

I suspect we will see significant and permanent changes in telecommuting. Many businesses are taking a hard look at the value and savings associated in WFH. The cost per square foot of commercial property can be substantial. The attraction for jobs that do not require the use of public transportation offers employers a larger talent pool for new employees. I also hope that more interest in cycling will encourage infrastructure improvement.
Social distancing is still a thing, and bicycling is being discovered as a great family activity. Our home in the midwest is located in a small far suburb and I have never seen so many young families on bikes.

 

[Captain Slow]

Yes, it will be very interesting to see what happens.

 

[ebikemom]

I've gotten a few emails from people who see me and my kids or husband ebiking around town asking about our bikes... what kind of bike?... where did you get it?... People are feeling cooped up. Until this virus thing ceases to be a problem, biking in the cold is also going to continue to be a better option than public transport. I'm grateful we have this option!