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Long wait for new bikes threatens cycling boom

A man cycles past Buckingham Palace - John Sibley/Reuters
A man cycles past Buckingham Palace - John Sibley/Reuters
Coronavirus Article Bar with counter
Coronavirus Article Bar with counter

The cycling boom is threatened by a shortage of bikes with buyers put on waiting lists and stores scooping up second hand models.

Some bike shops have been told they might have to wait until November to get new stock as people look for alternatives to public transport during the pandemic.

The Government has asked people to avoid buses and trains wherever possible, while many people feel cautious about the risk of infection.

Meanwhile, there are as many as 16.6 million bikes sitting largely unused, according to the leading cycling membership body, with a Government scheme to give people £50 vouchers to fix them yet to launch.

Jenny Box, of Cycling UK, said: “It is certainly true that bike shops have seen a surge in demand and that some people are struggling to get hold of new bikes. But that doesn’t mean there is a shortage of bikes.”

She explained that roughly 16.6 million bikes are “languishing unloved and unused in sheds and garages around the country”, while Government figures suggest that 42 per cent of people who have access to a bike do not use it.

In May, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced a scheme offering £50 vouchers for bicycle maintenance to “help up to half-a-million people drag bikes out of retirement”. At the time he said it would be “available from next month”.

On June 22 the Government revealed details of how businesses can sign up, but it is yet to announce when customers will be able to claim the vouchers.

The Telegraph understands that some cycling firms have asked the Government to delay the rollout of their voucher scheme as they fear they would not be able to cope with the influx of demand.

Five steps to a two-wheeled commute
Five steps to a two-wheeled commute

The Bicycle Association, a trade body, said that firms currently have waiting lists of up to six weeks for a service while some shops have been told they will have to wait months for new stock.

A spokesman said it was the busiest the industry has been for at least 35 years.

According to a report in the Financial Times, one retailer is buying up second hand bikes for refurbishment and resale.

The Government said that it remains committed to the voucher scheme and that it will be launched in due course. More than 1,000 businesses are already registered with hundreds more applications being dealt with.

A spokesman for the Department for Transport said: “The scheme will be rolled out once we are confident repair shops – which are busier than usual due to the massive recent increases in cycling – have adequate capacity.

“We’d like to thank repair shops for their ongoing effort during the Covid-19 pandemic to ensure people can keep pedaling.”