Foreign Land

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Saskia Breet was told you could pre-order a bike to the other models not sold, But that it would arrive perhaps until January

toilet rolls. Hand disinfectant. Pasta. Flour. Some elements like gold-dust during Corona-Virus-pandemic - Shining a light on what we really consider as essential for our daily life.

And how people in the whole of the UK venture further away for the exercise, or return to Work while avoiding Public Transport , bicycles are one of the latest article people are fighting to get their hands on.

teacher Saskia Breet all hopes of a trip to a foreign country, this coronavirus had to give up Summer affected But dreamed to be on your bike and explore The World around you.

to enjoy many of the sights, a comfortable distance from her Bristol Home - But first, the 26-year-old needed to buy a bike, and soon found that the task was harder than any homework assignment for your pupils of the upper level.

Because she plans to follow the government to get advice and join in the fun on the pedal, and of the Work , if you open The School again, Saskia is planned for the cycle-to-Work scheme, which allow employees to buy tax free bikes and equipment.

"I finally just bit the bullet and thought, Well I may as Well - There are quite a lot of money to be saved, and I have the time [to cycle]," She Said .

Saskia, working from Home during the lockout, is "very excited" to Cycling to school in September. It is an easy 10-minute pedal along the famous Park Street in the autumn in the morning and she is also interested in the prospect of the "slightly painful" uphill return journey. "I had my first cycle, only now and not have everything fall off, so good. "

So A Teacher of languages seeking to buy for bicycles, in mid-may, But The Hunt soon became "frustrating".

"When I rang various bike shops around Bristol - Some of the big brands like Trek, and Some of the smaller, independent shops - it is said all just, either it sold Out and we don't get any more stock this year', or 'we don't know When we'll have a new shipment for the respective model,'" she Says .

high demand has sold to Trek, Out of the 2020 models of most of its bikes earlier than expected. It is 2021 models arrive available for pre-order, But Customer Service staff told The Bbc : "If you will, the share would be a pre-order now, probably in January. "

Late-night scramble

Giving up on Trek, Saskia found a "really good value" bike on the website of the French sports retailer Decathlon.

you added it to your online shopping cart and spent a bit of time for the search of other objects, such as hoses and a Cycling Jersey. But if you went to the counter, popped up an error message - The Limited capacity of The Number of bicycles reached was available That Day , so you could not fill your order.

"He told me to log in again at 11 o'clock, [if] he reset the display back. So I got me two nights in a row, with no Luck - it is only sold Out immediately," she Says .

Saskia (left), A Teacher , is The Car in the hope, of Bristol your new bike during school holidays

They took their search elsewhere, and after finding no suitable bikes on the bearing Wiggle, Rutland Cycling, or Halfords, Saskia managed, finally, to a from Evans Cycles .

Four weeks after ordering the bike, Saskia was finally told it was ready for pickup. "If this is normal, I don't know - But my guess is, it's just this particular time it is really difficult. "

Saskia presumption is correct; bike shops around the country have struggled to keep up with what many have described as "unprecedented" demand.

The Bicycle Association's Executive Director , Steve Garidis Says first figures from the UK industry, show sales of bikes Under £500 have been "particularly strong" since the Lockdown as Well as for products such as Home turbo Trainer.

Peter Skelton, of the bike store-chain cycles, the UK Says that the entire industry was "caught off guard" by the rise in the demand for their bikes, and that most of the UK dealers have all the bikes Under 1000 pounds.

When told Saskia, the experience with the use of its Website, the Decathlon said it was "hard to find solutions," after the "extremely high demand" for many of its bikes.

Peter Lazarus, The Company 's Cycling-in-chief, Says he is "expect doom and gloom" for his company, if a pandemic forced to close all its stores throughout The World , and rely on online sales only.

But after 23. March, When the United Kingdom went into Lockdown ", There was a dramatic shift, like a light Switched On " and sales increased.

Peter Lazarus, Cycling market leader in the decathlon, Says he saw sales an "extraordinary spike" in the bike, if the United Kingdom, The Company "went into Lockdown

suffered in the short term", because Some factories closed temporarily, affect Decathlon, the ability to deal with an "unusual spike" in demand. Online bike sales in may More Than doubled compared to Last Year . "You can't be a growth of 200% to forecast, it is impossible," Says Peter.

He Said the decathlon production is now in "ramp-up", so that from July, the low-to mid-range bikes "Back To "availability".

'I had to order the parts from the Netherlands"

Peter Says that people have the urgent desire to renew a "dead bikes", that was gathering dust before the Lockdown had contributed to a five-fold increase in the spare part sales in may compared to may 2019 - "the largest growth we have ever had".

The Boom in demand for Spare Parts was a wrench in The Works for Claudia Watt, a data-ecologists do with their time on holiday, Some DIY on your old bike.

The 57-year-old living on The Isle of Dogs in East London , which is not yet used to your bike too much, since you broke your nose Cycling in London More Than 10 Years Ago .

Claudia Watts said, your "serious cyclists" friends were shocked When she decided to add a basket to help on your Mountain Bike , run shopping

But if Lockdown -rules requested to exercise the people's only Home , decided Claudia , it would be easier to maintain, social distancing on a bike than on a walk. "I live on a really strenuous walk with a lot of people go, it is pretty tight. And I thought a bike would get me a little further. You can Go Further and see more. "

she took The Old bike Out of The Garage and was "a little concern" about his condition, after the dust, for a while. It looked "good", But was "completely in the dirt".

After you tire a thorough cleaning, degreasing and re-lubrication, Claudia -set to fix two plates.

you could not find the spare tire, you needed to camp on any site in the UK, so the order of them - ended up with Some inner Tubes from the Netherlands.

Claudia was "really surprised" that the Dutch took the delivery only a few days to arrive at The End of April, in the midst of The Peak of the epidemic, When many supply chains and services for the delivery of goods, choking on a backlog of orders.

While the people like Saskia and Claudia patiently waited for deliveries, other more Drastic Measures to get your hands on a Bicycle. An insurer reported for The First Seven Weeks of Lockdown , compared with the same period Last Year .

A victim of bike theft is Lucy Stickland, a physiotherapist will help coronavirus patients recover after their return from the hospital.

The 26-year-old said she felt "violated" When she realized that her Bicycle had been stolen, as you bought back food from a Sainsbury's in Brixton, South London , on the way Home from Work .

to give the charity organizations, bikes for the NHS-worker Lucy Stickland said There were no more, having been stolen from the Bicycle

she had started Cycling in to Work Out Every Day after their car broke down. She tried to avoid contact with people in Lockdown due to fears for the "truly vulnerable" patients she works with - and, therefore, decided not to have The Car repaired.

fortunately for Lucy, she was to lend you a bike of your girlfriend's brother. You want to be able to give it back But was not able to find a replacement.

companies like,, and They had to give all the started projects, or lend bikes to NHS workers during the pandemic, But none was available, When Lucy asked.

bristol, coronavirus lockdown measures, coronavirus pandemic, cycling

Source of news: bbc.com