In St. George, where there are miles of trails to ride, bicycles remain in hot demand almost a year into the pandemic. But there’s still a lack of supply.
The increase of people riding bikes — be it electric, mountain or road — has been noticeably “through the roof” in St. George, according to Marc Mortensen, vice president of the Southern Utah Bicycle Alliance.
“They're flying off the shelves,” Mortensen, who also works for the city of St. George, said. “The pandemic created a huge demand and there wasn't enough supply chain to feed the demand.”
Ryan Gurr, owner of Red Rock Bicycle Co., said the lack of supply is an issue everywhere. Right now, he said it can take three times as long to get a bike on the market than before the pandemic.
He said those in the industry think shortages will likely continue well into next year.
“It has been a challenge when people come in and they want to bike and they haven't been able to supply it or anyone in town hasn't been able to supply it,” Gurr said. “We've certainly wanted to keep that enthusiasm high for when the market kind of corrects itself.”
If you are looking for a bike to ride, Gurr said don’t be afraid to wait for the right one, but maybe don’t be too picky about the color.
