TUCSON, Ariz. -- Bikes are starting to sell out in Tucson during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ryan Wirtz, the owner of RC Bicycles located on 428 N Fremont Avenue, says weekends are busier than ever.
“We sold 5 bikes in the last hour and a handful of repairs,” he told KGUN9 in awe.
He is also repairing bikes and helping customers.
Among those looking for bikes was Ron Ryan.
He came into RC Bicycles hoping to find one for his mom, but he soon realized there is a bike shortage around town.
“I’m having a pretty hard time finding bikes. I would take about anything at this point,” he told KGUN9.
So he says he is going to come back to RC Bicycles one they have restocked, to see if he can find the right one.
The shop is now finding weekends are busy, though it’s much slower on weekdays.
“Being right next to the campus, a lot of the students are gone. Well, most of them are gone so that slows our business down quite a bit,” said Wirtz.
Nonetheless, Wirtz says he’s on track for a record amount of sales for April.
“On a normal day here we'd have bikes all the way across the top. And then we have typically 50 bikes out front and about 250 bikes in the back,” the owner added.
Wirtz says they now only have 100 bicycles altogether.
He attributes the sales and rentals to a chain reaction—he says people see others riding and want to do that too.
“Still keeping that social distance. The social distancing but you’re able to go outside, enjoy the weather, and get some exercise,”
Though Ron Ryan adds, it could also be because gyms are closed-- and like his mom, some people may start riding to keep some sort of fitness routine.
Regardless of the reasons, Wirtz says he is happy to help, and thankful to be busy during this time.
“I enjoy it. We’re really thankful that things are coming around. I’d rather be busy than slow,” he told KGUN9.
For more information on RC Bicycles, click here.
