Wheels of trade turn fast for Moray social enterprise Bike Revolution
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A MORAY social enterprise cycle shop has completely sold out of bikes after business moved up a gear during lockdown.
Lossiemouth's Bike Revolution has been left with empty racks after selling around 55 bikes in May as customers found themselves with ideal conditions for taking up cycling as a form of lockdown exercise, with more time, quieter roads and even sunny weather.
Bike servicing also surged as people dusted off bikes languishing in sheds. The team fixed up 100 bikes in May – 70 more than in an average month.
The not-for-profit operation is part of Cycling UK's Big Bike Revival for Key Workers, whereby key workers are entitled to free bike servicing and hire. Some 35 of the services were carried out free for local key workers.
Bike Revolution manager Stewart Evans said: "We've had about two months' work squeezed into two weeks.
"It'll take us a while to get back to previous stock levels and we remain very busy with servicing."
Bike Revolution closed throughout April due to the Covid-19 situation, but on reopening on May 1 sold 20 bikes in a day.
Stewart said he would like to believe that the upsurge in cycling interest they have witnessed heralds a permanent shift.
He added: "I cycle everywhere – I don't own a car – and certainly in recent weeks I've seen more and more people getting out cycling. For me that's a great thing.
"Everything we do at Bike Revolution is about recycling bikes, as we don't like to see them going to the tip, and to get people on bikes.
"People can come to us and be assured of a good, safe, affordable bike to try out whether cycling is for them, and give bikes a second chance."
All profits made at Bike Revolution go towards keeping the wheels turning at Lossiemouth-based outdoor learning and adventure charity Outfit Moray, which has been busy at local school hubs during the pandemic running cycling sessions for key workers' children.
