Why Bike Shops Are Considered Essential During the Pandemic

When the coronavirus pandemic arrived in 2020, there was some confusion as to whether bike shops should remain open. While stay-at-home orders shuttered many businesses, would bike shops, even those that offered bike repair service, keep their doors open? Grocery stores, healthcare providers and others were considered essential businesses, and were required to stay open through the pandemic without controversy, but not everyone agreed on whether or not bike shops should be considered essential.

So, why should bike shops in Naples, FL be considered essential establishments during a pandemic? Read on to find out.

Transportation is essential

Initial federal guidance stated that “employees who repair and maintain vehicles, aircraft, rail equipment, marine vessels and the equipment and infrastructure that enables operations that encompass movement of cargo and passengers” were to keep working despite the coronavirus pandemic. At first, it was not clear whether this mandate should cover bike shops or not. For many, bikes are seen as a hobby more than a mode of transportation. Sporting goods shops were required to close, so why would bike shops stay open? However, this is a misguided understanding of what bike shops offer.

Cycling is more than a hobby

The fact that no one questioned whether or not auto mechanic shops should stay open but many people didn’t think of bike shops as essential reveals a common misconception about bikes. Though Naples, FL, doesn’t have the bicycle culture of somewhere like Amsterdam, there are people everywhere in America who rely on their bikes as their primary form of transportation. While cars are by far the most common personal vehicles people use to get around in the United States, that doesn’t mean the people who exclusively cycle don’t also need their vehicles during a pandemic.

Bike shops offer bike repair services

Bike shops aren’t just places to get a new bicycle, either. Many shops, like Big Momma’s Bicycles in Naples, FL, also offer tune-up services and repairs for the people who rely on their bikes to get around.

Federal support for bike shops being essential

By the end of March, the Department of Homeland Security updated its guidance on the essential workforce to include “employees supporting personal and commercial transportation services—including taxis, delivery services, vehicle rental services, bicycle maintenance and car-sharing services and transportation network providers.”

Partially due to bicycle advocates, bikes finally made the federal list, which freed states and localities from having to coming up with their own guidelines and allowed cyclists some more freedom to ride, knowing they could get their bikes repaired if necessary.

Don’t let the pandemic keep you from cycling!

If you’re a cyclist in the Naples, FL area, don’t let the coronavirus pandemic keep you from your bike. Bike repair service is essential, and even if you don’t use your bike as your primary mode of transportation, it’s a great way to safely enjoy exercise outdoors with social distance. If you are in need of a tune-up or any bike repairs, visit Big Momma’s Bicycles today.

Categorised in: Bike Shop