Looking for a bike or kayak? They’re in high demand as Pa. residents turn to outdoor recreation
Athletes looking to stay in shape, those with trepidation of public spaces or transit, and Pennsylvanians who are simply tired of being cooped up during the coronavirus pandemic are turning to outdoor recreation in record numbers.
Bicycle sales in the Keystone State are up more than 120% in the past several months, while kayak sales are up about 85% over the same period of time, according to the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Attendance at state parks increased in May by 1.5 million, up about 40% over the same time last year, DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said Wednesday.
“Bicycles are becoming the new toilet paper,” Dunn said, referring to the rush to buy essentials like toilet paper and hand sanitizer at the beginning of the pandemic. “People couldn’t find bicycles. They were going off the shelves.”
Dunn and the Pennsylvania Environmental Council gathered to tout the increases last week at Organic Climbing — a Rush Township-based business that produces handmade bouldering crash pads, backpacks, clothes and tote bags for rock climbers.
The PEC, an organization that pushes to find “real-world solutions for environmental challenges,” published a study in June that found some trails saw a 100% to 200% increase in usage.
And the outdoor recreation market, which Organic Climbing owner Josh Helke has been targeting since 2010 when he moved to the Moshannon Valley, generates about $29 billion annually and supplies about 250,000 Pennsylvanians with jobs.
Consumer habits during the pandemic and sport climbing being recognized as an Olympic sport “shot our business into the mainstream,” Helke said.
“Most of my clients don’t want to lose their fitness and their strength, so they’ve gone to the outdoors to use their climbing skills or to start learning the outdoor climbing,” Helke said. “There’s a global rush on these products.”
The Bicycle Shop, a mainstay in Happy Valley since 1946, has been battling supply chain challenges to keep up with demand. Parts, tires and tubes are scarce, owner Erik Scott said.
Customers from as far away as Richmond, Virginia, have visited the business in search of a children’s bike, Scott said.
Bicycle and boat sales at State College-based Freeze Thaw Cycles and Bellefonte-based Tussey Mountain Outfitters are “up significantly,” partner Chuck Kurtz said.
The businesses are moving forward cautiously, unsure of what may happen in the coming months, he said.
“Demand for outdoor sports equipment, especially bikes and kayaks, has been surging,” Kurtz said. ”We’re working hard to keep up with demand for both sales and service.”
This story was originally published July 13, 2020 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Looking for a bike or kayak? They’re in high demand as Pa. residents turn to outdoor recreation."