of lockdown.
One customer, 31-year-old Nicolas, said he had visited as many as eight different shops before getting lucky. French bike sales doubled in May and June compared to the same months last year, according to the sporting and cycling federation.Decathlon calculated that in Europe overall, sales "have increased two- and even threefold".And in the US, sales of bikes have exploded, with online purchases alone skyrocketing in May by 5,000 percent over the figure for the same month last year.
Pancho Pimentel, marketing chief for Summit Bicycles, which has five stores in California, said "there are shortages everywhere, from bike brands to parts".