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Jun 21

Spike in demand for bikes has Omaha stores tripling their orders – Omaha World-Herald

Fitness Comments Off on Spike in demand for bikes has Omaha stores tripling their orders – Omaha World-Herald

Lately, the line to get inside the Bike Rack has stretched along the front of the northwest Omaha store.

The phone seems to ring all day.

In 30 years of operating the Omaha and Lincoln bike shops, Jim Carveth said this is the busiest he has ever been. From the time the shop opens to the time it closes, he said, employees are helping customers in person and over the phone.

Its way beyond what Ive ever experienced, he said. Its been great. I think the biggest thing is that its not just a guy or gal coming in for a bike. Its a lot of families. Everybody wants to get out.

The demand for bicycles new and used has spiked across the country amid the coronavirus pandemic. The temporary closure of gyms forced some fitness buffs to turn to other kinds of exercise. Parents have also been seeking bicycles for kids who have been cooped up at home.

Carveth compared it to a bike boom in the 1970s.

Big-box stores havent been able to keep a wide range of bicycles in stock. And at times, neither have locally owned shops.

At the Bike Rack, bikes being shipped to the store are selling even before they arrive. Customers sometimes must wait a couple weeks for the bikes they order to come in and be assembled.

Linda Flott and her husband, Joe, had plans to get into cycling before the pandemic hit. But finding bikes has proved to be tricky.

Flott, 59, searched for used bikes on sites such as Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. The bikes had already been claimed by the time she reached out to the sellers.

The Flotts then started searching for new bikes. The first store they visited was sold out of bikes that would fit them. They found the right bikes at the second store.

When the weekend weather cooperates, the Flotts have joined other cyclists as well as walkers and runners on the West Papio Trail.

Kim Scherlie, president of the Omaha Pedalers Bicycle Club, said the group has seen an increase in inquiries from riders wanting information on memberships and organized rides.

Trails have been noticeably busier, regular riders said.

Its not a positive thing that its a result of a pandemic, of course, said Alexander Martin, a service manager at the Trek store south of 72nd and Dodge Streets. But Im definitely enjoying the fact that people are taking an interest in the sport.

The lines of customers waiting to get into Trek have wound through the parking lot, Martin said.

Most of the stores entry-level bikes, which go for $500 to $800, are sold out, he said.

As bikes come in, theyre being built and are being sold before theyre even built, he said. Were moving through them that fast.

Some models of bikes are on back order at the Bike Rack in Omaha.

Both the Trek store and the Bike Rack said theyre seeing new faces. Most of the regulars and bike enthusiasts arent coming into the stores.

Carveth said he noticed an uptick in sales at the Bike Rack in mid-March. He and his employees got on the phone with their vendors and doubled the size of their orders.

They now have almost 4,000 bikes on order from vendors. Usually, an order would be a third that size.

Some people have dusted off old bikes stored in the garage and are bringing them in for repair work and tuneups. Carveth said the Bike Rack is backed up, taking two or three weeks to finish repair jobs.

Both the Trek store and the Bike Rack have limited the number of customers allowed inside, and theyre requiring customers to wear masks. Test rides are allowed, but employees must do frequent cleaning.

When sports practices, games and tournaments were canceled, Josie Smiths kids quickly tired of the stay-at-home routine.

Smith, who took up casual bicycling last summer, decided to take Olivia, 16, and Eli, 11, with her on the trails. They hated it at first.

But a broken chain caused Olivia to try out her moms nice bike. That hooked her.

As bikes come in, theyre being built and are being sold before theyre even built, said Alexander Martin, a service manager at the Trek store south of 72nd and Dodge. Were moving through them that fast.

Smith, 37, lucked into two upgraded bikes for the kids on Facebook Marketplace.

Now the trio hit the trails around their Bellevue home three or four times a week for 10- to 20-mile rides. They tackled the popular Taco Ride on western Iowas Wabash Trace Nature Trail for the first time. Olivia and Eli take 5-mile rides almost every day.

Its been fun having everybody interested in the same sort of activity, Smith said. Now Im having trouble getting out by myself. They dont let me do that anymore.

Once sports start up again, Smith said, it might be tough to find the time to go out as a family. She hopes that they will carve out time to go on one ride a week.

Its tough to say, Martin said, whether the interest in bicycling is just a fad or is here to stay: We definitely hope that people find bike riding inspirational and they love the hell out of it and keep doing it.

Float spas, where users are suspended in a salty bath, started popping up in Omaha in 2016. Spa-goers enter a private float tank nearly double the size of a bathtub. Hundreds of pounds of Epsom salt have been dissolved in the shallow pool of water so people float on top. Proponents say floating reduces muscle and joint pain, shortens recovery time from athletic training or injuries, relieves stress and increases creativity. Click here to read a World-Herald story on float spas.

If you've been dreaming of dribbling a soccer ball while encased in a plastic bubble, you're in luck. That trend made its way to Omaha in 2015. The game can be tough experienced players tumble right alongside first-timers.Click here to read a World-Herald story on bubble soccer.

Local yogis can find their flow among a tribe of baby goats. Two dairies in Honey Creek, Iowa, started offering the classes in 2018. The goat yoga trend started in Oregon in 2016 and has since swept most of the country. The wandering goats add some levity to yoga, known for improving flexibility and decreasing stress. Click here to read a previous World-Herald story on goat yoga.

Kickball isn't just for kids. Adult kickball leagues have joined the mix of recreational sports in Omaha, much like sand volleyball and softball. The sport gets players moving, but it doesn't feel like a grueling workout. Some kickballers called it "exercise in disguise." Click here to read a World-Herald story on kickball.

Ballet-inspired workouts made their way to the Omaha area back in 2014. The city is home to handful of studios purely devoted to the workouts, which combine yoga, Pilates and ballet movements performed on a dance barre. Some local gyms and fitness studios offer the classes, too. Instructors said the classes are fun and motivating.Click here to read a World-Herald story on barre.

Rowing isn't new, but it's made a splash on the local fitness scene. The exercise machines had fallen out of favor thanks to treadmills, weight rooms and group exercise classes. But they've been reintroduced through fitness trends like CrossFit and Orangetheory. At least two local studios have debuted classes built around the machines. Click here to read a World-Herald story on rowing.

Participants wearing minimal clothing stand in a chamber that looks like an aluminum can and grows colder over two to three minutes using liquid nitrogen. The temperature drops to between negative 200 and 240 degrees. Proponents say the high-tech ice baths reduce inflammation, relieve pain, prevent injury, increase energy and speed healing. The practice also has been credited for cosmetic benefits. But some medical professionals are skeptical.Click here to read a World-Herald story on cryotherapy.

Exercisers bask in glowing orange lights and blaring upbeat music at Orangetheory Fitness. The metro area now is home to a handful of the studios, which got their start in Florida in 2009. During the classes, a trainer leads people through a circuit-style workout that rotates between treadmills, rowing machines and a strength area with free weights. Members wear heart rate monitors to track their efforts during a workout. Click here to read a World-Herald story on Orangetheory Fitness.

Pound classes debuted in Omaha in 2015. The classes are a full-body strength and cardio workout that simulates drumming. Exercisers pound the drumsticks in the air, against each other and on the ground while performing strength exercises like squats and lunges. Click here to read a World-Herald story on Pound.

Aerial yoga blends yoga poses with acrobatics. Yogis practice in hammocks, flipping upside-down. It incorporates stretching and strength exercises, cardio and meditation. Instructors say the class is good for the spine, alleviating pressure although there are some risks, and the class isn't for everyone. Click here to read a World-Herald story on aerial yoga.

Heart rate monitors are a standard part of curriculum for some metro high school students. They've also made an appearance in several boutique gyms. Teachers at Mercy High School said wearing the monitors prep students for a lifetime of fitness. Click here to read a World-Herald story on the monitors.

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Spike in demand for bikes has Omaha stores tripling their orders - Omaha World-Herald

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