Interested in purchasing a bicycle?
Good luck. You might have to wait 18 months to ride it. That's not a misprint. That's not a joke. The biggest culprit is a global shipping crises caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. There is an incredible backlog of bicycles on order.
Some of the bigger stores anticipated the shortage last year and ordered thousands of bikes in the first few months of the pandemic. Others did not. Area bicycle shops have to deliver the bad news to what is often a stunned consumer. Yes, you can order a bike today. No, you won't receive it any time soon. In some cases, the bike won't arrive until this fall. In other cases, the bike won't be shipped until the summer or fall of 2022.
Due to the pandemic, millions of people want to be able to leave the house and safely exercise. Many have turned to cycling. The Lowell area is blessed to have several paved rail trails, including the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail which begins in Lowell and runs through Chelmsford, Westford and Acton.
I'm doing a story on the cycling scarcity for The Lowell Sun. It's been an eye-opening experience. On the one hand, the pandemic has caused many to want to exercise in a safe manner. That's a good thing. On the other hand, the pandemic has created the global shipping crisis. That's a maddening thing.
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