This summer, the heat is on – and bicycling is hotter than ever.
It took the unlikely combination of soaring gas prices, a heightened awareness of environmental sustainability, and the lifestyle interruptions that COVID 19 unleashed on the planet to create an unexpectedly strong – and steady – new trend for bike riding.
Ever since 1817, when German Baron Karl von Drais designed what we now call the “first bicycle,” bikes have continued to capture the interest of children and adults around the globe.
His prototype was made almost entirely of wood, fitted with iron shod wheels, and weighed in at nearly 50 pounds. It would take almost until the end of the 19th century to successfully add features like foot pedals, a chain drive, coaster brakes, and a steerable front wheel, making it reasonably safe and practical.
These days, Madison County residents, along with the rest of the country, have taken a renewed interest in cycling. With ample riding trails, community organizations that encourage bike riding and safety, and a handful of local bicycle merchants, cycling has become a growing pursuit for riders seeking leisure, fitness, and racing as a pastime.
Operators at two of Madison County’s specialty bike shops agree that the wave of interest in bike riding since 2020 can mostly be attributed to “the virus.”
“During the lockdown with COVID the demand for bicycles exploded,” said Jayce Powell, a managing partner of Bicycle Revolution in Gluckstadt. “People were at home and wanted to do something and this provided a great opportunity to get outdoors and exercise.
“Bicycles were selling as fast as we could get them in, as well as people bringing bikes in to be serviced. When the supply of bikes started drying up because of the demand as factories were shutting down, we would have people bringing in bikes that had been stored for years to get them serviced to ride again.”
Brian Anderson, co-owner of The Bike Crossing in Ridgeland, said his shop experienced that same flood of business.
“The huge increase in demand for bicycles was mostly due to changes in lifestyle related to COVID,” he said. “With schools closed, businesses closed, and areas for entertainment closed, people quickly got tired of being inside their homes. We saw increases in people buying bikes to ride with friends, and families coming in to buy bikes to ride together.”
Powell and Anderson have also found that the interest in cycling has not diminished now that the virus has slowed, with demand now trending toward fitness and recreational and social riding.
Along with the currently popular road, mountain, and fitness bikes, Madison cyclists have also followed the growing trend toward the more versatile gravel bikes, built with a drop-bar that allows the cyclist to ride over many surfaces. These bikes typically feature wider tires, lower gearing, and the possibility of slightly more weight, all to add more stability for rough terrains.
“There are now gravel group rides, online gravel groups, gravel endurance rides, and gravel races in our area that didn’t exist five years ago,” Anderson noted.
Powell said Bicycle Revolution has seen the same trend.
“Gravel riding has seen the biggest boom of late, combining some blacktop roads with the mostly gravel roads,” he said. You don’t have to deal with traffic as much and the vehicles are going at a slower pace than on blacktop. Gravel riding also works similarly to mountain biking in helping with your bike handling skills.”
Road and mountain bikers are still plentiful in Madison County, Powell said, pointing out that the Ridgeland Mountain Bike trails, maintained by the Tri County Mountain Bike Association, are “some of the best mountain bike trails in the state to ride, and they are in our own backyard.”
Updates have been plentiful on features like seats, handlebars, brakes, tires, tech options, and the frame itself, as technology and framework improvements continue to move forward.
Technical improvements that Powell and Anderson cited include the introduction of disc brakes to all bike categories and the addition and affordability of electronic shifting.
Manufacturers continue to use a wide variety of materials for frames, including carbon, aluminum, steel, and titanium, as new design changes are increasing riding comfort and, ultimately, more speed for longer rides.
The newest and brightest “toy” among the many new innovations in bicycling is the e-bike, pushing the riding experience to a new level of innovation. What exactly is an electric bike?
“E-bikes will have some type of electric assist and incorporate a battery to create the power,” Powell said. “E-bikes may use only ‘pedal assist,’ or some utilize a throttle, and you don’t need to pedal. Of course, with the assist turned off, the bike works like a traditional bicycle.”
The options for these two-wheelers are sizeable, with today’s market offering customized options for terrain, speed, and power, along with framework, tech gadgets and accessories.
“Just about every style of bicycles are now available with e-bike variants,” Anderson said. “E-bikes, now classified by the department of transportation based on speed ratings, are predominately pedal-assisted bikes that use an integrated battery and motor. The range of these bikes, depending on the terrain and settings, will vary from 30 miles up to more than 100 miles on a single charge.”
More and more, young riders are now seeing bicycle innovations and even racing events once available only for adults trickling down to younger levels.
“Manufacturers are making kid equivalents of adult bikes now,” Powell said, producing bicycles that are “a kid’s version that is just as durable and functional as the adult version.”
In fact, he said, “There is a high school mountain bike league called NICA (National Interscholastic Cycling Association) that has been growing in popularity across the United States. There is a local team called Mississippi Blues that races in Alabama. They are working on a league for Mississippi, and with the increase in kids’ racing you are seeing professional grade bicycles for the younger kids.”
In addition, Powell and Anderson both noted a “big increase” in balance bikes for children just learning to ride, thus forgoing the use of training wheels.
“Balance bikes are for kids 18 months to 30 months old,” Anderson said. “They do not have pedals, and the child uses their feet to propel them instead. This starts them learning early how to balance a bike and coast, so they will never need to use training wheels as they progress to bigger bikes.
“Any of us who have taught our kids to ride using training wheels have experienced the emotional breakdown of our children when we try to remove the training wheels,” he said. “These balance bikes help them learn to ride much quicker, which will make them better riders as they grow.”
Given all the options today’s cyclists can find on the market, what are the most important elements buyers should consider when they are shopping for a new bike?
Powell explains the importance getting the right fit – and why it’s important to “fit in” if you ride with fellow cyclists.
“Make sure to get a bicycle that fits you,” he said. “When you get a bicycle from a local bike shop, the bikes come in different frame sizes to accommodate anyone from a kid to someone who is 6’6,” he said.
“Also, if you are riding with friends, I would recommend getting a similar bike to what they are riding. If everyone else is on a road bike and you get a mountain bike, it will not be easy to maintain the same pace because of gear ratios, tire size, and aerodynamics. If everyone is riding a gravel bike on gravel and you get a road bike, it will not be as efficient as the gravel bike.”
Anderson emphasizes the importance of quality when choosing a new bike, and the gear a cyclist must add to the purchase price.
“Cheap bikes can become expensive,” he said, suggesting that buyers prioritize quality, proper assembly, and safety.
“The first question we usually ask new customers is what type of riding they plan to do, whether neighborhood roads, gravel roads, bikes paths, or single-track trails. The next question is what their priority is - fitness, comfort, or performance (speed)? From there we can usually get them onto a specific style of bike that best meets their needs. After that is about their budget and the features they want.”
He noted other expenses that must be added to ensure riding safety, such as helmets, lights, and water bottle cages. Other considerations are how to store and transport a bike; and if kickstands, bikes-stands, or car racks would be needed.
Lastly, new riders will need the right clothing and shoes, along with bike computers, bike pumps, storage bags and chain lubes, to name a few.
“The best advice is to spend some time thinking about what you want to get out of riding, and then spend some time asking questions of your salesperson,” Anderson said. “Most all employees of bicycle shops are passionate about cycling and are excited to help people who want to ride bikes.”
