Corona Daily 346: Two Wheels Better

Since the time the world went into lockdown, one business has super-boomed. Bicycles. Factories in China and Taiwan, despite running three shifts, are unable to meet the demand. (China ordinarily produces 70 million bicycles a year). The average priced bikes (below $1000 in the USA) required buyers to wait for a few weeks or months. People took their old bicycles out of the garage. Mechanics risked repairing them during the lockdown. Many people are riding the bikes for the first time. Funny as it may sound; some companies are running online courses to teach you how to ride a bicycle. The Trump administration had lifted tariffs on Chinese goods not strategically important. Fortunately, bicycles were on that list.

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Gyms were shut. Sweating it out on a gym bicycle takes you nowhere. Fitness enthusiasts started riding real bikes in fresh air. Empty roads in the lockdown were safer, tempting children and first time riders. For social distancing, a bicycle is an ideal vehicle. In New York City, bike trips surged to more than half a million in April.

Governments supported the interest by assigning pop-up bike lanes. Across Europe, more than 2000 km of pop-up “corona-cycle-ways” have been promised, and over 1000 km implemented. Brussels, in certain areas, has reduced car speed limit to 20km/hour to encourage biking and walking. Paris has subsidized e-bikes, reimbursed bike repairs and created more bike parking spaces.

Singapore plans to invest S$1 billion to triple the existing cycle path network, taking it to 1320 km by 2030. Any place in Singapore will have a maximum of 250 meters distance from the cycle path.

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Bicycles are flying off in India as well. Certain medium and high end cycles made in India have shock absorbers and gears imported from China. That has been a problem. In the last five months, I have been riding my daughter’s bicycle. Except during holidays, I have not ridden so much for decades.

In Kolkata, one of India’s poorest cities, a perceptible rise in cycle thefts is recorded. (Reminds one of the Italian masterpiece “Bicycle thieves”). Many thieves caught were first timers.

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Denmark and Netherlands are two countries with a prominent bicycle culture. They have a developed cycling infrastructure, segregated bike lanes and bike racks. In Denmark, 16% of all trips are made by bike, and 50% of the population cycle to work and school.

Netherlands is the only country with more bicycles than people. In Amsterdam, 63% of Dutch ride the bike every day. They don’t need to wear helmets. They call it a form of walking with wheels. Amsterdam’s ultimate goal is to make it a car-free city.

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That is the opportunity the pandemic presents. To make the bicycle boom permanent. Climate change is a threat as vicious as a pandemic. It would be wonderful to cultivate the bicycle culture everywhere.

A similar bicycle boom had happened in the 1970s in North America. Baby boomers had reached bike-riding age, and they were becoming aware of environmental issues. US government committed to build 100,000 miles of bike lanes. In 1973 alone, 252 bicycle-oriented bills were passed in 42 states.

What happened? Nothing. The car lobby won. The bicycles went back to the garages and were forgotten.

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The boom this time is not North American, it is global. The world has a choice of using this opportunity, emulating Denmark and Netherlands, develop cycling infrastructure and culture. For our health and the health of our planet, two wheels are better than four.

Ravi