The COVID-19 epidemic has changed many people's lifestyles.
U.S.A
According to "new york Times", the United States, which is the hardest hit by the epidemic, tends to use one of the most basic modes of travel: bicycles for fear that taking public transport may
infect novel coronavirus, and for the sake of fitness. As a result, bicycle sales surged, and some shops sold out their stocks. The United States is facing a serious shortage of bicycles.
How big is this trend of "grabbing bicycles"? Let's look at these data:
According to market research firm NPD Group, the sales of bicycles, equipment and maintenance services in the United States almost doubled in March compared with the same period last year.
In the same month, the sales of commuter and fitness bicycles increased by 66%, leisure bicycles by 121%, children's bicycles by 59% and electric bicycles by 85%.
By the end of April, many shops and distributors had sold out low-end consumer bicycles at a price of $1,000.
Ryan Zagata, president of Brooklyn Bicycle Company, said: "Compared with the same period in 2019, this year's sales soared by more than 600%."
Now America is facing a serious shortage of bicycles. Before the outbreak, few people used bicycles as a substitute for cars and public transportation. In new york, less than 1% of people
commute by bike. Portland has the highest proportion of bicycle commuters in all American cities, but only 6.3%.
However, the pandemic has changed the daily life style of the United States, and cycling has become an increasingly important means of public transportation.
britain
With the gradual relaxation of restrictions in many countries with severe epidemics in Europe, bicycles may play a central role in more major European cities. Nowadays, European governments
are scrambling to get office workers back to work without crowding buses or subways.

A man rides with his dog in central London
When the workers tried to avoid being crowded on public transport, the gospel of bicycle manufacturers came. From the end of February to mid-March, the global sales of the famous European
bicycle brand VanMoof increased by 48%, while in the UK, from the beginning of February to the end of April, the bicycle sales of this brand increased by 184.
"People originally tend to adhere to the inherent behavior habits and patterns every day, especially in terms of travel modes, but the popularity of COVID-19 has prompted people to break away
from the routine and develop new habits." TacoCarlie, co-founder of VanMoof, said.

The stock market figures can also explain the problem. The stock price of Halfords, a British bicycle and auto parts retailer, has soared 82% in recent weeks. The British government said in a
statement last week that more people are encouraged to "choose alternatives to public transport when they need to travel".
France
Christian Estros, mayor of Nice, France, traveled by bicycle to encourage people to reduce the use of public transportation during the epidemic.
(Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice, France) Italy
On May 20, people rode past Milan Cathedral Square in Milan, Italy.
Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the passenger capacity of public transport in Milan has been greatly reduced, and more and more people use bicycles or scooters as transportation tools.