Like so many commercial districts in San Diego, a lot of businesses along Adams Avenue have struggled since the pandemic hit. But not the one at the northeast corner of Adams and Hamilton.
At Adams Avenue Bicycles, owner Chuck Cofer said since COVID-19 began, business has gone through the roof.
“When COVID first struck, riding a bike was still an acceptable form of exercise, or getting out of your house,” he said.
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Cofer said that translated to all sorts of people wheeling out their bikes that had been sitting idle, and then realizing they needed repairs. Before the coronavirus pandemic, that sometimes took a day or two, a week at most. Not now.
“Currently it’s been 3 to 5 weeks pretty consistent for a couple of months now,” he said.
In addition to the volume of bikes needing fixing, Cofer said there’s also a shortage of bike mechanics and there’s an issue with getting parts.
“Certain parts haven’t been available and we’ve had to delay a repair for weeks and a few over a month or two,” he said.
But it’s not just the repair business that’s going through the roof. Cofer said that he’s having trouble keeping new bikes in stock as well.
“We would have easily over 100 bikes in the store typically before COVID," he said. "I think currently I have 8 new bikes to sell.”
So, if you’re ready to hit the road on two wheels, but your bike isn’t, be patient. And if you’re an experienced bicycle mechanic looking for work, give Chuck a call.
