Bicycle Shortages Plague Nation During Pandemic

In May the NYTimes had a features story titled Thinking of Buying a Bike? Get Ready for a Very Long Wait.

May 18, 2020 - The United States is facing a shortage of bicycles as anxiety over public transportation and a desire to exercise has sent the demand surging.

In June, an Associated Press story said that people have been buying up bicycles like toilet paper, leaving stores cleaned out. Part of this is due to fitness freaks locked out of gyms, but also due to people wanting to commute and do social distancing. It's the biggest spike in bike sales since the 1970s oil crisis.

Painting by Adam Swanson

MPR had a July story that was headlined, "Sales boom, factory shutdowns leave bikes in short supply amid pandemic."

The story by Emily Bright included an anecdote about a woman in Plymouth, MN "who hadn’t owned a bike in years. But when the pandemic closed gyms and so many other parts of daily life, she started looking for a way to get outside and exercise with her two sons who still live at home."

If this describes you in any way, Carlton Bike Rental, located right on the Munger Bike Trail, still has bikes for rent and a repair shop if your dealing with an issue on one of the bikes you own.

ARE THE TRAILS ARE CALLING YOUR NAME?
Visit Carlton Bike Rental & Repair

I especially like their slogan: 

"Minnesota Starts Here."

https://carltonbikerental.com/

Need to Get Away? Rent a Bike at Carlton Bike Rental & Repair

There are a number of fine Fine Artists in the
Cloquet/Carlton region. This is a painting
by Adam Swanson.

When Minnesota shut down for the COVID-19 pandemic, there were a limited number of businesses that Governor Walz permitted to remain open and considered essential. One of these was bike shops.

Minnesota has a beautiful network of biking trails, more than 4000 miles worth. If you’re tired of being cooped up, biking is a great way to get out and get re-invigorated. If you need to hit the trail this weekend, or any other time, I recommend Carlton Bike Rental on the main drag in Carlton.

A 2010 feature story in Business North shared how the intersection of Munger and St. Louis River recreational trails helped bring business to Carlton. "You can't believe the bike traffic we have. The trails have been very good to us," said Denny Randelin, president of the Carlton Area Development Corp.

The article by editor/publisher Ron Brochu gave a nice glimpse into the local community there. Joelene Steffens, who established Carlton Bike Rental and Repair here at this hub, noted that biking is not only a very healthy activity, it is also green. Tourists passing through are possibly the community's biggest untapped asset.

The town is ideally situated in a beautifully remote setting that is moments away from Jay Cooke State Park, accessible by bike or by hike. And it’s not uncommon for families camping in the park to noodle their way into Carlton to see what's where, only to discover there's more here than first meets the eye, including the Magnolia Salon, Oldenburg House, Hobo Junction, Disc Golf and more.

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www.carltonbikerental.com

Some photos and a couple quotes to send you on your way.

Not taken this year (no one is wearing masks and they are not
social distancing. But they ARE heading out to the trail to have fun.

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If you play disc golf, they can get you equipped.

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Let's close with a couple quotes.

"It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and can coast down them.... Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motorcar only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle."
--Ernest Hemingway

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving."
--Albert Einstein

I like their slogan: Minnesota Starts Here

www.carltonbikerental.com