Pedal power is propelling not only local bicycle sales, but resulting in health benefits for many who have opted to exercise around Wagga's cycle paths and tracks during lockdown restrictions.
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Since COVID struck, Wagga Cycle Centre manager Andrew Treloar has noticed a massive spike in people taking up cycling as a recreational activity, resulting in increased sales.
"There's been a huge increase over the 18-month journey we've been involved with COVID and the reasons are very plain and simple," Mr Treloar said.
"It's contact-free and it's a way for people to clear their heads, doing the right thing in regards to restrictions.
"There's been a significant increase across the board with serious cyclists, recreational and a marked increase in mountain bikes and E Bikes (power assisted).
"While lockdowns are not good, the silver lining is that more people are out there exercising."
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Mr Treloar believes there are a few reasons why customers are choosing to spend their money on bicycles.
"There's two big factors and the core fundamentals are that people can't travel or go on holidays and they're stuck at home and need something to do so they put some resources into a bike," he said.
"It's very diverse with a number of people buying a bike for the first time, people never having a bike in adulthood and buying their first one and updating their children's bikes.
"People see it as a way of justifying a bike purchase as they know it will get good use.
"There's plenty of diehard enthusiasts who can't travel overseas or go on holidays so they upgrade their bikes.
"There's also been a big increase in bikes being serviced."
Mr Treloar has noticed that the most popular growth area for bicycle sales has been recreational bicycles that "can do a bit of mountain biking" and power assisted E Bikes.
"They're (E Bikes) popular because people can go further and harder more efficiently without straining themselves," he said.
"They're good for the first-time cyclist."
More people are taking notice of the push for a healthier lifestyle during their busy lives, according to Mr Treloar.
"Everywhere you look in the mainstream media and social media there's talk about being healthy, whether it's with equipment or how you eat," Mr Treloar said.
"The message doesn't always get through with people being busy with work and with families but now they've got more time on their hands and take control.
"Cycling has lots of reasons to be involved in with benefits for health and interaction and being able to do it all while adhering to lockdown restrictions."
Mr Treloar believes there are abundant opportunities available for Wagga's cyclists, especially the improvements Wagga City Council has made to cycle paths and tracks.
"Over the past five years council has put a lot of money and resources into cycling paths in Wagga and made things better," Mr Treloar said.
"Some of the popular tracks are the river track - that's the one in most people's minds, the ones who are buying a bike for the first time usually want to try that one.
"It goes from way around the wetlands area up to Marshalls Creek and out to the netball courts and then links in with the track at the lake.
"The central nervous systems of cycling tracks are the river, lake and Pomingalarna and the suburban cycleways are a good network and Pomingalarna is fantastic for mountain bikes."
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