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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Since the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders were placed in Alabama, people have been looking for ways to stay active and get outside. Blevins Bicycle Company in south Huntsville has witnessed this first hand.

“We’ve never seen this kind of influx in service before,” said Matthew Blevins, owner of Blevins Bicycle Company.

Blevins Bicycle Co. started in Blevins’ backyard nine years ago. It’s since grown to be one of the southeast’s biggest and most reputable bike shops. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, business has been booming.

“We’ve never been this busy in nine years,” Blevins said. “We’re in triple digits on bikes waiting for service. We’re all working as fast as we can.”

The shop works primarily to service and repair bikes. Blevins said this time of year they normally have 50-60 bikes a week coming in for repairs. Now the waiting list is consistently over 100.

To comply with COVID-19 restrictions, the business has made some changes.

“We’re doing curbside pickup and drop off for service, and scheduled appointments for bicycle sales, which is something we’ve never done before,” Blevins said.

Blevins said during business as usual they have a lot of regular customers, but over half of the customers coming in during quarantine are new clients. He believes the influx in service makes a lot of sense, especially right now.

“I think everybody’s just getting their old bikes out, dusting them off, trying to find something to do besides being cooped up in the house,” he said.

Blevins said cycling is just like many other forms of exercise, it produces endorphins, and is an automatic breath of fresh air.

“To get out and go take your mind off something by riding your bike. Maybe you haven’t done it since you were a kid, it kinda helps you relax and take you back to being younger,” Blevins said.

He hopes that the increase in business will result in a resurgence of cycling in north Alabama, even after COVID-19 has passed.

“I’m really hoping more people get out on bikes when all this is said and done,” he said. “And stay on bikes.”