Bike shops power Queens through the COVID crisis
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Cyclists ride down Queens Boulevard. Photo via the Department of Transportation
By Victoria Merlino
A Jamaica bike shop that opened during the devastating 1918 flu pandemic is still around and serving Queens residents through the current health crisis of the century.
The 102-year-old Bellitte Bicycles is one of the oldest continuously owned-and-operated bicycle stores in the United States. (One of the shop owners, Sal Bellitte, says it’s the oldest.) Bellitte and his team are assisting Queens cyclists through the COVID-19 outbreak, which has upended daily life for millions of New Yorkers.
“This store has been there for over 100 years, we’ve seen it all,” Bellitte said.
Bellitte was pleased when Gov. Andrew Cuomo deemed bike shops an essential business that could stay open during the statewide shutdown of restaurants, barber shops, gyms and most other venues.
Cycling has become an extremely popular way to get to work, or to get some exercise, since Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio ordered New Yorkers to practice “social distancing,” to stay in their home and to avoid mass transit as much as possible.
Bellitte said the shop he owns with his cousin Peter Frouws, has seen an increase of customers coming in for bike repairs. His staff have taken precautions against the coronavirus, such as wiping down the cash register and other frequently used surfaces in the store. Some have taken to wearing masks and gloves, he said.
“Thank God we have a full crew, everyone is healthy,” he said.
Carlos Romero, manager of Bike Stop Astoria, was also happy to learn last Saturday that the store could stay open to serve Queens residents
“We were kind of glad when it happened. We were prepared to shut down on Sunday,” he said.
Sales of new bikes have had a “large increase” since the crisis started and the number of repairs have also been up, Romero said.
Bike Stop Astoria has also taken precautions against the coronavirus. Romero said only a few customers are allowed in the store at one time, and he staggers staff hours so fewer people are working at a time. The shop is also wiping down surfaces to try and keep the virus at bay.
At Bill’s Cyclery in Woodside, manager Anthony Rivera said that he has seen more people out on bikes, though it's hard to say whether the coronavirus is the only cause of the uptick. Cycle season starts around now, he said.
When he tends to the shop, he keeps the door locked, and only allows one customer in at a time. He also wipes everything down.
“It's kind of good in a way,” Rivera said of Cuomo classifying bike shops as essential. He is worried about his own safety during the pandemic, however. “I’m still nervous about getting the virus and taking it home to my family.”
