Vancouver bike shop proud to be providing 'essential service' during pandemic response

An East Vancouver bike shop was relieved to find it's considered an "essential service" by the provincial government and that it will be allowed to keep serving community members.

R.A.D. Cycles owner Dan Dodman says they got official word on Saturday.

"Before that we were just kind of up in the air not knowing where we fit into the whole grand scheme of things."

"We've felt since the beginning that we were bringing an essential service to the city," said Dodmand. "All the feedback we got from customers […] they wanted us to stay open." 

The Province of British Columbia defines essential services as "those daily services essential to preserving life, health, public safety and basic societal functioning." 

The list, developed by Emergency Management BC, includes private and public transportation services such as buses, trains, taxis, car-shares and ride-hailing.

But it also classifies as essential "employees who build, repair, maintain and overhaul vehicles, aircraft and parts, rail equipment, marine vessels, bicycles and the equipment and infrastructure that enables operations that encompass movement of cargo and passengers."

Across Vancouver and B.C., physical distancing regulations have made some forms of public transportation difficult. TransLink and BC Ferries have reduced service to help physical distancing, meaning that people are looking for other safe ways to get around.

Dodman says many are bringing old bikes out of retirement.

"A lot of folks are bringing bikes out that haven't been out for years to get tuned up."

While bike sales have slowed, repairs have been comparable to past springs. Dodman believes the shop is doing more than just changing wheels or fixing gears.

"A lot of people feel that we're bringing some sort of normalcy to the whole thing and at least being able to open and provide services."

R.A.D. Cycles is operating on a drop off and pickup basis for bicycle repairs. All staff are following physical distancing of at least two metres and cleaning has been stepped up, including sanitizing repair stations, bikes and point-of-sale machines.

"Being that it's a bike shop, and we're always touching bikes and picking up everything that's been out in the street, It's pretty hard for us," Dodman said. "We just have to try to double up on our cleaners, masks and gloves." 

He says at this point only one customer has called to cancel an appointment because she wasn't feeling well.

Dodman doesn't know if provincial regulations will eventually force them to shut down operations entirely. He says even if it does come to that, the shop would try to find a way to provide services online.