I’ve never been an avid cycler. In fact, pre-lockdown, I could’ve counted the times I’d sat on a bike as an adult on one hand. I couldn’t quite grasp why anyone would want to spend an hour on a bike of a morning when they could hop on a tube and be at their desk in ten.

Enter: Coronavirus – the virus which single handedly changed my mind. In fear of stepping foot on sweaty public transport any time soon, I began considering cycling as a feasible option for getting just about anywhere. And now I’m hooked. I’ve been cycling around parks most evenings after work, and I plan to use my bike in the city when I finally return to work. Take it from the most unlikely cycler of them all: it’s really good fun.

And I’m not alone in my new obsession. Brompton, the UK’s largest bike manufacturer who make almost 50,000 folding bikes every year have seen a staggering fivefold increase in online sales since the beginning of April. Halfords reported a 23% increase in share price, while the Association of Cycle Traders reported that up to 20,000 bikes which have already been sold are awaiting building and delivery. You can’t argue with stats like those.

Collette Clensy, European Marketing Manager at female-dedicated cycling brand Liv told us: “We’ve seen unprecedented demand for cycling since lockdown; understandably people are looking at alternative ways to commute, exercise and get fresh air and cycling is the perfect solution.

“We think people will be motivated to embrace cycling as a better way to move for themselves and the environment. We’re optimistic that demand will remain strong, with government investment to improve infrastructure for cycling and walking, people might just fall in love with two wheels.”