In Sandy’s aftermath, bike shops in Brooklyn doing brisk business
Bike shops in Brooklyn and parts of Queens have been blessed with unseasonably brisk business in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. With limited public transit across the East River, rush-hour traffic jams are causing epic backups and many commuters have turned to biking.
“We’ve been absolutely insane since Tuesday,” said Brian Gluck, owner of Red Lantern Bikes in Fort Greene. “People buying bikes, people coming in saying, ‘My bike’s been sitting in the living room for a year, can you make sure it’s O.K.?'”
Widespread debris from the storm has contributed to business as well. Gluck said Red Lantern has repaired almost 50 flat tires since Tuesday, when they usually do around 10 a day this time of year.