A growing fuel crisis in Russia is pushing more people to swap cars for bicycles, with bike sales surging as gasoline becomes harder to find and more expensive.

Bicycle sales on its platform jumped 131% in June compared with May, while revenue soared 263%, reflecting a sharp rise in consumer demand, The Caspian Post reports via The Moscow Times.

Mountain bikes accounted for 54% of all orders, making them the most popular choice among buyers. German brand Cube led sales with nearly 49% of all purchases, followed by Canyon and Scott. Analysts say the surge is driven not only by the start of the summer cycling season but also by a growing number of consumers viewing bicycles as a practical alternative to private cars.

The increase in demand coincides with mounting difficulties in purchasing gasoline across Russia. Following a series of Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries, authorities introduced fuel sales restrictions in multiple regions. Full or partial limits on fuel distribution have reportedly been imposed in 40 regions, while supply disruptions have affected more than 80 federal subjects.

Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged the ongoing fuel problems, saying motorists and businesses continue to face long queues at gas stations and shortages of certain gasoline grades.

Fuel prices have also climbed sharply. Gasoline prices rose 5% during the first three weeks of June, marking the steepest monthly increase since 2018. Since the start of the year, prices have increased by nearly 10%, the fastest pace in 14 years.

Gasoline production has fallen by 25% to around 85,000 tonnes per day after intensified attacks on refineries, while summer domestic demand is estimated at approximately 110,000 tonnes per day.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported that Ukrainian forces carried out a record 30 attacks on Russian oil infrastructure in May. As a result, Russia's oil refining throughput fell below 4 million barrels per day in early June-the lowest level in 21 years-with nearly one-third of the country's refinery capacity remaining offline.