Pandemic hobbies: Some have stuck around longer than others

6/17/21 8:00PM

This week British bicycle retailer Halfords warned that it expected the "global bike shortage" to continue, as the surge in demand for bikes during the pandemic has lingered into the end of 2020 and the start of 2021.

The bike boom is an example of a hobby that exploded during the pandemic — and has actually had some staying power. Google searches for "bike for sale" have come down from their pandemic peak, but are still higher in 2021 than they ever were in 2019.

‍Yoga is another activity that has maintained at least some of the momentum, as have searches for home workout routines, which again are (only slightly) higher in 2021 than they were in 2019. But of all of the pandemic hobbies, few have replicated what has happened to chess. Searches for online chess got a double boost, first from the pandemic, and then from the Netflix series The Queen's Gambit — which has fuelled a second boom in the ancient game.

Chess, yoga, bike rides and home workouts may have retained varying amounts of their pandemic bump — but the same can't be said for some of the other pandemic fads such as breadmaking and puzzling. Searches for both appear to have returned to levels seen in 2019. Banana bread's 15 minutes of fame is officially over.

Tom Jones5h

The UAE’s OPEC exit will hit the group in the barrels

After just shy of 60 years in OPEC, its membership even predating its status as a nation-state, the United Arab Emirates yesterday announced its shocking departure from the oil production group, effective May 1, as the knock-on effects of the Iran war continue to play out across the Middle East and the energy landscape.

For context, the UAE produces the third-highest amount of oil in the group, per April data and OPEC’s latest set of annual statistics.

According to the cartel’s 2025 Annual Statistical Bulletin, the OPEC group was collectively exporting some 19 million barrels of crude oil a day last year, with the United Arab Emirates accounting for some 14% of that daily output.

UAExit means UAExit

The nation, whose energy minister told Reuters yesterday that the decision was taken “after a careful look at current and future policies related to level of production” and wasn’t made following discussions with any other country, made up a healthy share of the group’s total confirmed crude oil reserves, as well.

Of the 12 nations in the core group, which was founded by just five oil superpowers back in September 1960, only two (Iraq and Saudi Arabia) exported more barrels of crude oil daily, pumping out 3.36 million and 6.05 million barrels, respectively, each day to nations around the world.

For its part, the UAE said it will “continue its responsible role by gradually and thoughtfully increasing production, in line with demand and market conditions,” per the official state news agency. Clearly, the nation now wants a little more control of just how much oil it can pump around the world, with the UAE having to eat a large proportion of lost revenues due to its healthy abundance and OPEC restrictions.