Wow so it's totally happening. Bike shops are booking for service 3+ weeks out and can't guarantee they'll have the parts needed for your repair. Drivetrain parts and tires in particular but also SIS cables and mineral oil.
I thought the end of the world would be more dramatic and focused rather than an accumulation of medium annoyances.
It sure is happening here out East too. A few shops said in late February that were not taking any booking before May 31st and some even said that they wouldn't sell many parts to keep stock for repais this summer.
Like you said @craw, some shops are already sold out of many things and they don't know when/if they will get them. Seeing this happen in advance, I stocked up of everything for the season but I know I'll use those parts at some point so it's not wasted. I've sold many old stock parts that I would never have used and replaced those with useful ones.
I wonder when this whole situation will get back to normal. It must be hard for shops to know how much to book for next year and how many employees to hire/keep. Bicycle retailer have some interesting articles on the subject for those who are interested.
probaby bikes will get back to normal next year
i think COVID fucked up just about every supply chain
I decided this was the year to purge all my horded parts that I definitely won't use, and put it all on PB buy'n'sell. Tonnes of stuff super old as well as current.
I knew the shortage was in full effect when a kid stopped by to buy a 12spd Shimano chain off me for retail price, on his way to work at Steed.
It took me 4 weeks to find a freaking +23mm brake adapter. Hopefully it actually ships lol.
Still waiting for my helmet. Ordered it in Sept. Shop had only received 4 items last time I was in. They where also completely out of some parts with no ETA. Heard some products are booked well into 2022.
Posted by: martin
It sure is happening here out East too. A few shops said in late February that were not taking any booking before May 31st and some even said that they wouldn't sell many parts to keep stock for repais this summer.
Like you said @craw, some shops are already sold out of many things and they don't know when/if they will get them. Seeing this happen in advance, I stocked up of everything for the season but I know I'll use those parts at some point so it's not wasted. I've sold many old stock parts that I would never have used and replaced those with useful ones.
I wonder when this whole situation will get back to normal. It must be hard for shops to know how much to book for next year and how many employees to hire/keep. Bicycle retailer have some interesting articles on the subject for those who are interested.
dunno, i work in a shop too. we don’t have these problems, because planning. quite the contrary actually, biz is booming and since i got my contract in february we already hired 7 more people. but we also sell online, a lot. those shops that didn’t order enough probably are only selling local, right?
Posted by: XXX_er
probaby bikes will get back to normal next year
nope.
So still a hot used market? I got some gear that needs selling
Posted by: Sethimus
dunno, i work in a shop too. we don’t have these problems, because planning. quite the contrary actually, biz is booming and since i got my contract in february we already hired 7 more people. but we also sell online, a lot. those shops that didn’t order enough probably are only selling local, right?
Yeah the three shops that I was referring to have a website but don't really sell online as their stock isn't up to date at all. Plus it's always complicated to call as they don't answer their phones to concentrate on repairs, but when you email they tell you to call, and when you call they tell you to email haha!
They didn't plan as well as your shop for sure.
Posted by: Sethimus
Posted by: XXX_er
probaby bikes will get back to normal next year
nope.
why ?
I recently had to go to five shops before finding one with chainring bolts. I think #3 had some, but didn't want to sell them in case they needed them for a service job.
Posted by: XXX_er
why ?
As I understand it, all production is filling backorders for 2020/21 bikes, not warehouses with 2022 bikes. The only way for this to end is to create more manufacturing capacity, or for demand to drop significantly. It seems like most of the big players are expecting/waiting for the latter, rather than making the huge investment required for the former. While inconvenient for us, I think it's the smart play for them.
I definatly think the covid blip has affected new bikes & what we would have seen so we are going to miss a year
but they should have caught up over 21-22 winter so we should have more product to buy next year
by the time more manu facility was built the demand would be over so not much point in that
I thot i was gona be golden but I need to buy a middle ring
Posted by: craw
also SIS cables.
I bought a shop sized boxes of shifter cables and housing a couple seasons back that I've not really used any yet.
Time to cash in.
$50 per cable...or should I go to $75?
On mineral oil, the bike brand specific stuff isn't special. I really hope shops are smart enough to do some google searches and order up the automotive or aviation alternatives. The same mineral oil is used in euro car power steering. In aviation it's used in hydraulic systems and brakes.
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