The bike supply shortage is affecting everyone, from consumers to retailers and brands, and even professional race teams. We want to know how you’ve adjusted to the new normal.
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How Are You Dealing with the Bike Supply Shortage?
I offer all my business to my LBS first. When he says he can’t get something, I then start searching far and wide. I’ve bought a lot more stuff from Europe than ever before, when that’s the only option, even with shipping delays (less common than last year) and high shipping costs.
I was lucky to find our second-choice Cannondale Topstone 4 for my girlfriend in my LBS, and he tracked down a Surly Disc Trucker in my size (my first choice) about 300 miles away, which I drove down to pick up. So availability of new bikes was better than for most people who are looking today, because we looked in February and we lucked out. I think it’s worse now.
Fortunately, I have enough bikes that I am not waiting on a part to get my busted ride back together. There’s always another bike.
Cannibalizing bits and pieces from the bins full of worn out parts I’ve been saving just because it’s easier than throwing them away. Plus: buying dubious parts from off-brand sources, since that’s sometimes all I can find. Most of this stuff is still better than anything that was available 25 years ago.
Raiding the LBS’s regularly for the staples of bike ownership… Raiding my bins is no longer an option since I have done two bin builds just before the scamdemic set in.
Covid is not remotely the killer that cancer is, just so ya know…
I’ve put-off buying/building a new hardtail. In addition, I’ve tried to keep a spare of all of the consumable parts (tires, brake pads, chains, etc.) for each of my bikes in my home shop. As a rule, I always try to keep two spare derailleur hangers (my FS is a YT which can have delays in part availability and my fat bike (Fuji Wendigo) is a total pain to find. This reminds me, my spare chain is on my FS bike. Time to go shopping!
I got lucky and got a new bike this year. I wrecked the bike and bent the shifter. Due to the part being unobtanium, it was carefully bent back – otherwise it would be no more riding on the new bike.
Things may be loosening up slightly, last visit to the shop he had more new mtn bikes I have seen in almost 2 years but he also told me he ordered them last year (2021s) and the bikes were all 2022 models.
It’s not too bad in the DC area; the LBS have a few bikes on hand, and common parts are usually a week or two out. It really depends on what you want. I’m not in the market for a bike, but upgrade parts certainly aren’t in stock and are several weeks or months out. So, I’m not upgrading my Karate Monkey with a suspension fork anytime soon.
My wife wanted a new bike and I wanted to do a frame up build. After demoing some stuff earlier this year she picked the Evil Following. Ha. Good luck getting one.
We ended up buying a 21 demo model from a shop in Canada. We live in Northern California. A used bike from another country. That’s how bad it is.