Just want to make sure I've got this right...
Discussion
I think the tide is turning, at least in relation to some price brackets, and specific areas.
For example, I bought a second hand Voodoo Bizango, a budget hardtail, about 9 months ago. I had to buy second hand as there was nothing available new anywhere, at below £1k. It took several months to get one.
I've just checked the Halfords website, and I can now buy an updated version of the same bike, for a reasonable cost, to pick up at my local shop, in less than a week.
Second hand prices have dropped as well now but they always used to a bit over the winter (but didn't drop last winter).
I'm not saying prices will go down, they won't I'm sure, but I think stock will start becoming easier to find.
For example, I bought a second hand Voodoo Bizango, a budget hardtail, about 9 months ago. I had to buy second hand as there was nothing available new anywhere, at below £1k. It took several months to get one.
I've just checked the Halfords website, and I can now buy an updated version of the same bike, for a reasonable cost, to pick up at my local shop, in less than a week.
Second hand prices have dropped as well now but they always used to a bit over the winter (but didn't drop last winter).
I'm not saying prices will go down, they won't I'm sure, but I think stock will start becoming easier to find.
Sounds pretty accurate to me... although I don't think it's a case of no bikes being available, but at the same time you can't just pick the model/size/colour you wanted like pre-Covid and just walk into the local dealer and wheel one out.
It's been a bit of a perfect storm for the cycle industry I'm told.
There's the obvious pandemic issues of closed factories and shipping issues.
Yeah, Brexit played it's part last year.
There was also a huge spike in demand last summer and the summer before.
Shimano had a huge fire at one of their main factories a few years ago now and they're struggled to recover production through the pandemic, their other big factory in Malaysia was closed for months by the local government until it was made Corvid compliant. Not only does this have an effect on Shimano parts, but bikes that were going to be built with Shimano OEM kits, SRAM will of course gladly take those orders, but they haven't been able to fill the gap completely.
Then, there was another fire in Sept last year in a Factory in China no one had ever heard of, but it was one of the biggest painters of bike frame in the world who worked for a lot of the big brands.
It's probably only get worse too. The cycle industry is very seasonal, their year starts in the Sept of the previous year, it's hard to buy a 2022 bike now, but AFAIK all the 2022 bikes that are ever going to exist, already do. Once it really kicks off in the next few months there will be nothing left.
Shimano are quoting Sept/Oct 2023 for deliveries of some parts.
It's been a bit of a perfect storm for the cycle industry I'm told.
There's the obvious pandemic issues of closed factories and shipping issues.
Yeah, Brexit played it's part last year.
There was also a huge spike in demand last summer and the summer before.
Shimano had a huge fire at one of their main factories a few years ago now and they're struggled to recover production through the pandemic, their other big factory in Malaysia was closed for months by the local government until it was made Corvid compliant. Not only does this have an effect on Shimano parts, but bikes that were going to be built with Shimano OEM kits, SRAM will of course gladly take those orders, but they haven't been able to fill the gap completely.
Then, there was another fire in Sept last year in a Factory in China no one had ever heard of, but it was one of the biggest painters of bike frame in the world who worked for a lot of the big brands.
It's probably only get worse too. The cycle industry is very seasonal, their year starts in the Sept of the previous year, it's hard to buy a 2022 bike now, but AFAIK all the 2022 bikes that are ever going to exist, already do. Once it really kicks off in the next few months there will be nothing left.
Shimano are quoting Sept/Oct 2023 for deliveries of some parts.
It's useful if you have friends on the Continent, as the big retailers there tend to have stock - they of course won't sell it to you because they don't want to get involved in the tax and customs situation, hence needing a friend to order it and then post it to you.
We don't have the capacity to check what's coming into the country, which appears to mean that normal post isn't being checked at all, so if you can live with the gamble untracked stuff (if it arrives) will be duty and VAT free (warning - highly anecdotal).
But, as noted, supply is constrained everywhere, it's just that bit more constrained for us.
We don't have the capacity to check what's coming into the country, which appears to mean that normal post isn't being checked at all, so if you can live with the gamble untracked stuff (if it arrives) will be duty and VAT free (warning - highly anecdotal).
But, as noted, supply is constrained everywhere, it's just that bit more constrained for us.
I bought a new large Contend about 8-10 weeks ago "off the shelf", the LBS just happened to have it when I was in - list price. LBS was listed on the Giant web-site as having it so anyone prepared to travel could have bought it.
He did try to sell me a second hand carbon thing he had but it was over £2k - wouldn't have made me any faster.
He did try to sell me a second hand carbon thing he had but it was over £2k - wouldn't have made me any faster.
cml24 said:
I've just checked the Halfords website, and I can now buy an updated version of the same bike, for a reasonable cost, to pick up at my local shop, in less than a week.
Are you sure they have it in stock and available? I've just bought a second hand Voodoo Bizango Pro (2 days ago!), as I couldn't get a new one from Halfords - no stock for collection or delivery. I've just checked the standard Bizango model and again, no stock around me or 5 closest stores and when I tried London (as I assume there will be more Halfords in the search zone), still none shown in stock. I've only checked S and M sizes.Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff