UK bike sales plummet
Discussion
Sadly, it seems bike sales have plummeted: https://road.cc/content/news/uk-bike-sales-fall-ev...
I can’t see things improving in the near-term, can you?
However, bike prices can’t help. Some bikes cost more than a motorcycle!
I can’t see things improving in the near-term, can you?
However, bike prices can’t help. Some bikes cost more than a motorcycle!
I'm going touring this month on a bike I bought in 2008. My hardtail is a 90s Kona. My other tourer is a 2011 or thereabouts model. My flat bar road bike is from 2015ish. Of course, other than the Kona they were all bought as frames and built up.
But I suspect we are not typical consumers here.
Cost of living crisis - a new bike is one of the easiest cutbacks to make. I would like a 29er hardtail. It would be a complete bike as all my 9 speed kit probably won't fit and things like through axles are a genuine upgrade for disc brke bikes. I will either be delaying that purchase or keeping my eye out for a second hand bargan. Compared to during Covid there are a huge number of cheap second hand bikes out there.
But I suspect we are not typical consumers here.
Cost of living crisis - a new bike is one of the easiest cutbacks to make. I would like a 29er hardtail. It would be a complete bike as all my 9 speed kit probably won't fit and things like through axles are a genuine upgrade for disc brke bikes. I will either be delaying that purchase or keeping my eye out for a second hand bargan. Compared to during Covid there are a huge number of cheap second hand bikes out there.
One of my neighbours, neighbours is the UK Canondale importer, apparently in lockdown he sold out his entire allocation for the year within a month or two.
Even high end/slow selling/odd sized stuff that often sits around until the end of season was sold out, he couldn’t get any extra allocation no matter what and he had zero surplus to flog onto Paul’s Cycles etc.
Even high end/slow selling/odd sized stuff that often sits around until the end of season was sold out, he couldn’t get any extra allocation no matter what and he had zero surplus to flog onto Paul’s Cycles etc.
- this could all be b
ks but it’s exactly how I was told the story.
Prices and sales went up dramatically over covid times, now the market is readjusting combined with cost of living crisis / high inflation which was the (probably inevitable) result of the way govts reacted to covid.
I don't know about the UK but here in NZ there are some very good deals to be had at the moment on 2022 (and even some 2021) bike models which are old stock clearance now, but often higher spec than the new model.
I don't know about the UK but here in NZ there are some very good deals to be had at the moment on 2022 (and even some 2021) bike models which are old stock clearance now, but often higher spec than the new model.
Feel I bought at the top of the market when I got a new a Tarmac SL7 last year. Despite inflation, the equivalent model SL8 that just launched is actually cheaper.
Friend of mine had a lot of trouble selling a newish bike that he couldn’t get on with. Nothing on eBay shifting apparently. Full of COVID purchases.
Friend of mine had a lot of trouble selling a newish bike that he couldn’t get on with. Nothing on eBay shifting apparently. Full of COVID purchases.
The inflation was crazy to be honest. I bought a canyon cf slx 8 di2 in 2019, £3,250 from canyon iirc. Same bike, with discs now admittedly, £6,200…
Don’t want to start a discs v rim argument here but I’m not going to upgrade at that price, I’m on the lookout for a decent set of hunt wheels to stick on it and I’ll run it for another few years.
Don’t want to start a discs v rim argument here but I’m not going to upgrade at that price, I’m on the lookout for a decent set of hunt wheels to stick on it and I’ll run it for another few years.
It's rough out there. CRC/Wiggle reported a £100m loss for the year this week, Ribble lost £5m in 2022 . FLI, Moore Large, 2Pure - all big cycle distributors went bump this year. Planet X nearly went but were bought out. There's been redundancies at Zwift, Specialized & Strava & more. Not an industry I'd want to be involved with right now.
Seems to me there was a global explosion in cycling during Covid lockdowns followed by a supply squeeze when the world repoened & now a disposable income crisis for end consumers who are finding it very easy not to drop ££££'s on new bikes.
Seems to me there was a global explosion in cycling during Covid lockdowns followed by a supply squeeze when the world repoened & now a disposable income crisis for end consumers who are finding it very easy not to drop ££££'s on new bikes.
I like cycling.
I like bikes.
I stil ha be my 2014 Wilier, because when you buy a good Carbon bike with Dura Ace & look after it you don’t really need another every few years.
I’m starting to look now but more out of want than need.
Mine is still far from worn out.
Sadly I think the ‘fad’ has moved on. ITV4 aren’t bothering to show LaVuelta Espana or the classics now.
So that’s indicative that the world is moving on.
I remember when road cycling was a weird niche activity.
I can see it going back that way.
As far as the bike industry is concerned I should imagine that everyone who wants a bike probably has one now.
And as far as high end road bikes is concerned they only have themselves to blame, this is BMX all over again.
You can still buy loads on NOS 1980’s BMX stuff today.
When I started working in a bike shop in the early 1990’s some of it was just being thrown out.
I like bikes.
I stil ha be my 2014 Wilier, because when you buy a good Carbon bike with Dura Ace & look after it you don’t really need another every few years.
I’m starting to look now but more out of want than need.
Mine is still far from worn out.
Sadly I think the ‘fad’ has moved on. ITV4 aren’t bothering to show LaVuelta Espana or the classics now.
So that’s indicative that the world is moving on.
I remember when road cycling was a weird niche activity.
I can see it going back that way.
As far as the bike industry is concerned I should imagine that everyone who wants a bike probably has one now.
And as far as high end road bikes is concerned they only have themselves to blame, this is BMX all over again.
You can still buy loads on NOS 1980’s BMX stuff today.
When I started working in a bike shop in the early 1990’s some of it was just being thrown out.
dave123456 said:
The inflation was crazy to be honest. I bought a canyon cf slx 8 di2 in 2019, £3,250 from canyon iirc. Same bike, with discs now admittedly, £6,200…
Don’t want to start a discs v rim argument here but I’m not going to upgrade at that price, I’m on the lookout for a decent set of hunt wheels to stick on it and I’ll run it for another few years.
There's your problem. An oxymoron. You want an upgrade. Don’t want to start a discs v rim argument here but I’m not going to upgrade at that price, I’m on the lookout for a decent set of hunt wheels to stick on it and I’ll run it for another few years.
I think cycling sales have regular peaks and troughs anyway but COVID increased the peak to an unheard of level.
I remember when Team Sky were winning and suddenly everyone had a new bike, team jersey etc. It then went quiet for a while until the Olympics etc., it's always been the same but the wave was regular and the peak didn't spike like it did during COVID.
During COVID people had a lot of disposable income as they couldn't go on holiday and a bike seemed like a good idea, especially when you could buy bikes for the whole family and go out together.......literally everyone bought a bike! This peak came at the perfect time for some retailers and gave them an extra couple of years, money was rolling in and their troubles were forgotten until recently.
Two or three years later and the prices of bikes are ridiculous. I paid just over £4000 for my bike with Ultegra di2 and carbon wheelset around four/five years ago, the equipment bike now is £1500 more with 105 di2. I'm starting to get that itch where I want a new bike but I would be downgrading unless I spent a significant amount of money, I'm holding on to what I've currently got as it works and I don't "need" a new bike.
The people who buy bikes when they're popular now have a bike probably gathering dust in their garage and the core cyclists have either bought a bike with the money they saved during COVID or simply holding on to their current bike and refusing to pay the ridiculous prices.
Something has got to give and I think we'll see some retailers start to feel the pinch and possibly go under. Just look at the recent bargains on the CRC/Wiggle site, frames and whole bikes were being sold off with massive reductions.
I remember when Team Sky were winning and suddenly everyone had a new bike, team jersey etc. It then went quiet for a while until the Olympics etc., it's always been the same but the wave was regular and the peak didn't spike like it did during COVID.
During COVID people had a lot of disposable income as they couldn't go on holiday and a bike seemed like a good idea, especially when you could buy bikes for the whole family and go out together.......literally everyone bought a bike! This peak came at the perfect time for some retailers and gave them an extra couple of years, money was rolling in and their troubles were forgotten until recently.
Two or three years later and the prices of bikes are ridiculous. I paid just over £4000 for my bike with Ultegra di2 and carbon wheelset around four/five years ago, the equipment bike now is £1500 more with 105 di2. I'm starting to get that itch where I want a new bike but I would be downgrading unless I spent a significant amount of money, I'm holding on to what I've currently got as it works and I don't "need" a new bike.
The people who buy bikes when they're popular now have a bike probably gathering dust in their garage and the core cyclists have either bought a bike with the money they saved during COVID or simply holding on to their current bike and refusing to pay the ridiculous prices.
Something has got to give and I think we'll see some retailers start to feel the pinch and possibly go under. Just look at the recent bargains on the CRC/Wiggle site, frames and whole bikes were being sold off with massive reductions.
Stick Legs said:
I like cycling.
I like bikes.
I stil ha be my 2014 Wilier, because when you buy a good Carbon bike with Dura Ace & look after it you don’t really need another every few years.
I’m starting to look now but more out of want than need.
Mine is still far from worn out.
Sadly I think the ‘fad’ has moved on. ITV4 aren’t bothering to show LaVuelta Espana or the classics now.
So that’s indicative that the world is moving on.
I remember when road cycling was a weird niche activity.
I can see it going back that way.
As far as the bike industry is concerned I should imagine that everyone who wants a bike probably has one now.
And as far as high end road bikes is concerned they only have themselves to blame, this is BMX all over again.
You can still buy loads on NOS 1980’s BMX stuff today.
When I started working in a bike shop in the early 1990’s some of it was just being thrown out.
GCN+ /Eurosports show every race - very comprehensively, much more than any terrestrial channel ever did. I like bikes.
I stil ha be my 2014 Wilier, because when you buy a good Carbon bike with Dura Ace & look after it you don’t really need another every few years.
I’m starting to look now but more out of want than need.
Mine is still far from worn out.
Sadly I think the ‘fad’ has moved on. ITV4 aren’t bothering to show LaVuelta Espana or the classics now.
So that’s indicative that the world is moving on.
I remember when road cycling was a weird niche activity.
I can see it going back that way.
As far as the bike industry is concerned I should imagine that everyone who wants a bike probably has one now.
And as far as high end road bikes is concerned they only have themselves to blame, this is BMX all over again.
You can still buy loads on NOS 1980’s BMX stuff today.
When I started working in a bike shop in the early 1990’s some of it was just being thrown out.
dave123456 said:
The inflation was crazy to be honest. I bought a canyon cf slx 8 di2 in 2019, £3,250 from canyon iirc. Same bike, with discs now admittedly, £6,200…
Don’t want to start a discs v rim argument here but I’m not going to upgrade at that price, I’m on the lookout for a decent set of hunt wheels to stick on it and I’ll run it for another few years.
I bought Hunt’s 36 UD’s for my 2019 Wilier Zero6 last month. Quality appears to be good. Excellent customer service too since I ordered XDR by mistake and they sorted it out quickly and for free - sent me the Shimano part. Don’t want to start a discs v rim argument here but I’m not going to upgrade at that price, I’m on the lookout for a decent set of hunt wheels to stick on it and I’ll run it for another few years.
I will never sell my Wilier. Paid £4995 for it brand new down from £10000 in a Chain Reaction sale. Sram Red eTap, 6kg. Rim brakes.
I bought the Hunt wheels, new cassette, Extralite chainrings, chain and new bar tape and batteries to give it a refresh.
Awesome bike.
I have a 2023 £14000 Pinarello Dogma F and while obviously lovely, the Wilier is my preferred bike for long days out and climbing days.
https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Shimano-GRX-820-12-Speed-...
Shimano released 12 speed GRX this week. Over £1,200 for the group set. It’s getting fairly silly when one considers compatibility etc. the problem is bikes are a discretionary purchase at this price and people are not spending like they were.
Shimano released 12 speed GRX this week. Over £1,200 for the group set. It’s getting fairly silly when one considers compatibility etc. the problem is bikes are a discretionary purchase at this price and people are not spending like they were.
Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff