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It's so interesting to see how the pandemic hits different countries in different ways. This article talks about struggling bike shops. The truth couldn't be an

It's so interesting to see how the pandemic hits different countries in different ways. This article talks about struggling bike shops. The truth couldn't be any more different in Germany. Bike shops were run over by customers because so many more people wanted to either go to work by bike instead of public transportation, or they had no work to do so they decided to go biking in their new spare time. Repair shops are super busy, but now there's a shortage in bike parts, too...

zwieback 5y ago
I think that's basically the same situation here in the US, bike shops are super busy but the supply chain can't keep up. I also have to say that most bike shops I've visited aren't that good. They seem to have an over-supply of awkward young sales staff giving middling advice while facing an undersupply of bikes and parts. Also, the constant churn in componentry is not helping.
jetrink 5y ago
It sounds like the bike shops were struggling due to low inventory, not low demand. Anecdotally, that was the case at the bike shops near me in Chicago, which had empty shelves, but also months-long wait lists for their tuneup and repair services. Unfortunately, bike sales are a large part of their revenue.
- lmm 5y ago
  There's long been a mismatch in the bike shop revenue model, where most of the value they add comes from labour but they charge a lot of that via markup on parts rather than directly.
jwagenet 5y ago
> By the start of 2021, Kerson heard of bike shops on the brink of closing down due to such high demand and low inventory. It sounds like shops should have done well, but we’re subject to shortages which lead to purchases at online retailers instead.
yardie 5y ago
Bike shops in the US have been struggling since the beginning of the pandemic. Some got a slight bump with increased sales. And riders that couldn't buy new brought in old bikes for repair. Eventually, supply chain issues surfaced and you can't sell what you can't buy.
analog31 5y ago
There was a huge run on bikes in the US. I think a number of factors were involved. Because cycling in the US is mostly recreational, the bike business is seasonal, and retailers lay in their entire years stock for delivery in the springtime. If there's a big change in demand, it can take them a year to react. Then those bikes didn't show up because of shipping delays. Then there was a big spike in demand, as people realized a couple of things: 1) Cycling is an outdoor activity that seems like it carries a minimal COVID risk. 2) It's a way of getting to work if you're still working but public transit is shut down. These things, together, ramped up demand for both cheap and expensive bikes simultaneously. Shops ran out of bikes, and then it became very hard to stay in business, even if there was still demand for repairs and parts. Bike parts have always been a problem in the US. There's too much variety for any shop to be able to maintain a decent stock, so a lot of things have to be ordered. In my own case, since I ride older bikes, it's highly tempting to order stuff from Amazon or even (preferably) eBay because of the selection. Some stuff, such as Sturmey Archer hub parts, have to be sourced from overseas.
- mikepurvis 5y ago
  I'm surprised about the inventory thing. I ride an 03 Cannondale road bike that uses all standard stuff— screw-in bottom bracket, band-on front derailleur, 9-speed shifters. I've always been able to get parts for it off the shelf at multiple shops, to the point that basically nothing on it is original other than the frame. But this has even been the case with my much-weirder winter bike, my kids' bikes that have off-brand shifters, etc. I know Sheldon Brown (RIP) catalogues a true nightmare history of incompatibilities that have built up over the years, but I think in reality, most of that stuff is pre-1990. If you have a non-imported bike purchased in the last three decades, it's going to either be Shimano or be knockoff parts that are Shimano-compatible.
- judge2020 5y ago
  > 2) It's a way of getting to work if you're still working but public transit is shut down. Did much of public transit actually shut down? In my local city it was deemed an essential service and everyone kept working with transit still running, with a mask requirement of course.
alistairSH 5y ago
Demand was high in 2020, but bike shops (in the US) generally have poor cash flow overall. Dealers were able to clear their inventory, but there was no supply to replenish it, leaving them with empty showrooms. Even today, inventory is spotty and the wait for certain models of bikes is well into 2022.

zwieback 5y ago

I think that's basically the same situation here in the US, bike shops are super busy but the supply chain can't keep up. I also have to say that most bike shops I've visited aren't that good. They seem to have an over-supply of awkward young sales staff giving middling advice while facing an undersupply of bikes and parts. Also, the constant churn in componentry is not helping.

jetrink 5y ago

It sounds like the bike shops were struggling due to low inventory, not low demand. Anecdotally, that was the case at the bike shops near me in Chicago, which had empty shelves, but also months-long wait lists for their tuneup and repair services. Unfortunately, bike sales are a large part of their revenue.

lmm 5y ago
There's long been a mismatch in the bike shop revenue model, where most of the value they add comes from labour but they charge a lot of that via markup on parts rather than directly.

jwagenet 5y ago

> By the start of 2021, Kerson heard of bike shops on the brink of closing down due to such high demand and low inventory. It sounds like shops should have done well, but we’re subject to shortages which lead to purchases at online retailers instead.

yardie 5y ago

Bike shops in the US have been struggling since the beginning of the pandemic. Some got a slight bump with increased sales. And riders that couldn't buy new brought in old bikes for repair. Eventually, supply chain issues surfaced and you can't sell what you can't buy.

analog31 5y ago

There was a huge run on bikes in the US. I think a number of factors were involved. Because cycling in the US is mostly recreational, the bike business is seasonal, and retailers lay in their entire years stock for delivery in the springtime. If there's a big change in demand, it can take them a year to react. Then those bikes didn't show up because of shipping delays. Then there was a big spike in demand, as people realized a couple of things: 1) Cycling is an outdoor activity that seems like it carries a minimal COVID risk. 2) It's a way of getting to work if you're still working but public transit is shut down. These things, together, ramped up demand for both cheap and expensive bikes simultaneously. Shops ran out of bikes, and then it became very hard to stay in business, even if there was still demand for repairs and parts. Bike parts have always been a problem in the US. There's too much variety for any shop to be able to maintain a decent stock, so a lot of things have to be ordered. In my own case, since I ride older bikes, it's highly tempting to order stuff from Amazon or even (preferably) eBay because of the selection. Some stuff, such as Sturmey Archer hub parts, have to be sourced from overseas.

mikepurvis 5y ago
I'm surprised about the inventory thing. I ride an 03 Cannondale road bike that uses all standard stuff— screw-in bottom bracket, band-on front derailleur, 9-speed shifters. I've always been able to get parts for it off the shelf at multiple shops, to the point that basically nothing on it is original other than the frame. But this has even been the case with my much-weirder winter bike, my kids' bikes that have off-brand shifters, etc. I know Sheldon Brown (RIP) catalogues a true nightmare history of incompatibilities that have built up over the years, but I think in reality, most of that stuff is pre-1990. If you have a non-imported bike purchased in the last three decades, it's going to either be Shimano or be knockoff parts that are Shimano-compatible.
judge2020 5y ago
> 2) It's a way of getting to work if you're still working but public transit is shut down. Did much of public transit actually shut down? In my local city it was deemed an essential service and everyone kept working with transit still running, with a mask requirement of course.

alistairSH 5y ago

Demand was high in 2020, but bike shops (in the US) generally have poor cash flow overall. Dealers were able to clear their inventory, but there was no supply to replenish it, leaving them with empty showrooms. Even today, inventory is spotty and the wait for certain models of bikes is well into 2022.