Is The Current Bike Shortage Europe or Even Worldwide?

[simonhill]

Just wondering.

Is it only the Brits that have gone bike buying mad or are all our European cousins at it as well.

[Jdsk]

Similar in Germany and Poland. I'd guess everywhere.

https://www.dw.com/en/covid-19-causes-bike-explosion-as-germans-long-for-a-ride/a-53905967
https://www.thefirstnews.com/article/bike-sales-and-manufacturing-soar-thanks-to-covid-19-lockdown-13656

Jonathan

[oldun]

I have been looking at buying a bike in Spain at" Decathlon" for an upcoming ride in Sept /Oct but many models have been sold out for weeks now .....https://www.decathlon.es/es/browse/c0-d ... /N-1n3n0pl

[PH]

From a couple of US sources it's even more so over there. Whether that's because the demand is worldwide or the stock has been sent to where demand is greatest I don't know. Neither do I know how much is caused by increased demand and how much by restricted supply, the Just in Time manufacturing model doesn't respond well to the unexpected.

[greyingbeard]

Nearly everything comes from the far east these days, so when they shut down just as we get some leisure time, the shops run out.
My local shop has lots of bikes in, all ready to be taken away by their new owners. They get random deliveries and sell whatever they can get. The only things sticking are the bikes over £4,000. Not many people in the market for one like that.
I bought a bike last week. Second hand via ebay, bad advert netted me a bargain. A couple of weeks cold rain will bring demand down.

[francovendee]

Hardly anything available in my nearest Decathalon.
The online site is still showing bikes for sale but I suspect if you tried to get one you'd have to wait for a while

[Cyclewala]

There are two drivers of the shortage. A halt to the supply and subsequent surge in demand.

Most bikes are made in the East and when Covid was first identified, the factories over there shut at the start of the year.

Then when lockdown appeared in the West there was a surge in demand as gyms closed.

Although manufacturing picked up by the middle of the year, it takes time to reach a normal state.

[Syd]

Went to Evans Cycles a couple of weeks ago to pick up my grandson’s first bike (he’s had a balance bike to date).

Talking to the staff they have hardly any stock and are taking full payment on pre-orders with delivery not expected before October.

Even kids bikes were low on stock but they still had the one I was after.

[thirdcrank]

There's a report in today's Sunday Telegraph (behind the paywall) saying that Brompton has stopped taking orders till October

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/20 ... get-bikes/

[Tangled Metal]

That's on the Brompton site somewhere.

Our local Halfords are almost out of adult bikes and they expect end of October before they'll have nearly a full stock on the shop floor. Right now any bikes coming over are being sent right out to customers, that often don't even see them in store!

[thelawnet]

There is a massive shortage of bikes here in Indonesia. The local export manufacturer (Polygon) is prioritising its Australian export market, and local bikes are being sold 20-30% above retail whereas 10% below is normal, and there's a queue of several months for new bike and scalpers stripping them for parts. The Polygon bike shop had not one single adult bike available for sale when I went in there a few weeks ago, even chains were sold out. More demand for bikes locally.

As far as I know the Polygon factory would not have closed, frames, tyres, small parts, are made in Indonesia probably better derailleurs from Malaysia, the junk Shimano ones I believe are made in Indonesia. Don't think China too involved.

The government just put out a new regulation banning the import of bikes without permit, aimed largely at Bromptons, because the local rich don't care about price at all, and are going mad (so informal bike imports rose 70% in the space of month) buying Bromptons at more than double the UK retail price, Moultons which they dump in the river, because why not?

Not sure why the rich like Bromptons so much as they are basically completely useless here, but I think it's a name badge thing. Can't imagine they have any conception of getting on a train wedged between fat men in suits, unfolding a bike and then cycling it to work and sticking it under the desk.

It's such a craze importing Bromptons and making ludicrous profits that every man, woman and their cat who can seems to be getting involved.

[Tiberius]

And yet I see many very good used bikes not selling - but then I don't buy used bikes so hey ho...

[Bmblbzzz]

Shortages in India.

[The utility cyclist]

Specialized have some smaller Sirrus bikes in stock at £599 on the concept store website, also smaller sizes of the Allez. There were over 51,000 bike listings on ebay, loads of bikes for sale in all sizes and types in the sub £300 range, I'm sure there are loads on gumtree and Facebook.
The vast majority will end up being in the shed/garage/front porch etc more than not.

[dezzie]

There is a massive shortage of bikes here in Indonesia. The local export manufacturer (Polygon) is prioritising its Australian export market, and local bikes are being sold 20-30% above retail whereas 10% below is normal, and there's a queue of several months for new bike and scalpers stripping them for parts. The Polygon bike shop had not one single adult bike available for sale when I went in there a few weeks ago, even chains were sold out. More demand for bikes locally.

As far as I know the Polygon factory would not have closed, frames, tyres, small parts, are made in Indonesia probably better derailleurs from Malaysia, the junk Shimano ones I believe are made in Indonesia. Don't think China too involved.

The government just put out a new regulation banning the import of bikes without permit, aimed largely at Bromptons, because the local rich don't care about price at all, and are going mad (so informal bike imports rose 70% in the space of month) buying Bromptons at more than double the UK retail price, Moultons which they dump in the river, because why not?

moulton.jpg

Not sure why the rich like Bromptons so much as they are basically completely useless here, but I think it's a name badge thing. Can't imagine they have any conception of getting on a train wedged between fat men in suits, unfolding a bike and then cycling it to work and sticking it under the desk.

It's such a craze importing Bromptons and making ludicrous profits that every man, woman and their cat who can seems to be getting involved.

I just acquired 2 old mk3 Moultons and been inundated by buyers from Indonesia wanting them off me, nice investments after i do them up i think.