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Those looking to buy a bike in London "basically stuffed" at the moment

A “perfect storm” for cycle usage has been compounded by supply issues

Londoners looking to buy reasonably-priced bikes are being warned that they are “basically stuffed” at the moment due to widespread shortages throughout the capital. There are also delays getting bikes serviced due to high demand.

The start of lockdown brought what the managing director of one bike brand described to us as “a perfect storm” for cycle usage – a combination of more free time as a result of being furloughed, cycling being a permitted exercise option, cycle shops being classed as 'essential' and excellent weather.

In April we reported how UK bike sales were booming, with Evans Cycles saying it had seen "unprecedented demand" and Decathlon’s CEO apologising for shortages.

This was then followed by a surge in cycle commuting as the government discouraged people from using public transport unless absolutely necessary – Cycle to Work scheme bike purchases doubled in June.

Compounding this increased demand, COVID-19 has also affected the supply of many bikes, components and accessories as a result of temporary factory closures and worldwide disruption of the flow of goods.

Simon Munk from the London Cycling Campaign, recently told MyLondon that there was a “massive problem” with bike shortages across the capital.

“Our members get discounts at hundreds of bike shops across London, so we have a retail network of a lot of independent bike shops that we talk to regularly,” he said.

“We're hearing from loads of them that they are out of stock. If you're really short, or you’re really tall, or you don't mind spending a huge amount of money on a bike, you're okay, but everyone else is basically stuffed at the moment."

Munk also highlighted issues getting bikes fixed.

"Every Londoner who owns a bike, whether it's a rusty old thing that they've pulled out the shed or not, is trying to get their bike serviced at the moment,” he said.

"All of the mechanics that we're in touch with are just rushed off their feet trying to get bikes up and running."

This is partly as a result of the Government’s Fix Your Bike voucher scheme – which allows people to claim £50 to get a neglected old bike back on the road.

In a bid to spread the workload, these vouchers are being released in waves – but elsewhere in the country there have been complaints from mechanics that this approach has resulted in work drying up as potential customers are choosing to wait for the next wave of vouchers to be released before booking repairs.

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13 comments

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Rob McIvor | 4 years ago
1 like

Mechanics are certainly working overtime. I was in my regular LBS a couple of days ago and overheard them taking a call from someone wanting a service. They booked him in for November.  Today, I bumped into a neighbour taking his kid's bike down to the local (crap) bike shop because the gears were jumping about a bit.  I saw him again later and asked if they'd sorted it. They'd told him to come back in October.  I got it up on the workstand and had it sorted in a couple of minutes.  

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Cargobike | 4 years ago
0 likes

I don't see many people on bikes dragged out of the shed, almost everyone is on a new toy, with garish clothing and the de rigeur badly fitting helmet, more often than not cycling on the pavement and with absolutely no roadcraft whatsoever.

I can't imagine it's a very good place for suppliers throughout the chain to be in either, there's still huge sums of money tied up on a perceived uplift that may last until 2021, or not.

The harsh reality is that with a nascent direct supply chain in the UK, with the majority of orders being fulfilled from the other side of the world, stock levels will remain tight for the foreseeable future.

I wouldn't gamble my own money on a huge shift in cycling numbers, especially with winter around the corner and at a minimum, local lockdowns rising/continuing.

I doubt wholesalers and retailers will either.

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EddyBerckx replied to Cargobike | 4 years ago
3 likes

"I don't see many people on bikes dragged out of the shed, almost everyone is on a new toy, with garish clothing and the de rigeur badly fitting helmet, more often than not cycling on the pavement and with absolutely no roadcraft whatsoever."

Did you just make that bit up? 🙂🙂🙂

In London, the place this article is about, I've seen a noticable upsurge of 'normal' or non lycra based cyclists on the streets and paths, on a variety of kit (new and old) Bear in mind on the commute, huge numbers of people are yet to return (the vast majority I'd say) and when that happens, there'll be even more. I've noticed zero difference in behaviour so far.

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mdavidford | 4 years ago
0 likes

What does this 'permitted exercise option' mean? What forms of exercise have been banned?

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muhasib replied to mdavidford | 4 years ago
0 likes

At present Park Run isn't occurring and it's only August that orienteering has started again as two examples of exercise that was not permitted.

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mdavidford replied to muhasib | 4 years ago
2 likes

But running hasn't been banned - I've been doing it right through lockdown. And I'm pretty sure anyone who wanted to go orienteering could have done so, provided they stuck to doing it in family groups. It's only the organised events that haven't been allowed.

Equally, mass start cycling events have been cancelled due to restrictions, so cycling has been no more 'permitted' than those other activities.

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Judge dreadful replied to mdavidford | 4 years ago
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I'm not sure where you've been for the last few months. Up until very recently, team sports, contact sports, going to the Gym etc.etc.etc. were banned, but solo cycling wasn't, the same applied to running, walking, and swimming, once a day.

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bobrayner | 4 years ago
6 likes

This is good news. Covid-19 is horrible, but at least the enormous grey cloud of lockdown has just a hint of a silver lining: Lots of people are getting out on their bikes.

Not the road.cc regulars; we were already regular riders and most folk commenting below the line have a couple of bikes and no trouble doing their own tweaks or ordering parts online. (My Wiggle spending has gone through the roof). The big change is for normal people, folk who might have had a rusty old £100 Halfords special in the shed, they dragged it out into the daylight earlier in 2020 when the lockdown started, and since then they've decided to either fix it up or replace it, and they're more dependent on an LBS than we are. They probably outnumber the regular riders, and it's amazing that they're getting on their bikes. Mechanics might be overworked at the moment (we'll find a new equilibrium) but this trend is good for public health and good for mobility.

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mdavidford replied to bobrayner | 4 years ago
0 likes

Well, yes - but it would be even better news if the supply was able to keep up, and even more new people were able to get their hands on a bike and get out on it.

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kil0ran replied to bobrayner | 4 years ago
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Yeah, my LBS is servicing a lot of BSOs with crap mini-Vs and 5 speed blocks. Bet there's been a run on square taper BBs (actually, tricky finding BBs in general at the moment - same goes for Tourney parts)

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Rik Mayals unde... | 4 years ago
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This isn't a London problem. The difficulty in buying a new bike exists pretty much all over the country. Bike shops get their stock usually from the same suppliers, who are usually authorised wholesalers of particular brands, any orders have to go via them. I know of one high end brand, when my bike shop owner friend has logged on to order some bikes from them, is being given a lead time of the middle of 2021.

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Cyclespeed Tours | 4 years ago
1 like

This is what happens when companies don't hold stock and rely on 3 month lead times from China

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kil0ran | 4 years ago
0 likes

I've been chasing upgrade parts for my bike, having spent around five weeks trying to source anything that wasn't a BSO. Very little stock in the UK of anything that isn't Ultegra/XT level or above so I've ended up getting parts from Germany. Spoke to my LBS mechanics about this and they're running first come first served with a seven day turnaround on anything more than cable tweaks, punctures, or new chains. If they ran bookings they reckon they'd have slots available just before Christmas. And 2021 stock is very slow to arrive. Might be worth getting Madison's view on parts shortages in the UK.

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