Wiggle-CRC, Planet X, Orange Bikes, Islabikes... The last 12 months have seen some of our biggest bike brands go to the wall. Of those that have survived, many have been forced to offer unprecedented levels of discount. The closures have led to hundreds of job losses - WiggleCRC alone axed approximately 450 last month and the winding down of iconic, established manufacturers is an outcome no one would have wished for.
As an end-user, though, it's been hard not to be tempted by the discounts bargains galore, with deals as enticing as 50% off and even buy-one-get-onefree. But is now the best time to buy? To answer this question, we need to understand how this situation arose and where prices are set to go next.
The bike industry is currently facing myriad problems, most of which began in 2020. With the boom in demand for bikes and kit during the pandemic lockdowns, brands, distributors and dealers couldn't keep up. "In a very short period, a slightly overstocked industry suddenly ran outoff the back of rampant demand around the world," says Simon Irons, associate for the Bicycle Association's data and insights team. "The supply-chain lead time is long and quite rigid - it was already six to nine months, but in some cases people were quoting two to three years."
Brands, distributors and shops were forced to gaze into their crystal balls and place orders based on where they thought the market would be on the other side of these lead times, far into the future. Those who bet big-expecting the level of demand seen during the early days of the pandemic to be sustained long-term were exposing themselves to a major risk: that the market would cool down, leaving them with piles of unsold stock, which is exactly what happened.
Bu hikaye Cycling Weekly dergisinin March 14, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Cycling Weekly dergisinin March 14, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Shorter TT bike
A British shop brand that backed two of the greats of time trialling
Gut health
A gastroenterologist's advice on limiting gut distress and improving your microbiome
7 THINGS I LEARNED FROM BREAKING MY FACE
When a crash left CW's Tom Davidson with a titanium plate in his cheek, his perspective on cycling started to change. Here's what he took away from the saga
Syncros Capital SL Aero wheels
Owen Rogers reviews bling carbon wheels with a price tag to match
SRAM Red AXS
SRAM improves shift quality and tackles braking woes of old in its latest road bike groupset, reports Joe Baker
CRISIS? WHAT CRISIS?
Cancelled races, folded teams, bankrupters, Britain's domestic road racing scene appears organis to be in tatters. But is the outlook really as dire as it seems? Charlie Graham-Dixon investigates
AMERICA'S GREAT AGAIN*
*But can it last? The US finally has a clutch of star riders again, but is its top-level success built on solid foundations
THE HUB
All the news you might have missed from the last seven days
Lifeplus-Wahoo aim for pro ranks
Continental squad hopes to mark 10-year anniversary with ProTeam status
Matt Holmes kickstarts comeback with Lincoln win
Former Lotto-Soudal rider returns from retirement with victory at big domestic fixture