Viewing 20 posts - 41 through 60 (of 60 total)
  • Covid-19 and the bike industry
  • butterbean
    Free Member

    I’ve got a couple of friends who are very senior in the industry, one at Wiggle CRC & they have had off the chart sales – March was the biggest month they have ever had, their issues are now supply. The other is at Spec, again, sales have gone through the roof, not just of cheap, low end stuff – across the board.

    The STW bubble is absolutely not a reflection of the industry it would seem.

    kelvin
    Full Member

    Supply is indeed the issue. Which is why I said that if you plan on a purchase this year, make it now. Holding out for price drops would not be wise.

    alanl
    Free Member

    one at Wiggle CRC & they have had off the chart sales – March was the biggest month they have ever had

    And 2 local bike shops in Leics. cant be bothered to open up, so people have been buying online and from Halfords.
    One has been trying to sell his business for a while now, so it looks like he just cant be bothered any more, the other one surprised me, he does lots of repairs, and keeps a decent stock of bikes in, surely it woudl be a good idea to open up, but they’ve probably missed the boat now.

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    Hob-Nob
    Free Member

    One advantage of this period is i’ve had the time to get stuff up for sale i’ve been meaning to, but been lazy in doing so.

    People are buying more now than ever it would seem! All the high end kit has flown out, with little to no negotiation at all. 2 sets of forks, a set of wheels, 2 sets of brakes, Eagle groupset, reverb, bars, stems etc. Probably £2.5k’s worth in just over a week.

    Nobeerinthefridge
    Free Member

    And 2 local bike shops in Leics. cant be bothered to open up

    I really don’t think bike shops are even bordering on ‘essential’ so that’s why they’ll be closed….

    chakaping
    Free Member

    I presume you own a car then?

    kelvin
    Full Member

    I really don’t think bike shops are even bordering on ‘essential’

    The government says otherwise. If the owners of individual shops feel they need to close, that’s down to them, but bike shops were specifically highlighted as being accepted from the close down. In fact, they listed them twice by mistake.

    ayjaydoubleyou
    Full Member

    Open for repairs and collection of online orders seems to be the general consensus. Repair often involves the purchase of components.

    For those more urban, its useful to get people off public transport. It’s spring, there’s a whole load of people commuting who do public transport in winter and cycle in summer regardless of the threat of infection on a public bus.

    For us leisure cyclists, use it as a chance to support your local business and have your bike in perfect condition to be able to best enjoy the limited post lock down summer.

    IdleJon
    Full Member

    I really don’t think bike shops are even bordering on ‘essential’ so that’s why they’ll be closed….

    Why would you think that? Do you never use your bike as transport instead of as a toy?

    tomhoward
    Full Member

    I really don’t think bike shops are even bordering on ‘essential’ so that’s why they’ll be closed….

    Even with the govt citing cycling as one of the recommended forms of exercise and the encouraging of people not to use public transport?

    I get it for the purchase and of the more ‘hobby’ kit end of the market, but a lot of those bike shops still sell (and even more importantly, fix) the ‘cheap transport’ part of the market.

    Nobeerinthefridge
    Free Member

    Yes to all of that, I own a car, but my local garages are shut down, I cycle to work when I can, most folk I see about on bikes are gubbed anyway, there’s way more bikes about in folks sheds that never get used. I’m happy to lend my commuter to someone while I’m working from home.

    Both of my lbs are closed, I don’t blame them, I would too.

    And I don’t know the guy who ‘can’t be bothered to open’ circumstances, pretty good chance his families health (maybe even someone vulnerable in his house) is more important to him than folk keeping a bike going.

    But still, as said above, mibbe we’ll get some cheap Italian bikes, eh?.

    Paul-B
    Full Member

    I thought bike shops were on the list of ‘essential’ businesses that can stay open no?

    It’s down to the individual business as to whether they want to stay open or not (bearing in mind risk to the staff etc.)

    Nobeerinthefridge
    Free Member

    I thought bike shops were on the list of ‘essential’ businesses that can stay open no?

    I have no idea, and fair enough if some are, and they can manage, but it shouldn’t mean they all have to.

    YMMV.

    aberdeenlune
    Free Member

    Tried to order from Decathlon on line today. Message came up they had passed their quota for online orders for today try again tomorrow. I was looking for bike spares but I suppose the big sellers will be stuff for cycling, running and garden sports. Boom time for sports shops then.

    boomerlives
    Free Member

    I have no idea

    Ah

    It currently looks like boom time for the bike trade, but when the supply runs out there will be problmes.

    I’ve a hub on order from Hope, now they are shut with no sign of reopening. It’s not coming soon.

    boomerlives
    Free Member

    In fact, having browsed the build pages on Cotic’s website, the colour options for most of the Hope kit has gone; it’s black only.

    First world problems already!

    toomba
    Free Member

    There seems to be a bit an increase of cyclists in my area over the last few weeks with a few newbies popping up all kitted out with new bikes n gear. I’ve heard one family arrived home with 2 top end e-bikes for mum n dad To ride out with the kids for their daily excercise!

    kelvin
    Full Member

    the colour options for most of the Hope kit has gone; it’s black only

    Many of the colour options were mostly ordered just in time, because Hope are normally so damn fast at getting things out. Not normal times though.

    https://www.hopetech.com/news/covid-19-update/

    benpinnick
    Full Member

    Hope are the exception for our suppliers. Everyone else we deal with are open. The major suppliers we work with (sram/Shimano/dt) having had little bumps seem to be back on track. Our frame fabricators are actually running ahead of schedule as they have a lack of work at the moment. Logistics however is a nightmare with stuff going missing and a total lack of Comms in some cases because the staff are ‘working’ from home, but otherwise it’s a minimal impact.

    orangeboy
    Free Member

    The small shop I work in is rammed with service work but we have not had a crazy sales boom sadly.

Viewing 20 posts - 41 through 60 (of 60 total)

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