down turn in bikes sales and spares

Hi
im just wondering if its happening to other folks reallly.
I KNOW ITS THE TIME OF YEAR etc and its been similar in the past but things feel like they have ground to a halt this last couple of weeks .
id like to hear if anyone else has felt this please.
Is there still a heap of people spending big or has it dried up for now ,especially noticeable on the mountain bike side of business??
Lots of the big boys(rutland cycles etc offering ridiculous discounts just to move stuff on)
Thanks in advance for polite replies,thanks mark

We are down to 2-3 bikes per day down from 5-15 per day during the TDF. Same goes for repairs. I am told that once the October pay hits peoples bank accounts then kids bikes will be flying off the shelf. I’ve not seen a “proper” MTB leave the shop doors for ages, loads of commuters and road bikes though.

I’m still riding all my old bikes because of wheel size bullshit, that’s lost someone a couple of sales I reckon. And mostly keeping them going with other people’s discards.

Hopefully people are realising that they don’t need to keep buying the crap that bike companies are ramming down their throats to make them believe they’ll ride better. It’s all bollox. You’ll have just as much fun on that 5 year old 26″ bike. The only ones who benefit are the **** shareholders.

Northwind – Member

I’m still riding all my old bikes because of wheel size bullshit, that’s lost someone a couple of sales I reckon

+ lots
All my mountain bikes + spare wheels & tyres are 26″ another wheel size would just expand the already embarrassing collection of stuff.

You’ll have just as much fun on that 5 year old 26″ bike.

Had a day up LLandegla last Sunday on my 2004 enduro. Made me grin like a little kid. When it snaps I will get a new toy but until that day my faithful old spesh will do for me.

I’m surprised its taken this long but it was bound to happen. At best stable but often declining incomes, increased costs of living, x**s on the way, a wet and nasty winter forecast… Add to this the ridiculous prices of bikes with their associated components and clothing, the extremely short obsolescence cycles, plus the constantly changing wheel size and component standards and it its an inevitability.

Cycling has disappeared up its own chuff.

Funny what Northwind et al say, I think part of the reason I haven’t replaced a MTB in years is the shifting standards.

(Spent the last week rebuilding my 1991 Clockwork. Cycles lovely).

I agree. I woudn’t buy a modern bike; I’m quite happy with what I have.

+1 for all the marketing BS stopping people buying bikes. Have been looking for a new bike for my 40th and all the wheel size choices, drive chain choice, all the niche disciplines, ‘standards’ changes etc have just made it too difficult to pin the right bike down. Therefore I still go out on my ‘old’ bikes and have a great time.

Had a clear board in the workshop today by 1pm (this happens about twice a year).No outstanding repairs,no bikes to build for customers and no bikes to build for the shop floor.
Bliss 😀

+1 for being put off with all the new standards – esp wheelsize so am sticking with my 26 Soul for as long as I can keep it running.

On a macro level tho, people are skint – wages not rising and mortgage costs due to go up I suspect there’s a lot of people pulling back on non-essential purchases. if Tesco and Sainsbury are having a hard time making a profit then clearly there;s not a lot of ££ in people’s pockets

there’s a lot of people pulling back on non-essential purchases

Hold on a minuite tiger… since when did a bike become “non-essential purchase”…!!!

I own 4 working bikes :-
10yr old Marin Mount Vision original QUAD link design.
5yr old Marin Wolf Ridge, QUAD II design
Boardman Hybrid commuter
Dolan L’Etape carbon road bike.

Also have a Mekk Potenza frame that is damaged & its going to be repaired & turned into my winter road bike.

Ive hardly ridden my MTB’s this year, in fact its over a year since ive ridden the Mount Vision. The constant redefining of standards & the massive escalation in prices has left me feeling isolated from the MTB scene, I can’t even be bothered to read my latest copy of Singletrack.

The accessories for MTB’ing leave me cold,the clothes are ridiculous colours and spares / upgrades are bonkers prices – even if they will fit on my bikes.
I last rode my Wolf Ridge at Cardinham Woods in Cornwall, had a great time & realised I don’t need or want some big-wheeeled new bike to ride stuff – I already have far more bike than I can handle.

Hold on a minuite tiger… since when did a bike become “non-essential purchase”…!!!

Since the invention of the car?

I’ll be keeping my current bikes until I can no longer cobble one good one together. Only then will I migrate to a 30″ wheel.

Since the invention of the car?

I could just about live without a car. It would make things bloody difficult but it could be done. I couldn’t and wouldn’t live without a bike.

just built up a lovely 29er, rigid forks, stumpjumper frame of ebay, wheels off here and bits and bobs from my spares box and some new low end 9 speed stuff from CRC (chain and cassette) Chrimbo present for klunk junior. Rides lovely if it is a bit of a barge 🙂

I don’t see the point of always buying new when you a cobble together some like this for just over £450

I wasnt really looking for people to slate the current vogues in mountain bike technology!!
As was really after comments from other folks that were in the trade ,a comparison of whos busy etc.

Thats a nice looking bike Klunk.

Does help those in the trade understand why sales are dropping though.

I wasnt really looking for people to slate the current vogues in mountain bike technology!!
As was really after comments from other folks that were in the trade ,a comparison of whos busy etc.

This is STW and any question will end up in folks slating new fangled wheel sizes.

Thats a nice looking bike Klunk.

thanks unfortunately it’s to big for me 🙁

Does help those in the trade understand why sales are dropping though.

After reading on here about how one should support their LBS, I thought I would give it a go.

Turns out, my LBS must be doing just fine. As they were supposed to ring me yesterday, with dates/prices, and I never got a call.

Rang today just to chase up, and apparently they’re shut on Thursdays.

29ers look like clown bikes unless they’re XL, tapered headsets ain’t much better. Why do I need to go to 1×10 and 27.5 wheels it’s daft. If the standards hadn’t changed I’d have probably changed my long travel 2008 steel hardtail by now so the manufacturers have shot themselves in the foot imo.

The uncertainty about about which wheel size will last is holding back my purchase and has been for a couple of years. 27.5 is the obvious choice for me but is it here to stay? And will the price of tyres etc. become more reasonable? In the mean time I’m wearing out my stock of everything 26″ and selling the surplus silly cheap (as are many others) which must be taking some trade from shops.

My LBS (Cycle Addicts) is great, good servicing and tech support, shop rides etc. Unfortunately there isn’t much I need nowadays.
Bikes will always go to him for servicing/repairs though.

Its not just the latest generation of bikes that arent selling though i.e 29ers or 650b.
im a secondhand dealer with lots of stuff in stock -just seems theres a downturn in trade and interest.

Echoing comments already posted, I’ve been waiting to replace my stolen FS for most of the year but have decided to play the ‘wait and see’ game instead.

I’ve dipped my toe in the water with a 650b hardtail but won’t be spending serious money until next year really when things settle down… I want to see 11sp trickle down to SLX level stuff, I don’t want to see 650b disappear as soon as it arrived if I spend money on one etc etc….

If Shimano can deliver 11sp 105 road groupsets for less than £300 where is the MTB equivalent?
I do think MTB-ers are seen as monied up cash cows by the industry at the moment and that puts me off spending serious money currently, nobody likes to feel they’re having the p##s taken out of them but it kind of feels that way currently.

The brief cycling boom is over..
Saturation point has been reached

All the golfing types now have a mtb and road bike, all the hipster boys and girls have finished uni and accepted the gift of a car from mummy and daddy, and the povvo’s who need to get to work cheaply have all bought a commuting bike..
The tour success picked up any stragglers..

Everyone who wants a bike now has one, and as cyclists, they are aware that buying the latest thing is a bent endeavour more suited to golfers and hipsters

Part of it is the constant special offers/discounts/clearances/10%-extra discount-because-the-day-has-a-Y-in-it that fill up my inbox daily. I simply won’t buy anything new, hardware related, unless it’s very,very, heavily discounted.

I keep a close eye on the classifieds and ebay – I picked up most of a barely used high end road groupset for about 40% less than the best online prices.

Clothing is slightly different, and I’m more likely to buy that from a bricks & mortar shop.

I’ve bought one complete, new, ready to ride bike in the last 20 years. The rest have all been custom builds I’ve done myself or frame swaps. Possibly not the greatest role model in that respect!

Bar wheel size, my bikes are all pretty much up to date – most of the new stuff *is* better than the old, but I’m just careful about how and where I spend my pennies.

It is also cold and wet.

Like I said above we shift a steady stream of road and commuters.
I think the thing about mountain bikes, for me anyway, is that there is no performance gained when spending the extra on a top end build. I could go faster on something expensive but I don’t want to. My old enduro is more bike than I will ever need and is plenty quick enough for me. My road bike on the other hand is a different kettle of fish. The difference between a mid priced one and top end one is mahoosive when it comes to performance.

I not buying the wheel size standards debate entirely. I agree it puts some people off but not sure it skews the whole market. IT and home electronics have constantly changing standards and if anything it drives sales.

I reckon people are skint tbh. Be interested to hear from more in the trade though. Is the bike to work scheme still bringing in customers.

I also think people are sick of getting bikes nicked. A lot who bought in the Olympics boom will have experienced that joy, the shrug from the coppers and thought better of investing again.

For the first time in my life I don’t have an N+1 bike. I have a full-susser, a summer roady, an in-betweener and a hack bike all of which I’m happy with. I sometimes look at SS or fatbikes but I’m a zillion miles away from getting the credit card out.

To the OP, it sounds like the market has gone through a period of considerable growth while the UK catches up with the rest of western Europe, but has now matured pure and simple.

We’ve been pretty dead for the last week or so, the month is looking OK though as the few bikes we have sold have contained a few spendy custom MTB builds and a posh road bike or two.

Most of our spend this year has been on upgrading Abigales ride replacing two accident damaged frames from our Alps trip, big up to Specialized for their advice and crash damaged frame help. Even with this, bits from the old build dont fit the new frames and so bits have had to be bought but overall we are happy with the outcome. Still sticking with the 26 inch wheels though as it makes sense to keep our bikes as much standardised as possible.

I read a few and lost interest so this may have been said but the weather’s turned to sh*t and it’s nearly Christmas. If people were going to buy a new bike they’re probably going to wait until the new year as the old one won’t even be getting a huge amount of use right now. Just be thankful for what I assume has been a great year so far.

I am not a big spender on bikes n bits anyway, but prices if bikes and lots of outdoor gear is frankly silly.

For £300 I can buy a BSO with cheap gears, barely damped forks and 13kg in weight, new from shop.
Or I can buy an 18 month old XT/SLX equipped ht with Rockshox fork second hand, that has brand new drive train and just serviced forks….

We are buying 90% of our gear second hand for this reason.

Is it not a case that people over the last few years have bought their “final bike”, I’m still waiting to buy mine 18 months after I started looking. I’m now down to about 5 fully usable gears on by spesh fs (which is 5 years old) as the chain is so short. If I buy a new chain everything else will probably need replacing so I just keep cobbling it back together.