MTB boom after the pandemic: Buy a new bike now or wait and see?

The MTB boom fuelled by the pandemic hit the bike industry with the force of a club. Now exploding energy costs and inflation are causing stress. Will bikes become even more expensive? Or will the opposite happen? These are the questions that many are currently asking themselves. When the Covid virus paralysed the world in March 2020, the MTB industry was worried about a slump in sales. The opposite happened. Demand exploded. But the Supply chains for frames and add-on parts such as forks or brakes were disrupted. The orders could hardly be processed.

How will bike prices develop in 2023?

Panicked by the lack of parts, the companies ordered masses of accessories. But some component was always missing in order to be able to deliver the bikes. As a result, many warehouses are full to the brim. Now, fearing the consequences of the energy crisis, demand is falling in many segments. Many manufacturers have reduced their Prices for mountain bikes already increased for 2022. According to our research, various suppliers have now also announced price increases of between five and ten per cent to compensate for additional costs. In return, stocks released by manufacturers could at least ease the availability of wearing parts. Our tip: it's better to buy now than wait a long time. The big buying boom seems to be over. However, discount battles, as was usual before corona, are still not to be expected.

Opinions from the BIKE editorial team on buying bikes and accessories:

There are many ways to save money. I like to buy used parts that don't wear out too much and are not as safety-relevant as carbon handlebars. With parts such as tyres and sprockets, I check whether they are really worn out before replacing them.

Bike leasing is booming. Similar to a company car, employees only pay for the use, not the ownership. This is called a "benefit in kind" in civil service parlance and does not tear a hole in the wallet like a new private purchase.

The leaps in innovation are no longer as huge as they were years ago. If you want to save weight or achieve better performance, you don't necessarily have to buy a new bike. It is often enough to invest in better add-on parts.