The bicycle industry is enjoying rapidly rising sales figures. For customers, however, the joy is limited. Whether it's a groupset, brake pads or suspension fork - many bikers are currently searching in vain for the right add-on parts. "The Far East simply can't keep up with the orders," says Jürgen Schlender from Alutech Bikes.
Rose bikes also have exceptionally long delivery times. Delays of up to six months are possible, especially for mountain bikes. It goes without saying that this also affects the availability of complete bikes. "We are unable to deliver many bikes because we are waiting for missing components," says Anatol Sostmann, Director Product & Brand at Shipper Rose. "We are constantly on the lookout for equivalent alternative products, then the bikes will be delivered with them after consultation with the customer if necessary." And Tim Böker, Head of Retail at Rose Bikes, assures: "Everyone whose bike delivery is affected by the delay will receive a personal email from us about the status of their order with all the important information and next steps to find a workable solution for the customer."
A solution that customers will probably have to prepare for in 2021. But even these leftover parts are not available indefinitely. Scene insiders also expect that sooner or later Price adjustments by the manufacturers. Rising freight costs are said to be to blame. Whether by air or sea freight: The next few months will show how many of the goods ordered from the Far East will arrive in Germany. One thing is clear: picky customers will have a hard time in 2021 and wearing parts will apparently remain in short supply at times. Rose CEO Marcus Diekmann sees only one way to reduce the heavy dependence on Asian suppliers: "Despite good experiences in the past in many segments in Asia, production facilities and capacities must also be built up in Europe. This is a task that the entire industry can only tackle together."
There will also be bottlenecks in the shops in 2021
We have enquired with several well-known manufacturers. First things first: everyone has reported supply bottlenecks. Some make concrete statements, some keep a low profile. Nevertheless, a distinction must be made: Direct shippers can assess stock levels more clearly. Specialist brands, on the other hand, have already supplied their dealers with bikes and are therefore unable to clearly state which and how many of the bikes have already been sold.
"The longer you wait, the more difficult it becomes - or at least it has a negative impact on the delivery time," says Lars Wiegand from the Shipper Radon. Often only one or two add-on parts are missing for delivery. "In the best-case scenario, it's just a saddle or handle, but often a fork or shock is also missing," says Wiegand. "We've even considered delivering bikes without grips," Wiegand continues. According to the motto: The main thing is that the customer gets his bike, it shouldn't be because of a missing handle. Radon bikes are also slightly more expensive. Due to the increased delivery and transport costs, the Bonn-based mail order company's prices will rise by around 30-50 euros per bike.
The Lake ConstanceShipper Propain warns its customers in a press release. Especially with Propain: customers can normally choose between many add-on parts using the online configurator. Many parts are still in stock. Delivery times for complete bikes are (currently) between 25 days and six months, depending on the model. The Propain press release states: "In future, every single component will be labelled with a date."
If a desired component is out, you have to wait longer: "...currently delivery times are up to 14 months in the worst case. In normal times, for example, the average delivery time is 90 days." In addition to longer delivery times, Propain is one of the first German bike manufacturers to offer its customers Price increases one. Propain writes: "It sounds contradictory to raise prices while we are selling more bikes than ever before. We are faced with sharply increased transport and purchasing costs and have made major investments in our organisation to keep up with the momentum..."
Even the component giants Shimano and Sram have responded to our enquiry. Shimano was clearer in its statement than its competitor Sram. You can read what Shimano had to say about current supply bottlenecks below. However, insiders know that both manufacturers are currently having problems supplying bike brands and online shops with pre-ordered components.
What does the situation look like for individual manufacturers? BIKE asked
- Are there currently supply bottlenecks for some parts/models?
- What are the reasons for this?
- Will there also be shortages of wearing parts (brake pads, chains, cassettes, etc.)?
- When is availability expected to return to normal?
YT Industries
Are there currently supply bottlenecks for some parts/bikes?
YES X
NO
If so, which models have poor availability?
With our Jeffsy model.
Which models are still available in sufficient quantities?
The Izzo, Tues, Capra and Decoy product families.
When is availability expected to return to normal?
A statement about a general normalisation cannot be made due to the current situation. We expect increased availability for some product families at the beginning/mid-March.
Canyon
Are there currently supply bottlenecks for some parts/bikes?
YES X
NO
If so, which models have poor availability?
Delivery dates for bikes are currently being postponed due to delayed deliveries of components. This means that customers have to wait longer for their bikes than promised. This is a problem that is known to affect the entire industry. However, if you order a bike "from stock", you can be sure that it will be delivered directly.
Nevertheless, the first 2021 models will be sold out in January/February. The cheaper the bikes (Grand Canyon, Neuron AL), the more we have ordered. However, as demand increases sharply seasonally, these will also be fully booked in early summer. The range of high-priced Lux, Exceed and Neuron CF models is currently thinning out.
What are the reasons for the bottleneck?
Consistently higher global demand than planned, cautious forecasts for expensive bikes and Covid effects among suppliers. There is also no sign of an off-season - despite the weather and temperatures.
2021 bikes will therefore be sold out three to four months earlier than planned. Reordering is not possible due to the current lead time/supply chain situation. The warehouses are empty.
Which models are still available in sufficient quantities?
Thanks to our direct sales organisation, available models are always visible on the website on a daily basis, which is transparent and advantageous for the customer. With the expectation that the pandemic will last well into the spring and with warmer temperatures and good weather the demand for bikes typically increases even further, I assume that the entire 2021 vintage will be sold out well before the changeover to the 2022 model year.
Radon
Are there currently supply bottlenecks for some parts/bikes?
YES X
NO
If so, which models have poor availability?
For the Skeen Trail AL and Swoop AL models.
What are the reasons for the bottleneck?
The very high demand, early availability in some cases since summer 2020 and supply bottlenecks at various suppliers and frame manufacturers.
Which models are still available in sufficient quantities?
The models Skeen Trail CF, Slide Trail, Jab, Swoop CF, Jealous CF ZR Team, ZR Lady. The Render E-Fully will also be available again in the next two to three weeks.
When is availability expected to return to normal?
This is currently difficult to predict. Models that are currently in short supply should be available again in autumn at the latest, but in terms of the market, the supply bottlenecks will certainly continue into 2022.
Scott
"As our 2021 model year bikes have already been in delivery since late summer 2020, we have already been able to provide our dealers with a solid supply of the models they have pre-ordered. Deliveries are currently continuing at a steady pace. However, due to the strong and sustained increase in demand for bikes last year, the individual reorder capacity is significantly more limited than in previous seasons. There may also be delays due to the known global economic challenges."
Cube
"Unfortunately, as a specialist retail brand, we can't give a blanket answer to these questions. The term "available" is not unambiguous. The question should rather be: Where is what available? Is there stock in the bike store? Does the retailer still have free capacity from his pre-order or can he even add goods? As a manufacturer, we do not have an inventory overview of every retailer we have supplied. While one dealer is sold out, there may be shops in the neighbouring town that still have the bike you want.
Munich Airport doesn't have a third runway, but we recently opened our third assembly line. In times when we have to contend with many adversities, this helps us to serve our specialist dealers in the best possible way. After all, it is a fact that we have to compensate for interruptions in our operational processes. Both in terms of the flow of goods and staff. For example, the neighbouring district of Cheb/Eger holds the Czech negative record with Covid-19 incidence values of over 1000!
Cube pays travel allowances to Czech colleagues so that they really do commute solo in order to minimise the risk. We also offer weekly series tests and of course fulfil all hygiene requirements. Nevertheless, it is unavoidable that employees are absent due to positive cases in their environment simply because of quarantine. We are gradually increasing the daily numbers to a level that has never been seen before.
In the end, it's all about keeping your eyes open and - if it's possible again - planning another trip to the retailer."
Shimano
Are there currently supply bottlenecks for some parts/bikes?
YES X
NO
If so, which ones is this the case?
With tens of thousands of parts, this cannot be answered in detail for each individual product. The parts that are affected are also affected to varying degrees depending on their complexity.
What are the reasons for the bottleneck?
In 2020, we have seen a worldwide cycling boom, partly due to the Covid-19 crisis, but also due to the continuation of the positive development of cycling that we have already seen in most European markets in previous years. Many people are buying bikes and accessories and it can be assumed that many more people are now cycling for leisure, sport or as a means of transport for short to medium distances. This huge increase in demand has led to our customers selling significantly more bikes and placing significantly more orders with us than originally announced. This immense demand is exceeding our capacity plans many times over and is causing our delivery dates to be postponed.
When is availability expected to return to normal?
Current demand depends on the development of the Covid-19 situation and the measures taken by governments in the various states and countries in this context. Among other things, how these affect raw material production in earlier stages of the supply chain. But also on the long-term, sustainable development of cycling, which could be influenced, among other things, by even more people switching to bicycles due to a lack of alternatives in public transport systems, or increased use of bicycles for leisure and sporting activities. The current order situation is very positive, but forecasts about future demand are extremely difficult to make, especially in the current situation. Nevertheless, we believe that the bicycle market will continue to grow and have taken measures throughout the company to create structures that will enable us to expand production and better control the situation. Our production output in the second half of 2020 was higher than in any previous period and for 2021 we have made preparations to expand production by a further 1.5 times the current capacity.
Sram/Rockshox
"2020 was a year that presented us all with new and unprecedented challenges and will certainly continue to do so in 2021. Despite the tough restrictions at the beginning of the year, we in the bicycle industry are very fortunate that many people have discovered nature and cycling as a new hobby.
At Sram, the safety of our employees is our top priority. By adapting quickly and flexibly to the new circumstances, we have been able to avoid Covid-19 infections as far as possible and have gained a lot of good experience with new communication channels, home office models and online training for dealers. Many of the new ways of connecting with people digitally have proven to be very efficient alternatives and will certainly influence the way we work in the future.
A major challenge and priority for us as the world's leading component manufacturer is currently to satisfy the increased demand for our products in all sales channels. We were largely able to avoid plant closures and production stoppages by taking early precautionary measures at our production sites worldwide and among our employees. Despite all the measures taken and investments made in capacity expansions, it will take some time to adjust capacities to the sharp rise in demand.
Even though the current situation will be with us for some time to come, we are delighted with the unprecedented interest in bicycles, which is also a great opportunity to initiate the necessary rethinking process in transport mobility and to give bicycles the importance they deserve."
Laurin Lehner
Editor
