Bicycle prices 2023: Looking to the future: will there soon be discounts for mountain bikes?

The times when bikes, brake pads and suspension forks were in short supply seem to be over. It's hard to believe: a year ago, the industry was still suffering from massive supply bottlenecks and reported Price increases of up to 25 per cent for mountain bikes! Above all E-mountain bikes have never been more expensive.

And now? Spare parts: here! Stock: full! You can also see this when you scroll through the websites of online retailers or look in shop windows. This is also due to the fact that rising inflation and fears of high energy costs put the brakes on consumer behaviour at the end of 2022. Nevertheless, experts predict a slight upturn in 2023.

"The delivery times for components have normalised, and heating and electricity costs have not risen as much as expected. I believe things will normalise in 2023," says Robert Krauss from the Allgäu-based distributor Propain.

Bicycle demand in 2023 no worse than in previous years

Tobias Hempelmann, from the German Bicycle Trade Association, is also optimistic in a panel discussion organised by Presse Dienst Fahrrad: "The trade is still in hibernation, but there are signs that demand will be no worse than in recent years," says Hempelmann.

Nevertheless, many warehouses are still full. "This is also due to the fact that dealers ordered in the boom mood," says Peter Denk from Specialized. According to our information, some dealers have been encouraged by the manufacturers to order even more. While they often only received a third of the ordered goods in 2021/2022, the full load will arrive in 2023. Even though the shelves in the shops are still full. Consequence: retailers cannot pay. A cash flow problem is looming.

According to rumours, many manufacturers are also renting warehouses in Asia to temporarily store bikes that have been produced in excess. The artificial market shortage is intended to keep prices constant. However, some scene experts are expecting a discount battle, albeit more in the lower and middle price segments.

Discount battle for bicycles in 2023? Good for the customer, but only for now

Even if very few manufacturers want to say it openly, we can expect substantial discounts in 2023. At least for many bike models. It may therefore be worth waiting a few more weeks before making a purchase. However, according to industry experts, the prices of particularly popular bike models are likely to remain stable. Even price increases are not ruled out here.

Nevertheless: good news for mountain bikers, one would think. However, Sebastian Tegtmeier from Bike-Components only sees short-term advantages for customers: "In the long term, this will have disadvantages, because if realistic prices are not realised on the market, products will have to be produced more cheaply in order to ensure the necessary margins," says Tegtmeier. The service and quality of the products could suffer in this scenario.

Where is the money from the bicycle boom years?

Many retailers and manufacturers generated a profit during the Bicycle boom many times over in times of the pandemic. The bicycle boom. Well-known leading media labelled the bicycle industry as crisis profiteers - and rightly so.

But the capital was invested in production, innovation and employees. Employees, some of whom are now being made redundant again for fear of the recession. Just like the US manufacturer Specialized. The Americans got rid of around eight per cent of their employees worldwide. The online accessories shop Bike Components also made 20 per cent of its workforce redundant - as early as summer 2022.

Such ups and downs pose major challenges for the industry. Only recently, production in Asia had to be increased many times over, and now some production is to be scaled back again. "We've never had a situation like this before. We need a certain degree of consistency again," says Denk.

Discount: These mountain bike models have already been reduced in 2023

Radon Skeen HD - Price reduction: -400 Euro
The top model with Fox Factory suspension is now available at a lower price again - for 3399 euros. The prices of the Radon models Jab, Jealous and Swoop have also fallen.

Specialized Epic Expert - Price reduction: -1600 Euro
The US manufacturer was the first to raise its prices, and quite significantly at that. Many models are now cheaper again. For example, the Epic. Now 6500 euros.

YT Izzo Core 4 - Price reduction: -800 Euro
The bike mail order company from Franconia had already lowered its prices in November. You now have to pay 4799 euros for the Izzo Core 4 trail bike.