There is a national bike shortage, unlike anything I have
seen before. This is due to increased demand and extensive disruptions to the
supply chain. My advice: when you see something that you like – BUY IT. I
expect to have a very limited inventory of our most popular bicycles very soon.
That message came from Charlie McCorkle, co-founder and
owner of the Bicycle Habitat shops here in New York. He is echoing somthing I've heard and read
from sources all over this country, as well as in England, France and other
places: The shutdown or limited schedules
in effect on transit systems, restrictions on travel and increased numbers of
people working from home (or not at all) have boosted the demand for
bicycles. People who haven't been
astride two wheels in decades are mounting saddles and pushing pedals to get to
their jobs in hospitals, nursing homes, shipping centers and other places where
essential work is done. Other folks are
riding bikes to shop at whatever places are open, and I've noticed more
families (or, at least, adults and children) riding together than I can ever
recall seeing.
But the restrictions on travel--and employees who are too
sick to work or are self-quaranitining--mean that bicycle manufacturers,
importers, wholesalers and shippers means that fewer bikes are being produced,
and whatver bikes are produced are slower to arrive in shops. Moreover, most bike dealers are, ironically,
remaining open for fewer hours, and with fewer employees (due to social
distancing regulations), so it takes longer for bikes to go from their shipping
cartons to the shop floor.
This situation reminds me of the 1970s North American Bike
Boom. At its peak--around
1972-73--domestic manufacturers simply couldn't crank out bikes, and importers
couldn't bring them to this country, quickly enough. Customers frequently had months-long wait times
for popular models from major brands. I
know, because I was one of those customers:
I placed a deposit on a Schwinn Continental in July 1972, just after my
birthday, and didn't receive it until the middle of October.
Back then, companies simply couldn't keep pace for a sudden
surge in demand. This time, though, the
capacity is there, but the people aren't.
Also, during the Bike Boom, most bikes purchased in the US were made
in-country or came from Europe or Japan.
Now, the vast majority of bikes and bike-related items sold here come
from China or Southeast Asia, where production has decreased or stopped
altogether. So, while the bike shortage
of the Bike Boom didn't extend to other pars of the market or economy, bikes
are in short supply now for the same reasons medical suppliles and other goods
are hard to find right now.
