Bike stores were already booming during the lockdown from March, with repairs and servicing in high demand. The easing of restrictions from April 2020 at the latest marked the start of the service season and the run on new bikes: Swiss bike stores reached the limits of their capacity in many places, not just in the workshop - more could have been achieved in sales too if availability had been better.

Why is that? The lockdown in the bicycle factories for frames and parts in Taiwan and China, for example, at the beginning of 2020 caused initial delivery delays and massive logistics problems. Quarantine measures and the implementation of protection concepts are further reducing output in the bike factories. Subsequently, in spring - driven by the extreme demand in the bike trade - a massive wave of orders rolled in for parts and frame manufacturers. Whereas lead times for components of between four and twelve weeks used to be the norm, these lead times are now skyrocketing. For example, delivery times for popular tires or saddles, which are actually quite trivial components, are now up to nine months or even longer. Industry experts say that orders placed by bicycle manufacturers are associated with delivery times of at least nine to twelve months and longer.

The Andorran bike manufacturer Commençal paints this picture of the situation: "Sourcing most of the components needed to assemble a complete bike has become extremely difficult these days. Saddles, tires, suspension elements, drivetrains. The major component brands such as Shimano, Sram, Fox or Schwalbe - which mainly produce in Taiwan - state delivery times of between 9 and 18 months, whereas they can normally deliver within a maximum of 3 months. This is due to difficulties in sourcing certain raw materials or the closure of various factories due to Covid."

Another factor: the logistics

Once the bicycle parts have finally been produced in East Asia, they have to make their way around the globe. And here too, the coronavirus crisis is causing considerable difficulties. Again, Commençal has a clear statement on this: "The delivery times for the transportation of goods from Asia to all other continents have exploded. To give a concrete example: Whereas we used to need around three weeks to send a container from Taiwan to the USA, we currently need between two and three months. The ports are overloaded. Ships sometimes spend several weeks at the port entrances waiting to be unloaded. The costs for these shipments have risen sharply. On average, we are currently paying four times as much to transport this container compared to the same period last year."

Industry experts also report a sharp rise in prices and capacity bottlenecks for air freight. Although passenger aircraft are being partially repurposed for freight transportation, the transport volume cannot be compensated for by the sharp reduction in air traffic. Prices for air freight are said to have risen by a factor of two to four.

And the prices for bikes

Talking of prices: Numerous bike manufacturers are set to increase their prices in 2021. Commençal says of the exchange rates: "The currencies of our most important countries - the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia - have fallen significantly against the Taiwanese dollar. The manufacturing price of our bicycles has therefore risen sharply within a few months."

Finally, the economic principle of "high demand, reduced supply" will also ensure that prices will certainly not fall. However, back in October 2020, the custom-made bicycle manufacturer Velotraum pointed out that the bicycle industry could be heading towards a bubble. If unfavorable factors are added - such as a completely rainy spring - the production boom could lead to overproduction. One thing remains certain: it is and will remain very challenging for bike manufacturers and bike stores to have the right bikes in stock in the right quantities. And the corona crisis is likely to leave its mark not only in the upcoming year 2021, but also beyond.