ARE WE HEADING FOR A COST OF CYCLING CRISIS?

With inflation running in the double digits and the bike industry still recovering from the effects of the pandemic, what does the future hold for cycling consumers?

- Adam Becket

If you are one of those lucky people with some disposable income as the cost of living crisis bites, a cursory look at any bike retailer will tell you that shopping for bikes and related accessories is no longer a headache, unlike during the dark days of lockdown.

Back then, as interest in cycling boomed and supply contracted, getting hold of even the most basic parts like tyres could require a Frodo-like quest.

Now, although it might take a while to purchase something specific, such as a Shimano 105 cassette – I’m speaking from experience here – most things, from the customer’s point of view anyway, are readily available again.

The pandemic may not be entirely over, with Covid still a serious issue for many around the world, but for most in the west, life has returned to some kind of normality. There are no legal restrictions, mask-wearing is optional, and some have even returned to the office. As we press forward into the next crisis, however, for many in the bike industry, things are still proving difficult.

With the hike in energy bills – and until last week, the lack of concrete government action on it – there are fears that people might be priced out of cycling. Add to that, uncertainty in south-east Asia, where many bike parts come from, and the industry is not quite out of the woods yet.

Covid doldrums

The pandemic triggered a full-blown crisis in the supply chain, with demand outstripping supply. With raw material shortages occurring too, plus restrictions on factories around the world operating, it was difficult to get product to customers. The people who experienced that the most were the distributors, the middlemen between the brands you know and the bike shops you frequent.