Buy a Bike Now or Yule Miss Out

A global shortage of bicycles might see Australians miss out on their two-wheeled Christmas wishes.

The bike boom that began during coronavirus restrictions earlier this year is continuing and those with a bicycle on their list of gifts to buy are being urged to reserve their purchase now or wait until at least 2021.

Manufacturers around the world have the pedal to the metal to fulfil orders, but there is a large backlog to fill and only weeks until Santa slides down the chimney.

Bicycle Network CEO Craig Richards said people should visit their local bike shop as soon as possible.

“If you see a new bike at the top of a Christmas wish list, the time to head to the bike shop is now, otherwise you may miss out,” said Richards.

He suggested that it was a good time to put an order in, just like you would pre-order other festive season essentials.

Geard Cycles in Launceston have enough children’s bikes now but will definitely run out before Christmas; Ulverstone Cycles has 550 bikes on order including Christmas presents; while My Ride Hobart has enough stock at the moment but availability of certain models is patchy.

“If you can’t get a new bike for a loved one, you could give them a servicing IOU or gift card to restore their old clunker back to its original glory,” added Richards.

As well as increased demand from the COVID boom, global bike manufacturing has also been affected by outgoing US President Trump’s increased tariffs on goods made in China. Bike companies had stopped building bikes in China but are now starting to return, despite the increased cost.

Companies that have been able to continue to produce enough bikes have then been stumped by logistics issues, with shipping delays slowing down the flow of products from the factory to shop floors.

While it is expected that Santa’s elves are working hard to assist bike companies in making some new bikes, the shipping delays have also made correspondence with the North Pole difficult.

The 2020 bike boom – a short history

• Bike riding first increased in early 2020 as a COVID-safe mode of transport that could replace crowded train, tram and bus trips
• Interest boomed during COVID-19 restrictions when people used bikes to get daily exercise, social interaction and explore the local neighbourhoods they were confined to
• Bike sales increased so rapidly that retailers described bikes as “the new toilet paper”
• Hobart’s foreshore trail recorded about 3000 more bicycle movements in May this year than January, which is typically the busiest month.
• Cities around the world, including Melbourne and Sydney, began building new bike lanes and trails to accommodate the growth in riding and encourage people to use bikes for transport
• As we near the end of 2020, retailers and manufacturers around the world are still struggling to keep up with consumer demand