Thoughts On An Industry In The Midst Of Changes

The past several weeks have been something of a sad tale if you have been paying attention to the business of bicycle sales and repair. Brands writing off debt, factories slowing down, shops still having massive discounting on inventory, and mechanics telling tales of woe concerning Direct To Consumer sales.

There are less retailers in many areas. Sales are not picking up, and with tariffs being on-again-off-again, marketers are left wondering how to price goods. My bet is they will err on the side of being more expensive, but this is just my opinion.

Personally I see a chance for things to shift radically in the next five to ten years. With big brands and shops being less of a resource and smaller, niche brands and shops filling gaps where there are voids being created. And voids in the marketplace will be created, I think. 

This may take a while to develop. In the meantime, I feel the used marketplace for bicycles is going to be a bigger deal than ever now. I think local, small scale repair and maintenance will follow along with this. It is already apparent to me, as I work in Waterloo, Iowa, that a need is arising for simple repairs and bicycle knowledge. New collectives are forming here in Iowa which exemplify the style of community service and support to a segment of the communities which traditional retail bicycle shops have been unable to reach or even begin to figure out how to do this. 

The catch is how to make it work economically. I think it will happen as "traditional" retail bicycle prices, labor prices, and bicycle technology gets too expensive for many people to attain to.  

The retail prices for high-end bikes is insane. (Image by A. Andonopoulous)

Bicycle prices, in particular, are beyond ridiculous in many instances. This is another thing I think is unsustainable. It is one of the main drivers of the used market. I see this a lot at the Collective.

Secondary to the pricing, and probably what drives prices so high, are the ever changing "standards" and  unfriendly to maintenance designs which many newer bicycles have now. Tools which were never necessary before must be purchased so a mechanic can work on certain brand's proprietary parts and accessories. 

I feel that this is why so many 1990's and early 2000's bicycles are still desirable, serviceable, and as long as parts are made to revive them, will be around for another 25 to 30 years. These are the bicycles which do what bicycles are supposed to do very well without "gizmos", proprietary parts, or fancy electronics which can fail and be made obsolete over time. Meanwhile most of these newer, and especially the electronically infused newer bikes, won't be sustainable.

Of course, sustainable product which does not need replacement every so often is not an interesting concept for larger brands and manufacturers who base their existence on planned obsolescence and titillating new tech. However; it is my opinion that this string has about run its course with many riders.

As seen on Threads

On The Other Hand... I was passed on my ride this last weekend by a youngster on an electric scooter. First of all, it was great to see a young boy outside, and him not having his face buried into a phone, or inside staring at a screen playing some "action game". However; I also felt he was only getting half the picture right. 

Without putting in an effort to gain that intangible reward we get when we are done with a ride, feeling all those endorphins, or whatever it might be you are feeling (Sore muscles? Being tired? Satisfaction in going beyond perceived barriers?)  I feel like youngsters, like this boy I saw, are short-circuiting what it means to be outdoors and experiencing Nature. But putting forth an effort that might be painful at times, or cause physical duress of any sort, seems to be something to be avoided (more) now. So much so that now a bicycle, or scooter, is not "interesting" to young folks unless it has a motor. And, of course, when these youngsters become older... Well they most likely will be in a car, truck, or SUV of some sort, powered by a motor of some sort as well. Cycling? Whatever....

So, maybe it doesn't matter what happens to the bicycle business. If young people are not interested at a level which might sustain the sport at a high state of existence, or at least where it is now, then big changes will be afoot.

But those are just my rambling thoughts as I sit here on a chilly March morning.