New York ran out of bicycles
 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/18/n...virus.amp.html

“The United States is facing a shortage of bicycles as anxiety over public transportation and a desire to exercise has sent the demand surging.”


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Bikes were moving fast from Larry’s Freewheeling bike shop in Manhattan. The owner, Larry Duffus, said the last time he sold bikes this quickly was during a transit strike in 1980.Credit...Hilary Swift for The New York Times

Is that Penny Farthing hoarding epidemic under control yet? :roflmao:

I guess us people with 12 or 13 bikes crammed into a small space can have a good laugh about these alleged "bicycle shortages".

Was just talking about this with a friend on Monday when we were out for a ride. I had to pick up a new stem bolt for one that cracked a couple of weeks ago at the LBS and the employees there told me they were as busy as they had ever been the past two months - both sales and repairs. And our town is about 12,000 people

Isn't that what N+1 all about? Always a shortage of bikes?

Really amazing times. I sold 4 bicycles (in less than 24hrs) that I had built up over the fall/winter, for full asking price, down to just one now for the first time in a while. I have seen my local shop getting crazy too. I overheard the manager at my local shop talking to someone on the phone who was inquiring about repairs that the wait time was about a month!

Honestly, I am glad that something positive things have come out of this horrible situation. More people getting on bikes plus a real upsurge in LBS business makes me happy...

This only means there will be thousands of bikes on Craig's list when this is over.

I worked for Larry, the shop owner in that story.

The shop I'm working at has sold record numbers and cant get anymore bikes.

The local shop I go to is nearly out of new stock (only a few bikes, and framesets are left) and the shop floor is seemingly full of a massive queue of Craigslist bikes awaiting safety tune-ups/TLC repairs.

One newspaper interview of a shop owner said he did a year's worth of sales in two months.

Who knew that crazy collection of bikes I have in the basement is now worth a small fortune. I think it's time to sell out and retire, :)

...and the NYC listings on CL are now full of gas pipe step-throughs with 1-piece cranks, happily listing for over $300...

Yup; I think this is more a regional phenomena.

DD

Yes, the NYC transit system would be the number one place to avoid if you can. I don't live there but have been a dozen times or more. Cycling would be the way to go.

Well, it would be a great time to thin the herd! I'm going through my collection to see what could be sold quickly.

My son is a wrench at a small shop in East Texas. They sold all their bikes and repairs are backed up a couple weeks.

NYC and bikes...
 

Are they going to get upstate to pedal for them on hills?

I have a friend in NYC who rides his single speed bike across the Brooklyn Bridge. Are there hills in NYC ?

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It looks like the guy in the yellow knit cap is buying from the guy in the ball cap. So, if he's buying a bike to "socially distance" himself, why is he so close to the salesman when neither are wearing masks...?



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This.
I'm selling faster than I can bolt BSOs together and my regional manager says that there aren't more coming in the supply chain.

Top

And who is this guy?

https://i.imgur.com/OZkausf.jpg

Is he posing? And who is the guy in the fedora, bandana and sunglasses? Any other time, this is a stick-up. Are these two in cahoots?

That's my neighborhood shop, Larry's a bit of a local legend, he's been in the retail biz for many, many decades. His shop is near the northwest corner of Central Park and not far from a well-traveled route for the Strava set so it's not odd to see kitted-out folks along with delivery guys that need a quick repair, and someone buying their kid a peewee bike with handlebar streamers. They do a lot of rentals for the park tourists. I keep intending to rent a tandem from him to try with my wife. Actually, the first time I met noglider in person was when he worked there.

CBS Evening News had a report about the current situation at shops. They addressed the fact that with factories in China and Taiwan mainly, people are being told that restocking will not be until late summer-fall.

Here in Pensacola, Fl, its entry level bikes going out the door fast, but some shops are selling out of all inventory including high end bits and pieces. My favorite LBS, Pensacola Cyclesports, cannot build them fast enough for the number of customers with cash in hand.

Glad I am not looking, two projects to complete before anything is even thought about anytime this year.

Bill

Old timers here are hoping its an unconfirmed sighting of R600DuraAce

Bill

Pineapple Bob?

https://allhailtheblackmarket.com/wp...eapple-Bob.jpg

All the old vintage Japanese bikes I was advertising have sold. Yay!. (Even got rid of the "beast" for full asking price). Right now I'm advertising a bike that I picked up off the side of the road yesterday with a sign that said "make offer". Already got two hits from the Facebook ad. Hopefully will sell it in the next day or two.
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My small shop in Minneapolis had 25 bikes ready to go in mid March and we sold out by mid April. Right now I’m selling complete overhaul packages and tune ups for people who bought bikes on Facebook Market Place and Craigslist who are finding out the hard way that the “tuned and ready to ride” isn’t exactly that. I have way more business than I can handle and shipping delays for parts, and especially tires, are very common. I have 20 some bikes or so in my inventory yet that I haven’t gotten around to getting sale worthy and for the third time in two weeks someone has come along and picked one out for me to move to the front of my priority list. They can’t even ride it or try it out. We agree on what the price is, and it’s a bit more than it would’ve been last year, then I get it ready within a week or so. If at the time it’s ready they decide not to buy it, then well, it’s work I needed to do anyway, I’m 3 for 3 though so it’s working out fine. My shop has a good reputation but It never occurred to me to try to pre-sell a used bike until I ran out stock. It probably wouldn’t have worked before now.

You missed it.

:o

The "boss" talked me into riding more and collecting less a few years ago, and she is tough! Last year, though, was insane! I bought a whole new fleet of bikes. All were my size, almost all like new new, higher end, "holy grail" stuff, and (really, really) dirt cheap! VERY, VERY unusual situation. Never, ever experienced anything like it. Now the tide has turned. Got rid of almost the entire old fleet, and there are hardly any other bikes to be bought. The ones that are available are priced at twice what they are worth, and nothing that great. Thank goodness! I am "on the wagon". Both the "boss" and I are both happy. She's also an avid cyclist.