Erzulis Boat 

There is a joke about Heaven and Hell.

Heaven- Greeted by the English, cooked for by the French, entertained by the Italians, and scheduled by the Germans.

Hell- Greeted by the French, cooked for by the English, entertained by the Germans, and scheduled by the Italians.

I ordered a Colnago Master frameset from Italy a while ago.................I am still waiting! Never hesitate with the Italians, start the process immediately!

DangerousDanR

Early in my engineering days there was a certain computer company (DEC) who suddenly announced that they would have an 18 months shipping delay for all orders. At the time, they were the top machine for lab instrument control and scientific small computers.

Their users group's international conference even featured some DEC engineers in "adds from the Useless Products Group" that included a cereal in the shape of ones and zeros. One of the DEC engineers in the "ad" played a kid eating the cereal who said "look daddy, I just spelled a naughty word - delivery in 90 days." The "dad" in the commercial said "If you want to grow up to be a DEC salesman you are going to have to learn to eat those words." I think the bike industry is in the same place.

This year has been a pain. I bought a fat bike frame (I hope) from a Chinese on line ho had stellar reviews. Advertised delivery was first of November. Then no forks, just frame and wheels. Got a suspension fork. Then Delivery end of November. Now, who knows. Most fat bike stuff is advertised to ship by February now. I want the frame by the end of December.

I have been close to telling them to give me my money back, which they would probably do and sell the frame and wheels for a lot more than I am paying. Sigh! Leave a bad review saying they don't ship promptly? So what, No one does either. So I stew about it, but I don't regret buying the frame. I just hope it ships soon.

I just want to get the wheels and frame. Everything else was in my parts bin or available on eBay or in case of the fork, direct from the manufacturer. A nice carbon fiber fat bike with carbon wheels on DT Swiss hubs and a good suspension fork for under 3K. If I ever get the missing pieces, what is not to love.

rsbob 

IMO your hobby strategy is quite sound. It certainly would cut down on impulse purchases perhaps later regretted.

When I am on the hunt for a newish car, I let others pay the initial depreciation, I get a bit obsessed, so I have learned to back off and revisit after a month or two and see if I really need or want it that badly. Same goes for expensive luxury purchases like a new bike. So far I have put off buying a new car since March with a little help from uncle COVID.

Now if I didn’t have a bike and needed one immediately then I would not be so constrained and would go for the closest thing to the one I really wanted.

robbyville

I'm sure you are right, you would certainly know! A friend who I ride with and owns a local small shop that does mostly pinarello told me to stock up on my preferred tires as that would be the next product to become fairly scarce it seems.

OldTryGuy

I waited months and would do so again.

eduskator

I don't buy expensive things on a whim, so the answer is no. I bought my 2021 TCR back in September and had to drive 4 hours to a bicycle shop that had it in stock. LBSs in my area weren't able to get one until January 2021. As of today, I don't regret my purchase.

Also, where I live, they don't make you pay for a product they don't have in stock. Some LBSs will ask for a deposit while others simply take your name and call you when they receive the model you want.

Psimet2001 

I stock and sell and run Pirelli. They were out for the longest time this summer but when I wanted to get them it wasn't more than a few weeks wait before I had them in the shop. They have been in and out. Other tires have been impossible.

oujeep1

I did have to wait, and did change my mind. When Cervelo was in its infancy and difficult to get, I was looking at getting a Look 585, I had a shoulder scope and was going to be off bike awhile. Between me and the bike shop owner I decided to order a Cervelo, this was in November, he says it won't be here til February, no problem I said. So in February I go back in, having heard no updates, and ask about it. He gets on his computer and puzzled look comes on his face- "How do you feel about July 15"
I bought the Look, and loved it without a doubt best bike I ever had until I got my current S-works Tarmac

Pizzaiolo Americano 

I don't mind waiting but, I won't pay entirely up front or make an non-refundable deposit. Most shops and manufacturers are going on sheer guesses as to when they can deliver products...

Hypno Toad

I've offered my shop (owner is a friend) a down payment ... mostly to make sure the money doesn't get spent somewhere else ... but he will not take anything in advance.

Juan Foote

My latest purchase was a GT Traffic "city" style (MTB). It is an inexpensive bike that I purchased to fill a desire to have a bike I didn't mind being stolen or damaged in relation to some social riding I was doing at the time. It has turned out to be one of the best utilitarian mess around bikes I have ever owned and knowing what I do now, certainly would wait several months on it.

When I was working with a shop and participating in a lot of competitive group rides, my wife purchased me the finest bike I had ever and will ever own. The Specialized Roubaix. It is a SUPER fine bike. At the time of purchase I was riding enough to more than justify the purchase and almost instantly my riding fell to a mere fraction of what it was at the time, where it remains. I have a coming on 8 year old super nice low mile bike that a lot was paid for, and a complete waste of my time and the space it now occupies.

Hard to see the future.