Now is the Best Time in History to Get into Bicycling
If you’ve been paying attention to the bicycle market for the past year, you’ve probably noticed something peculiar. What used to be seasonal sales from manufacturers has turned into weekly or monthly sales for any and every reason they can imagine. From BOGO ride with a friend sales to “Hey, It’s Friday” sales, it seems that every inbox or social media feed is inundated with sales from all sides of the bicycle industry. Believe me, it’s not you. It’s true. There are sales upon sales happening right now. The supply is correcting and the prices are dropping as manufacturers are selling off their inventory to mitigate their losses as much as they can. As a local bike shop owner, it’s painful, but we’ll manage. What we LIKE about this scenario is that it is a really amazing time for folks to get a bicycle either for the first time or to upgrade to a bike they’ve been thinking about. In our opinion, there hasn’t been a better time to get a bike in over a decade and here’s why.
1) The price for the technology is the best it’s been in about a decade. Right now you can get a well made, steel frame all-road/gravel bike (even factory handmade bikes like All City) with GRX hydraulic kit on them for sale prices of $1500 or so. These bikes were priced at 2499 during the height of the supply shortage and inflation period post Covid. Right now, folks are getting the most value for their dollars in the bike market that really opens the doors for them to fall in love with the bicycle without having to go top dollar for a top notch bicycle.
2) Ebikes are getting more and more affordable as the market explodes with options. The market is over ran with suppliers and in the ebike market it is important that consumers utilize the expertise of the local bike shop when sussing out the ebike market. Clever marketing campaigns and thousands of manufacturers create downward price presssure on the product but there are a lot of subpar products as a result of this wild west approach to the ebike market. That being said, there are some really great, well made, and reputable ebike makers that have the price point, quality, and back end support post purchase that your local bike shop can advise you on that makes it worth your while to give them your time to shop around for the bike that fits your need. You can get a reliable, quality ebike for $1500 to $2000 and a Bosche system for $2500 to $3000.
3) We’re all noticing the changing weather patterns that are growing more intense and more frequent. This isn’t a fluke and it isn’t a surprise. The reliance on burning carbon based fuel is a contributing factor to the weather patterns that continue to drive drought, fire, hailstorms, hurricanes, and flooding. These things impact the cost of living, food, heating, and cooling…our basic necessities to live in our towns and cities. The small and intentional actions of individuals help to mitigate these impacts. Parking the car and using the human powered bike, whether ebike or analog, is another way to contribute to the problems we have to continue to solve.
If you’ve been thinking about getting a bike, now’s a great time to explore that option. The price is fantastic and the options are amazing. There has never been better bike designs or bike technology for riding anywhere or doing anything by bike in recent history. Stop in and check out what we’re talking about. We think you’ll agree!