Bicycle Shops Scramble to Get Supplies

Some bicycle shops in the metro are scrambling to get bikes and bike parts. That’s because supply-chain issues are putting the brakes on bike production. With rising gas prices, the demand for new bikes is increasing.

“Anytime we see prices in gas spike the height that they do, we see an interest in riding bikes to work,” said Pam Sayler, owner of Trailhead Cycling.

The bike shop is one of the local businesses feeling the impact. Trailhead Cycling has two locations, one in Champlin and another in Plymouth.

More people are biking because of high gas prices, and the demand for new bikes is also high. Local Shops are scrambling to keep inventory.

“What we’re seeing in Plymouth is we’re selling more electric bikes, and most of those electric bikes are being used to commute to work,” explained the bike shop owner.

She says the stores have plenty of family bikes in stock, but higher-end bikes are limited.

“We may not have the color you want. We try to keep as many as the different sizes in stock,” said Sayler.

Experts say the demand for electric bikes is skyrocketing.

Customer Harriet Johnson is shopping for a new electric bike. She says the cycle will help when riding up hills and going long distances.

“The ease in riding and it will just be fun, and I want an E-bike that fits me,” she said.

Supply-chain issues that started during the pandemic are still a problem, and even more so when it comes to electric bikes.

“That’s completely related to the computer chip issue coming out of Shanghai. Even though that shutdown should be resolved in the next couple of weeks, we still have a backlog of backorders,” Sayler said.

And good luck if you need to bring your bike in for repairs. The wait is at least two weeks at the Champlin location and one week at Plymouth.

Supply-chain issues are also putting the brakes on what some bike companies produce. Experts say some bike manufacturers are building products for new bikes but do not necessarily have any extra for bike repairs.

Meanwhile, customers will have to be flexible until things get back to normal.

Be patient, or come in with at least three choices,” said Sayler. 

See also: Brooklyn Center Receives Federal Funding for Bike Parks