I am not sure I have ever seen anything like this before. Usually, as Spring approaches this is when bicycles are in high demand and the current year models are selling at regular prices while the following year models are about to be introduced.
But instead, there are a lot of 2022 models remaining and 2023 models are available in an abundance and they are either on sale or the prices have dropped significantly. This is a 180-degree turnaround from what was happening the last couple of years where prices were skyrocketing and bicycles and parts were hard to find.
So why is this happening? Well, a few reasons. Many of the orders that were made during the supply chain shortage due to Covid restrictions and other things finally have been delivered. The problem is because Covid restrictions and fears have almost completely dwindled to nothing, people have gone back to their normal lives. Many of these people jumped on the so-called “bicycle bandwagon”. So demand has dropped while more supplies that are needed are in stock in warehouses throughout the bicycle industry. When demand drops, the bicycle shop business slows. They sell fewer bicycles and fewer parts, thus needing to drop prices to move products, especially outdated ones, out of their shops. This is bad for the bicycle industry as a whole but great for consumers who are looking for deals.
The cost of bicycles has significantly increased for the last 10 years and even more rapidly over the last 5. I think it’s time the market stabilizes and prices come back down to where they should be. It wasn’t that long ago that spending $1000 – $1500 on a bicycle would get you on the high end of models. $3000 would be an absolute top-of-the-line model with the best parts on it. These days you basically get a mid-range model for $2500 – $3000 and top-of-the-line models easily go well over $5000. It has actually gotten pretty out of hand, to be honest.
If you see what is happening today, bicycle companies are starting to come out with more affordable but pretty decent models. Most of these models are easily upgraded and well worth getting into, especially for people just getting into the sport. If you are looking for a new bicycle, especially a higher-end Road, Gravel, or Mountain Bike, now is the time to start shopping.
