B.C. bike shops bursting with stock as pandemic supply chain issues ease

If you're in the market for a new bicycle, now is an ideal time to score a deal, bike shop owners in British Columbia say.

During the pandemic, demand for bikes soared — and so did prices — as people sought out activities while stuck at home and severed supply chains meant supply was limited.

Now, those supply chains have resumed and prices are dropping as shops contend with an overflow of stock.

"COVID just scrambled everything," said Andrea Smith, owner of Sidesaddle Bike Shop in Vancouver.

Smith said late deliveries of 2022 bikes combined with an early arrival of 2023's stock have created a bike boom this spring, which is the most popular time for purchases.

In March 2021, Sidesaddle could not keep up with demand. At that time, customers calling the store would hear a message warning it was getting more than 400 customer inquiries a day.

Now, the shop is crowded with inventory.

"What are we supposed to do with all these bikes?" said Smith during an interview on The Early Edition on Wednesday.

Bicycles provided an outdoor activity at a time when COVID-19 travel bans and lockdowns made staying indoors either suffocating or dangerous. Health officials were recommending outdoor activities, such as cycling.

Ken Maude, owner of Lynn Valley Bikes in North Vancouver, said he was only able to fill 40 per cent of the 150 customer deposits paid to the store last spring.

Now, he says potential bike buyers have a far better chance of getting a discounted bike because not only does his shop still have a lot of 2023 stock, but next year's stock is also right behind it.

Maude said this year's bicycles will likely go on sale sooner rather than later as 2024's inventory is expected to slam shops before September.

"There is an opportunity for the buyer,' said Maude, also speaking on CBC Radio.