Feel like enjoying the good weather by taking a ride on a brand new bike?
Well, Toronto bike stores are still dealing with pandemic-era shortages and supply chain issues — although they are easing up a bit.
“The demand was huge and the supply was not there — it’s the same still,” said Cyclepath Toronto owner Ron Brand, whose shop is at Yonge and Eglinton.
“It’s not as bad as it was but it still a challenge from certain companies to get certain things. Not only bicycles but getting parts is the hugest thing right now.”
Brand says waiting for certain bikes can range from months up to a year.
Still, Brand said business remains good with the bikes they do have to sell and service “is massive, I mean our service is through the roof.”
Spokes and Sports owner Alex Fraser, whose shop is on Avenue Rd. in North York, can relate to Brand’s challenges but says things are slightly improving at his end too.
“This year because we were actually getting some (bikes) back in stock we seem to be as busy or busier than the last two years as well and that’s a good problem to have,” said Fraser.
“But you might run into this situation where I might have 10 of one thing but it might be a year for the alternative colour for example. One of the biggest highlights is that a lot of folks maybe couldn’t get a bike from us, you’re now seeing them return in waves to get that next ‘better’ bike. Anything where you’re looking to upgrade, you still have to manage your expectations and pre-order months, even years in advance. We just had a bike in that was ordered in April 2020 for a gentleman.”
Among the continuing biking trends is increasing demand for e-bikes with food delivery people and older cyclists leading the way.
“It may get bigger, especially with the price of gas,” said Brand. “I notice a lot of business people are coming in and going, ‘You know, I just can’t afford to drive anymore. So I need a bike.’”
Added Fraser: “We’ve probably seen a doubling in sales from 2019 to now in the e-bike department but again we sold maybe two or three in 2019 to give you some perspective. It’s an exciting department. A lot of people coming in, potentially a little older or retired, wanting to ride more and farther with their family members, that is why the e-bikes are doing so well.”
Both Brand and Fraser say a newer trend is towards gravel bikes, “which is huge and seems to be the new favourite thing of everybody,” says the former.
“It’s basically an off-road road bike if you will,” said Brand. “It’s like the new-school touring bike. They’re designed to do off-road trails. They’re designed for bigger, longer, rides.”
Added Fraser: “What you’re seeing is people converting their standard road bike and doing some easy retro-fitting in terms of tires and gear performance and making a bike that’s more accessible for some off road (cycling). The bikes are designed to be more capable for going up and down hills. City bikes are almost being emulated after this gravel category. Gravel’s the new exciting thing.”
Brand and Fraser say a standard hybrid bike costs between $700-$1,200 versus $1,200-$10,000 for a gravel bike and $3,000-$8,000 for an e-bike.
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