"Nom De Plume" (unlistedusername)
04/22/2020 at 14:50 • Filed to: None
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"Nom De Plume" (unlistedusername)
04/22/2020 at 14:50 • Filed to: None | 1
| 9 |
At beginning of the year I started habitually checking the usual suspects for cycling consumables. T hen Europe basically eradicated outdoor exercise in most to many countries. I awaited sales to reduce warehouse stock and keep fiscally viable.
Imagine my surprise when virtual shelves started clearing off and not being restocked. Then came updates stating no further orders were possible for the indefinite future on product pages. Instead of sales, the typical online discounts from RRP/MSRP vanished.
Apparently in the UK and Australia cycling has become the new toilet paper. People are buying and trying to repair so many bikes there simply isn’t enough stock or manpower to meet demand. So much so it is threatening to deplete the othewise unsaleable stock in Europe. At a premium no less.
Tabloid newspaper shock coverage included. This is a confirmed panic buying product right up there with paper goods. Bike shops that were losing ground to the internet are having a quarter surpassing entire recent years trying to keep up with the volume of work.
A very English joke about clags that (re)appeared more satirically relevant than previously thought possible.
Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
> Nom De Plume
04/22/2020 at 15:06 |
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I think it’s fine in the US, I’ve been able to get everything I need very easily. My local bike shop is open and REI is fully stocked for online orders.
farscythe - makin da cawfee!
> Nom De Plume
04/22/2020 at 15:22 |
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i havent needed anything more than a couple tubes....yet
other than having to wait outside for a bit coz no more than 3 customers in the shop at any time ive not had any issues here
that said...that old kids bike i wanted gone had 6 people wanting it by the next day... (it went to the first person that called me coz i didnt realize the add site had its own messenger....anyhoo..i left a phone number...always call if theres a number)
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Nom De Plume
> farscythe - makin da cawfee!
04/22/2020 at 15:43 |
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As a Brit living in the most cycling-centric country in Europe I was hoping you’d comment.
A run on Dutch cycling shops would effectively be a reverse credit balloon. I’ll pay you for it now and just pop in when I need it for normal stuff. But if there is going to be a shortage of bikes you’d better sell me a handful to walk out with today and lock up in various secure places. Do you store bikes still?
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Nom De Plume
> Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
04/22/2020 at 15:45 |
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Brick and mortar bike shops are certainly seeing more business than usual with so many people sheltering at home or blocked from almost every form of travel and entertainment.
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farscythe - makin da cawfee!
> Nom De Plume
04/22/2020 at 15:51 |
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store bikes?
as in ..in the shed?...ive currently got 3 and a half mountainbikes in there (1 that works) and 2 fully functional townbikes..lol
theres a huge bike parking lot under the train station...its free to use if you have a ticket (doesnt actually need to be a new ticket...long as it has a barcode it works...i wonder if that was an oversight)
and theres another underground parking lot in town centre wich is free to use
thatsmr
> Nom De Plume
04/22/2020 at 15:57 |
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https://images.app.goo.gl/RuE9ZnAQBt3RaRpR7
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farscythe - makin da cawfee!
> Nom De Plume
04/22/2020 at 16:04 |
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that said tho... me neighbours got a lil side earner selling bike racks (he works at a retailer for the things and somehow got his bosses okay for selling on the ones they cant..minor paint damage shit like that)
dudes making a killing...seems like everyones getting bike racks at the moment
doesnt exactly make sense...as traveling for funsies is discouraged for the time being..
oh well..good for him
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Nom De Plume
> farscythe - makin da cawfee!
04/22/2020 at 16:34 |
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I think to have any effect on daily life there would require and influx of black market type procurement for other countries. At which point I highly doubt any bike locked up in any of those places is going to be targeted. Status symbol road and mountain bikes with shiny new aftermarket parts are on the opposite end of the spectrum in all conceivable categories . Supplies like tubes might become scarce though.
Bike tires in the US are fully 2- 2.5 times the price as ordering from one of the UK places. Otherwise I live by the largest bike and bike parts distribution warehouse in the US. People with long term employment at said distribution business buy their bike tires online from UK the at cost price is still so much higher.
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farscythe - makin da cawfee!
> Nom De Plume
04/22/2020 at 16:48 |
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tbh...i dont foresee any problems here...im pretty sure we have more bikes than people here and a supply chain to match it..
and yeah..parked up in a garage your bikes pretty safe.... mostly the stealing here gets done on the streets...and funnily enough once before i worked there it happened at me work...some one drove a van to the bike shed and just chucked every bike in to his van and then drove off again... im guessing that happens more often at sites where the gates open and they know everyone is inside
aaaan going by a quick price check...i think tires here are about the same price as in the uk..tubes are more expensive tho