Tucked away in his workplace in downtown Battle Creek on a wet Thursday afternoon, Mike Wood scoured an inventory of distributors for obtainable bikes and bike components.
The proprietor of Mike’s Team Active Bikes at 22 W. Michigan Ave. scrolled via numerous sold-out fashions provided by Cannondale, a serious vendor for his store, when immediately, a uncommon glimmer of hope emerged: a specific mannequin might be obtainable in a restricted amount — in February 2023.
“The encouraging thing is that I’m getting some dates, but look at the quantities,” Wood mentioned, gesturing towards a number of fashions with only one or just a few bikes obtainable to order. “Every dealer in North America is looking at this and it doesn’t matter the company.”
The battle to acquire restricted stock and components has turn out to be the brand new regular for Wood and different bike store homeowners all through mid-Michigan and past because the bike trade struggles to sustain with high demand fueled by the coronavirus pandemic.
With many individuals cooped up of their properties within the spring of 2020 due to state orders supposed to scale back the unfold of the respiratory virus, bike store homeowners like Wood noticed an inflow of consumers who simply wished to get outdoors, the place the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggested they may safely social distance.
“That’s one of the only things you could do,” mentioned James Turner, who has run Jim’s Village Cycle Shop at 120 E. Lovett St. in Charlotte since April 2019. “You couldn’t go to the gym, so it’s either biking or running.”
Two years later, bike store operators admit they’re battling many of the identical points as different small enterprise homeowners, provide chain shortages and better prices amongst them.
Demand spikes, provides drop
In the early days of the pandemic, it wasn’t unusual for retailer homeowners to promote out of bikes altogether, mentioned Mark Dunn, proprietor of Scooter’s Pro Cycle in Holt.
Dunn’s store, positioned at 2169 N. Cedar St. in Lansing, sometimes has about half its stock on the ground, whereas the opposite half hangs on show from the ceiling.
“We didn’t have a bike on our ceiling until just like five months ago,” Dunn mentioned of the shortage of provide. “That’s the first time we hung a bike on the ceiling in almost two years.”
When Mike’s Team Active reopened its doorways in May 2020, Wood went via a three-month provide of bikes in simply 11 days.
“Our competition, it’s not other bike companies, it’s not other bike stores, it’s other activities,” Wood mentioned. “During the pandemic, you took literally everything away and you locked everybody down, and we did it on a global scale. And then we also said, ‘We still have to go out and exercise, we still need fresh air, we still need Vitamin D from the sun. You know what? Bike riding is a good thing because we can be far enough apart.'”
The fast sale of bikes proved to be each a blessing and a curse.
In the quick time period, Dunn mentioned, the gross sales have been an apparent optimistic. But in 2021, wait instances to obtain provides — together with bikes, tires, tubes and different fundamental requirements — elevated dramatically as the availability chain slowed.
Dunn mentioned he ordered subsequent yr’s inventory of bikes in February to anticipate delays in acquiring new bikes.
Pandemic points even have affected restore instances.
The turnaround time for repairs at Mike’s Team Active is usually 48 hours, however proper now wait instances have stretched to greater than every week, Wood mentioned.
This comes because the climate has but to absolutely flip to spring, when Wood expects a higher inflow of bikes in want of restore.
“It’s not going to be boring,” he mentioned.
Sticking with the brand new passion
Despite the latest challenges for companies, advocates say the surge in ridership has been optimistic for the exercise.
The Lansing Bike Co-op, positioned at 1715 E. Kalamazoo St. in Lansing, each sells and provides away bikes. They principally rely on donations and grants to acquire them. In addition, they assist restore bikes and educate folks in regards to the exercise.
Aaron Fields, president of the co-op’s board, mentioned the ridership spike, although slowing over time, has continued.
Wood mentioned a method demand is continuous is thru the emergence of electrical bikes, admitting the primary query he usually asks clients today is: “Analog or digital?”
“People in general don’t like change, especially radical change. But (electric bikes are) the future of our business and of our industry,” he mentioned.
Mike’s Team Active eclipsed $2 million in gross sales for the primary time in 2020, and thru the flexibleness of employees, reached $2.4 million in gross sales in 2021.
Moving ahead, Wood says he plans to proceed embracing the adjustments that come alongside, no matter they is perhaps.
“We have to plan for the worst, hope for the best and realize it’s going to be somewhere in the middle,” he mentioned.
Lansing State Journal reporter Jared Weber contributed to this report.
Contact reporter Greyson Steele at gsteele@battlecreekenquirer.com or 269-501-5661. Follow him on Twitter: G_SteeleBC