If you’re finding it difficult to buy outdoor equipment, you’re not alone. The pandemic may be coming to a close, but there is still a shortage of fun adventure tools like kayaks, camping equipment, fishing poles, and even bicycles.
The Lad has been borrowing his brother’s bike for several years, and this year for Father’s Day we decided to upgrade him to a real road bike instead of the mountain bike he was riding. We found out quickly that it is incredibly difficult to find any retailers that have bikes in stock right now!
We learned a few tricks along the way as we picked out a bike for him. If you’re in the market for a bike, here are some tips that can help you.
*Disclaimer: Some of the links you see may be affiliate links. All that means is if you click through and end up making a purchase, I’ll earn a commission.
Don’t Give Up
Sometimes you just have to keep looking. Even if it’s discouraging, don’t be afraid to spend just a few minutes searching the same Google searches you’ve done. Retailers are getting bikes slowly, and they keep their inventory updated as much as possible.
Sign Up for Email Alerts
It doesn’t hurt to provide your email to as many retailers as possible. Many of them have in-stock alerts set up on their website. This will make it easier for you to learn when a bike you like is available, even if it’s a longshot.
The problem is that many of the companies in the supply chain are also out of materials. It’s not just that demand is up, or that the factories were shut down for quarantine. There are supply chain issues, too.
Try New Search Terms
Get creative with the way you’re searching for bikes. Instead of just searching “bikes for tall people” or “best bicycles for novices”, use the posts you find that come up in those searches to create new search terms.
For example, if you find a list of great bikes for novices that are affordable, search the model name or the brand. You can open a bunch of new tabs and search them all to compare.
Keep Saving
If you can’t find a bike in stock right now, you can keep saving your money. You may be able to afford a more expensive bike after another month or two of saving up your money. That in turn will cause your search terms to change and your criteria to shift, which may reveal available bikes and accessories you didn’t know about before.
Start Pedaling
In the end, we found a bike at a retailer about 2 hours away. We were happy to make the drive for this investment, and it has been a great purchase for him because we took our time and found a bike that was the right size and in our price range.
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*Disclaimer: Some of the links you see may be affiliate links. All that means is if you click through and end up making a purchase, I’ll earn a commission.