All Things Bikes and Tacos! (...and every vehicle imaginable)

i think component lead times are more selective than others. I know high end stuff is almost a half year out for most places here trying to source for repair. I think these lead times are much less for the bigger brands like trek since they have more pull on inventory sourcing vs someone like bianchi

 

I do know some shops have been taking rental bikes and doing a massive cleaning/replacing what they can and selling them as lightly used or calling them former displays.

 

Yeah. Complete bikes are semi available. What the shops have and have ordered are what's there. Components are a different ball game. Shimano, for example, is completely backordered on literally everything for at least a month. Chains are even completely out so if you snap a shimano chain. Good luck!

 

Figured I'd throw this up on here too. Selling a 2014 Santa Cruz Bronson full xt build. Asking $2200. The bike has cosmetic defects as you'd expect with a six year old bike but still solid and ready to ride. More info and pictures on pinkbike

 

Anyone know the nitty gritty on derailleur cage length pros/cons/applications with modern 1x12 drivetrains?

Specifically long vs short.

 

Longer isn’t always better.

It all depends on how you use it.

 

I have been currently waiting on a dropper post, but mine is sort of specialized b/c it is for a 27.2 seat tube...older bike. Waiting for PNW to get some more made/in.

 

Its dependent on cassette range; more range = more chain = longer cage. Sram doesnt really have cage length variations on their 1x12. Shimano does have a medium and long (for 45T and 51T cassettes, respectively) - just looking at XTR.

 

**EDit: above stated is correct.

 

Thanks gents. Did a little more digging myself and found just as you stated.
Shimano XTR longer cage can be run with both 10-51 and 10-45 cassettes. The shorter only plays nice with the 10-45.

 

You just need the right length for your cassette size. 45T takes a shorter one I think and 51T is a long. Sram should be similar.

Edit: I should scroll more before I respond I guess

 

Anybody with softoppers wanna share how they store their bikes? (IF YOU DO NOT USE A HITCH RACK OR TAILGATE PAD). I'll more than likely stick to the tailgate pad because who likes having to take their wheel off every ride? but would like to see some other setups. I know fork mounted with the wheel off I've seen before. Let me see whatcha got!

 

So I thought I would upgrade my bike this year, WRONG. I was hoping to get my hands on a new Stumpjumper Alloy. I called last week and there are none locally. One shop about an hour away had 3 in my size. I hesitated to put a down payment over the phone because it was non refundable and I hadn't test ridden or even seen this years model in person. I went in yesterday to see the bikes and they are all gone! Most of the local shops around here have nothing in stock in Large/S4 size. One shop had a Giant Stance 1 but its not what I want. Ugh. Maybe they will get more. But for now Ill have to keep riding my old bike.

 

Keep riding the current bike and keep an eye out for something new. Might want to open up your options to other bikes as well such as the Giant Trance, Devinci Marshall or Django, etc. Lots of sub-$3k bike options out there!

 

The shops around here mostly carry Trek, Giant, Norco, Cannondale, and Specialized. I test road as much as I could last year thinking I might make the change this year but around here the bikes just cant be found. I don't know if its like that everywhere but here its tough to find much in stock. Especially at the entry level price points. I will keep looking.

 

Most bike shops I know sell off their demo/rental fleet every other year as standard practice; nothing to do with supply chain issues.

 

This year has been an exception in my neck of the woods. Demo fleets were retired prematurely to meet demand

 

Might just be me but I've found the big box brands you named (except for Norco) to have the hardest time keeping stock. Some "boutique" brands have been doing much better.

 

Its really not that big of a deal, just surprising to see the shops that normally have tons of bikes having next to nothing for stock. Maybe a lot more people are biking now? At least I have a bike to ride and money in my account. If I found the right used bike maybe id go that route too, but its slim pickens out there.

 

Used market works too, as does buying from dealer out of state (most will ship).
A lot of people predicted the bike boom last spring would lead to tons of sell offs this summer, doesn’t look like it’s happening. Maybe in the fall...