Though in our opinion, there is never a bad time to buy a bicycle, there are seasonal fluctuations that can affect the stock supply and price of bikes. If you are shopping specifically for deals, then autumn and pre-Christmas can be a great time to find discounts. However, if you are looking to buy the latest high tech models, then you should have your pocketbook ready in the spring and summer.
Autumn as the best time to bike a bike & get great deals
When asking when is the best time to buy a bike, a lot depends on what type of bike you are looking for and whether your highest priority is to get the biggest deal possible. Higher-end road, gravel, and mountain bikes often have a life cycle that means they are released in the spring or summer, go a season or two without any noticeable change and then are phased out for the latest model.
That means that in autumn, shops are generally looking to get rid of remaining inventory to make room for newer models that will inevitably be released the following spring. In order to move stock fast, they will discount bikes and gear with the hope that a customer is more interested in the deal than in whatever new is coming in the spring.
Oftentimes, autumn sales bleed into Black Friday promotions, since in the modern world of online shopping, Black Friday is no longer just the day after Thanksgiving. Sales can start several weeks in advance, which is great for customers looking to start Christmas shopping early or pick up big deals for next season’s cycling kit.
Post-pandemic cycling industry
Almost no part of life was not affected by the covid-19 pandemic. Widespread lockdowns and enforced social distancing meant that a lot of people took up cycling as a way to get out, stay healthy and avoid things like public transport. As a result, demand for bikes and cycling equipment increased exponentially, just at a time, as luck would have it, that there was a reduced ability to manufacture products (thanks to the lockdowns that kept factories closed). And there was the additional knock-on effect of a shipping container crisis resulting in a supply chain disruption that impacted the cycling industry, among others. It meant frame manufacturers couldn’t get the components they needed to finish bikes, and once those bikes were finished, the containers needed to ship them to their final destinations were also blocked in a distant port.
When looking at the post-pandemic cycling landscape, the industry is still in the process of recovering from the resulting bullwhip effect of not having enough supply to satisfy the lockdown demand, and now having too much stock after post-lockdown demand declined. It’s a challenging time for the industry, but it means it’s a great time for the customer to pick up some big deals on even the most sought after bikes.
New releases for Grand Tours and Olympics
In decades-past, the Interbike Expo in the US, along with Eurobike in Germany, would be THE events where worldwide brands would show and release their latest products. Interbike ceased to be in 2018 while Eurobike is only slowly ramping back up to speed after the pandemic.
Since then, smaller expos, such as Sea Otter and Rouleur Live, have grown in prominence and frequently act as the events where certain brands will display new marquee products. But for road racing bikes, the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France have emerged as the most important events where brands will release the latest and greatest of their creations. And in an Olympic year like 2024, many road as well as mountain bike brands will also use the event as a platform to display the newest products, hoping to tempt consumers by showing how many gold medals sponsored athletes managed to win.
So if you are intent on buying the newest products from elite manufacturers, waiting to see what their top athletes are racing at one of the most important events on the professional calendar will be the best way to know what will be available for purchase. Of course, this being the cycling industry, you may still have to wait till autumn before it is available in the shops!
What is the best time to buy a bike - conclusion
When asking what is the best time to buy a new bike, it’s important to keep your priorities in mind. If you are interested in saving money and are not overly devoted to any particular brand, you should have a lot of luck finding great deals ahead of the holiday rush and transition to the new season. But if you are looking to add one of the newest elite products from top manufacturers, then keeping your eyes open in the warmer months when the most important races happen, both for road and off-road, will give you an insight into what you will likely find in the shops – provided the pandemic-induced supply chain bottleneck doesn’t reappear!
Be sure to also check our article on how to upgrade your bike.
