SOLD OUT

Out of stock. Three little words that have come to haunt retailers these past three months, as websites and shops run out of bikes. From big players like Leisure Lake Bikes and Chain Reaction Cycles, to small independent shops like Ace Bicycles and MB Cyclery in Surrey, decent bikes have been getting harder and harder to find. Hardtails and entry-level bikes are about as scarce as bog roll was in April, while some brands have reportedly completely run dry of e-bikes and high-end trail bikes too.

“We’ve never seen anything like it, every bike shop has sold out,” says Rob Sherratt from Nukeproof. “My mate runs a bike shop down the road, a Leisure Lakes store, and there are people coming in saying: ‘we have £1,500 to spend, what can I buy?’”

So what’s going on? Is there a blockage in the supply line, with factories temporarily closing in the Far East, or have UK riders stripped the shelves bare, adding bikes to their