Yes, ran into the same thing buying a bike last month (I'm in California). Everyone was sold out of everything except extremely small frames. Most dealers told me summer 2021 for availability. I finally managed to find a demo model at an LBS but otherwise I'd be out of luck.

The LBS owner told me the main holdup was the components. Bike demand is way up, and everyone is buying components from the same few factories and there's a huge backlog.

Owner did say the very high end bikes, ones that are customized or have top-level components, are still available. This was a Trek dealer.

What did you buy?

I got a Trek Domane SL6 for long early season rides. Just a basic endurance, Ultegra-level road bike. My impression from the LBS was the popular 105 and Ultegra level bikes would be on backorder for some time.

Similar in the UK.
One of my friends ordered 2 x mountain bikes (his and hers). About April time. UThe one for his Mrs came after about 3-4 months. But his was more like 8. Came about 3 weeks ago.
Bike shop was open and honest throughout.

Though at least innthe UK, TT bikes seem available. I'm assuming it's the lack of sales of those due to no racing for TT bikes so they still have 2020 stock.

Most, but not all, sizes/colors of the new Canyon Speedmax Disc are available in June, with some not available until October 2021.

It's interesting how many feel this was a buyer's market given the limited racing around the world, but WFH has transformed the role of recreation in peoples' lives. This could be one the big changes that will shape our society long after the pandemic.

I ran into this trying to buy a p-series. I called around to a bunch of shops and eventually found one that a shop about two hours away that had preordered inventory months ago and I put a deposit on one of their preordered bikes. It was came in last month. Another option is my bike shop.com. They have some p-series inventory you can buy. At a good price and without sales tax either! 👍

I'm in the same problem. Sold my tt bike in September expecting cervelo to release its new line up in October... which they did... for all the bikes except the ones I wanted... the PX or the P3X... now I'm staring at the canyon speedmax with an order time of Feb so I can get it before my May race.

See you in Chattanooga with some set up. I tried to message cervelo and tell them... yo. Money burning a whole in my pocket with time ticking. Im gonna buy a canyon if you don't give me a clue on release dates.

Hell... id take it if they updated the paint to the p series frame and kept everything else the same.

The trek is a project one order right? That’s a pretty good turnaround considering bikes are sold out everywhere. I’m surprised the trek isn’t longer. The last time I did a project one order, it was about a 30-45 day turnaround (and that was in 2015).

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blog

We ordered a Trek for my wife around July and will be getting it in January. Not a big deal as long as you know in advance.

Unless you're looking at leftover stock of discontinued rim bikes, it doesn look like a buyers market.

I wouldn't order a bike today for delivery in fall. Id hate to pay retail for a 2021 bike that will arrive when 2022 bikes are launching, possibly with newer tech like the incoming DuraAce.

https://playtristore.com/...riant=36678428065954

Yes, component issues have created a huge shortage. In fact, some have switched from Shimano to SRAM as a result for the upcoming year. I bought the frame only so I can cannibalize my Di2 from my current bike as I have no interest in SRAM. Some of next year's stock is also sold out and we hear that some Treks won't be available until Sept, but obviously not the one you want. Good luck finding your ride.

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Kiwami Racing Team

Slowman is either rolling his eyes, smacking his face, pumping his fist (only because his message is finally being recognized) or displaying a wry smile right now and maybe people starting to realize because
He’s been telling us this is coming for a while. And, that should hardly be news anyways when you look around the world. Yea, this may be ongoing 2021 theme!

The supply chain won’t be normal until 2022. Shimano was telling manufacturers that they are not able to supply group sets til then as well.

If racing finally stars, there may be a run on TTs too

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http://www.TriScottsdale.org

I've had a 2021 road bike on order since September and no sign of when it will be available. I started looking around for alternatives and there isn't much out there and nobody really seems to know when it will get better.

I stumbled across this video from a shop owner that wasn't encouraging:

I have a new large SC never built if anyone is near PA. Also have di2 and wheels to go with it.... Just throwing it out there

it's not with any glee that i read this. i would rather be wrong than right. but as we see in other threads, there's a lot of dithering about which bike to get next spring, and my only interest here is in equipping slowtwitchers with information so that they can navigate the landscape.

regardless of the kind of bike you want to buy (road, tri, gravel, MTB) it's going to be tough. however, there is one silver lining in the tri category: this was a great year for bikes other than tri. tri-specific purchases require a race to be relevant. tri bike, wetsuit, aero helmet, race wheels, those did not sell well this year. gravel and road bikes don't require racing in order to be relevant, so, those products flew off the shelves. those products are in spotty supply now, esp at the lower end. what you have now are the 2020 season tri bikes available, to some degree. when those are gone, well, good luck. hence my admonition to consider buying your 2021 bike now, before those "sale bikes" go back up to MSRP and eventually sell out.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

I edited to convey that a fist pump was only because the message is finally getting across. I realize there is no joy here

Yeah, apparently 11-speed Shimano chains won't be available for months. Everyone baby your chains.

I think you should have some glee because anything that is good for the economic system around our sport is a good thing. Next thing is races. Even though I did not participate in the bike buying I am happy for those involved on the sell side, even though it means continuing to use my 2009 edition Cannondale Slice should we return to racing.

As for needing racing for a TT bike to be relevant, I'm not so sure. I kind of enjoy riding in the TT position with or without a race. Certainly on a flat or rolling long ride, I will take the TT bike any day over a road bike. On a mountain "stage" type of day, for sure the road bike. (All of this assumes the Covid19 period solo/distanced riding since group riding has not been an option where I live....at least technically we never had the option of not riding anything but distanced).

Another option is Quintana Roo. I believe they have bikes they can ship out within a couple weeks.

Is it pandemic-related?

These days what isn't?

Consumers everywhere need to get it that your local retailer isn't dropping the ball on service and brands haven't suddenly forgotten how to manage their business - there IS NO PRODUCT to be had and it's a problem based on upstream inputs and industry timing.

For those who still require a simple primer on the problem, the bullet points are:

Sporting goods retailers place their wholesale orders months in advance of the actual delivery season. That means the shortages starting showing-up last summer because retailers didn't foresee unprecedented demand when they placed there orders before COVID even existed.
Therefore manufacturers didn't make excess inventory to meet unexpected needs.

So, now there's even more pent-up demand.

Normally manufacturers would adjust their future production forecasts accordingly, but since the international supply chain is broken, and the raw materials/other inputs aren't as available as normal, their suppliers have nothing to deliver, or deliver late.

Then you need to consider where the goods are manufactured and the impact that COVID has had on their workforces and operations. Offshore factories closed because there were too many players who popped-up when times were good. And then there's disrupted freight, etc., which had to adjust to nothing and then the huge demand. All of the aircraft that got mothballed? Ships at sea? Hard lockdowns at Chinese shipping ports?

Add it up.

I speak to people in the industry in my city responsible for doing the retail soprting goods buying on a daily basis and if you're frustrated now, just wait a few months. Try buying a 700 x 38 inner tube right now. Or bike parts. The outlook I got last week for a Shimano derailleur was a minimum 3-month wait.

You can try shopping online, but you'd better check first whether you're dealing with a drop shipper, or a company that actually has inventory; or that the company is actually located in your country; otherwise you're sending your $ into backorder purgatory or worse it just disappears forever.

But whatever you do, people, stop taking your frustrations out on local front-line retail staff! They're doing the best they can given a situation no one has ever had to deal with and aren't getting any meaningful answers from their suppliers to pass along to angry customers. You're lucky that they're still in business and you'll be even luckier if they survive long enough to serve you again when this is all over.

Industry people get it - you all have time on your hands and money to spend, but complaining about shortages right now is like complaining that you don't have your own bed to sleep in after your house burnt down - there's going to have to be a whole bunch of interim steps that happen over a long period of time before you get that opportunity again, so best learn to make due. It's going to be a dry summer.

Vent done.

I mentioned this in another thread recently. I ordered a Madone in August and did not receive it until late November. Welcome to the pandemic, I guess

The used market at the end of next year, post vaccine is gonna be insane. Best to just wait and buy used off all these Freds.

Yeah, the Trek SC I'm looking at is a Project One creation. But from what I've heard, that timeline will most likely be a moving target. Waiting to hear back from my LBS if that Feb timeline will hold. No money put down yet but now debating about if I'm going to wait for 3-6 months for either bike, might as well wait for a bike with disc brakes... but I digress, these are truly 1st world problems.
In response to @insulinpowered vent post Completely understand the supply/demand issues, and global shipping lanes being disrupted by pandemic. Rest assured I am not taking it out on my LBS. I have nothing but upmost respect for my LBS (trying to support them rather than ordering from online). Just trying to make informed decisions on what my options are, hear what other folks are experiencing out there and get a sense on whether I should grab the first available or maybe wait for my 'ideal' choice bike. Thanks for everyone's input.

...and my vent was less directed at you and your question, specifically, then it was at all consumers right now - especially those within bike/run categories.

I have heard so much impatience and just general tone deafness - not just here, but also listening first-hand to conversations industry friends and peers are repeatedly going through with their customers and the general public. If I had to listen to 50+ callers a day ask why they can't get what they want RIGHT NOW!, I'd lose my $%!@.

The difference is that they feel they can't speak bluntly (because "the customer is always right"), whereas I have no problem finding the a, s, h,o, l and e keys on my keyboard in their defence...

Cheers.