Components - even on used market - appear so much more expensive these days?

Agreed, the costs have rocketed up - as you say a combination of pandemic and leaving the EU - to my mind, more the latter.

All the competition that used to exist with big EU retailers such as Mantel, Bike DE, Bike Inn, has overnight pretty much dissapeared.

As an example, I was looking for some Zipp Vuka tt extensions - cheapest in theory was Bike DE, had great service from them in the past, and on the face of it their price was about 30% less than anyone here.

Postage charge has virtually doubled, then I would need to add 20% onto the entire cost including postage, and then the jolly admin fee which can be anything from £8 - £25 depending on the carrier used.

The UK suppliers now do not have anything like the amount of competition they had, and if you think of the number of big players:

Halfords & Tredz
CRC and Wiggle
Merlin
Sigma

They no longer need to reduce their prices, as it's on the verge of a *monopoly now.

I appreciate it is not actually one.

I've seen second hand shimano cranksets advertised for £200 - not long ago brand new ones would be on offer for perhaps £120.

My main suppliers during this year, although admittedly not much, have been with Condor Cycles and Amazon. A big change from the past.

On the flip side, if you are planning on selling your current DA9000 to part fund your new purchase, you are likely to get top dollar for it. I favour eBay on £1 final fee listings, sell by auction, keep the starting price low and it will get what it gets.

If you hunt around hard enough for the replacement, potentially buying different bits in different places, you may still be able to upgrade for an additional outlay that isn't extravagent.

However, you have to look hard. I remember seeing a mechanical DA9100 for £900 in Merlin not that long ago, that is never going to happen again!

Remember when Santini were good value for money kit?
😱😱😱 Only £230!

mrb123 said:

Need to have the jersey to match...

At least they don't have the cheek to use ONLY for that one.

It says a lot when they need to advertise 0% finance for a cycling Jersey.

Can't see the problem tbh - how many people quite happily hand over £150 plus for shorts, tops, £200 plus for shoes.... Just look at the Rapha/Dopey Millar/Yantothenob fans on here whenever kit purchases are discussed.

At least Santini are being upfront about and not just selling some marketing panacea

Are people generally buying less cycling stuff?

I've pretty much stopped randomly browsing bikes and cycling kit and as a result I'm buying much less.

If I need something then I'll buy it - last thing was new chain, cassette, chainrings and cables for my "race" bike - but I'm not making impulse purchases and stopped thinking about getting a new bike because once you stop browsing it's a case of out of sight out of mind.

pblakeney said:

Remember when Santini were good value for money kit?
😱😱😱 Only £230!

You can still get their shorts for 80 quid and a jersey for 48 at Probike kit.

Cake Stoppers will be well aware of my opinion of Brexit but to add some context I see one of the big (non dutch-) bike shops* in The Hague has just posted that he'd closing because he just can't get stock at the moment. Neither bikes nor parts.

The difference is that this is the new norm for us whereas post Covid the Dutch & German shops will be back to normal

(* to be clear - an actual shop, not an online store)

example

and people accept this and seem proud to buy it at these prices.

friggin' ridiculous.

I bought a le Col package (shorts and jersey) with a £50 strava voucher and used a code to get a “free” gilet. Wouldn’t have bothered at full price.

Some of Rapha items look great, and to me, that's more important than wearing castelli's technically flawless, but mainly ugly kit with the big red crabs on it.

DeVlaeminck said:

Are people generally buying less cycling stuff?

I've pretty much stopped randomly browsing bikes and cycling kit and as a result I'm buying much less.

If I need something then I'll buy it - last thing was new chain, cassette, chainrings and cables for my "race" bike - but I'm not making impulse purchases and stopped thinking about getting a new bike because once you stop browsing it's a case of out of sight out of mind.

Yep definitely - still making little tweaks and upgrades, and in the process of building a TT bike, so just ordered some slip on bars etc, but bagged a couple of rare large discounts on a base bar and extensions - there are not many bargains out there.
But in general, not browsing looking for bargains, and instead specifically looking for items I need - my bank balance is thanking me for it.

Like a lot of people i have stocked up on spares when the going was good, so I have ample good quality shorts both for outdoor rides and turbo work 'in stock' so I won't be needing to replenish my wardrobe in the next 5-10 years.

Personally I liked to buy a nice new pair of shorts, or a lovely new jersey, a couple of Isadore ones last year were stunning, but bought just before the charges went through the roof, so that avenue is now cut off for me, and I can't see that changing anytime soon.

Happily I have a stock of all clothing pieces, so again, 10 years or more until I need to be buying anything, if that.

Also have tubes, saddles, pedals, shoes, helmets etc etc - you get the idea.
And have been adding more tools to my arsenal, so I can become more self sufficient, a BB30 press being the latest addition.

I'm assuming prices are still going up as supply is shafted, and due to import costs etc etc.

I'm a member of a Scott bikes page, and one chap on there has just put down a deposit on a 2022 Addict RC - he's been told he won't get it until March 2022!

I had heard they were trying to get bikes out July time due to shortages, but looks like that isn't happening - unless that is one incorrect tale, but he claims that came from his local UK Scott dealer, I have no reason to doubt him, but it's not guaranteed of course.

I was hoping to get an 2022 Addict RC30 this year on the C2W scheme, but looks like that may need to wait until actually 2022.