Winter ?

Seems that way right? Funny how Albertan’s expectations for October weather is very low. “well we had a great Fall” they say.  You mean a nice September where it didn’t snow?  Correct but it is only October and some parts of Alberta are hitting -14 already with lots of snow. This is not right. True September was amazing, riding was great and weather was perfect for long rides on the road and trails. I actually managed to log in some descent km’s in August and September as things went from chaos to controlled chaos at the shop.  No CX racing here meant my September and October was tranquil to be honest. No tubular gluing or busted derailleurs from the midweek world champs. Spent time dialling in the shop and built up some beautiful Road and Gravel bikes. Delays across the bike world meant frames we fitted for in June are just rolling in now. But hey it is just bikes and we have bigger problems right now. 

Bike sales along with hot tub sales, outdoor furniture sales, RV sales amongst others seem to be somewhat pandemic proof. We had a steady year, not near the chaos of the other local shops as for some reason Colnago C64’s with Bora’s are not your average COVID purchase to get out of the house…. Don’t get me wrong we had a great year and happy to be able to even stay open during the closures which many business’s were not. So thank you for all the support all year and into the Winter. It was tough not celebrating our 20th Anniversary but when its safe we will have a big party I promise.

So what does 2021 look like in the bike world? It will be busy for sure as cycling in all forms has taken off but the shortages of 2020 will still be there and in some cases even worse. What does that mean to the consumer looking for a bike? Well regardless of what shops have on order there is no guarantee that brands will be able to deliver. I have already heard of bike brands cancelling large orders as they can’t produce enough due to production time and shortages from other vendors. I have been lucky that the majority of the brands we deal with are made in Europe and can do small production runs and also I mainly purchase frames so not stuck with spec delays from other vendors. That being said lead times have still been long due to many aspects such as shipping, customs and just brands having reduced staff to get the product out of the warehouse. I am still seeing shortages for group sets and even Campagnolo has seen an increase in sales as brands who can’t get Shimano or SRAM have started using Campagnolo as an OEM spec which has not happened in a long time. Shipping rates have gone up due to demand and the fact Amazon has pretty much been the retail brand of COVID it hasn’t really helped the rest of the retail world in regards to shipping. So yes things will be hard to get into 2021 so please be patient with your local shop as some things really are not in their control. 

OK its not all doom and gloom, just being up front on what the you can expect in the bike world. PRW is lucky to have some great brands that I have chosen for a reason as they all did there best to help the shop this year when we needed it the most. Most of them are small brands like us so they too were hit hard for awhile until things opened up in the world. Support those that support you has always been one of my mandates and it was ever so apparent this year on many fronts. Going into 2021 we will continue to operate by appointment only. I know it doesn’t work for everyone but I feel its the best way forward and really fits my plans for the direction of the shop. It has always been about the experience and appointment only is the best way to ensure we take care of our current clientele and maybe along the way add some new customers. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to spend more one on one time selling clothing and bikes and just catching up with people opposed to juggling multiple clients. This year was one of the first I didn’t want to come to work at times and that told me things needed to change. I don’t want to take a step back from the shop as I love it and love my staff and what we bring to the bike world. Evolving and adapting is part of the retail landscape so that is what businesses have to do especially during times like these. To me online is not the answer. I feel it takes away from personal interaction and I know we loose sales not having e-commerce, but in the end its only a few of us here and our time is best spent talking and interacting in person. Yes it works in many markets and some shops have huge success, but right now its is not for me. 

Sorry that was a long one, should have told you to sit down I guess. Preferably with a nice Bourbon.So let’s look ahead to 2021 shall we. We have a great selection of clothing right now so put together those Christmas lists and send them my way so I can add them to your customer profile that way you get exactly what you wanted. New 2021 frames are rolling in daily so start planning. Lead times for custom frames are a bit longer so let’s do it now and book that new bike fit. Gravel bikes seem to be selling as fast as we can fit them so get in the queue. I am not about pressure sales I just want you not to be disappointed when your buddies are Graming all those sweet gravel rides.  We still have a few Anniversary co-labs in the works that were delayed so look for some cool exclusive items launching in the next few months.  There may not be bike racing but there are still bikes. Plan rides in our amazing province for next year as it truly does have some killer riding. Put away your computer and training plan and just ride sometimes. I will do my best to try and update more often between the many other tasks at the shop that I still do, that way you are not reading a novel. Instagram seems to be my venue of choice so pop in there for a visit. Trying not to rant anymore so Twitter is just about being a smart ass now if you are into my views on disc brakes. Don’t worry, no TikTok for me. If 2020 can teach us anything its that life is too short so let's slow it down and not stress the small stuff, its just bikes after all.