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Big orders are put in with the factories, but those factories need to source all the parts necessary for a production run. If you put in an order for 50000 bikes all with new 105 which shimano also released for 2019 bikes, then Shimano has a small delay due to their factory setting on fire, it fucks up the whole chain. Meaning late bikes for everyone. I think it is happening more often as the component manufacturers are doing bigger, more frequent releases which every manufacturer wants on their new models.
chiroshi-
I forgot about the Shimano factory fire actually. That probably put SRAM under pressure from increased demand (not something they would complain about).
Plus SRAM rule the 1x game and I reckon that trend keeps going upwards even skywards maybe (I'd be keen to see a graph showing sales of 1x bikes or gruppos).
EagleEyez
It does seem that since last year or so new bikes are trinkling through slowly rather than being available everywhere at the same more or less.
Maybe something to do with the shrinking market not quite as buyoant as it once was and manufacturers being cautious.
I think from a buyer's point of view it's a real annoyance that a bike that is announced in the autumn and put on sale in the autumn/winter will take take several months to be delivered.
Are those bike companies putting in weekly (smaller) orders based on sales rather than forecasts?
I wonder if the manufacturing capability has also been reduced making every company wait longer for their frames.
We all know that only a handful of factories make all the off the peg frames.