Originally Posted by
thook
i think what he meant by "post" lockdown was "after" the lockdown and not forum posting. i wouldn't be surprised at the possibility he's implying, though. i went to a big chain bike store a couple of months ago (i don't normally go to) looking for what i thought should be fairly common parts albeit for a 90's bike set up. everything it seems they sell and/or stock is for newer standards...ie. tapered steerers, disc brakes, etc. even then, they didn't have a whole lot on hand. anyway, the young fellow really had no idea what i was talking about though he was a "mechanic". i don't recall what is was i was looking/asking for, but i was genuinely surprised by this. i'm guessing they probably rarely if ever get anyone coming in with older bikes there. conversely, the place i like to go to(though i can't get there very often), there's a young 20 something fellow that i thought would have humped my leg over my having a 98 bontrager last time i was there....lol
edit: i remember now. it was barrel adjusters. might have been mickeys i was asking for. and, i said a couple of months, but it was summer actually. <<blurr>>
Good point and I now can read the OP's statements with a different context. The part about no one being able to help to me was a dig at us for not replying in the numbers he was hoping for.
There is most certainly a C19 driven loss of product availability. If your factory loses 50% of production capacity you might chose to only make what your best customers want. That's the bike brands and not the service parts supply for the aftermarket.
But another loss is going on, and I'm a good example of this. The last couple of years has been a very hard moment in the LBS from a personal context. I know of more than just me that finally burned out and decided to finally do what we thought about doing every busy Spring (for 45 years with me), that's getting out of the shop industry and into one that has less demands from people who think that just because they have $ you, as a shop person, owe them everything and do it right now. But when this work volume doubles and never stops for most of the year (we were still behind our repairs well into the Fall, months later than typical) it takes a toll. The LBS is losing people, experienced wrenches are the hardest to find and hire that I have ever experienced. One might think that after so many years of doing this heavily seasonal job and also owning my own shop for 15 years (1986-2000 inclusive),when I worked 75+ hours a week for many months, I would be use to the stress and demands. But the C19 driven explosion of needs was far more than what anyone was ready for. After 2 years of this level of work load I decided to leave the shop (still will fill in every so often, can't get rid of the benefits). My story is a common one these days.
So when I read of riders not finding parts or help at their LBS it's a real thing and one that's not going to improve completely for a long time. Andy