Just read this posted on a electric cargo bike Facebook group:
Let me try to offer some insight to the current bike supply situation.
I’ll start by saying I’ve been in the cycle industry for 20years so have some understanding (from one perspective) of what is happening currently.
Following the covid-pandemic upheaval the whole global supply chain is broken. Every brand in the bike industry has significant delays and backlogs.
The ‘big three’ bike manufacturers Giant, Marida and Ideal have just posted staggering billion figure losses for this year.
Notably because of high inventory on non moving stock bogging everything down and inability to produce correct new stock due to backlog of parts and materials.
The Accell group (Raleigh UK) have just announced that they are ceasing delivery on all parts and accessories for the UK (it’s probable their European distribution will announce the same situation shortly). They cite the impossibility of delivering orders from the far east factories as the factories continue to push back delivery dates or renege on orders entirely.
Tern aren’t exempt from these headwinds and like most other medium/large sized bike brands they don’t own factories that produce soft goods and small parts so the supply can be stifled through no fault of their own.
Take for example the situation with the child seats as noted by the OP.
Thule make a really good seat that has been for some time the go-to industry standard. It’s been the seat that most cargo manufacturers have based their bikes around.. Tern Benno, Momentum(Giant), Moustache, Cannondale etc.. etc.. this seat platform was suddenly removed from the UK stock without warning and the replacement seat originally carried the same name which further hid that an issue was arising - (we spotted this oddity in late December 22 it took the UK importer Madison a further 3 months to confirm what we suspected as they didn’t even know the replacement seat no longer had the easy fit platform) - shortly after this the seat platform was removed from European production. Leaving all the above brands with an issue in the European market.
The seat platform remains available in the US, South America and in the Pacific nations.
Tern have rallied and redesigned their clubhouse (the Clubhouse Gen3) to work with side loading seats but obviously they can’t magic them out of thin air; so they place orders at the factories and the parts are queued (materials ordered) and production scheduled for the factories next available production slots. The fact that this has happened faster than a year is staggeringly quick.. but not quick enough when you are the proud owner of a new bike struggling to get two seats in the current clubhouse+).
The extra kick in the teeth for UK customers is we’ve lost the ability to piggyback on any excess stock that might be available in Europe as moving stock from the continent is problematic once import has been declared and paid at a European port.
My understanding is that some supply of Gen3 storm-shields and Gen3 clubhouse are imminently expected in the UK.
So the wait shouldn’t be much longer.
To place a little more context into the turmoil of the cycle industry (especially in the UK) you only have to look at the high profile closures over the last 18 months.
Paligap, MooreLarge, PureElectric, 2Pure, Planet-X and Fli Distribution, VanMoof, Mate and ProBikeKit all going bankrupt.
Rad-Power (who claim to be the biggest selling ebike brand in the US ceased deliveries to Europe this year.
The Hotlines / ChainReaction, CRC Wiggle group has filed for bankruptcy.
Isla Bikes are closing doors.
Accell group / Raleigh ceasing distribution of parts and accessories to the UK etc.. etc..
Almost all of the above sold standard bike/parts which can often be swapped changed substituted :- a luxury Tern generally don’t have due to the bespoke nature of their bikes.
Personally I think Tern are navigating the torturous seas well; even if it looks chaotic from the outside.
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