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Broken Chain

Posted November 7, 2022
Getty stock image.

NEW YORK (BRAIN) — COVID-19, massive consumer demand, and the war in Ukraine have upset the industry's supply chain in recent years. Rough seas also played a part.

Posted July 13, 2021
The MV Eemslift Nadine arriving at the Port of Everett on Monday. Photo: Leland Dart

EVERETT, Wash. (BRAIN) — Like all bike companies, Rad Power has struggled to deliver enough bikes to meet demand for the last year and a half. But the Seattle-based consumer-direct powerhouse recently trimmed weeks off the transit time for its e-bikes by using an alternative seaport.

Posted June 10, 2021
Kent Bicycle's factory in Malaysia is also closed.
2007 BRAIN photo by Matt Wiebe.

OSAKA, Japan (BRAIN) — Shimano's factory in Malaysia will be completely closed until at least June 14 due to an official COVID-19 mandate. Since June 1, the factory had been allowed to operate at 60% capacity.

Posted March 13, 2021

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (BRAIN) — The industry probably can't control when the current boom will end (although we'd all like to extend it). But it might be able to influence how it ends.

Posted March 9, 2021
It may happen — AFTER the boom.
Photo by Daisy Chen on Unsplash.

TAICHUNG, Taiwan (BRAIN) — Three years ago, social media feeds filled with colorful, striking images of abandoned share bikes in China, piled into teetering mountains. They shocked the world, or at least inspired use of "shocked" emojis for a few hours.

Posted March 7, 2021
The heart of Taichung.

TAICHUNG, Taiwan (BRAIN) — By now, most BRAIN readers have heard stories about extended delivery times for bikes and components from Asia. What's been less obvious is how those delays are harming some of the industry's smaller and newer brands.

Posted March 7, 2021
"You are either at the table or you are on the menu," Specialized's Bob Margevicius tells Taiwan industry.
Bob Margevicius

TAIPEI, Taiwan (BRAIN) — For the remainder of this decade, Taiwan's component makers will leave millions of dollars on the table  — and risk having other nations pick up the slack — unless its component manufacturers increase capacity as soon as possible, two global industry leaders say.

Posted February 8, 2021

(BRAIN) — A C-student in whatever class comes before Economics 101 could predict price increases in the industry in 2020, given the imbalance between supply and demand. And 2021 will likely see retail prices go up another 10-25%, experts say.

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