Bikes in the Age of Tariffs

[Aushiker]

An interesting discussion of the impact of US traffic on bicycle manufacturing by Jan Heine. Also interesting to see where components are predominately made currently.

Read more at https://www.renehersecycles.com/bikes-in-the-age-of-tariffs/

 

[harryS]

How about the big picture, where after a tariff induced recession, the consumer hasn't enough money to proritize a bicycle, which is not a necessity but mainly recreational in the USA. After Covid went dormant, tens of thousands of bikes purchased in 2020 must sit unused in storage. Probably quite a few ebikes too.

 

[jabberwocky]

Things are gonna go from bad to worse for the bike industry. A lot of industries, really, but our little corner of the economy is not in a good position to absorb a massive tax increase. Bike companies don't run on huge margins and are already suffering a collapse in demand. A chaotic economy with lots of uncertainty coupled to increased costs isn't going to help that.

Bicycle Retailer had an article on where assembled bikes come from:

Where the US gets its bikes, and the new tariffs on those nations

(BRAIN) — The U.S. imports most of its bikes, along with e-bikes, bike parts and frames and accessories. The new reciprocal tariffs announced by the Trump administration Wednesday apply to all of the above and more. We thought we'd take a quick look at the top nations supplying complete bikes to...

www.bicycleretailer.com

 

[JimFMB]

An interesting discussion of the impact of US traffic on bicycle manufacturing by Jan Heine. Also interesting to see where components are predominately made currently.

Read more at https://www.renehersecycles.com/bikes-in-the-age-of-tariffs/

Thanks for posting the link. It is very informative.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

No telling where a system as complex as the global economy will settle after a shock of this magnitude. Could well be someplace even less to the liking of Trump's aspiring oligarchs — or someplace no one's even imagined.

Trump’s Tariffs Will Wound Free Trade, but the Blow May Not Be Fatal

Free trade has been so beneficial to so many countries that the world may find a way to live without its biggest player.

www.nytimes.com

Jaguar Land Rover just announced that it's suspending shipments to the US. Don't know if that includes parts. Lots of their cars already on the road here in SoCal.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

What is actually made of the e-bike components in the United States? I think even SRAM is manufacturing overseas?

From my viewpoint, nothing changes for the EU as the e-bikes or components I would buy are not made in the United States. Except the Mirrycle mirrors Does Redshift manufacture in the U.S.? And well... Wahoo GPS computers are made in Taiwan even if Wahoo is an American company.

 

[Aushiker]

Another related impact is being reported at Bikepacking.com

As reported in the Colorado Sun yesterday, Oveja Negra had to lay off seven employees, which shows that even small brands that make their gear in the United States with US-made materials aren’t immune to this perfect storm of tariffs, reduced consumer spending, and global price tensions…

Further details at https://bikepacking.com/news/oveja-negra-colorado-sun-story/

 

[6zfshdb]

If this tariff turmoil keeps hitting my portfolio like it has been lately, I may be selling my e-bikes to buy food!

 

[jabberwocky]

Another related impact is being reported at Bikepacking.com

Further details at https://bikepacking.com/news/oveja-negra-colorado-sun-story/

That sucks. They make good bags. Its really hard for small companies to absorb sudden cost increases or drops in demand. We will probably be seeing a lot of this in the coming weeks and months.

 

[Chargeride]

l

No telling where a system as complex as the global economy will settle after a shock of this magnitude. Could well be someplace even less to the liking of Trump's aspiring oligarchs — or someplace no one's even imagined.

Trump’s Tariffs Will Wound Free Trade, but the Blow May Not Be Fatal

Free trade has been so beneficial to so many countries that the world may find a way to live without its biggest player.

www.nytimes.com

Jaguar Land Rover just announced that it's suspending shipments to the US. Don't know if that includes parts. Lots of their cars already on the road here in SoCal.

They park thousands of them just down the road from me at the docks, I'll take a picture and see if any move.
They also strangely send hundreds of complete intact tail and rudder assemblies for large planes, all wrapped in yellow plastic.