# Back-ordered Madness



## nilswalk (Nov 26, 2014)

Soooo my wife is recovering from a hip injury. I'd been trying to convince her back in winter an e-bike would be perfect and we should order her one and she wasn't in to it but just today decided it would be a good idea and could I call and see? Oh boy...

Tried the LBS to see about a 2021 Levo SL Expert Carbon.

"Well the good news is there's nobody in the line ahead of you for that size and model. We're looking at somewhere around next July."

"You mean this summer?"

"I mean next July"

"Sooooo, July 2021 right?"

"I mean July 2022. I have some orders in that are as far out as 2023 at this point".


By some miracle he had an existing order he had placed for his shop floor way back last year for exactly what we were looking for that nobody had claimed yet so I snagged it. No idea when it'll arrive but maybe this summer if we're lucky. He said the parts shortage is so bad that manufacturers are actually buying parts from LBSes at a loss so they can have enough parts to meet orders... which then go back out onto the shop floors of those same LBSes


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## RBoardman (Dec 27, 2014)

If companies cannot get parts I would not be mad if they just started sending out more frame-only options. But then again, there is not way I could ever consider one at this price point.


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## KidCharlemagne (Dec 11, 2012)

My sweetie and I have been planning to start bike touring for a couple years. We were going to go last year but, of course, Covid shut that down. We started looking for bikes in January, because we had heard about shortages. We went to our regular LBS to look for a gravel bike for my girlfriend, and they happened to have one of the models we wanted in her size. So we were thinking things weren't as bad as everyone said. They didn't have that bike in my size, so we started looking. 

Eventually, I found a Surly Disc Trucker in my size, in a bike shop 300 miles away. I put down a deposit and sweated bullets for three weeks until I could clear my schedule for a marathon trip down there and back. Managed to get it. Talked to the owner, and that particular bike was one he ordered last March and had just gotten. There were only two Disc Truckers in that size in shop inventory nationwide -- Maryland or Phoenix were my choices. The only reason I got a bike was that this owner figured out what was happening early on in the Covid wave and used every nickel he had to order as much product as possible last spring, and he's benefiting from it now, with hundreds of bikes in stock and people like me coming from all around to buy what they need. 

In talking to various LBS owners, it appears Specialized is struggling the most to get product. Considering another brand might get you into something a little sooner.


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## KRob (Jan 13, 2004)

FYI there was a nice size large Norco Sight E for sale on the mountain bike classifieds FB page today. $5200. Looked brand new. Probably won't last long (and it sounds like you have one ordered), but with all the shortages, I thought I'd pass it along for others that might be looking. If I can find the link I'll post it.
Here it is: Mountain Bike Classified


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## RDO (Apr 26, 2016)

Motion Makers in Asheville/Sylva North Carolina has the Levo SL Expert large, medium and extra large in stock. My wife and I just bought a pair a couple of weeks ago. She got the last one in small. Check out their website, it will tell you what's in stock. specialized-turbo-turbo-levo-sl-expert-carbon-383633-1.htm


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## 33red (Jan 5, 2016)

In Quebec some LBS do not take deposits, some do not answer the phone.
It is like survival in a war zone. Good luck getting a new one if you are shopping.
Used are wayyy over priced.
Some large LBS has a huge empty floor.


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## _CJ (May 1, 2014)

This is where I got my bike after playing the "put down a deposit, wait 4 more weeks" game.









In Stock eBikes!


You're in a hurry, so we created an In Stock Collection!! Good Rides, Good Vibes, Everyday at Fly Rides!




flyridesusa.com





They seem to have a fair number of bikes in stock regularly.


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## TNC (Jan 21, 2004)

KidCharlemagne said:


> My sweetie and I have been planning to start bike touring for a couple years. We were going to go last year but, of course, Covid shut that down. We started looking for bikes in January, because we had heard about shortages. We went to our regular LBS to look for a gravel bike for my girlfriend, and they happened to have one of the models we wanted in her size. So we were thinking things weren't as bad as everyone said. They didn't have that bike in my size, so we started looking.
> 
> Eventually, I found a Surly Disc Trucker in my size, in a bike shop 300 miles away. I put down a deposit and sweated bullets for three weeks until I could clear my schedule for a marathon trip down there and back. Managed to get it. Talked to the owner, and that particular bike was one he ordered last March and had just gotten. There were only two Disc Truckers in that size in shop inventory nationwide -- Maryland or Phoenix were my choices. The only reason I got a bike was that this owner figured out what was happening early on in the Covid wave and used every nickel he had to order as much product as possible last spring, and he's benefiting from it now, with hundreds of bikes in stock and people like me coming from all around to buy what they need.
> 
> In talking to various LBS owners, it appears Specialized is struggling the most to get product. Considering another brand might get you into something a little sooner.


You're correct about Specialized being especially behind the curve because of the covid. I've worked part time as a mechanic for years at a friend's bike shop that is primarily Trek and Specialized. For some reason, someone(s) at Trek saw opportunity as this mess was unfolding rather than disaster. They ordered tons of extra components from Shimano and others while also ramping up production efforts. Specialized thought it was going to be an economic wasteland as far as the consumer was concerned and pulled in their horns, realizing too late that the reverse was true. 
My buddy, the bike shop owner, saw what Trek did and jumped in with both feet too. I thought, WTH! He preordered many, many units from Trek and Specialized. While it hasn't been anywhere close to being able to get what you want, his preorders from Trek still have us receiving shipments of 20, 30, and more bikes at a time every several weeks, and it's still not enough. We've gotten almost zero from Specialized even with the early preorders. We're in Abilene, TX so it's hardly a hotbed of bicycling like CO and UT. Still, people have mobbed the place and bought us out soon after shipments come in, with many bought and paid for before arrival.

As the old Indiana Jones movie quote suggests as far as Specialized is concerned..."They chose poorly."


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## natrat (Mar 20, 2008)

my levo blew up it's second motor and i was like screw this i'm getting a bullit, lol
now i'm just hoping spec has a new motor for it


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## 33red (Jan 5, 2016)

natrat said:


> my levo blew up it's second motor and i was like screw this i'm getting a bullit, lol
> now i'm just hoping spec has a new motor for it


What distance did those 2 last?


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## natrat (Mar 20, 2008)

33red said:


> What distance did those 2 last?


the first one 1500 , it was unrestricted with a bigger 36 chainring
the second one i tried to be more careful, totally stock, higher cadence 1000 miles


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## 33red (Jan 5, 2016)

I visited 2 shops and they would accept a deposit to buy a 2021 Giant Ebike in some model and size for delivery in december.
I guess the 2022 will be delivered later than usual years.


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

Don't you hate it when somebody talking about -- let's just say, July of 2022 -- says "next July"?

The next appearance of July on the calendar I happen to be using will occur 3 months from now (it's currently April 2021). So in my book, "next July" is July 2021.

I don't understand when or why a large percentage of supposedly intelligent humans decided that "next" anything (next summer, next week) means jump over the actual next one and talk about the one after that.

Mystified I am.*

Whew. Glad to get this off my chest.
=sParty

*Whenever I get mystified, I talk like Yoda.


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## Phillbo (Apr 7, 2004)

Sparticus said:


> Don't you hate it when somebody talking about -- let's just say, July of 2022 -- says "next July"?
> 
> The next appearance of July on the calendar I happen to be using will occur 3 months from now (it's currently April 2021). So in my book, "next July" is July 2021.


3 months from now will be "this July" because it's happening 'this' year ....... "Next" July is July 2022 because it's happening "next" year...


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## Glide the Clyde (Nov 12, 2009)

Phillbo said:


> 3 months from now will be "this July" because it's happening 'this' year ....... "Next July is July 2022 because it's happening "next" year...


WTAF??

What have we been reduced to??


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

Phillbo said:


> 3 months from now will be "this July" because it's happening 'this' year ....... "Next" July is July 2022 because it's happening "next" year...


Imagine this...
You and a friend are walking down a long hallway lined with doors on both sides.
Your friend tells you, "Take the next door on your right."

No, not THAT door!
=sParty


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## lotusdriver (Sep 15, 2013)

The situation isn't much better here in the U.K.

Very little stock of new ebikes, l have been looking since January and nothing in stock, delivery expected "Autumn"

Fortunately l found a Kona Remote E160 at a shop about 100 miles round trip away.

l take a "small" frame and they had two left plus one XL.

OK so it's a NOS 2020 and not the better 2021 but it was £1,000 discount over list, and having had it three weeks and been out on it about fifteen times l am really happy with it.


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## jonyrad (Jul 14, 2019)

Phillbo said:


> 3 months from now will be "this July" because it's happening 'this' year ....... "Next" July is July 2022 because it's happening "next" year...


Bought a IntenseTazer Pro and had to wait 3 mounths and now they had a few (2021) on the floor. Bike Fix St George UT. That 504 Wh battery sucks ,looking for a spare if anyone has one I can rebuild.


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## lotusdriver (Sep 15, 2013)

I did worry a little about the 504Wh battery in my new Kona when my friend's Cube has a 650Wh

But it seems to last the same distance, l can get an easy 30 miles from it on hard off-road rides, keeping up with my friend (his battery runs low about the same time as mine)

With a little more care and not trying to keep
up with anyone l can get three rides of around 15 miles each before the battery is down to around 10%

l never use turbo. But l don't hang around, and l live on the edge of the Peak District National Park where my shortest 7 mile loop has 1,000 feet of climbing.

The route to the trails from my front door starts with a pretty much continuous climb of around 3km


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## tpc1 (Jun 29, 2010)

lotusdriver said:


> The situation isn't much better here in the U.K.
> 
> Very little stock of new ebikes, l have been looking since January and nothing in stock, delivery expected "Autumn"
> 
> ...


I ran into the same thing, I ended up finding a Kona Remote 130 and bought it. Enjoy your new bike.


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