Shut up....and take my money!

[open roader]

It seems globalization is a mirage.

It also appears that large parts of bicycle industry that I'm personally interested in sponsoring is in just as parlous state as it was 18 months ago with seemingly no sunrise on the horizon..........

I used to be a fit, capable solo cyclist, however I now have vestibular / cervical spine issues that amongst other things, limit my bike riding to lower effort, 'relaxed' riding. In short if I over exercise at any activity the muscle groups around my spine spasm and multiple fractures and mis-alignments in my upper spine cause debilitating migrane. 90 mins of steady effort on my gravel bike, stopping often enough for the body to recover fast before moving on is getting close to the limit of my max effort before trouble starts.

Out of desperation to maximise my saddle hours I want to invest in a decent electric gravel bike. I've loved bike riding since small boyhood and don't want to be forced to give it away in my early 50's.

I love my current Cannondale Topstone Carbon 2 gravel bike - naturally I've researched the electric 'Neo' versions of this model to find it's seemingly made of unobtanium in this country. I see one here on BNA electric bike thread but have been reliably informed by both Cannondale's Australian distributor (PSI Cycling) and anecdotally from the dealer I purchased my own Topstone from that there are perhaps 4 to 6 Neo models in Australia and naturally - all sold.

That is the only universally agreed info I can divulge between dealer and PSI. They seem to hate each other and are quite good at it too.

When I purchased my Topstone nearly 18 months ago it was a complete fluke that a dealer within 120km of me had one for sale. At that time the dealer informed me that supply of Cannondale bikes to him and to Au dealers was at best a lottery and more probably diabolical. I can't recall exactly what the dealer claimed back then but it was a sad tale of lack of communication if any at all.

I (politely and concisely) contacted PSI Cycling via their email page on the website enquiring as to how I could purchase or even commit to paying a deposit and pre-ordering one of the Cannondale electric gravel bike models. That was in late June 2022. I'm yet to receive an answer from PSI........ 6 months down the track.

Today I rang the dealership I purchased my bike from 18 months ago and received a similar tale of woe as per 18 months ago :- They have never laid eyes on one of the electric gravel models but could have sold more than a dozen in the past 18 months if they were avail. to sell. Supply is a blind lottery plus no Cannondale representative to cover the west side of Victoria (apprently the east side of Victoria has a rep) PSI the distributor, also ignores the dealer's communications and they have absolutely no idea what Cannondale models will arrive on their doorstep in March 2023 when they may (or may not) expect their next shipment. The dealer also pointed out that the Cannondale US website is a much rosier picture with much more to offer esp. what I want - the electric gravel bike models.............

Niner :- I also like the Niner electric gravel bike offering, but alas, currently no dealer / distributor in Australia. They had one in Adelaide until Covid struck and are yet to appoint another. I found the model I'd like is on sale at Merlin UK but alas, global marketing rights means I can't buy one at any price from the US, UK, or anywhere else.

Canyon - same deal. They have a model that I'd gladly part a ridiculous amount of money for in an attempt to stay on a bike - was avail many places overseas but not to be offered in Australia........

It's marketing with nothing to sell.

Globalization is a mirage.

Just shut up and take my money.............

[cyclingnolycra]

That sucks mate.
What about the Merida e-silex? Pretty sure there'd be more stock of that around?
https://www.99bikes.com.au/merida21-esi ... anthracite

The problem is that the supply chain issues and globilisation mean that it requires all countries involved in producing a product to be "online". One link in the chain down - then product can't be made.

[warthog1]

There is a bloke here that has a revolt e. It must have been derestricted. He was swapping off at 40+ kmh on gravel tyres and is not a strong rider.
Not that attractive looking, but it works.

[redsonic]

You could investigate putting a mid drive kit on your existing bike. If it keeps you on 2 wheels....

[open roader]

You could investigate putting a mid drive kit on your existing bike. If it keeps you on 2 wheels....

I could. I've also seen a nifty rear disc brake mounted drive unit that is quite portable / modular with the only change to current bike being a rear disc swap over for a drive cog type disk.

I don't wish to overstate my medical issues as I can still ride a relaxed pace for 90 mins with no ill effects at all. I count that as a blessing.

In the past 12 months I've received intensive chiropractic treatment which has provided clear cut improvements and also wore a neck brace for 2 months last summer in conjunction with intensive vestibular physiotherapy which strengthened my neck sufficiently for chiropractic adjustments. After 12 solid months of treatments I'm considerably improved from my dire state 12 months ago but I also realise that my physical state being what it is, will not improve significantly more than it is now and I just want more........ to able to spend a gentle half day on the bike exploring my local back roads and Otway Ranges tracks would be ideal.

There is a bloke here that has a revolt e. It must have been derestricted. He was swapping off at 40+ kmh on gravel tyres and is not a strong rider.
Not that attractive looking, but it works.

Yep, seen these in the flesh and they are perhaps ugly but indeed utilitarian and probably represent value for money compared to the flash harry carbon frame mid mount motor models I lust after. I even thought about converting a Giant Fastroad Pro E+ from flatbar to drop bar - cost wise it would still be cheaper than Cannondale, Niner Canyon etc

That sucks mate.
What about the Merida e-silex? Pretty sure there'd be more stock of that around?
https://www.99bikes.com.au/merida21-esi ... anthracite

I actually initially looked into rear hub models like the e-Silex and the Orbea Gain as right now I only need a little boost esp on the inclines to save me from straining too hard for too long. My partner has a Liv Rove E+ bike with a moderate output mid mount pedal assist motor. I've ridden that enough now to know that it has more power than I require right now to stretch out my saddle hours.

The main reason I switched to larger output mid mount motor models was because I figure eventually I'd want more assist than a rear hub model one day down the track and going for a mid mount model would cut out a stepping stone along the way..........

There are other options avail and for less outlay than what I'm lusting after today. I know myself too well and think skipping straight to a larger assist motor would eliminate an entire bike purchase............. but then maybe that is counter intuitive to having fun with one's cycling?

[RonK]

Look at the Wilier Jena Hybrid. You may still have a wait, but at least there are merchants accepting orders. Maybe contact them and see if they can give an ETA.

I have had reliable dealings with these merchants but you may find another with the bike in stock if you dig around.

https://www.lordgun.com.au/wilier-tries ... isc-bike-2

https://www.hibike.com/wilier-jena-hybr ... a4bfc06634

[AUbicycles]

Read a US report on the bike industry about a post-covid glut where the impact is a massive oversupply of some parts / bikes but also hit and miss where there is too much of some and no supply of others with retailer now facing storage issues. Not sure how much it reflects the Australia situation but am sure there are tremors with businesses who saw high demand and banking on this. The market demand and supply has not yet settled.

[am50em]

Went to local Giant bikeshop a couple of days ago and they were stacked with unpacked boxes. On a previous visit saw big discounts on e-bikes.

[Thoglette]

I could. I've also seen a nifty rear disc brake mounted drive unit that is quite portable / modular with the only change to current bike being a rear disc swap over for a drive cog type disk.

Neat! Links? Brand? Vendor?

(I have an Other Half with neck issues. The only thing that works is a fully upright Dutch style bike. But they are heavy, we have hills and Lekker/Gazelle etc e-bikes are priced as one would expect)

[Bunged Knee]

Neat! Links? Brand? Vendor?

Google " Skarper"....

[open roader]

I could. I've also seen a nifty rear disc brake mounted drive unit that is quite portable / modular with the only change to current bike being a rear disc swap over for a drive cog type disk.

Neat! Links? Brand? Vendor?

I actually looked at the Bimotal unit first but it is another globalization fail = can only pre-order if you live in the USA.......... To be expected as it's a small Berkeley startup company.

The Skarper unit is similar in function but also does not have cockpit controls (yet)

Look at the Wilier Jena Hybrid.

This was the very first model I researched as I've seen one in the flesh and they are finished beautifully and have the mix of the road bike geometry that I like plus clearance for proper gravel tyres.......and it's purported to be the lightest weight option avail.

I'll contact Lordgun IT after the holiday break and see if I can get some sense out of them. I'm happy to have either the Fazua or Mahle rear hub system.

[LateStarter]

I was prepared to put up with some disruption nearly 3 years ago because covid upset things but believed the superiority of our market system would give rise to new smart ways of doing stuff and would settle down to a better higher level of efficiency by now!, but that superiority has not yet been demonstrated. If the Chinese hadn't shot themselves in both feet with covid zero they would have whipped the pants of us by now. The prospect of the next US presidential election being fought between two 80 year olds does not give me any hope, at least we are shipping KevinR over there to sort things out and Albo can lead the free world out of it's current mess.

Perhaps you need a trip to the US, buy what you need and bring it back, paying various taxes along the way of course but maybe the cost might be acceptable (except that the AUD is crap compared to USD these days)

A few years ago I standardised all my bikes to 9 sp shimano triples, they are all metal of one sort or another and I have a stock of bits and can cannibalise them to keep at least one on the road for a long time.

[Duck!]

The harsh truth is that Australia is a very small part of the global cycling market, and for a variety of reasons we don't get a lot of stuff that other areas of the world do. Some of it is down to local importers making assessments of what they think will sell best in each segment, so pick models from the overall range to suit their predictions, and sometimes they get it wrong. But there's also some influence from head offices and global demands; bigger markets such as North America and Europe will get priority of supply, and we get the dregs.... Basically, why prioritise a market where they might sell 100 units of a particular model, when elsewhere they could sell 10,000? With raw material supplies still recoving from Covid restrictions and therefore limiting production capacity of some things, you can begin to see why they focus on bigger markets.