Fuel prices, war and corona: pressure at bicycle repair shops and longer delivery times

At Vegabike in Tielt they can talk about that crowds; they work there every day from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. to complete the orders. But parts prove difficult to find: after the corona crisis, there is now a shortage of raw materials for parts due to the war in Ukraine. As a result, there is a threat of a shortage of brake pads and bicycle chains, among other things.

To stock up on supplies

“We need to plan orders for 2023 and 2024 now so that we have everything in by then and customers don’t have to wait months,” it said. Due to the high fuel prices, people are also more likely to turn to bicycles and have them repaired en masse, or buy an electric bicycle. And apparently the longer delivery times occasionally cause restlessness among customers. (read more below the photo)

The government’s intention not to lower the VAT on bicycles from 21 to six percent has no effect for the time being: Orders continue to come in.