A bit of a vent here.
I’ve been searching everywhere for a new bike: Madone > Venge > SystemSix - 58cm. It doesn’t look like there any are available in the UK right now!
Do you have experience with something like this?
Also, anyone have experience with Trek Project One? What’s the lead time on a new bike?
The world is currently going through a terrible combination of shutting down Asian manufacturing facilities and the supply chain to get the bikes to their destination as well as a huge growth in the number of cyclists buying new bikes. It might take a while for inventories and local bike shops to get back to where they were before.
Demand for bikes in the west is by far outstripping constrained supply right now. That situation doesn’t look like it’s going to get better in the near to intermediate term. I’m not quite sure about all the in’s and out’s but I can order a bike frame from asia no problem but apparently real-deal manufacturers have trouble?
Anyhow, I just did a quick channel check of some boutique bike brands that I’ve had business with in the past and they are all out of stock. Eagle Bikes. Samson Sports. Krush. All basically sold out or obviously inventory constrained.
So, hey, custom builders every celebrate. It’s a great time to sell a bike, for sure. Even my inventory is selling out. 
6 to 12 months of disruption is for certain. Perfect storm of C-19 is the primary source, but the supply and demand are the factors.
Mid to high end are less affected at the moment, but that will change as we move forward. If you want a bike and it’s in stock now, don’t hesitate or you will be waiting a long time.
Your best bet is to call every LBS until you get a hit. With companies like Specialized, their website will show out of stock first, but some units might still be available at retailers. Once the retailers are OOS, they won’t be able to get any more either.
The COVID-19 quarantine has created a unique situation with the cycling industry. Salaried folks working at home have had uninterrupted income but more free cash due to restaurant and bar closures. Here the states, some furloughed hourly employees are making MORE money sitting at home than they did working, thanks to a 120% increase in unemployment benefits. Meanwhile, with gym closures, people are itching to exercise, and the bike is one of the best ways to do it in solitude.
While some people are barely scraping by, others are seeing record-high balances in their bank accounts. With all this extra money on hand and nothing to do, it’s not hard to see why even S-works models are going out of stock.
Also, the UK has had a huge huge spike in bike demand due to lockdown.
Getting a bike is very very hard right now.
I recommend cyclefit.co.uk if you want to go the custom Trek route. They are a trek dealer, bike fitter, and a good bunch of guys.
I went to my local-ish BS in the hope of throwing a leg over a Madone. Booked an appointment for the fitting etc and when I arrived, they’d sold their demo model.
Sat me on some-other TREK model and told me that the dimensions were ‘almost’ identical. For a near 6k purchase, that wasn’t going to cut it.
BS owner did go to great and very polite effort to explain the industry situation to me, stressing that there were currently up to three month delays for components and, that would, in the short term, only get worse.
I made my excuses and left. Not a fault of the BS but, I think we might be scratching around for bits and pieces for a while to come.
Talked to my LBS today and they have remained closed to walk-in business even though the state has allowed allowed them to be opened to limited walk-on traffic for weeks now. You can still order things on the phone and do a pick-up in front of the store.
The mgr. said 1) they have almost no new bikes left so there really isn’t anything for people look at in the store and 2) they are so buried in repair business that the floor space normally occupied by the new bikes is now being used for storage of bikes waiting for repair. But at least they are busy so they won’t being going under like so many small businesses that have been devastated by COVID-19.
I think it is going to be quite a while before things get back to anything close to normal.
Glad I was able to get my new bike built and delivered back in Jan./Feb. before things started going to hell.
Have you managed to get one yet?
From Dorel’s Q1 results release (they own the Cannondale, GT, Schwinn, Mongoose and Guru brands, among others):
“Dorel Sports records fourth consecutive quarter of revenue growth; April bicycle sales surge as families seek exercise and alternatives to vacations”
i found a systemsix himod dura ace. picking it up tomorrow
Good man.
You just got your hands on the fastest aero there is.
Good job and enjoy the bike 
Ask the retailers to order them in?
Look on facebook for second hand/brand new second hands?
Covid is putting the bicycle industry in a bind at the moment. As stated above, call every single local retailer to see what the on hand stock is. Chances are they won’t be getting anything new for a while. Here in the states, it’s crazy. At our shop, we have plenty of bikes that are over $1200, but everything below that sold out fast and is getting harder to replace. Kids bikes are pretty much gone as soon as we get any in and built up. Plus a lot of companies and suppliers are diverting resources away from other countries to get stuff to the states faster since bikes here suddenly became so popular during the quarantine. Some bikes are out of stock for a couple of months at the moment. So if if they don’t have what you want in the shops, be prepared to wait a bit