I appreciate all the suggestions. Yesterday I went to REI, Target, (and embarresingly) Dicks. Nothing at Target, nothing in the size I needed at the other two. Craiglist was pretty bare too.

I called the 3 Trek stores and 2 other bike shops. Absolutely nothing in stock in the size I need.

Trek has shipments coming in mid-September. I talked to my son about it and he is ok waiting, plus he's borderline on Trek's XS vs Small size, and an extra month will probably put him right for a small that will last him.

We have sent so much of our manufacturing over to China that interruptions create these big waves across our economy. Bicycles are far from the only example, but also a perfect illustration.

We picked up a bike for my 9 year old a few months back and things were pretty bare then.

quote:

he's borderline on Trek's XS vs Small size, and an extra month will probably put him right for a small that will last him.

Get the medium. My 13yo will turn 14 at the end of the month. He's 5'9" and wears shoes 1/2 size larger than I do. I kid you not, I'm wearing his shoes that he didn't wear out, because he grew so fast. After 40 years, I finally have a pair of Vans! Last year for his birthday, I bought him a nice bike. A small fit him, but the guy at the store said get a medium. He's the right size for a large now. One flipping year. I really thought it would last him a few years.

Good luck. My nephew about the same age has saved up for a mountain bike and now that he has a money can't find anything.

I was in an REI last week. Normally they have rows of bikes. They had 4 on the floor.

He can't find any of his choices anywhere.

Was in Walmart the other day, PLENTY of bikes for kids 7 years old and under. NO bikes of any sort for anyone older than that.

A friend of mine just went through this. There are several bike shops around here in addition to the big box stores. No bikes. Sure high end $1000+ are available but that's it. She was told supply chain is totally broken, it is what it is.

I went through this myself earlier this summer. In late April I decided I wanted to get my first kayak. I also started looking for a new bike about the same time. There were no kayaks to be had other than the type at dicks sporting goods. The local bike shop had two bikes in my size - one was $2700 and the was $3600. Personnel advised they just weren’t getting new stock and didn’t expect to be fully stocked until January. I ended up buying a used bike on Facebook and gave up on the kayak till next year.

Wish I had a good option for you but I know you don’t want to get a used bike for your sons birthday. Good luck.

I tell myself that a great portion of brick and mortar retailers have slipped in to a worm hole / time tunnel,
back in time to February of 1972.

If you remember back to 1972,
( 20 years before we started getting spoiled )

It wasn't uncommon at all to go out to get 7 items ,only to come home with only four of them.

We just went back next time that we were out and about.

Just tell yourself
"You can't always get what you want"

America is not ,was not prepared for these times

I was going to suggest that you call around some more, but it sounds like you’ve done that.

In my case, I went to the highest rated local shop and was told if I ordered that day, I *might* get the bike (a Trek) in six weeks. They led me to believe that Trek was the delay and that I’d get the same story at any other bike shop. So, I put 50% down and started the wait.

A couple of days later, just for grins, I called another local shop that sold Trek bikes. They had a couple of the model I was looking for in stock and I could pick one up that day.

I’m still reading the thread, but another thought would be to contact the manufacturer and see if they can give you a lead on a shop that might have what you’re looking for.

quote:

Originally posted by lizardman_u:

Stay away from Walmart or big box store bikes (REI being the exception).

There was a YouTube video of a guy taking a brand new Walmart “mountain bike” for a ride. By the time he finished, the bike was ready for the dumpster. That’s how shoddy the quality was.

similar stories lately as some here, looking/buying for a friend, we found 1 in Walmart, it didn't survive the truck ride home and unloading before something broke off(a gear). Like someone else mentioned we went to REI found the style he was looking for brand name Ghost, think it was made in Germany and difference in noticeable quality compared to the Walmart bike was day & night

I just searched both REI and Performance bike websites for mountain bikes.

REI the cheapest is $1800.

Performance Bikes is $2000.

So if you want something in the $2000-$5000 range you can find it. Crazy

https://www.rei.com/c/mountain...ze=90&sort=min-price

We bought our kid's bike this Summer from Chain reaction cycles.
http://chainreactioncycles.com
It's in the UK, but bike shipping is free and takes about 1 week via DHL (tracked). They generally have good customer service and reviews. Stock is hit or miss due to COVID, however new inventory comes in very regularly.
We bought her a Vitus and it has been phenomenal. Not made in China which is a bonus.
Stay away from the Target/Walmart bikes.

Also, a lot of good general advice and reviews here:
https://forums.mtbr.com/families-riding-kids/

You would think this would be an opportunity for some of our lower cost of living states to try to jump in and bring manufacturing back to the USA. Or even Mexico, they're a better option than the ChiComs.

Generally speaking, the majority of low end bikes are made in China.
The majority of mid to high end bikes are made in Taiwan.
It's really hard to find a made in the USA bike frame these days. Most are high end (expensive) frames. The drivetrain, brakes and other components are also widely manufactured again with only high end or custom stuff from the US.
Many bike companies say "assembled in the USA". I assembled my bike in my garage- so that's like saying the same thing.