You wouldn’t believe how many conversations lately start the same way: someone rolls up to my Pedal Rescue booth at the farmers market, squints at the tire prices hanging off the side, and asks, “Why are bikes so expensive now?”

I usually just nod and say, “It’s not just you.” Because it’s not. Prices have climbed across the board, and it’s not just inflation or pandemic leftovers anymore — it’s tariffs. Big ones. Ones that are quietly reshaping the entire bike industry while most folks are just trying to find a decent cruiser for the summer without taking out a second mortgage.

Let me walk you through it from where I stand.

Back in the day, if you needed a basic new bike — say a hybrid or a 20-inch kids’ bike — you could walk into a department store or even a local shop and walk out with something reliable for $150 to $300. That’s not the case anymore. Right now, the price tags have jumped dramatically. Why? Because the U.S. has reimposed and expanded tariffs on imported bicycles and parts — especially from China and Taiwan, two of the biggest players in the global bike supply chain.

I’ve been keeping an eye on this through PeopleForBikes and other industry sources, and here’s the situation as of spring 2025:

• Bikes from China? They’re facing an 81% tariff — that’s eight-one, not a typo.

• Electric bikes? 70% tariff.

• Taiwan-made bikes? Now slapped with a combined 43% tariff (an 11% base duty and an additional 32% under Section 301 retaliation).

Let that sink in for a second. A bike that cost $300 wholesale before tariffs could now cost a shop nearly $550 before markup, shipping, or assembly.

Shops like Trek, Specialized, and Giant aren’t absorbing those costs — they’re passing them on. And smaller brands? Some of them are quietly pulling back from the U.S. market altogether because they just can’t make the numbers work. And I don’t blame them.

Even the big guys are changing their strategies. Specialized, for example, made headlines in 2024 for adjusting their pricing structure across North America to account for rising tariffs and supply chain costs. It’s not just a bump — it’s a full-on economic shift. And for most riders, it’s pricing new bikes out of reach.

Now, standing at my little tent at the market or out on a service call in someone’s driveway, I see the ripple effects firsthand. Parents coming in with two kids’ bikes, hoping we can fix them up instead of buying new ones. Retirees bringing out an old comfort bike from the shed, wondering if it’s worth saving. And honestly? It usually is.

That’s the whole reason Pedal Rescue exists.

I didn’t start this because I wanted to sell people new gear. I started it because I love bikes, and I hate waste. And right now, repairing the bike you already own is one of the smartest financial decisions you can make.

Let me give you an example. A full tune-up — brakes, gears, tires checked, chain lubed, bolts torqued, safety verified — might run you around $45 to $65 depending on what needs work. Compare that to $450+ for a new bike that used to be $275 a few years ago. And that new bike? It’ll still need a tune-up after a few months of riding, especially if it’s coming out of a box instead of being assembled by a shop tech.

Want new tires? I carry plenty of affordable options for common sizes — and yes, I’ll install them on-site, no upsell, no nonsense. Got a coaster brake that feels weird? I’ll open it up, regrease it, and tighten it down like new. Even kids’ bikes get the full treatment — because if your little one’s brakes don’t work right, that’s not a minor issue. That’s the kind of thing that matters, and it’s what we take pride in doing right.

And here’s the kicker — while the price of new bikes is climbing because of all these international cost shifts, the price of most repairs hasn’t changed much at all. My cost on inner tubes, cables, brake pads, and small parts is still manageable, especially because I focus on common department store sizes and styles. I’m not trying to upsell you on titanium bottle cages or carbon fiber doodads. I’m trying to keep you rolling.

There’s also something satisfying — something right — about giving a bike a second life. A lot of the bikes I work on have stories. They’ve been passed down between siblings, or bought by someone’s grandfather at Kmart in 2003. They’ve seen sidewalks, campgrounds, cul-de-sacs. And just because the chain is rusted or the tires are flat doesn’t mean they’re done. With a little care and some honest wrenching, they’re good to go again.

I’ll be honest — I think this moment is going to change how people view bikes in America. The age of throwaway bikes might finally be coming to an end. Not because we suddenly got wiser, but because the economics forced our hand. And I don’t think that’s a bad thing.

If we can shift to a mindset where people maintain what they have, where a bike gets tuned up instead of trashed, we all come out ahead — financially, environmentally, and as a community.

So if you’ve got an old Schwinn in the garage, a Huffy with a wobbly wheel, or a kid’s BMX bike that needs new brake pads, bring it by. We’ll take a look. We’ll talk through your options, give it a little love, and get it back on the road. No pressure. No judgment. Just honest work and fair prices in a world where both are getting harder to find.

In the end, that’s what Pedal Rescue is about. Rolling with the times, fixing what we can, and helping people ride on — even when everything else is getting more expensive.

See you out there.

– Daniel
Pedal Rescue