T. Whites Bikes owner Anae Brown was also facing the same dilemma, with supply not being able to keep up with the number of Kiwis keen to buy a shiny new two-wheeler.
"I really don't perceive it getting better until next year ... we have some bicycle lines that are out of stock until December next year,
"There's already talk of ordering your 2022 stock ... so it's almost like the industry is panic buying because we don't know when the replenishments are coming."
Barbara Cuthbert, Bike Auckland's chair, said the shortage and struggle for bike stores to keep up with demand was a massive issue.
She said the Ports of Auckland delay also contributed.
"I was aware of one retailer who paid quite a lot of money to bring his container into Northport just so he could have some stock."
Cuthbert said it was a huge issue when biking had "never been more popular across the country".
There was also a more sinister side contributing to the problem – many cyclists and retailers believed bike thefts were currently an "epidemic" and the highest they'd ever been in Auckland City.
"You can't help but think that the two go together – there's massive unmet demand for bikes and yet there's now a black market ... that's a concern," Cuthbert said.
Bikes and Beyond Newmarket, which specialises in e-bikes, were feeling the hit of stolen bikes and low stock.
Sales worker Eloise said the number of their own bicycles stolen from outside their store had "tripled" in the past year.
Customers with stolen bikes had now become a weekly occurrence, instead of three or four times a year.
Their supply of e-bikes also couldn't keep up with demand.
"It's 10 bikes in 10 bikes out most weekends, we actually aren't increasing any stock because everything sells so quickly."
Eloise said they would sometimes find their stolen bikes for sale online and buy them back but it "just felt like they were disappearing".
"They're not cheap bikes either ... people are starting to realise what bikes they can sell for more money and we've got bikes that we find get targeted more than others."
Inspector Gary Davey, Police Area Commander for Auckland City Central, said they had anecdotally noticed a slight increase in reported thefts of e-bikes over recent months.
He said they were making inquiries into a number of reports and many of the stolen bikes had been appearing for sale online, including on social media.
"We ask anyone looking to purchase a bike to be cautious and use verified outlets to purchase items.
"If the sale price appears too good to be true, it probably is. There is a likelihood it may be stolen property advertised for sale."
Eloise said it was also a red flag if a second-hand e-bike was sold without a charger.
Police were reminding bike owners to invest in a high-quality lock and chain, and to try and keep bikes out of sight on a property or inside a secured building or garage.
