Key takeaway: For road cycling gear, Black Friday is one stop in a longer sale season: trainers and winter kit tend to be promoted from mid-November, while discounts on outgoing complete bikes are driven more by the model-year rollover than by any single day, so decide by category, not by date.
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Last updated: October 17, 2026. We refresh this guide weekly through December 2, 2026.
The Short Answer
Black Friday 2026 is Friday, November 27, and Cyber Monday is November 30. In recent seasons, cycling brands and retailers haven't kept their offers to those two days. Some promotions started in mid-November, and general retail deals ran into December.
So the useful question isn't "which day?" It's "which category?" Smart trainers, lights and winter kit are in peak demand right as the sale season hits. A complete bike's price depends more on whether its model year is on the way out.
When Sales Opened in Past Seasons
Past announcements point to a sale window that opens before Black Friday. These are dated, public statements about past seasons. They describe what happened then; they don't predict 2026 prices.
Wahoo, 2024: trainer offers from November 15
In its 2024 Black Friday post, published November 29, 2024, Wahoo said that "some savings are available now and more will be added leading up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday." It listed offers on its entry-level KICKR SNAP and KICKR ROLLR trainers "starting November 15th" for U.S. customers, and said it had lowered the regular prices of several KICKR models earlier that fall. For trainer shoppers, the sale opened about two weeks before Black Friday that year.
Adobe, 2024 and 2025: the best day moved around
In a forecast reported by Digital Commerce 360 on September 26, 2024, Adobe expected Thanksgiving Day to be the best day to buy sporting goods online that year. Adobe's recap published December 2, 2025 said Cyber Monday 2025 was the biggest online shopping day on record, with sporting goods among the discounted categories, and that bargains would continue through the first week of December. These are all-retail figures, not cycling-specific ones, but they show the window running from before Thanksgiving into December.
What this means for 2026
Don't plan around one day. We won't know when brands open their 2026 sales until they announce them, and we'll add those announcements here as they come out.
How Model-Year Clearance Works
Bikes get cheaper when the next model year lands, and that calendar belongs to the brands, not to Black Friday. When a frame or spec is refreshed, shops need floor space and brands need the outgoing stock gone, so last year's version is marked down.
Singletracks put it plainly in a piece published January 27, 2025: "It's no secret that mountain bike brands put models on sale ahead of a new release." The same article reported that, having over-ordered earlier, many brands were cutting their 2025 orders, and it said discounts on the next-generation bikes were unlikely, especially in the near term. That's a mountain bike example, but road and gravel lines follow the same refresh cycle.
Shops feel this too. In Bicycle Retailer's "State of Retail" survey published August 13, 2024, one shop owner said its margins had eroded from "unplanned and extended promotions," and another pointed to manufacturers "aggressively changing MAPs and advertising steep sale pricing." In plain terms, promotions on outgoing stock are a normal part of how bikes move, not a one-week event.
Last year's model: what you give up
This is general guidance, not data. Sometimes the new model year is a new frame with real changes (tire clearance, cable routing, geometry). Often it's a new paint scheme or a small spec swap. Before you buy the outgoing bike, compare the two spec sheets line by line:
- Frame: same mold, or a new design? Check maximum tire clearance and whether the rear dropout is UDH.
- Drivetrain: same groupset generation and speed count? A generation change matters for future parts.
- Wheels and tires: tubeless-ready rims and internal width.
- Size run: clearance stock thins out fast in the common sizes. If your size is left, that matters more than the last few dollars.
Buy Now or Wait: By Category
Use this as a starting point, not a forecast. It's general guidance from the past announcements above and from how demand works; we don't have the price history to predict 2026 drops.
| Category | Lean | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Smart trainers | Wait, unless you need it now | Past trainer offers opened in mid-November (Wahoo, 2024). If you want to ride indoors in October, the weeks of training may be worth more than the sale. |
| Lights | Buy what you need now | You need them as the days shorten. A good light now beats a cheaper one in December. |
| Winter kit (jackets, tights, overshoes, gloves) | Buy your key piece now, add extras in the sale | Popular sizes go first once it gets cold. Fill-in items can wait. |
| Summer kit (jerseys, bibs) | Buy when you see your size | Summer kit is off-season now, and the sizes you need can sell through before spring. |
| Components and wheels | Wait if it's an upgrade; buy if it's a repair | A worn chain or cassette can't wait for a sale. A wheel upgrade can. |
| Complete bikes | Watch the model year, not the calendar | The outgoing model is the one that gets marked down. Check the spec sheets first. |
Shop by Category
These links search Velo Bargains for each category. Product pages link to the retailer, and we may earn a commission on purchases (affiliate links).
- Bike trainers (affiliate links on product pages; we may earn a commission)
- Bike headlights (affiliate links on product pages; we may earn a commission)
- Cycling jackets (affiliate links on product pages; we may earn a commission)
- Cycling jerseys and bib shorts (affiliate links on product pages; we may earn a commission)
- Cycling shoes and helmets (affiliate links on product pages; we may earn a commission)
- Cassettes and wheelsets (affiliate links on product pages; we may earn a commission)
- Gravel bikes (affiliate links on product pages; we may earn a commission)
Or browse all cycling deals (affiliate links; we may earn a commission), and set a price alert on anything you're watching so you hear about a drop whichever day it comes.
Black Friday Price Charts (Reserved)
This section is saved for Black Friday price charts. We'll add charts here only if we have enough clean daily price records before the sale.
Common Mistakes
- Waiting for one day. Past trainer offers opened in mid-November, and general retail bargains ran into December.
- Buying the old model blind. Compare the spec sheets. Sometimes the "new" bike is a paint job; sometimes it's a new frame.
- Chasing a price in the wrong size. A bike or kit that doesn't fit isn't a deal.
- Skipping the compatibility check. Trainers vary in axle standards and whether a cassette is included; wheels vary in freehub body. Check before you buy.
- Ignoring holiday returns. Return windows and restocking fees vary by retailer, especially on bikes and opened components.
FAQ
When is Black Friday 2026?
Friday, November 27, 2026. Cyber Monday is November 30. Brands and retailers set their own sale dates, so some offers may open earlier.
Do cycling sales start before Black Friday?
In past seasons, some did. Wahoo's 2024 post listed U.S. trainer offers starting November 15, about two weeks before Black Friday.
Is it better to buy last year's bike model?
It can be, if the frame and groupset are unchanged and your size is still available. Compare the two spec sheets before deciding.
Should I buy a smart trainer now or wait?
If you'll use it every week from now on, the riding may be worth more than a possible sale price. If you can wait, past trainer offers opened in mid-November.
Where can I find more cycling buying guides?
Browse the Velo Bargains guides, including our 2026 UCI road equipment checklist.
Sources: Wahoo Fitness, "Wahoo Fitness 2024 Black Friday Deals" (Nov. 29, 2024); Adobe holiday forecast as reported by Digital Commerce 360 (Sept. 26, 2024); Adobe Cyber Monday recap (Dec. 2, 2025); Singletracks, "Brands are discounting popular MTBs to make room for in-coming 2025 models" (Jan. 27, 2025); Bicycle Retailer, "State of Retail: How are you approaching your 2025 ordering?" (Aug. 13, 2024). Velo Bargains earns a commission on some purchases made through links on our deal and product pages.