Is the inflated Bike market finally crashing?

Took a quick look at the sale. The amount of stuff they have with abandoned standards is also very telling for the industry as a whole. It's really hard just to buy a rear wheel these days...rim diameter, hub size, disc interface, cassette interface, rim width (why are there still road bike rim widths for MTBs?), weight/strength category, let alone brand preferences.
 
I always found Colorado Cyclist to be pretentious, overpriced roadie crap anyway
 
I remember getting the Colorado Cyclist catalogs way back when... Prices always seemed higher than average (my LBS Guys' had no problem matching or beating their prices), but it was fun day-dreaming tool when I couldn't afford to buy anything.
 
gmb3 said:
I always found Colorado Cyclist to be pretentious, overpriced roadie crap anyway
Click to expand...
I don't think I've bought anything from them since the 80s. Miss paging through catalogs and mags to sketching out a dream bike on a wide rule composition notebook
Screenshot_20240423-093038.png
 
if i were in the market i'd get a Honzo or a Shonky when they go on closeout. Parents, they do make a Process 24" fyi
 
gmb3 said:
if i were in the market i'd get a Honzo or a Shonky when they go on closeout. Parents, they do make a Process 24" fyi
Click to expand...
I don't need a Honzo, but if they did 50% off instead of BOGO I would have seriously considered it.
 
I'm currently reorganizing my bookshelves and came across an Excel Sports Boulder catalog from 1999. According to Google, the shop is still around and still sells online. It's amusing to look at the bikes and the prices - like a Merlin Echo (Moots YBB soft-tail system) with a SID and full XTR: $3799. Granted, that was a lot of money for a mtn bike 25 years ago... and the only disc brake offered was Hayes. Looking at the website, it looks like their main focus now is road.
 
Ian F said:
I'm currently reorganizing my bookshelves and came across an Excel Sports Boulder catalog from 1999. According to Google, the shop is still around and still sells online. It's amusing to look at the bikes and the prices - like a Merlin Echo (Moots YBB soft-tail system) with a SID and full XTR: $3799. Granted, that was a lot of money for a mtn bike 25 years ago... and the only disc brake offered was Hayes. Looking at the website, it looks like their main focus now is road.
Click to expand...
Yes. Times have changed. I just had a customer drop of a Turner I built for him about 22 years ago. XTR, Chris King, all high end parts. He remembers it being just below $5k. When I told him how much a replacement fork and shock might be, he was floored. Think he might be riding some leaky suspension for a while.

The only thing that's been updated were the brakes as the old Hayes shit the bed.
 
Bike N Gear said:
Yes. Times have changed. I just had a customer drop of a Turner I built for him about 22 years ago. XTR, Chris King, all high end parts. He remembers it being just below $5k. When I told him how much a replacement fork and shock might be, he was floored. Think he might be riding some leaky suspension for a while.

The only thing that's been updated were the brakes as the old Hayes shit the bed.
Click to expand...
Did you explain a $1,500 bike on your floor is probably more enjoyable to ride? :)
 
iman29 said:
www.cyclingweekly.com

Rapha lays off employees, closes North American office

CEO cites 'strategic realignment and current market dynamics'
www.cyclingweekly.com www.cyclingweekly.com

Not that I ever bought any Rapha stuff but its getting crazy with all the name brand stuff closing down .

I assume everyone already saw this too:

www.cyclingnews.com

Stages Cycling ceases operations and lays off entire staff, report suggests

Supplier orders cancelled, products out of stock at esteemed power meter and indoor cycling brand
www.cyclingnews.com www.cyclingnews.com
Click to expand...
The Rapha thing doesn't seem huge. They seemed to have an office in Arkansas for no real reason when the company is really out of the UK. 6 people isn't crazy. Unless you're one of those 6. But that could really be the start for them.

I'm curious how this will shake out for the companies that make it through. I remember talking to outside sales guys at work in 2011 or so about how tons of companies went out of business but the good ones that stayed were busier than ever grabbing the market share that the other companies had.

I'm a bit curious about Stages though, if they've sold any IP to other companies or what not. Their problems seemed less so on the power meter side than the indoor riding market.
 
yeah, the Stages collapse surprised me a bit, but I can see if they invested too heavily into the indoor market right when the bottom fell out it could have put them into a finacial pickle.
 
Wasn't Rapha looking to get more into the general lifestyle/fitness market similar to Lululemon or similar brands? Perhaps unrelated to the closing of the small office in Arkansas, but definitely seemed like a large gamble to enter into an already saturated market.

I have a couple of Stages products, so hoping that someone picks up the IP and there's a future for supporting these items. Believe that there was some relationship with Giant, though not clear to me exactly what that was.
 
ebarker9 said:
Wasn't Rapha looking to get more into the general lifestyle/fitness market similar to Lululemon or similar brands? Perhaps unrelated to the closing of the small office in Arkansas, but definitely seemed like a large gamble to enter into an already saturated market.
Click to expand...
Isn't every bike clothing mostly going for 90% lifestyle market? Flannel shirts for mountain bikers anyone?

DCRainmaker has an article on the Stages collapse, what lead to it and the tie-in w/ Giant.

www.dcrainmaker.com

The Stages Cycling Saga Is Only Going to Get Messier

While the cycling industry and consumers are reverberating from the Stages apparently laying off their entire workforce last weekend, the reality is that the Stages story is far from over. And equally, it was far from starting this past weekend.
www.dcrainmaker.com www.dcrainmaker.com
 
Santapez said:
Isn't every bike clothing mostly going for 90% lifestyle market? Flannel shirts for mountain bikers anyone?

DCRainmaker has an article on the Stages collapse, what lead to it and the tie-in w/ Giant.

www.dcrainmaker.com

The Stages Cycling Saga Is Only Going to Get Messier

While the cycling industry and consumers are reverberating from the Stages apparently laying off their entire workforce last weekend, the reality is that the Stages story is far from over. And equally, it was far from starting this past weekend.
www.dcrainmaker.com www.dcrainmaker.com
Click to expand...
Will need to read and monitor this. We have a Stages spin bike in the house that I use quite a bit.
 
Santapez said:
Isn't every bike clothing mostly going for 90% lifestyle market? Flannel shirts for mountain bikers anyone?

DCRainmaker has an article on the Stages collapse, what lead to it and the tie-in w/ Giant.

www.dcrainmaker.com

The Stages Cycling Saga Is Only Going to Get Messier

While the cycling industry and consumers are reverberating from the Stages apparently laying off their entire workforce last weekend, the reality is that the Stages story is far from over. And equally, it was far from starting this past weekend.
www.dcrainmaker.com www.dcrainmaker.com
Click to expand...
Be careful with that link. Sent my computer into a spiral.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom