Bike industry failing?

Red Mosquito said:
32s, 36s, whatever. Larger wheels lol
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reminded me of this for some reason
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Ironjunk said:
Stop worrying about selling them things and start selling them convenience and time. Go harder maybe on renting bikes or a subscription based rental program. If bikes are good enough now then get a bunch of good enough bikes to rent forever. Don't have a real shop anymore to pay. Gyms don't sell you equipment they sell you convenience.
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Also, you don’t buy the latest electronic shifter for your subscription dumbbell, do you?
 
Jeremy said:
I think enticing people to try new disciplines (like DH riders doing XC or Gravel, or vice versa) could sell bikes. I don’t see any effort in that front though.
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This is something that gets brought up often but hasn’t been well thought out. We have bikes to send out on group rides except none of the staff can do group rides because we’re short and need to cover the shop. They also won’t pay us to host demos so the demo fleet sits unused. There’s a lot of stepping over dollars to pick up pennies in the bike world, they honestly don’t get it at all.

Also a lot of talk about product representation on rides to get exposure but then you know, they cut EP Programs so there’s no representation? I hear Tarmac sales go up exponentially when your Employees are on Cervelos 🤷
 
Steve Vai said:
This is something that gets brought up often but hasn’t been well thought out. We have bikes to send out on group rides except none of the staff can do group rides because we’re short and need to cover the shop. They also won’t pay us to host demos so the demo fleet sits unused. There’s a lot of stepping over dollars to pick up pennies in the bike world, they honestly don’t get it at all.

Also a lot of talk about product representation on rides to get exposure but then you know, they cut EP Programs so there’s no representation? I hear Tarmac sales go up exponentially when your Employees are on Cervelos 🤷
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My team manager was able to get us Revel again and while I have nothing against their bikes, I don't see anything in the line that makes me want to change from the bikes I already have no matter how much of a discount we get - which is ok, but not anything close to the ~EP discounts we had with other brands during the "before times."
 
Ian F said:
My team manager was able to get us Revel again and while I have nothing against their bikes, I don't see anything in the line that makes me want to change from the bikes I already have no matter how much of a discount we get - which is ok, but not anything close to the ~EP discounts we had with other brands during the "before times."
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Yeah. Our discount went up 100% 🤷
 
Stumbled across this video and it made me think of this thread.



If you don't want to watch the 26 min ramble, it's basically a small shop owner/operator in Fredrick, MD coming to terms with the fact he made as much money in 2025 as he did in 2024 by selling fewer bikes at higher prices and doing more pricey service jobs in lieu of quick-fix jobs. Then coming to the realization his current customer base cares about quality and not price. I'm sure it doesn't hurt his shop is within the "swamp circle" of D.C. money.

I'm curious what the other shop folks have to say about the 2025 market and what their outlook is for 2026. I can say I am not currently planning to buy any new bikes next year. While I can definitely say my Heckler is not my "end-all" of e-bikes, I'm just not seeing anything on the horizon that represents enough of a leap forward in power/range/weight. And given my attempt at a new road bike turned into an utter failure on my part, I'm back to square one with deciding on what I want to fill that need. Still, as much time as I spent on the road this year (probably my lowest in well over a decade), I'm not in a rush to make a decision either.
 
Steve Vai said:
Despite the doom and gloom of shops going under, it’s actually helping the Industry overall. Cycling is an expensive hobby and most of its participants aren’t hurting for money so sales are steady as long as product is available.
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But math...


Key Takeaways from Pinkbike & Industry Reports (Late 2025):
  • Import Decline: U.S. bike imports through September 2025 dropped 24% in units and 16% in value compared to the same period in 2024, signaling lower demand, says Bicycle Retailer and Industry News via Pinkbike.
  • Market Correction: The market is experiencing a correction from the pandemic-era boom, with reports of overall market fatigue and declining interest in mountain biking specifically.
  • E-Bike Trends: While overall sales are down, interest in e-bikes continued to grow, with more Americans using them
 
Yeah. But the prices of what did come through went up to compensate so revenue stayed the same. We had our best year ever in 2025. And yes, MTB is dying but that has more to with the group itself and not supply. Like, how many rides do you have to get buzzed by an e-bike with a blue tooth speaker before you start doing something else 🤷
 
Steve Vai said:
Yeah. But the prices of what did come through went up to compensate so revenue stayed the same. We had our best year ever in 2025. And yes, MTB is dying but that has more to with the group itself and not supply. Like, how many rides do you have to get buzzed by an e-bike with a blue tooth speaker before you start doing something else 🤷
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MTB is dying based on new MTB sales or other data as well?
 
goldsbar said:
It has felt like MTB is dying, at least in NJ. Tons of NICA kids but I'm not sure what that really does. They seem to exit the sport right after school just like football/baseball/soccer/basketball kids.
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They go onto other things like college, working and buying their first car. I didn't start riding again until 52. Did different things like racing motocross, karate, apprenticeship and then kids. If they like it they will pick it up again.
 
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