Bike industry failing?

[Jeremy]

. I've noticed "retirement planning" channels are somewhat popular right now - or maybe it's just me since I'm hoping to be on the tail end of my working career over the next few years.

Everything on YouTube is targeted to you and what you’ve searched or looked at online. Retirement channels have always been there, but they’re just showing up on your feed now.

But to your point, that may be why MTB channels are dying. Nobody is searching for them anymore.

 

[thegock]

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 🤷

I call BS.

The numbers are for the US industry, not one shop located in "Hedge Fund East, NJ." The cited article in Pinkbike says dollar volume is down 16%. That is reality. Do you have another source?

And the bluetooth buzz number is eight, 11 for Cannibal Corpse.

 

[Jeremy]

E-bikes or not, I’ll take getting buzzed by some dude on Pivot shuttle before some crazy 22 YO in a Subaru with a coexist sticker on her car.

 

[Steve Vai]

.

 

[Johnny Utah]

Hedge Fund East has grown a minimum of 10% YOY since opening. We cater to the CEOs and Bankers making bank ass bonuses from everyone else’s suffering. I have the Employee of the year water bottle and jelly of the month club membership to show for it 😂

This is the other thing - it is hard to go to spend money in the bicycle industry when the staff/industry beats the turd out of the customer for making money or having a different political belief that they do - and boy did the cycling industry get vocal during COVID. I am not saying they all do, but it is a theme. The COVID/Bike shop thread on here aged like fine milk - how many shop owners would like that kind of business again? No wonder the manufacturers tried to cut some shops out of the equation.

I too worked in a bike shop for several years and realized it was not going to pay the bills for how I wanted to live . I hope to maybe retire from what I do someday and possibly work in a shop or something similar, until then I go to work and pay the bills.

Six years of 60+ hour weeks and being essential during round one of COVID doing seven 13’s for weeks on end to hand out PPP and hear someone say “it must be nice” when I buy carbon wheels with some nice hubs while they reek of weed and stare at their phone for the majority of our interaction. Great business model. Maybe bartenders should start to remind patrons of cancer, DUI risk, hangovers, high blood pressure with each sale.

The motorcycle shop greets me with a smile and does whatever they need to keep my business. I want to spend my money where it is appreciated.

Some of these shops / vendors sounds like panhandlers alley in Portland.

 

[Steve Vai]

.

 

[Johnny Utah]

I mean, the banker that comes in to buy an S-Works smells like weed 99% of the time now too, welcome to 2026.

It is their only defense to try to become one with the staff and not be hit up for “staff beer/food” or another go-fund me request.

 

[one piece crank]

The Brown Album is one of my all time favorites. I watched an interview with Les where he talks about how much everyone hates it but it’s phenomenal.

Shake Hands with Beef !