Least Loved of the Big American Brands

Remember folks its the big guys from North America which does include Kona, Norco as Canada is in North America

Also don't matter if the bikes made in the far east, original Stumpy was mass produced in Japan I believe, as long as the big players designed it !

Norco's also do not float my boat, some of their bikes from the past decade or so have had weird geometry to my untutored eye.

Would be interesting just to see in a top ten of the big american continent makes who was at the top and who at the bottom in regards to the buying publics taste.

I like schwinns, stupid I know but thats just taste or lack of it. :roll:

I know what you mean about Schwinn!

The Homegrown is the only alloy hardtail i have realy thought of shelling out proper money for!


Al,

No mention of Diamond Back - which is good as I like them

Diamond Back were cool before becoming Halford's specials....they're making a comeback though if you're into downhilling....

http://www.diamondback.co.uk/bikedetail ... 81&GID=382

Having just had a look at the Diamond Back website and the Schwinn one too, it got me thinking - why do so many of the great mtb companies of the early 90's want to sell (comparatively) cheap crap? Did they all get bought out by Trek?

Has to be most of them for me. Biggest sinner has to be Yeti. Bought a 575 this summer and rode it once. Great and all that but uglier than a bulldog licking piss off a thistle. Just couldn't live with it- it was scaring the other bikes in the shed.

Si

Dr S":xhbsq9qr said:

Just couldn't live with it- it was scaring the other bikes in the shed

Click to expand...

you had to save your other bikes from the beast!

my modern amercian bike brand hate is not based on there bikes just the company and the attitude it has (ie the reps just a dence patrinising prick long and short) and its trek reasons are

1.all small items cost £8 postage even warrinty has to be paid for
2.the reps make it out there doing you the greatest favor selling there bikes :roll:
3.the reps moan if you havn't sold there projected quoter of bikes and come into the shop to do so (i tell them flat out now to do one as i cant force people to buy a product they dont want and its just wrong to do so)
4. they cut loads of corners in there build quality ie 4500 model was rs dart forks and full deore group now crap parts

old school american hate scott never liked them and i dont know why but 99/00 i started to like them :? bikes though

Another anti Trek person here, I just don't think they have done anything particularly innovative in the last few years for their size in the industry. Hardtails are dull, FS bikes haven’t been class leading. Seem to be the 'safe' choice but even Specialized have more flair and better designs.

They are showing small signs of improvement, I'd like a go on a 69er and the new DH bike is better, though its hardly cutting edge.

In Treks defence, the new Fuel, with the ABP is good. Wor lass is well happy with hers