Question - Which is the most famous/ respected cycle brand that no longer exists?
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2manyoranges
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Hmmmm........a hell of an interesting list is emerging...
And it makes me think ... what’s the story?
My post about 1930s prices versus today’s has a clue I think. The high end market is relatively small. Bit like skiing, which seems like a big sport but only 2 per cent of the population actually do. Many companies with good product have gone, due to inability to innovate at the same time as produce. And those that have grown sometimes have become stale, sometimes not - think Trek and Santa Cruz, both companies which do continue to produce very, very good bikes. Stanton, Transition and Cotic are great since they have managed to innovate and grow, but still with a rapier-like focus on performance. There are some stunning bikes around today and some very interesting tiny, niche producers. I bought a Stanton Ti Switch9er last year - and although it was 2,000 gbp (gulp) - that’s not far off the real price of the Merlins and Marins and Litespeeds of the early 90s. But grief it’s light years ahead in performance. Far faster and more nimble than anything I have ever ridden, and lighter than a very light thing.
The reason these companies still exist is that they are innovating as fast as they are producing - COTIC is just on it the whole time - and the companies which disappeared seemed to have to focus on either production or innovation and so they went. Some backed the wrong horses (URT...) some thought that their bikes would be good forever.
I wonder what the effect of Lockdown will be? People didn’t wake up and think ‘ah I need a COTIC to go to the shops on....’ but there will have been some who have been pulled back to cycling or started on low end in Lockdown and have now been inspired to upgrade...I wonder how many?
And it makes me think ... what’s the story?
My post about 1930s prices versus today’s has a clue I think. The high end market is relatively small. Bit like skiing, which seems like a big sport but only 2 per cent of the population actually do. Many companies with good product have gone, due to inability to innovate at the same time as produce. And those that have grown sometimes have become stale, sometimes not - think Trek and Santa Cruz, both companies which do continue to produce very, very good bikes. Stanton, Transition and Cotic are great since they have managed to innovate and grow, but still with a rapier-like focus on performance. There are some stunning bikes around today and some very interesting tiny, niche producers. I bought a Stanton Ti Switch9er last year - and although it was 2,000 gbp (gulp) - that’s not far off the real price of the Merlins and Marins and Litespeeds of the early 90s. But grief it’s light years ahead in performance. Far faster and more nimble than anything I have ever ridden, and lighter than a very light thing.
The reason these companies still exist is that they are innovating as fast as they are producing - COTIC is just on it the whole time - and the companies which disappeared seemed to have to focus on either production or innovation and so they went. Some backed the wrong horses (URT...) some thought that their bikes would be good forever.
I wonder what the effect of Lockdown will be? People didn’t wake up and think ‘ah I need a COTIC to go to the shops on....’ but there will have been some who have been pulled back to cycling or started on low end in Lockdown and have now been inspired to upgrade...I wonder how many?
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I'm wondering when some photos and a cool article are coming out.
2manyoranges
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Or an evolutionary tree, with the Slingshot as the panda of the mtb world....in terms of heritage I put my Bontrager OR next to my COTIC Soul and Yup - not a huge difference.
2manyoranges
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Blimey that’s made me think - family relations
1 Trek URT, Klein Mantra
2 Trimble, S-bike
3 Cunningham, Breezer, Marin, Specialised, Bontrager, ZINN, Orange
4 AMP, Specialised FS, San Andreas, Orange FS
5 etc
1 Trek URT, Klein Mantra
2 Trimble, S-bike
3 Cunningham, Breezer, Marin, Specialised, Bontrager, ZINN, Orange
4 AMP, Specialised FS, San Andreas, Orange FS
5 etc
2manyoranges
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Way HEY!!!!
www.pinkbike.com
Now THAT Was a Bike: Charlie Cunningham's Prophetic CC Proto - Pinkbike
Charlie Cunningham, innovator, pioneer frame builder, and co-founder of WTB was far ahead of his time
...it's the same company - they diversified
Been thinking about this, lots of smaller companies like you say, but have to agree if the 'most famous' and 'pioneering' conditions are applied - Klein.
Would still be up there if still existing companies were included.
Would still be up there if still existing companies were included.
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