Ok, it feels like this thread has run it's course and is descending into the usual tropes. Time for a lock me thinks.
State of the industry: a running thread
- Thread starter al-onestare
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synchronicity
Senior Retro Guru
No
Guinessisgoodforyou
Retro Wizard
synchronicity
Senior Retro Guru
There's a guy who already has made a 15 speed cassette!!So by 2026 we may have 14 speed.
Hang on, im sure i had that in 1989 on cheapo a road bike!
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And hey presto! There is room for at least three more cogs!
No need for narrower chain, sprockets, spacing.
Sorry for the slightly tongue in cheek poke at the cycling world and a the industry behind it, but the comment does carry a serious point for the thread.
Customers of every market are suffering "consumer burnout" ie, chasing the unobtainable consumerist dream of bigger, faster, better; especially when the items last shorter periods due to obsolescence or poor quality.
Its being seen in every market, but especially in luxury non essentials....bikes sadly fall in that category for most people.
Plus, expecting people to hand over cash ever time the industry rings the pavlovian bell, imho, demonstrates a greed on a scale that gets all it deserves.
Yes, as its been said above, the average punter walking in to a shop buys the brand and level of tech on offer at that point.....but they won't buy that brand again if it performs poorly and will still feel cheated 18 months later when told that's now old hat.
Development for the sake of change to make money is not the same as innovation for improvement of functionality or quality.
Sadly we now have a bike industry doing just that, covered with a thin layer of " gains" to 1% of the cycling population at cost the the other 99% in reality.
Obviously imho......
Customers of every market are suffering "consumer burnout" ie, chasing the unobtainable consumerist dream of bigger, faster, better; especially when the items last shorter periods due to obsolescence or poor quality.
Its being seen in every market, but especially in luxury non essentials....bikes sadly fall in that category for most people.
Plus, expecting people to hand over cash ever time the industry rings the pavlovian bell, imho, demonstrates a greed on a scale that gets all it deserves.
Yes, as its been said above, the average punter walking in to a shop buys the brand and level of tech on offer at that point.....but they won't buy that brand again if it performs poorly and will still feel cheated 18 months later when told that's now old hat.
Development for the sake of change to make money is not the same as innovation for improvement of functionality or quality.
Sadly we now have a bike industry doing just that, covered with a thin layer of " gains" to 1% of the cycling population at cost the the other 99% in reality.
Obviously imho......
synchronicity
Senior Retro Guru
Aren't we deemed adult enough to discuss things now? Leftist!
bikeworkshop
Retro Guru
Is this a trope?
Sorry for the slightly tongue in cheek poke at the cycling world and a the industry behind it, but the comment does carry a serious point for the thread.
Customers of every market are suffering "consumer burnout" ie, chasing the unobtainable consumerist dream of bigger, faster, better; especially when the items last shorter periods due to obsolescence or poor quality.
Its being seen in every market, but especially in luxury non essentials....bikes sadly fall in that category for most people.
Plus, expecting people to hand over cash ever time the industry rings the pavlovian bell, imho, demonstrates a greed on a scale that gets all it deserves.
Yes, as its been said above, the average punter walking in to a shop buys the brand and level of tech on offer at that point.....but they won't buy that brand again if it performs poorly and will still feel cheated 18 months later when told that's now old hat.
Development for the sake of change to make money is not the same as innovation for improvement of functionality or quality.
Sadly we now have a bike industry doing just that, covered with a thin layer of " gains" to 1% of the cycling population at cost the the other 99% in reality.
Obviously imho......
I feel like much of this has been going on for at least as long as I've been buying bike stuff (since the late 80s). Some of Shimano's MTB gear back was so crap (early rapidfire anyone?) that it felt like being in an abusive relationship you can't leave.
The only difference is that with age and experience I think the scales have fallen from our eyes.
The trouble with the industry currently seems to be that they assumed the insanity of the pandemic would continue, when in practice the numbers of people riding bikes has returned to normal, and most people who want one probably now have one (and finally, a bunch of people want to get rid of their lock down purchases as it turned out cycling wasn't for them after all). They are not alone, various tech companies have similarly suffered - and inflation has torn a new one in most people's discretionary spending.
Putting offers on like get 2 bikes for the price of one doesn't help when current fair market value for said bikes is probably half the price (or less) than what they are charging: https://www.tweekscycles.com/rocky-mountain-soul-20-hardtail-mountain-bike-2023-4000992/
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