Please "Like" and also " Share" to keep the conversation going. Coming up next Tuesday is 🚨"LIVE Shop Talk Tuesday.🎬 "at 10am Mountain Standard Time. We will dive deeper into this. More insights "As The Wheel Turns, So Do The Days Of Our Rides" playlist: th-cam.com/play/PLdfUXv0-z1u42bZpCLWmT2VtNW-7AIf2A.html Tools and Products Featured (Affiliate): 🛠 Shop Tools to Parts That I Use in the "Garage Shop": www.amazon.com/shop/iknowaguybicycles 🚿 15% Off Lithium Products that I used in this video: lithiumautocare.com/?ref=IKnowAGuyBicycles 👕 "The Guy's" T-Shirts: i-know-a-guy-bicycles.myspreadshop.com/
About a dozen years ago I attended a dealer seminar provided by one of the big bike brands. They explained that they were working towards the auto-manufacturer model of trading, with exclusive stores and bikes with proprietary parts that could only be supplied by the brand. They told us that bikes would become far more complex, so that consumers could not work on them at home and would be reliant on the dealer for even basic service tasks. They told us that this complexity would increase price - which the consumer would be happy to carry in return for the additional feature - so that the dealer would score more margin. They told us that a three-year obsolescence cycle would be employed, so that the enthusiast consumer would retain a primary bike for only three years before it went out of fashion, was technically outmoded, or failed mechanically to the point of not being economically viable to repair. I remember thinking at the time that this brand was probably signing its own death warrant - but the entire industry has followed this model! So, lets just deal with one aspect of that. The concept store model doesn't work for the franchisee dealer. When the brand has a very popular model it runs out by May or earlier, and the dealer cannot fill the gap with other brands for the prime summer selling period. The brand expects the franchisee to invest heavily in stock ahead of the sales season, and then advertises discounted retail prices, over the dealer's head, if a model isn't as popular as expected and the brand is left with inventory that they need to clear. The franchisee recieeves no retrospective discount on existing stock, and is told to compnsate by buying more stock of the remaindered model at the newly discounted price - but it's an unpopular model late in the selling season! Today, brands are selling direct to consumer, over the dealer's head, but expect dealers to provide pre-sale and aftersales service without financial compensation. The consumer doesn't understand how business works, and is pissed that the dealer won't provide free services on product where no magin has been made. Additionally, part of the concept store deal is that the brand has oversight of the franchisee's accounts, in return for the supposed benefits of discounted POS items and extended credit for the franchisee - but only if targets are met. There are penalties for not meeting targets, but if targets are met then the brands expectations are raised, so that targets are increased and remain difficult to achieve, so that the brand's defined performance rewards never materialise. If a dealer tries to resist the offer of becoming a concept store, they are threatened with the brand withdrawing supply and going with another local dealer instead - or reducing margins if there's no rival dealer to use as a threat. Brands can be bullies, and life for a concept store can be far more difficult than for a dealer with a range of brands and freedom of choice. In my region, several prominent concept stores failed for these reasons. Generally, the entire trade and industry is failing due to becoming too corporate and too greedy. Bicycles are not cars, and users do not consume them in the same way. In a twist of fate, the auto-industry sales model, on which this has all been based, is also now failing. The landscape has changed, and a massive reset, with financial pain for many, is inevitable.
We went to our small bikeshop to buy a new comfortable bike for my wife...All they had was bent over uncomfortable bikes for racers and mountain bikes...only one hybrid type...The sales man was a snotty kid who kept trying to push other bikes on us.....We left and went to Sheels and bought her a Townie...she loves it...She actually wants to ride with me now...
I actually really like the idea of the bike market trending towards the smaller independent bike shops instead of the big stores. Home based shops? Hey, even better!
Our bike shop never left the community oriented neighborhood bike shop model. We may have lost out on some high end sales but we seldom have capital tie up on slow moving niche categories. Our E bike conversion product, Bafang BB S02 mid drives, allows us to sell applicable bikes off the floor or a customers existing bike to convert with far less after purchase servicing. We are seeing less volume but we are having higher quality and profit. Transportation and commuting is by far our biggest market.
The bicycle industry doesn't understand Merchandising or pretty much any creative approach to improve or grow. It's the evil twin to the auto industry. Independent and used is the way to go for me. This has been my ethos since I was a kid and I'm 55.
As a consumer, I think you have excellent takes. There are a ton of people who would consider riding a bike around town, whether for daily errands or to commute a couple of times a week. They don't want a bike meant for sport, they want something comfy bought from a friendly shop where they don't feel intimidated to enter. Up selling them an e-bike is probably not all that hard, especially when it is packaged nicely with fenders and a basket rather than looking like a cyber truck. If that local shop offers them friendly service they will be happy to bring their bikes for maintance and accessories like racks, bags, child seats, rain ponchos, non-sporty clothing, etc. That is a growing market and friendly service is key. They don't want a weekly group ride, they want to replace their second car with something fun and cheaper than the car they can no longer afford.
It's all the gen z punks who are all butthurt they don't make enough money and instead of taking their issues up with the owner of the shop or the government (the ones who can fix their problem) they take it out on the customers and "quietly quit" or whatever the hell it's called
My prediction for 2024 that half of the cycling industry would go bankrupt. In Idaho Falls we lost half our local bike shops. My predictions for 2025 are (1) lower bike prices overall (30% off 2024) for used and new bikes, but (2) only 30% bankruptcy rate in cycling industry vs 50% for 2024, and a (3) cycling customer focus on utilitarian bikes over sport bikes.
@IKnowAGuyBicycles it isn't a happy prediction but if I am wrong then I will say 2025 was AMAZING and appreciate being happily wrong. May you be the most successful local bike shop owner in 2025!
@@IdahoFatTireBikeFun It's going to be where you leverage the success. It may not be service or sales. It could be a community, local ride events, and just being human and sharing that on socials. The money pots are definitely where I wasn't looking, and I am now starting to see where those opportunities lie. But we will see. Thanks for sharing.
@IKnowAGuyBicycles may I suggest that the financially and emotionally rewarding local bike shop owner's best 2025 option is the mobile bike repair van. There is a fellow here in the Silicon Valley (I am visiting my parents) that is booked 40+ hours per week repairing cyclists' bikes from his bike repair van. No business rent or overhead. No employees. And a clientele who loves seeing him.
I'm an old guy. When I was a young rider in the 80s, I could afford a sweet Italian road bike and a sweet Ritchey mtb. I learned to work on my bikes when we routinely repacked bearings by hand. Now, not only cant a young rider afford even one sweet bike, they cant maintin it inexpensively. The industry is gross now. I still ride, and have gotten into sweet diy ebikes. The last thing Id do is buy any of the industry offered e bikes for crazy money. My most recent build was using a modern steel hard tail frame, hydraulic brakes, mechanical shifters and a nice E conversion kit that I can tear down and service myself. Package rounded out with an over built Clydesdale class carbon wheelset purchased off shore for half the price industry in North America demands. Simple bikes, people can work on are awesome. The industry sucks. I have ebikes that out perform anything I can legally buy and can replace any component of the system myself. I do have a workstand and relevant tools. I dont see how the industry can expect to grow turning bikes into something an average person has to make a huge financial commitment to have AND requires dealer support/technicians if anything goes wrong. Bikes are awesome. They always will be. Much of the crap industry markets on the altar of high end consumerism represents everything that is wrong with the system we are all supposed to buy into and become wage slaves too. I keep my rides easy to maintain and take full advantage of being able to order inexpensive parts to my door. Im certainly not going to line the pockets of a big corporation or have any bike Id have to pay a bike mechanic to work on. Bike mechanics is pretty straightforward stuff and anyone can learn it. Even ebike motors are pretty straightforward. I can do a complete teardown and rebuild of a Bafang mid drive, not that that is too necessary as theyll run thousands of miles. But, parts are cheap, readily available and you arent beholden to industry and high priced help to keep your ride healthy. Simple, robust easy to work on rides are gold.
Good tool options for cheap, access to repair information, and cheap used and new bikes have never been easier to get. The only bikes you need dealer support for are ebikes.
I'm 65 I've been riding bikes for 50 years these days I ride a 21 speed mountain bike that I converted to a 250 wat hub motor 36volt battery (street legal in Australia) 100 km range it's speed limited to 41kmh but if I don't run the motor, just pedalling i can do the same speed lol the conversion kit cost $1200 Australian the bike was $600 new it had disc brakes but they used cable to operate so I upgraded them to hydraulic so I could stop better i do all my own maintenance i just get parts from my local bike shop
I still don't understand how the big bike companies, that have been doing business for many years and have seen smaller trends in the industry, could have thought that the spike of enthusiasm in cycling during the pandemic could have been anything but a very temporary thing. It seems as though they ramped up production and prices during this period thinking it was going to last several years. It makes no sense to me that they thought that that a viral pandemic was going to have a lasting effect on the bike industry.
I'm sure they believed too much that it would continue, but they could have thought that some of the people who started cycling because of quiet roads would continue to purchase better bikes in the future
Incredible that the entire cycling industry got it wrong during the pandemic. I picked up a bike before the shortage and price increases in early 2020 and then got back into the market last year. Was there any one brand that got it right and pumped the brakes for the orders? Or was it really groupthink and no one took a step back to consider the long-term effects?
Bicycles, RVs, snowmobiles and other leisure expenditures will be impacted the most during economic downturns. The pendulum will eventually swing back.
I retired from the wholesale side right as Covid was ramping up, I remember flying back from the Denver show in March and retired in April. Things really got really crazy, guess I was kind of lucky. Good luck!
Im a road biker. in my experience when they brought in the disc brakes with the through axles and pushed the prices way up, that was the end for me. I was thrilled with my alumuinum frame carbon fiber fork and rim brakes. I can put on good shimano or aftermarket pads and stop very well . The bike industry decided everyone needed a corvette priced bike. we didnt. they created their own demise. then, in effort to cut costs they pushed you into an 8 speed setup low end shimano groupset on some of the entry level road bikes. give me a break guys. I collected 15 great early 2000's road bikes which i ride with great pleasure. and my brakes dont squeal like so many disc brake set ups when i stop. Too late now, bike industry not interested in anything but $$$$$$$$$$$ road bikes. it saddens me, but what can i do. industry priced me out
Eight bikes in my collection...only one is from the 2000s...my favorite bikes are the early mountain bikes from the mid eighties and some from the nineties...I can't imagine that the new bike market can continue with so many great bikes available on the used market....schwinn high sierra, ross mt whitney, gt zaskar, specialized stumpjumper, trek 520 touring, '58 schwinn klunker, bridgestone xo1, schwinn paramount 70pdg
Switched most of my bikes to 8sp friction rear. Forgiving and easy to tune. You can commit part sins and stuff still works. (brake housing on shifter cables) If cues becomes a "thing" I might buy an Uno shifter and try out this newfangled 11sp one by revolution. For now, 3x8 on my HILLY commute just works.
Customer service is gone and the focus of bike shops is ONLY the "25" year old cyclist. Cost too high comprehensive knowledge of training and product is limited (-)
Venture capital firms ruined much of the cycling vibe/community. Really hoping Rocky Mountain gets bought back by cyclists much like Kona did earlier this year. Anyone who asks me what kind of bike to get for cruising around, I recommend finding an 80s bike on a marketplace. The price you pay will be the same as a new heavy big box store bike.
The bike industry did this to themselves... They got WAY too greedy and now it's coming back to hurt them. Who wants to spend 3-4k plus on a metiocre bike, ESPECIALLY in this economy? A nice, reliable entry-level bike by a big brand name like Trek should run ~$500 give or take. Amateur bikes should be ~1-2k and an expert bike should be about ~3-4k. I can see the justification if state-of-the-art bikes for the pros would be 10k and up but most people can't afford that. The bike shops need to clean up their act too. I'm tired of the horrible service. Luckily I have a steel frame road bike with rim brakes and external cables so it's super easy and CHEAP to service. I would never in a million years let some gen z PUNK at a LBS wrench on my bike. I can order and install my own parts for my bike thank you very much.
Over time, only the frames change for fashion. Components will remain the same because wheels will still be round and chains will still move those wheels.
Our friend is making $$$ in his shop because he sells service... he gets dealer discounts on all his bikes if the dealer drops prices,,, they get their bikes dirt cheap because they buy bulk... if you don't cover all out-door actives and sports it will be hard too stay in the game... they sell everything and do quite well... 😂
road bike era. big spike in interest when compact cranksets came out. perfect for the recreational rider. then on to disc brakes and $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. that ended the party.
Maybe if the entire model were changed to focusing less on coming out with new models each year and instead investing its energy into assisting customer service. Do we actually need a new Specialized or Litespeed bike year after year? Maybe not. Perhaps the industry could go to having a new model every two or three years. The pandemic led to an overabundance of bikes, and too many ebike riders are using them as mopeds. In 2025, now would be a great time to think about what it is the public really needs instead of pushing out new models year after year.
Well what do you know, it all goes full circle! Back to what worked for 50 years prior! Lol, I bought a bike at a high price but I’ve also bought my last 2 purchases at 40-50% off….both Revel products. Let’s hope these boutique builders can survive though.
There are a lot of smart asses out there in the bike industry trying to push $10,000 bikes😮 they are cocky and arrogant I will never buy from people like that and most of your bike shop guys are that way
my local bike shop always seems like a private club of snotty kids. i only go there as a last resort for service. i always leave feeling like crap. i find myself doing more and more of my own work.
Most innovations in cycling came from the ground up. Merchandising and big corporations destroyed that. Modern equipment is expensive rubbish, which is not durable or value for money. Ordinary folk need practical bicycles with mudguards, capable as use for transport and recreation. The big cycle corporations think racing bikes or mountain bikes, both types developed for competition. Not practical for a leisurely cycle to the shops and to load up with groceries. The designed in redundancy in these modern machines means that their components are worn out of two years of regular use, and very expensive to replace. I have seen an elderly man locally out riding his 1950s Claud Butler bike fitted with a Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub gear. It was parked outside the Lidl store a few weeks ago snd I saw him pedalling into town to meet up with friends. He bought the bike secondhand and it does everything he requires at minimal cost to him, unlike modern bikes.
That LeMond frame is badass! Good ol' Trek Made in the USA composite! These days, I think the best bike shop is by far FB Marketplace! Lots cheaper, lots better, easier to work on quality bikes from 20-30 years ago, back when road bikes had souls, not Chinese carbon.
Only us old people are buying bikes and we are buying ebikes now. Kids these days are at home on their phone. Overall, the continued downturn in pedal bikes will continue over the next few years. As conponents become electronic and brand like oneup develop components that are easily serviable, will bike service shops really be that needed in the future?
The emotorcycle (I refuse to call them bicycles) industry is part of the reason. They won. They lobbied hard to get local governments to allow them on bikepaths and trails. So now they play in to people laziness and instead of buying a bicycle they now are buying motorized vehicles to ride on bike paths and trails. Kills the sport
Are people still cycling? Are they cycling more often or further? Conversely, are *more* people cycling? Is that trend continuing? What cycling activities are people cycling and where are they cycling? What should cycling advocacy groups emphasize to encourage more cycling activity?
The thing is every body is crying for old brands (currently GT) are going bankrupt, atlest the sentimetal part of the bike internet. However the mass of consumers doesn't give a shit about them. The era has changed. You don't have to buy an overpriced Trek or Specialized while you can get a Canyon. There are no huge gaps and modern geometry is know-how, not a price package. But, If you have money you can get better and more exotic bikes than the "old high end big brands". And root problem is since the the bike industry is outsourced to Asia atlest 4 decades, every one is have their product made there. So mostly you are paying for the brand (eg marketing), not the actual product. And yes, 4 decade of bike know-how is there, no one can compete with them by price/mass production quality. (If they are willing to pay for better at the original manufacturer.) Does anybody know where the hell is Cannondale? Obsolite brand with heritage. Mongoose? Bigbox store shit. Big chain shit should be illegal.
the tariffs placed on chinese made bikes will provide an equal playing field on selling USA made bikes in China.. the USA is the only country that doesn't place massive tariffs on Made in America goods / Bicycle... So when one of our goods like cars and bikes get a chinese tariff, it makes it too expensive for the chinese consumer to buy.. tariffs make the market exchange more fare.. It is a leveraging tool.. and if the Chinese want to sell a bike in the USA, they will have to lower their cost (profits) or they will loose the American consumers.. People really do not understand tariffs.. I'm tire of this fear mongering.. Tariffs level the playing field.. And Maybe this will benefit the American Auto Manufacturer as well.. We can't sell a Chevy or Ford in China because of their tariffs.. if we placed the same tariffs on the chinese made cars, that they place on USA made cars. then their consumers and our consumers would pay the same value for a car or bike.. Stop fear mongering.. Let's see what happens.. if it doesn't work. the tariff can always be undone.. I think American manufacturers will benefit from tariffs.
@ I agree. The funny thing is as you look on the roads these days, a large proportion of automobiles are vans, SUVs and pickups. Hardly a Corvette or muscle car to be seen. The majority of road users are driving household appliances, not racing machines. How long will the bike industry not notice?
Please "Like" and also " Share" to keep the conversation going.
Coming up next Tuesday is 🚨"LIVE Shop Talk Tuesday.🎬 "at 10am Mountain Standard Time. We will dive deeper into this. More insights "As The Wheel Turns, So Do The Days Of Our Rides" playlist: th-cam.com/play/PLdfUXv0-z1u42bZpCLWmT2VtNW-7AIf2A.html
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About a dozen years ago I attended a dealer seminar provided by one of the big bike brands. They explained that they were working towards the auto-manufacturer model of trading, with exclusive stores and bikes with proprietary parts that could only be supplied by the brand. They told us that bikes would become far more complex, so that consumers could not work on them at home and would be reliant on the dealer for even basic service tasks. They told us that this complexity would increase price - which the consumer would be happy to carry in return for the additional feature - so that the dealer would score more margin. They told us that a three-year obsolescence cycle would be employed, so that the enthusiast consumer would retain a primary bike for only three years before it went out of fashion, was technically outmoded, or failed mechanically to the point of not being economically viable to repair. I remember thinking at the time that this brand was probably signing its own death warrant - but the entire industry has followed this model! So, lets just deal with one aspect of that. The concept store model doesn't work for the franchisee dealer. When the brand has a very popular model it runs out by May or earlier, and the dealer cannot fill the gap with other brands for the prime summer selling period. The brand expects the franchisee to invest heavily in stock ahead of the sales season, and then advertises discounted retail prices, over the dealer's head, if a model isn't as popular as expected and the brand is left with inventory that they need to clear. The franchisee recieeves no retrospective discount on existing stock, and is told to compnsate by buying more stock of the remaindered model at the newly discounted price - but it's an unpopular model late in the selling season! Today, brands are selling direct to consumer, over the dealer's head, but expect dealers to provide pre-sale and aftersales service without financial compensation. The consumer doesn't understand how business works, and is pissed that the dealer won't provide free services on product where no magin has been made. Additionally, part of the concept store deal is that the brand has oversight of the franchisee's accounts, in return for the supposed benefits of discounted POS items and extended credit for the franchisee - but only if targets are met. There are penalties for not meeting targets, but if targets are met then the brands expectations are raised, so that targets are increased and remain difficult to achieve, so that the brand's defined performance rewards never materialise. If a dealer tries to resist the offer of becoming a concept store, they are threatened with the brand withdrawing supply and going with another local dealer instead - or reducing margins if there's no rival dealer to use as a threat. Brands can be bullies, and life for a concept store can be far more difficult than for a dealer with a range of brands and freedom of choice. In my region, several prominent concept stores failed for these reasons. Generally, the entire trade and industry is failing due to becoming too corporate and too greedy. Bicycles are not cars, and users do not consume them in the same way. In a twist of fate, the auto-industry sales model, on which this has all been based, is also now failing. The landscape has changed, and a massive reset, with financial pain for many, is inevitable.
Wow, very insightful. What a bunch of greedy basterds....
We went to our small bikeshop to buy a new comfortable bike for my wife...All they had was bent over uncomfortable bikes for racers and mountain bikes...only one hybrid type...The sales man was a snotty kid who kept trying to push other bikes on us.....We left and went to Sheels and bought her a Townie...she loves it...She actually wants to ride with me now...
Cool story bro
A familiar story - too many in the industry only understand the race/performance customers; ordinary 'average' cyclists aren't catered for.
I actually really like the idea of the bike market trending towards the smaller independent bike shops instead of the big stores. Home based shops? Hey, even better!
More bike paths??
We don't a better bike , we need better infrastructure.
Look no further than Netherland.
But the automobile industry and the oil industry don't benefit from more bike paths.
Our bike shop never left the community oriented neighborhood bike shop model. We may have lost out on some high end sales but we seldom have capital tie up on slow moving niche categories. Our E bike conversion product, Bafang BB S02 mid drives, allows us to sell applicable bikes off the floor or a customers existing bike to convert with far less after purchase servicing. We are seeing less volume but we are having higher quality and profit. Transportation and commuting is by far our biggest market.
The bicycle industry doesn't understand Merchandising or pretty much any creative approach to improve or grow. It's the evil twin to the auto industry. Independent and used is the way to go for me. This has been my ethos since I was a kid and I'm 55.
I couldn't agree more. Thanks for watching!
Love hearing your perspective and thoughts on the industry. Keep the videos coming
I'm glad you like my take on the industry. There's more to come for sure.
As a consumer, I think you have excellent takes. There are a ton of people who would consider riding a bike around town, whether for daily errands or to commute a couple of times a week. They don't want a bike meant for sport, they want something comfy bought from a friendly shop where they don't feel intimidated to enter. Up selling them an e-bike is probably not all that hard, especially when it is packaged nicely with fenders and a basket rather than looking like a cyber truck. If that local shop offers them friendly service they will be happy to bring their bikes for maintance and accessories like racks, bags, child seats, rain ponchos, non-sporty clothing, etc. That is a growing market and friendly service is key. They don't want a weekly group ride, they want to replace their second car with something fun and cheaper than the car they can no longer afford.
It's all the gen z punks who are all butthurt they don't make enough money and instead of taking their issues up with the owner of the shop or the government (the ones who can fix their problem) they take it out on the customers and "quietly quit" or whatever the hell it's called
My prediction for 2024 that half of the cycling industry would go bankrupt. In Idaho Falls we lost half our local bike shops. My predictions for 2025 are (1) lower bike prices overall (30% off 2024) for used and new bikes, but (2) only 30% bankruptcy rate in cycling industry vs 50% for 2024, and a (3) cycling customer focus on utilitarian bikes over sport bikes.
I'm hearing similar stories from other areas. Thanks for sharing your insight.
@IKnowAGuyBicycles it isn't a happy prediction but if I am wrong then I will say 2025 was AMAZING and appreciate being happily wrong. May you be the most successful local bike shop owner in 2025!
@@IdahoFatTireBikeFun It's going to be where you leverage the success. It may not be service or sales. It could be a community, local ride events, and just being human and sharing that on socials. The money pots are definitely where I wasn't looking, and I am now starting to see where those opportunities lie. But we will see. Thanks for sharing.
@IKnowAGuyBicycles may I suggest that the financially and emotionally rewarding local bike shop owner's best 2025 option is the mobile bike repair van. There is a fellow here in the Silicon Valley (I am visiting my parents) that is booked 40+ hours per week repairing cyclists' bikes from his bike repair van. No business rent or overhead. No employees. And a clientele who loves seeing him.
I'm an old guy.
When I was a young rider in the 80s, I could afford a sweet Italian road bike and a sweet Ritchey mtb.
I learned to work on my bikes when we routinely repacked bearings by hand.
Now, not only cant a young rider afford even one sweet bike, they cant maintin it inexpensively.
The industry is gross now.
I still ride, and have gotten into sweet diy ebikes.
The last thing Id do is buy any of the industry offered e bikes for crazy money.
My most recent build was using a modern steel hard tail frame, hydraulic brakes, mechanical shifters and a nice E conversion kit that I can tear down and service myself. Package rounded out with an over built Clydesdale class carbon wheelset purchased off shore for half the price industry in North America demands.
Simple bikes, people can work on are awesome.
The industry sucks.
I have ebikes that out perform anything I can legally buy and can replace any component of the system myself.
I do have a workstand and relevant tools.
I dont see how the industry can expect to grow turning bikes into something an average person has to make a huge financial commitment to have AND requires dealer support/technicians if anything goes wrong.
Bikes are awesome. They always will be.
Much of the crap industry markets on the altar of high end consumerism represents everything that is wrong with the system we are all supposed to buy into and become wage slaves too.
I keep my rides easy to maintain and take full advantage of being able to order inexpensive parts to my door.
Im certainly not going to line the pockets of a big corporation or have any bike Id have to pay a bike mechanic to work on.
Bike mechanics is pretty straightforward stuff and anyone can learn it.
Even ebike motors are pretty straightforward.
I can do a complete teardown and rebuild of a Bafang mid drive, not that that is too necessary as theyll run thousands of miles.
But, parts are cheap, readily available and you arent beholden to industry and high priced help to keep your ride healthy.
Simple, robust easy to work on rides are gold.
Good tool options for cheap, access to repair information, and cheap used and new bikes have never been easier to get. The only bikes you need dealer support for are ebikes.
You ever take em’ off any Sweet jumps?
I'm 65 I've been riding bikes for 50 years these days I ride a 21 speed mountain bike that I converted to a 250 wat hub motor 36volt battery (street legal in Australia) 100 km range it's speed limited to 41kmh but if I don't run the motor, just pedalling i can do the same speed lol the conversion kit cost $1200 Australian the bike was $600 new it had disc brakes but they used cable to operate so I upgraded them to hydraulic so I could stop better i do all my own maintenance i just get parts from my local bike shop
I still don't understand how the big bike companies, that have been doing business for many years and have seen smaller trends in the industry, could have thought that the spike of enthusiasm in cycling during the pandemic could have been anything but a very temporary thing. It seems as though they ramped up production and prices during this period thinking it was going to last several years. It makes no sense to me that they thought that that a viral pandemic was going to have a lasting effect on the bike industry.
I'm sure they believed too much that it would continue, but they could have thought that some of the people who started cycling because of quiet roads would continue to purchase better bikes in the future
Incredible that the entire cycling industry got it wrong during the pandemic.
I picked up a bike before the shortage and price increases in early 2020 and then got back into the market last year.
Was there any one brand that got it right and pumped the brakes for the orders? Or was it really groupthink and no one took a step back to consider the long-term effects?
Bicycles, RVs, snowmobiles and other leisure expenditures will be impacted the most during economic downturns. The pendulum will eventually swing back.
Thanks for sharing your insight and knowledge.
I retired from the wholesale side right as Covid was ramping up, I remember flying back from the Denver show in March and retired in April. Things really got really crazy, guess I was kind of lucky. Good luck!
Seems like a really accurate analysis. Also, local bike shops that will not adapt to service, parts, and lower price point bikes will not survive.
Im a road biker. in my experience when they brought in the disc brakes with the through axles and pushed the prices way up, that was the end for me. I was thrilled with my alumuinum frame carbon fiber fork and rim brakes. I can put on good shimano or aftermarket pads and stop very well . The bike industry decided everyone needed a corvette priced bike. we didnt. they created their own demise. then, in effort to cut costs they pushed you into an 8 speed setup low end shimano groupset on some of the entry level road bikes. give me a break guys. I collected 15 great early 2000's road bikes which i ride with great pleasure. and my brakes dont squeal like so many disc brake set ups when i stop. Too late now, bike industry not interested in anything but $$$$$$$$$$$ road bikes. it saddens me, but what can i do. industry priced me out
Eight bikes in my collection...only one is from the 2000s...my favorite bikes are the early mountain bikes from the mid eighties and some from the nineties...I can't imagine that the new bike market can continue with so many great bikes available on the used market....schwinn high sierra, ross mt whitney, gt zaskar, specialized stumpjumper, trek 520 touring, '58 schwinn klunker, bridgestone xo1, schwinn paramount 70pdg
I would never buy the ozark trail bike. It has a very nice aluminum frame, but the groupset is trash.
Independence and pre loved will win the game, mark my words! 😊 while the industry burns we continue to post record numbers
Switched most of my bikes to 8sp friction rear. Forgiving and easy to tune. You can commit part sins and stuff still works. (brake housing on shifter cables) If cues becomes a "thing" I might buy an Uno shifter and try out this newfangled 11sp one by revolution. For now, 3x8 on my HILLY commute just works.
Schwinn actually had their own exclusive dealer network back in the day when they were a legit brand.
Customer service is gone and the focus of bike shops is ONLY the "25" year old cyclist. Cost too high comprehensive knowledge of training and product is limited (-)
Its definitely gonna be interesting to say the least...
Right!?! 2024 was not a very good ending for some companies. Thanks for watching!
Yeah! It's definitely gonna be interesting to say the least 😅😅
I’m in the market for a used road bike. But I’m nervous about buying used CF. New road bikes I like cost $5K!
Venture capital firms ruined much of the cycling vibe/community.
Really hoping Rocky Mountain gets bought back by cyclists much like Kona did earlier this year.
Anyone who asks me what kind of bike to get for cruising around, I recommend finding an 80s bike on a marketplace. The price you pay will be the same as a new heavy big box store bike.
The bike industry did this to themselves... They got WAY too greedy and now it's coming back to hurt them. Who wants to spend 3-4k plus on a metiocre bike, ESPECIALLY in this economy?
A nice, reliable entry-level bike by a big brand name like Trek should run ~$500 give or take. Amateur bikes should be ~1-2k and an expert bike should be about ~3-4k. I can see the justification if state-of-the-art bikes for the pros would be 10k and up but most people can't afford that.
The bike shops need to clean up their act too. I'm tired of the horrible service. Luckily I have a steel frame road bike with rim brakes and external cables so it's super easy and CHEAP to service. I would never in a million years let some gen z PUNK at a LBS wrench on my bike. I can order and install my own parts for my bike thank you very much.
2018 was the beginning of the downturn. The Interbike trade show was half the size as previous years.
Excellent analysis. I think you are at the right size for your business and agile enough to move to where the business is.
Over time, only the frames change for fashion. Components will remain the same because wheels will still be round and chains will still move those wheels.
Our friend is making $$$ in his shop because he sells service... he gets dealer discounts on all his bikes if the dealer drops prices,,, they get their bikes dirt cheap because they buy bulk... if you don't cover all out-door actives and sports it will be hard too stay in the game... they sell everything and do quite well... 😂
Happy New Year.
road bike era. big spike in interest when compact cranksets came out. perfect for the recreational rider. then on to disc brakes and $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. that ended the party.
Maybe if the entire model were changed to focusing less on coming out with new models each year and instead investing its energy into assisting customer service. Do we actually need a new Specialized or Litespeed bike year after year? Maybe not. Perhaps the industry could go to having a new model every two or three years. The pandemic led to an overabundance of bikes, and too many ebike riders are using them as mopeds. In 2025, now would be a great time to think about what it is the public really needs instead of pushing out new models year after year.
Well what do you know, it all goes full circle! Back to what worked for 50 years prior! Lol, I bought a bike at a high price but I’ve also bought my last 2 purchases at 40-50% off….both Revel products. Let’s hope these boutique builders can survive though.
Good time to buy used super bikes
There are a lot of smart asses out there in the bike industry trying to push $10,000 bikes😮 they are cocky and arrogant I will never buy from people like that and most of your bike shop guys are that way
So true!! 😡😡
my local bike shop always seems like a private club of snotty kids. i only go there as a last resort for service. i always leave feeling like crap. i find myself doing more and more of my own work.
Maybe there's something wrong with you?
Most innovations in cycling came from the ground up. Merchandising and big corporations destroyed that. Modern equipment is expensive rubbish, which is not durable or value for money. Ordinary folk need practical bicycles with mudguards, capable as use for transport and recreation. The big cycle corporations think racing bikes or mountain bikes, both types developed for competition. Not practical for a leisurely cycle to the shops and to load up with groceries. The designed in redundancy in these modern machines means that their components are worn out of two years of regular use, and very expensive to replace. I have seen an elderly man locally out riding his 1950s Claud Butler bike fitted with a Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub gear. It was parked outside the Lidl store a few weeks ago snd I saw him pedalling into town to meet up with friends. He bought the bike secondhand and it does everything he requires at minimal cost to him, unlike modern bikes.
That LeMond frame is badass! Good ol' Trek Made in the USA composite! These days, I think the best bike shop is by far FB Marketplace! Lots cheaper, lots better, easier to work on quality bikes from 20-30 years ago, back when road bikes had souls, not Chinese carbon.
The new owner of that LeMond LOVES IT! It turned out almost like new. Thanks for watching!
Let's remember good ol' Trek backed Armstrong's lies and ran a whisper campaign to ruin Greg.
Only us old people are buying bikes and we are buying ebikes now. Kids these days are at home on their phone. Overall, the continued downturn in pedal bikes will continue over the next few years. As conponents become electronic and brand like oneup develop components that are easily serviable, will bike service shops really be that needed in the future?
If the kids are in their phones it's the old people's fault. Should have raised your kids better.
Love it - my bike on the wall :-)
Around here it's all e-bikes. Even the little kids are riding e-bikes.
Shimano, Sram, Campagnolo or one of the Chinese brands should a belt drive. Shimano already have hub gears, CUES was the ideal opportunity to do this.
The price of bike shop repairs are at times outrageous. This propels some to learn bike repair.
The emotorcycle (I refuse to call them bicycles) industry is part of the reason. They won. They lobbied hard to get local governments to allow them on bikepaths and trails. So now they play in to people laziness and instead of buying a bicycle they now are buying motorized vehicles to ride on bike paths and trails. Kills the sport
Buy junk = Get junk.....too bad for them.
Are people still cycling? Are they cycling more often or further? Conversely, are *more* people cycling? Is that trend continuing? What cycling activities are people cycling and where are they cycling? What should cycling advocacy groups emphasize to encourage more cycling activity?
Fewer people ride bikes these days ...too many fat and lazy...just want to play on their phones....
The thing is every body is crying for old brands (currently GT) are going bankrupt, atlest the sentimetal part of the bike internet. However the mass of consumers doesn't give a shit about them.
The era has changed. You don't have to buy an overpriced Trek or Specialized while you can get a Canyon. There are no huge gaps and modern geometry is know-how, not a price package.
But, If you have money you can get better and more exotic bikes than the "old high end big brands". And root problem is since the the bike industry is outsourced to Asia atlest 4 decades, every one is have their product made there. So mostly you are paying for the brand (eg marketing), not the actual product. And yes, 4 decade of bike know-how is there, no one can compete with them by price/mass production quality. (If they are willing to pay for better at the original manufacturer.)
Does anybody know where the hell is Cannondale? Obsolite brand with heritage.
Mongoose? Bigbox store shit.
Big chain shit should be illegal.
Bikes got too crazy the last 10years bikes a little older were more simple basic long lasting
the tariffs placed on chinese made bikes will provide an equal playing field on selling USA made bikes in China..
the USA is the only country that doesn't place massive tariffs on Made in America goods / Bicycle... So when one of our goods like cars and bikes get a chinese tariff, it makes it too expensive for the chinese consumer to buy..
tariffs make the market exchange more fare.. It is a leveraging tool.. and if the Chinese want to sell a bike in the USA, they will have to lower their cost (profits) or they will loose the American consumers.. People really do not understand tariffs.. I'm tire of this fear mongering.. Tariffs level the playing field.. And Maybe this will benefit the American Auto Manufacturer as well.. We can't sell a Chevy or Ford in China because of their tariffs.. if we placed the same tariffs on the chinese made cars, that they place on USA made cars. then their consumers and our consumers would pay the same value for a car or bike.. Stop fear mongering.. Let's see what happens.. if it doesn't work. the tariff can always be undone.. I think American manufacturers will benefit from tariffs.
Is bike racing still relevant?
It is to the industry and media; they base their whole business/marketing on it.......Utilitarian bikes for the normal person not so much......
@ I agree. The funny thing is as you look on the roads these days, a large proportion of automobiles are vans, SUVs and pickups. Hardly a Corvette or muscle car to be seen. The majority of road users are driving household appliances, not racing machines. How long will the bike industry not notice?
Rubbish frames, 1x10, 1x11,1x12,.....