As a regular guy who rides bikes...I think the industry is way to sport oriented in North America. The focus needs to be on getting regular folks riding regular bikes for transportation and recreation. After all, how many people actually race? Practical cycling is where its at.
Hard to do that when a notable percent of that part of the world you reference doesn't have much secure bike parking remotely close to abundant and highly accessible. I say it a lot: Japan this is not, where are the racks? This isn't the 1800's anymore either. We have effing funds and infra for electric cars popping up but still have a lack of bike racks in too many metro areas in the U.S. I imagine more than a small percent (say 5) of people contemplating buying an e-bike to use for transportation (or even a non e-bike) that are willing to take the risk of riding on-road are deterred from doing so because of that simple fact in a number of areas and the theft risk. It's more of a risk with an e-bike because higher quality e-bikes are a good bit more expensive than a basic hybrid or commuter bike. Some suburbs and urban cities are doing it better than others but those are the outliers.
@@EBR846 Right, the sport-oriented nature of US cycling is a product of the poor infrastructure, and cyclically the poor infrastructure becomes reinforced by the only-for-sport mentality.
Let’s be honest the vendors at the Made show are not the “Industry”. They are outside the large scale business of bikes. They are in it for the love of the community and the bikes.
I disagree. Because as much as we love and care about community, that doesn't pay the bills and most people I know do need food, water and shelter to live. It will be a sad day when these small scale vendors and their efforts are relegated to being a hobby and unsustainable.
Path Less Pedaled Team - would it be possible to go back into the video and provide a chiron or header of each person/company name you spoke with. This would be give them a little marketing to possible new customers and satisfy those of us asking "who's that?"
I agree with the guy who said it’s like a family reunion. I loved interbike, seeing people that recognized me and wanted to teach me and the other bike shop employees from around the nation, there was always one guy, we would see each other smile and say you next year.
I can only imagine the talent that has been pushed out of the industry because of lack of funds. The engineering of a frame or components coupled with the craftsmanship is a rare combination. Then add to it the marketing. It is a recipe for failure unless everything goes just right. I am 67 and have ridden steadily, as an adult, for 35 years. The amount of talent I've seen cry uncle is staggering. It's really sad. Not everyone is a Grant Pederson!
Since COVID the bike industry has been taking a massive dump on the customer. These people see a way to earn massive profit because for some reason bike lovers will part with the cash to feed their OCD about bikes. Lots of folks like the mom and dad who want to get their kid into a good sport can't afford a good bike and settle for the department store brands which are poor bikes. I have a custom made steel frame and fork that is nothing fancy even vintage styling in the works currently, I'm not going to say who the builder is, but frame and fork is already at over $7000 and that's not the final price yet. Not sure what it is going to total out to when it's finished. It's been in the works for 8 months already and I'm feeling like I made a bad move because the price just keeps going up. By the way, I have bike OCD. If the talent is getting pushed out I think it's because of what they charge and people are willing to pay. Reality just isn't lining up, at least not now.
@Raymond-t3n at that price point unless you can obviously afford it starts going to the border of overpriced even for a craftsmanship point of view. I think the gamble of custom built anything is if the end product going to justify what you paid for.
@@Raymond-Farts 7k for a steel frameset is pretty off base imo. I can get a custom frameset from 3k in steel around where I live. 7k is Ti and carbon frame territory. But yes agree about the pricing in general. I'd love to have a custom cargo bike or at least something with a cargo tray on the front, and those are just as expensive as any custom frame to have made. It's really hard to justify when I can get an imported bike for less than 2k that does the same thing. Even 'stock' cargo bike makers like Yuba are really competitive with pricing vs anything custom. I like supporting small makers but personally I'd rather have a couple usable bikes than one that I would cry if it got stolen.
@@matthewshultz8762 I appreciate your comment. You make sense, however, I've had lots of off the shelf bikes that I've acquired from bike shops or online from around the world and I've always had fit and comfort issues on long rides. I do lots of long rides of more than 30 miles at a time and when I get pain that makes me want to stop how do I resolve it. I chose to get a custom made titanium bike from a guy here in the US. As it turns out this bike is the most comfortable bike I've ever ridden. I could ride it for many hours and it always ends pain free. So I didn't need another bike but I wanted one with mechanical shifting and rim brakes. I selected another builder here in the US because I like what he does and is unique with designs. It turns out that costs money. Apparently there are many people that feel the same about this guy's work because he has loads of business and so far it's been 8 months and my bike still isn't completed, close though.
Lovely as ever. And as someone working in a bike shop, I can fully confirm all the pros and cons. People in the industry are rarely not passionate about what they are doing for a living, because you really have to, to accept the bad payment, the weirdos (the good and the bad ones), the constant addition over new, non-standard (bottom brackets) hard to replace parts (cranks with welded on blades… really, frames with custom spacers…) and, yes, customers (kind and unkind ones). My compliments out to all the folks out there, who dare to start up a new business - wether it succeeds or not.
No standards? I thought the bike industry loved standards - that’s why there’s so damn many of them. Yes, I’m being sarcastic. I totally agree with the interviewees that mentioned the problem of fad changes and “no standards”. Yes, some changes are needed in order to release new capabilities or improve reliability. But there has been a whole bunch of stuff that was driven by fashion and forcing obsolescence rather than a significant engineering improvement.
The worst thing in the nowadays Bike Industry is that you buy a brand new bike and all the cone bearings are set way too tight. Front wheel, rear wheel, headset and even the pedals. The result is damaged races, cones and grease turns into glitter. I'm not talking about these custom bikes in the video, but basically all the other mass production bikes we can order online or buy at the store. People generally have no clue about this, so i guess the industry decided its not worth their while.
I’ve been cycling since the early 80s in college and am still super active. But I have not heard of most of these makers. I would genuinely like to look at them closer and see if there is a possibility of supporting them. How do you research makers like these you didn’t know existed?
So cool that Matt Appleman was there! I had no business putting $700 into my $1,400 hardtail to replace the NBA-player-length cranks that came on it, but I did it and I love them. (That was the total cost for all the parts I needed and labor for a LBS to install)
Best: those who spent their lives with/on bikes really know their stuff and dedicate their passion Worst: many but not all who spent their whole lives with bikes have a hard time empathizing with adult beginner cyclists
I've been producing high end ball end grips like what was popular on bicycles in the 20s-60s (but better) since 2010 and it's a struggle to make any money. It's costs $16 to have two grips injection molded (plus material cost!) here in New England. On eBay you can buy grips for $4.95 shipping included. How does one compete with that?
If you need to reduce your MSRP to compete with "cheap imports" then identify your highest production cost and bring as many aspects of that in-house so you spend less to support a supplier... also identify your least productive and/or time consuming tasks and out-source them because time=money
For me cycling is like any other recreational activity so when I budget for a bike I compare the cost to golf or fishing. Neither of these have crazy beginning costs but the sky is the limit.
This dude gets it. GCN did some follow up interview with someone in the bike industry recently and IDK if it was the length of the interview but he just came off as out of touch. They brought up the whole price point issue, as the whole industry has become so expensive, and he was just like "oh well new technology costs money" and the industry is focusing more so on the high end market because that is where the money is. It's a snake eating it's own tail, they are going to just pricing people out from entering the sport/hobby. Disc brakes, internally routed cables, exotic frame materials, electronic shifters, tubeless tires etc. are all cool and have their place, but leave it for the super high end. For most people, these things just add unnecessary complexity and higher maintenance costs (whether that be time for you or cost from a mechanic).
Disc brakes are not just high end or a fad. They objectively work better. I build wheels to last as long as possible and not having pads grinding the rims makes them last longer.
We need to remember the tech does trickle down and improves cycling for everyone. At one time having a bunch of gears or suspension, or any frame material other than steel was "high tech".
All very valid points. I think the point he was trying to make is that if a certain tech isn't trendy at a given time it doen't make it absolute garbage. I still ride my 26er 3x and it still gets me from A to B. With much joy. I see a lot of fellow riders use enduro freeride MTBs on the road but never hit a trail. Some folks are led by what they want than what they actually need.
@@mechatakoyakisan as someone who rides a mostly stock 35 year old touring bike with cantilever brakes. I think people forget just how much of the bike industry is about incremental/marginal improvements. Do disc brakes result in greater braking power? Yes. Does that mean rim braking is horribly unsafe? I don't think so. I think people also like to exaggerate why older tech is worse than it actually is. For example, that one guy who commented on here who is a wheel builder claiming rim brakes wear out wheels faster. I am sure that is true, for people at the professional/semi professional end of the spectrum. For most people, I would wager poor maintenance is the real killer of wheels (aka rust, being out of true, uneven tension on spokes, etc.). I am still rocking the stock front wheel for my bike, and the only reason I had to replace the rear was because the quick release failed on me resulting in me tacoing the wheel. All this being said, if you want/like things like disc brakes, dropper posts, internally routed cables, etc. that is fine go for it. However, some of this stuff you really have to ask if the added complexity/cost/future maintenance cost are worth it. For me, rim brakes work just fine...though I HATE CANTILEVER BRAKES THEY ARE SO HARD TO ADJUST UGGGG (my brakes always squeal).
I worked in the bike industry for 10 years. The best thing when I worked in the industry was EP, wholesale pricing. And the people too, every place I worked at was pretty fun. The worst thing was the pay. I couldn’t break into the higher paying positions because there wasn’t a lot of them available. I ended up doing something else for my career. Now I pay MSRP or sale pricing on bikes and bike parts.
The aggressive marketing of e-bikes is pretty annoying. As soon as I purchased a fairly nice mtb, in came the algorithm recommended e-bike videos. It took months for TH-cam to finally drop it out of my video feed even though I didn’t watch a single one
"The Industry"...should adopt a "Needs" focused bike construct. Most bikes fill needs and don't "need" to follow a race bike construct. I don't "need" a race bike, but some (few) people do...I am thinking of reaching out to a smaller bike builder who will accommodate my "needs" better. Larger bike companies only build what sells to the masses. And they also seem to follow the performance angle of bike design when it doesn't "need" to be so complicated. Great video...!
At first I thought those were two predictable, cheap and fairly crap questions ... but the answers were so good and surprisingly different that I have to admit I was impressed. The 'standards' point was really relevant to me as although I have a decent idea of what I'm doing, I can't even be really sure that tyres are going to fit rims.
My favorite thing, by far, were the people. I know Interbike is forever the "Trade Show That Shall Not Be Named," but it was the only time I could see almost everyone I interact with on cycling social media or product vendors I'd gotten to know only through endless emails. I'm definitely in the minority, but I miss that giant mess of a party.
Same reason people buy Starbucks - marketing. The mechanical and simple bikes are ridden by those who enjoy what a bike should be. Not a motorcycle, etc.
My biggest gripes are 1) the death of 2x and 3x chain rings 2) the push for electronics on mechanical bikes 3) the cost of everything. I get pissed when i see articles about $3000 "budget" bikes. For 3k it aught to be pretty fuckin nice. Bicycle companies are quickly approaching motorcycle prices for new bikes, and i havent purchased new in a decade because of it.
Using ultraromance for the thumbnail pic of a video called "worst things about the bike industry" is the most accurate statement in this whole video 😂😂😂
The biggest complaints from small builders were the lack of standards and the inability to compete with the prices of the few big companies. Let's call it what it is. It's not just the bike industry, it's neoliberalism-specifically planned obsolescence. The lack of standards gives the bike a physical shelf-life. Psychological obsolescence convinces you that you have to have electronic shifting and all the other bullsh!t they are putting on bikes to jack up the price. And the fact that small builders can't compete with the monopoly corporations is a product of financial deregulation. It's not just the bike industry, it's the new global economy.
Appleman cranks are on-par with other high-end crankset pricing... go price out a Rotor or FSA crankset! Even the high end SRAM and Shimano cranks aren't exactly cheap. Other custom cranks are expensive too like 200-300+ bucks. The only really cheap stuff is lower end SRAM, Shimano, and clones.
It's a good job I wasn't there and you didn't ask me what I don't like about the industry, as this jaded cynical Limey could have ranted for hours...😂😂😂
Unpopular opinion here, but Trump's tariffs might actually help this industry. The big guys in the bike industry are able to order containers of bikes that only cost about $50-100 to produce.
I doubt it. There are no components manufactured in the US nor is there the infrastructure to ramp that up. Bikes, even cheap bikes, will likely go up.
Capitalism seems to be the source of most the least favorite aspects of the industry, be it Schon saying it out right or the numerous others pointing at the problem without saying directly. The bike is a revolutionary machine and the industry should be as well.✊🏿
@ebikescrapper3925 @ebikescrapper3925 buying and selling things is not capitalism, the hierarchical division between owners of the means of production and workers is what defines capitalism.
@@ebikescrapper3925if you work for a person you are taking part in capitalism. In fact just living in a capitalist economy means you are partaking. That doesnt mean selling goods is capitalist
Capitalism provides capital for the government to enforce the social safety net, and the social safety net elevates the less advantaged so they can better contribute; it is really one system of two inter-driving forces, absolutism will only blind you from seeing the merits and immorality from within.
Capitalism was an issue in my working life. I coped as well as I could under a capitalist model. In the end, I chose to work alone rather than exploit the labor of others. Far from ideal in a capitalist economy.
@ebikescrapper3925 ok, so now go ask Google to define means of production, hint no small or even medium size business ownes the means of production. In the case of bike frame the mines where iron and aluminum are mined, the steel mills where the ore is processed into usable metal, and the factories where tubing is made and perhaps some of the large factories in Taiwan that produce 1000s of frames would qualify. Second there is no free market, governments dole out subsidies, contracts, taxes and tariffs to control or influence the market. Small producers are not Capitalists, they participate in a capitalist society, but, they have no choice it that fact.
it's interesting for me as a life long bicycle rider to view all this but to take note that so many of the people interviewed look like they've never physically ridden a bike. It's business baby , I think Ultra Romance and his rebuilding really leads the philosophy here, riding comes first, rebuilding old models and outfitting them for purpose. We really do not need more custom and niche bikes on the market , I have rich friends who have up to 20 bikes. I own 2 and I out ride these types of people, because a bicycle is about riding, it is the single most useful invention to mankind. Artwork , tech, design all comes in a very shady second place to primary function. Ti bikes with 700c 2.2 clearance are just amazing, don't have one because I have only ever owned and sold to own second hand bikes but if one were going to get custom, I mean some of that stuff is truly beautiful and will last many generations, that is awesome, well done.
What the hell are you talking about? What do people who “physically [ride] bikes” look like to you? I bet every single person there rides bikes. A lot.
most favorite thing in "the bike industry" - the bike
least favorite thing in "the bike industry" - the industry
This needs to be pinned
As a regular guy who rides bikes...I think the industry is way to sport oriented in North America. The focus needs to be on getting regular folks riding regular bikes for transportation and recreation. After all, how many people actually race? Practical cycling is where its at.
Hard to do that when a notable percent of that part of the world you reference doesn't have much secure bike parking remotely close to abundant and highly accessible.
I say it a lot: Japan this is not, where are the racks? This isn't the 1800's anymore either. We have effing funds and infra for electric cars popping up but still have a lack of bike racks in too many metro areas in the U.S.
I imagine more than a small percent (say 5) of people contemplating buying an e-bike to use for transportation (or even a non e-bike) that are willing to take the risk of riding on-road are deterred from doing so because of that simple fact in a number of areas and the theft risk. It's more of a risk with an e-bike because higher quality e-bikes are a good bit more expensive than a basic hybrid or commuter bike.
Some suburbs and urban cities are doing it better than others but those are the outliers.
@@EBR846 Right, the sport-oriented nature of US cycling is a product of the poor infrastructure, and cyclically the poor infrastructure becomes reinforced by the only-for-sport mentality.
It's mainly because only the athletes are able to justify very expensive bikes, that's why brands focus on them
@@richeeg3271 Meanwhile me, fit but definitely no athlete: Spending $3.5K on a party pace ATB :D
Definitely
3:58 - No jerks in the bike industry is a seriously hot take
Wish you had shown the names and companies of those interviewed, but great video PLP team!
Thank you for giving us this other side of the bike industry. I'm so glad that I'm not the only one who has these type of sentiments!!
Let’s be honest the vendors at the Made show are not the “Industry”. They are outside the large scale business of bikes. They are in it for the love of the community and the bikes.
I disagree. Because as much as we love and care about community, that doesn't pay the bills and most people I know do need food, water and shelter to live. It will be a sad day when these small scale vendors and their efforts are relegated to being a hobby and unsustainable.
I love anything and everything that is not mainstream about bikes! Small family oriented culture is the way to go!
Path Less Pedaled Team - would it be possible to go back into the video and provide a chiron or header of each person/company name you spoke with. This would be give them a little marketing to possible new customers and satisfy those of us asking "who's that?"
I agree with the guy who said it’s like a family reunion. I loved interbike, seeing people that recognized me and wanted to teach me and the other bike shop employees from around the nation, there was always one guy, we would see each other smile and say you next year.
Terrific, simple questions to ask, insightful and interesting answers!
I can only imagine the talent that has been pushed out of the industry because of lack of funds.
The engineering of a frame or components coupled with the craftsmanship is a rare combination. Then add to it the marketing. It is a recipe for failure unless everything goes just right.
I am 67 and have ridden steadily, as an adult, for 35 years. The amount of talent I've seen cry uncle is staggering.
It's really sad.
Not everyone is a Grant Pederson!
Since COVID the bike industry has been taking a massive dump on the customer. These people see a way to earn massive profit because for some reason bike lovers will part with the cash to feed their OCD about bikes. Lots of folks like the mom and dad who want to get their kid into a good sport can't afford a good bike and settle for the department store brands which are poor bikes. I have a custom made steel frame and fork that is nothing fancy even vintage styling in the works currently, I'm not going to say who the builder is, but frame and fork is already at over $7000 and that's not the final price yet. Not sure what it is going to total out to when it's finished. It's been in the works for 8 months already and I'm feeling like I made a bad move because the price just keeps going up. By the way, I have bike OCD. If the talent is getting pushed out I think it's because of what they charge and people are willing to pay. Reality just isn't lining up, at least not now.
@Raymond-t3n at that price point unless you can obviously afford it starts going to the border of overpriced even for a craftsmanship point of view. I think the gamble of custom built anything is if the end product going to justify what you paid for.
@@Raymond-Farts 7k for a steel frameset is pretty off base imo. I can get a custom frameset from 3k in steel around where I live. 7k is Ti and carbon frame territory. But yes agree about the pricing in general. I'd love to have a custom cargo bike or at least something with a cargo tray on the front, and those are just as expensive as any custom frame to have made. It's really hard to justify when I can get an imported bike for less than 2k that does the same thing. Even 'stock' cargo bike makers like Yuba are really competitive with pricing vs anything custom. I like supporting small makers but personally I'd rather have a couple usable bikes than one that I would cry if it got stolen.
@@matthewshultz8762 I appreciate your comment. You make sense, however, I've had lots of off the shelf bikes that I've acquired from bike shops or online from around the world and I've always had fit and comfort issues on long rides. I do lots of long rides of more than 30 miles at a time and when I get pain that makes me want to stop how do I resolve it. I chose to get a custom made titanium bike from a guy here in the US. As it turns out this bike is the most comfortable bike I've ever ridden. I could ride it for many hours and it always ends pain free. So I didn't need another bike but I wanted one with mechanical shifting and rim brakes. I selected another builder here in the US because I like what he does and is unique with designs. It turns out that costs money. Apparently there are many people that feel the same about this guy's work because he has loads of business and so far it's been 8 months and my bike still isn't completed, close though.
5:53 Good job Laura fixing the focus! I hate when that happens!
Didn't realize that owning & riding a bicycle was/is so complex. Totally bewildering. Totally intoxicating. 🎉 😮
Least favourite: no matter how much I learn I seem to know so little.
Great video. Thanks R & L.
Some great responses in there and so many different ones too, laughed out loud at a couple of them.
Lovely as ever. And as someone working in a bike shop, I can fully confirm all the pros and cons. People in the industry are rarely not passionate about what they are doing for a living, because you really have to, to accept the bad payment, the weirdos (the good and the bad ones), the constant addition over new, non-standard (bottom brackets) hard to replace parts (cranks with welded on blades… really, frames with custom spacers…) and, yes, customers (kind and unkind ones). My compliments out to all the folks out there, who dare to start up a new business - wether it succeeds or not.
Love you guys. So much knowledge.
No standards? I thought the bike industry loved standards - that’s why there’s so damn many of them.
Yes, I’m being sarcastic. I totally agree with the interviewees that mentioned the problem of fad changes and “no standards”. Yes, some changes are needed in order to release new capabilities or improve reliability. But there has been a whole bunch of stuff that was driven by fashion and forcing obsolescence rather than a significant engineering improvement.
The worst thing in the nowadays Bike Industry is that you buy a brand new bike and all the cone bearings are set way too tight. Front wheel, rear wheel, headset and even the pedals. The result is damaged races, cones and grease turns into glitter. I'm not talking about these custom bikes in the video, but basically all the other mass production bikes we can order online or buy at the store. People generally have no clue about this, so i guess the industry decided its not worth their while.
Ron’s least favourite thing got to be SRAM.
Least fav Ron thing was that Spesh thing. Did he jump the shark then?😂
Matter of perspective. If anything he punkd S.
You can really tell who was being honest with the answers. Cool stuff.
Really great collection of opinions! Thank you PLP!
Oh man, batteries in stuff. Why? Why do you need batteries in bike stuff?
The only one that kinda makes sense is a battery dropper post to swap between different bikes, but let's be honest no one does that.
Batteries are needed to start fires.
I’ve been cycling since the early 80s in college and am still super active. But I have not heard of most of these makers. I would genuinely like to look at them closer and see if there is a possibility of supporting them. How do you research makers like these you didn’t know existed?
The Radavist has probably covered them at one point.
"They're all kind of like us. Maybe not too bright, but nice guys!" 😂
Stoked to see Chris Blandford get some time. He's been quietly building some beautiful stuff. Such a good dude.
So cool that Matt Appleman was there! I had no business putting $700 into my $1,400 hardtail to replace the NBA-player-length cranks that came on it, but I did it and I love them. (That was the total cost for all the parts I needed and labor for a LBS to install)
Good to see Sam from Singular getting an interview!
Thank you for your videos.
“When the people suck they Fn suck” 😅😅😅 so refreshing to hear an American swear. You guys ARE real people. 😅😅😅 🇦🇺
Best: those who spent their lives with/on bikes really know their stuff and dedicate their passion
Worst: many but not all who spent their whole lives with bikes have a hard time empathizing with adult beginner cyclists
I've been producing high end ball end grips like what was popular on bicycles in the 20s-60s (but better) since 2010 and it's a struggle to make any money. It's costs $16 to have two grips injection molded (plus material cost!) here in New England. On eBay you can buy grips for $4.95 shipping included. How does one compete with that?
If you need to reduce your MSRP to compete with "cheap imports" then identify your highest production cost and bring as many aspects of that in-house so you spend less to support a supplier... also identify your least productive and/or time consuming tasks and out-source them because time=money
For me cycling is like any other recreational activity so when I budget for a bike I compare the cost to golf or fishing. Neither of these have crazy beginning costs but the sky is the limit.
My favorite thing? The fitness and fun of riding bikes.
8:48 thanks my guy, you spoke my mind
This dude gets it. GCN did some follow up interview with someone in the bike industry recently and IDK if it was the length of the interview but he just came off as out of touch. They brought up the whole price point issue, as the whole industry has become so expensive, and he was just like "oh well new technology costs money" and the industry is focusing more so on the high end market because that is where the money is. It's a snake eating it's own tail, they are going to just pricing people out from entering the sport/hobby. Disc brakes, internally routed cables, exotic frame materials, electronic shifters, tubeless tires etc. are all cool and have their place, but leave it for the super high end. For most people, these things just add unnecessary complexity and higher maintenance costs (whether that be time for you or cost from a mechanic).
Disc brakes are not just high end or a fad. They objectively work better. I build wheels to last as long as possible and not having pads grinding the rims makes them last longer.
We need to remember the tech does trickle down and improves cycling for everyone. At one time having a bunch of gears or suspension, or any frame material other than steel was "high tech".
All very valid points. I think the point he was trying to make is that if a certain tech isn't trendy at a given time it doen't make it absolute garbage. I still ride my 26er 3x and it still gets me from A to B. With much joy. I see a lot of fellow riders use enduro freeride MTBs on the road but never hit a trail. Some folks are led by what they want than what they actually need.
@@mechatakoyakisan as someone who rides a mostly stock 35 year old touring bike with cantilever brakes. I think people forget just how much of the bike industry is about incremental/marginal improvements. Do disc brakes result in greater braking power? Yes. Does that mean rim braking is horribly unsafe? I don't think so.
I think people also like to exaggerate why older tech is worse than it actually is. For example, that one guy who commented on here who is a wheel builder claiming rim brakes wear out wheels faster. I am sure that is true, for people at the professional/semi professional end of the spectrum. For most people, I would wager poor maintenance is the real killer of wheels (aka rust, being out of true, uneven tension on spokes, etc.). I am still rocking the stock front wheel for my bike, and the only reason I had to replace the rear was because the quick release failed on me resulting in me tacoing the wheel.
All this being said, if you want/like things like disc brakes, dropper posts, internally routed cables, etc. that is fine go for it. However, some of this stuff you really have to ask if the added complexity/cost/future maintenance cost are worth it. For me, rim brakes work just fine...though I HATE CANTILEVER BRAKES THEY ARE SO HARD TO ADJUST UGGGG (my brakes always squeal).
I worked in the bike industry for 10 years. The best thing when I worked in the industry was EP, wholesale pricing. And the people too, every place I worked at was pretty fun. The worst thing was the pay. I couldn’t break into the higher paying positions because there wasn’t a lot of them available. I ended up doing something else for my career. Now I pay MSRP or sale pricing on bikes and bike parts.
And hopefully support some LBS while doing so?
The aggressive marketing of e-bikes is pretty annoying. As soon as I purchased a fairly nice mtb, in came the algorithm recommended e-bike videos. It took months for TH-cam to finally drop it out of my video feed even though I didn’t watch a single one
It is call "industrial art", for a reason. They are selling art that looks like a bicycle.
Lmao, so what is the category industrial art and then commercial bikes?
I think this my favorite interview segement by you, I liked you did the best/worst. I was a bit surprised of diveristy of answers.
LOL I just released I watched you on and off for like 6 months but not subscribed =)
Hope to see you do a series at Bespoked in Dresden as well!
We LOVE this video!
"The Industry"...should adopt a "Needs" focused bike construct. Most bikes fill needs and don't "need" to follow a race bike construct. I don't "need" a race bike, but some (few) people do...I am thinking of reaching out to a smaller bike builder who will accommodate my "needs" better. Larger bike companies only build what sells to the masses. And they also seem to follow the performance angle of bike design when it doesn't "need" to be so complicated. Great video...!
Good job, great way to finish Made .
At first I thought those were two predictable, cheap and fairly crap questions ... but the answers were so good and surprisingly different that I have to admit I was impressed. The 'standards' point was really relevant to me as although I have a decent idea of what I'm doing, I can't even be really sure that tyres are going to fit rims.
Such a great heartfelt human video!
huh, I just spontaneously ordered a couple of things from Biciclista because I looked and liked what they do 🙂
Seems to be money and standards are the most common issues for smaller businesses
So thankful for all the electric cyclists coming into our shop for quality service! Always remember that e cyclists, are cyclists too.
My favorite thing, by far, were the people. I know Interbike is forever the "Trade Show That Shall Not Be Named," but it was the only time I could see almost everyone I interact with on cycling social media or product vendors I'd gotten to know only through endless emails. I'm definitely in the minority, but I miss that giant mess of a party.
Lots of cool bikes. Who’s buying & riding these bikes? 80% of the bikes I see here in So cal are e bikes.
Same reason people buy Starbucks - marketing. The mechanical and simple bikes are ridden by those who enjoy what a bike should be. Not a motorcycle, etc.
My biggest gripes are 1) the death of 2x and 3x chain rings 2) the push for electronics on mechanical bikes 3) the cost of everything. I get pissed when i see articles about $3000 "budget" bikes. For 3k it aught to be pretty fuckin nice. Bicycle companies are quickly approaching motorcycle prices for new bikes, and i havent purchased new in a decade because of it.
Wow! Thank you (small) bike industry!
What do you like about the bike industry. They let you have a mustache.
What a bunch of rad people!! Thanks so much for sharing their experiences and stories.
Thanks From the UK 🇬🇧🤙
Someone should start component manuf stateside
Someone should. The question is would people pay for it.
How do you like them apples Specialized!?
Worst thing about the industry:
Pricing out your market.
Mass produced Bicycles shouldn’t be multiple thousands of dollars.
Using ultraromance for the thumbnail pic of a video called "worst things about the bike industry" is the most accurate statement in this whole video 😂😂😂
We are all the same ,really, not much difference!! but also , Failures and mistakes!!
Where did the guy from Sage get a wine bottle holder for his bike? I need one… for a friend of course…
The biggest complaints from small builders were the lack of standards and the inability to compete with the prices of the few big companies. Let's call it what it is. It's not just the bike industry, it's neoliberalism-specifically planned obsolescence. The lack of standards gives the bike a physical shelf-life. Psychological obsolescence convinces you that you have to have electronic shifting and all the other bullsh!t they are putting on bikes to jack up the price. And the fact that small builders can't compete with the monopoly corporations is a product of financial deregulation. It's not just the bike industry, it's the new global economy.
very cool video
Love hearing Appleman talking about uber expensive frames, while selling uber expensive cranks lol
U missed the point.
Appleman cranks are on-par with other high-end crankset pricing... go price out a Rotor or FSA crankset! Even the high end SRAM and Shimano cranks aren't exactly cheap. Other custom cranks are expensive too like 200-300+ bucks. The only really cheap stuff is lower end SRAM, Shimano, and clones.
@@PathLessPedaledTV
Russ, I'll listen to the segment again
Fun interviews
Your best video.
Would have loved lower thirds for all the great people portrayed here!
ahh okay, the flip side came in at 6:00
Do you have a review of the boreal bicycle from Paronama cycle ?
It's a good job I wasn't there and you didn't ask me what I don't like about the industry, as this jaded cynical Limey could have ranted for hours...😂😂😂
Yeah, one wonders if they should keep an obsessive passion and one's career totally separate things.
People good but pay stinks.
hit like as soon as I start this just based on the title and thumbnail
Who’s the builder with the aero is ugly tee shirt hanging up?
Good Grief
I noticed that too
Why WORST?
Unpopular opinion here, but Trump's tariffs might actually help this industry. The big guys in the bike industry are able to order containers of bikes that only cost about $50-100 to produce.
I doubt it. There are no components manufactured in the US nor is there the infrastructure to ramp that up. Bikes, even cheap bikes, will likely go up.
@PathLessPedaledTV That's true, I can source everything here in the states except the drivetrain unless I go singlespeed.
@@MrPiimpslap Not even that. No bicycle chains are made in the US.
Capitalism seems to be the source of most the least favorite aspects of the industry, be it Schon saying it out right or the numerous others pointing at the problem without saying directly. The bike is a revolutionary machine and the industry should be as well.✊🏿
@ebikescrapper3925 @ebikescrapper3925 buying and selling things is not capitalism, the hierarchical division between owners of the means of production and workers is what defines capitalism.
@@ebikescrapper3925if you work for a person you are taking part in capitalism. In fact just living in a capitalist economy means you are partaking. That doesnt mean selling goods is capitalist
Capitalism provides capital for the government to enforce the social safety net, and the social safety net elevates the less advantaged so they can better contribute; it is really one system of two inter-driving forces, absolutism will only blind you from seeing the merits and immorality from within.
Capitalism was an issue in my working life. I coped as well as I could under a capitalist model. In the end, I chose to work alone rather than exploit the labor of others. Far from ideal in a capitalist economy.
@ebikescrapper3925 ok, so now go ask Google to define means of production, hint no small or even medium size business ownes the means of production. In the case of bike frame the mines where iron and aluminum are mined, the steel mills where the ore is processed into usable metal, and the factories where tubing is made and perhaps some of the large factories in Taiwan that produce 1000s of frames would qualify. Second there is no free market, governments dole out subsidies, contracts, taxes and tariffs to control or influence the market.
Small producers are not Capitalists, they participate in a capitalist society, but, they have no choice it that fact.
I wish gas was about 3 times more expensive so more people would have to ride a bike more often
A lot of not-so thinly veiled UDH shade 😂
Wait why do people hate UDH?
it's interesting for me as a life long bicycle rider to view all this but to take note that so many of the people interviewed look like they've never physically ridden a bike. It's business baby , I think Ultra Romance and his rebuilding really leads the philosophy here, riding comes first, rebuilding old models and outfitting them for purpose. We really do not need more custom and niche bikes on the market , I have rich friends who have up to 20 bikes. I own 2 and I out ride these types of people, because a bicycle is about riding, it is the single most useful invention to mankind. Artwork , tech, design all comes in a very shady second place to primary function. Ti bikes with 700c 2.2 clearance are just amazing, don't have one because I have only ever owned and sold to own second hand bikes but if one were going to get custom, I mean some of that stuff is truly beautiful and will last many generations, that is awesome, well done.
What the hell are you talking about? What do people who “physically [ride] bikes” look like to you? I bet every single person there rides bikes. A lot.
A little judgy about how people should look like riding a bike?
@@PathLessPedaledTV
Very thought provoking & interesting point you raised. Thankyou.
5:53 Good job Laura fixing the focus! I hate when that happens!