Tech Briefing: Limited Edition Bikes & Saddles, Carbon Wheels & More

 They already do this

 @JonnyTheWeasel: No need to be a Weasel and tell everybody

 The Decoy is still a great bike with a new updated motor. Why change the geometry if it works.

 @RevedOut: Dude, you just said “bike” and “motor” in the same sentence, this could cause an aggressive thread pattern.

 As they say in the motorcycle industry, "updated with bold new graphics!"

 I had a major brand recently offer to give me a “crash” replacement deal for a cracked frame (rock strike) that was essentially paying the current sale price of the frame.

 Lookin at you Santa Cruz......

 @dcaf: I wonder how many people remember the time before BMW released the S1000RR.
Essentially the same motorcycles released for years on end with only graphic changes.

 Dear sir why would you say something so shocking and yet so brave, you have effectively and accurately summed up the entire industries plan for moving into the 2024 & 2025 season

 Give me metallic paints, metal flakes, fades, neon colors, racing stripe livery, splatter paints, literally ANYTHING different and unique and maybe I'll think about thinking about buying.

 @jray152: same. Specialized

 Potentially an unpopular opinion, but if we want better prices in the bike industry, keeping the same models in service longer will likely be part of that. That allows the brands and factories to pay the molds off more slowly, get better pricing on all the materials the components due to committing to a larger quantity and condense the range to include less models/spec (and focus on the price points people actually buy). This also makes it easier for retailers to hold stock (because what's current and relevant doesn't rotate so often) and they're not constantly in a (potentially wasteful) cycle of having to sell last year's bikes to buy the new ones.

Many Trek bikes for example are available in 2 colours per model, 8 sizes and 6 or more specs. Multiply it through and there's 96 SKUs. Imagine how stop/start your production is with 96 SKUs... Imagine trying to have all the variants a customer could ask for in your shop...

A lot of motorbikes (which expensive bikes are so often compared to) are available in like 2 variants.

More standardisation and less options is probably how we start to get really killer bikes for $2-4k, rather than currently having to pay out a tonne more than that to get something with the spec most people want.

 @tom666: agree! I can live with bikes notbeing changed year to year, helps with depreciation and keeps new bikes cheaper

 @MOBrules: And rightly so.

 @Andypanda82: And Kona... And Rocky Mountain...

 @tom666: Not unpopular at all but good luck trying to convince the marketing/sales department of any of these large companies that they don't need a new color/name/model every year.

I think it speaks more to a general critique on modern society that A) Companies are considered unsuccessful if they don't grow EVERY YEAR and B) Us as humans feel the need to upgrade stuff even when we have something that is perfectly fine, even great.

I look at a company like Bike Yoke and wish more companies followed their model. They don't update just to update, all of their improvement are genuine improvements on the existing products to fill a need in the marketplace. They also make a product that is bulletproof AND easy to service AND is the best in class. But I guarantee that if an investor got involved none of that stuff would be good enough, they'd only be concerned about how much growth the company had year over year.

Someone recently coined the term "Enshitification" to describe how online platforms die over time, and I think it holds true to a lot of companies as well.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enshittification

 @MOBrules: LMAO!!! Great comment. PBer’s are going to have my headset!

 @tom666: I agree with you on this. Our consumer culture has gotten out of control. We’ve been programmed for that little dopamine hit that getting a new flashy bike/computer/phone/whatever provides. Then a week into use we’re like well it’s still a bike and I’m having fun but no more fun than my last bike.

I think as consumers we can make the biggest impact here by simply stopping. Be grateful for what you’ve got. Just get out and ride and forget about the rat race happening around you. That’s what it’s all about anyway. Brands will naturally slow down and honestly should.

 @mkul7r4: we got you.

 @nickfranko: well, why innovate when you can just milk customers?

 @ultimatist: Innovation is hugely overrated, and even worse, every innovation is automatically assumed an improvement. All too often it really isn't, and/or it has undesirable consequences that are ignored.

 @WhateverBikes: all your points are correct, but I disagree with the conclusion. Innovation is messy, but it's why bikes are SO DAMN GOOD today. So good, in fact, that they hide the skill inadequacies of many riders. Anyway, my post was related to the arrival of the BMW S1000RR, which was a market shattering sport bike that kicked every other manufacturer in the ass to wake up and improve their offerings.

 @ultimatist: the point is, that what you call 'so damn good' is not a clear cut as you make it out to be.
Of course, modern bikes are faster, ride more comfortable, shift more smooth and quicker, and brake with more force and constant, good modulation. So I understand these bikes are seen as 'better', because all things mentioned above are positive on their own. But there's two problems.

First, modern bikes have also changed in less desirable ways. There are very few standards left for parts and interfaces, making bikes obsolete way faster. I can easily find a quick release set for the wheels of my 1994 mtb, but good luck finding the right thru axle for your bike in 10 years time. For electronic shifting that's even worse… charging, updates are needed to keep it running. Bikes need more and more professional maintenance, making it more expensive. Suspension needs setup and maintenance too. Overall, bikes have gotten more complicated in many ways, where I want my bike to be simple, easily fixable and maintainable, by myself, and not require much attention. It's getting harder and harder to just 'grab your bike and ride'.

Second, and that's actually more important, those more capable bikes have side effects that many people never realize. When I go out on my old mtb, I don't need much to have a super fun ride. Just a nice trail is enough. It demands my riding skills, it's challenging, which I like. No suspension means I feel like a am going very fast.
The bike just works, and hardly asks my attention. No dropper post to operate, no suspension to lock or unlock. To keep riding on those more capable bikes fun, trails needed to get more and more technical, and more dangerous too. So where my local trail, a helmet and some casual clothes are enough for me to have a blast, modern riders often need to go to a bike park, buy a ticket, gear up in knee pads, gloves, body protection and a full face helmet, and hope their bikes and bodies hold up to the wild rides and the inevitable crashes.

What 'better' means is different for many people. For me, my old bike is way better than any modern mtb.
Innovation is often for the sake of innovation, and marketed as 'better', but the changes it brings aren't exclusively positive.

Sorry for the long rant, lol. This is kind of a pet peeve :-D

 @WhateverBikes: I hear you. Good to have a big market with (boutique) options.

 @WhateverBikes:
I’m 100% with you man. Marketing is making us want want want
My last bike was 16yr old and hope my current bike lasts the same.

 Those Druids seem a bit on the heavy side for 130mm of travel. Sexy looking though.

 I think the name was pretty uncreative personally.

 @j-p-i: Thats because it's strong

 @ShawMac: yeah SuperNothing doesn’t really jive.

 @ShawMac: do you think the Black Sabbath tribute was kinda played out? Even so, it's like a super sized version of the Dreadnought...a Supernought, if you will

 @sjma: I'll be honest I didn't really put two and two together on that one, so I like it a bit more now.

I like the unique Druid and Dreadnaught names, so was disappointed when it was just "bigger dreadnaught".

 @ShawMac: Great song though

 Try one if can, I did it, very special bike and work very well for that short amount of travel. Sexy but heavy.... you like it or you hate it.

 probably a tough time of the year to be fully testing a downhill bike. That thing does look rad though

 @mtmc99: there's 1000m of accessible terrain still without snow. Just no chairlifts as they're all being used to get skiers and snowboarders down the mountain.

 @jakemcab: LOL, pretty rough year out here on the west coast so far. Hope you don't mind dodging rocks and trees on your way down

 Very different things, those are mature businesses, Neko is just trying to run a race program.

 It won't happen, brands like Shimano and Bosch need you to go through their dealer network so they continue to take your money

 Fezzari Timp Peak is the only brand I've seen offer a new frame-only option - fezzari.com/pages/build?bike=timp

 @contigo: Ahh I didn't know that, thanks. Problem is I've seen full bikes on sell for almost as low as that frame only haha. Fezzari apparently isn't having the overstock issue some of the big brands are.

 Specialized do/did one but you'd find an old Porsche cheaper

 Fezzari Timp Peak. I bought one and it is really good. This company is killing it on prices. They are what YT was when they first came out.

 Specialized do this for st least a couple models

 There's several chinese carbon frame molds and they'll sell you frame, motor, battery kit. Also, specialized does but it's the same price as a full bike.

 I think Nicolai sell frame and Bosch motor kits

 @endoguru: Agree, I wish they had a better name tho, its weird.

 @Legohead: With you on the name. I had to decide I cared more about the quality, price and geometry more than the name. One advantage of being old…you don’t care anymore.

 @endoguru: yeah I thought they were some weird european brand then I saw thry are based in Utah, they would benefit from some branding. Even tho people wil say the product should sell itself. If it has a stupid ferrari soumd and bad logo it doesnt help at all.

 There are plenty of Open Mold options that are available these days. Google around a bit.

 Buddy of mine has one, says it just wants to boost to the moon off jumps. He's ridden most of the local steep-tech dh trails on it but tbh it looks pretty sketchy! Saw a hilarious video where he loops out off the back wheel on a steep rocky section. I'm guessing the suspension is pretty basic in its tuning.

 Maybe it just got off its shift at IKEA.

 Dunno about those force tires, but I run a DH22 rear up here in the soupy slippery sharp-edged PNW, and it's been amazing. I prefer it to a DHRII. Assegai still rules on the front though.

 They even told me about upcoming HP version with price just around 2000e

 Exactly why giving the new boxxer suspension product of the year is such an obvious industry payoff.

 Waiting for the 60 percent off sale in a year and a half

 @mcfadden999: never seen that for other framesets (f.e. I was looking at Reign '23 and it's still 4500€) , so - why here?!.. (

 @ka81: just based on forbidden’s other bikes being on huge sales