Breaking News! That's It For Trek Bikes? Or Other Bicycle Brands? The State of the Cycling Industry
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- čas přidán 5. 03. 2024
- Is this it for Trek Bicycles? Update Breaking News (It’s Not Good):
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As The Wheel Turns, So Do The Days of Our Rides. This series is my reflection on current events in the industry and consumer perspective. With my 30 years in the business, I try to give a better understanding and some added context to today's topics. Let's have a look.
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Here's a breakdown of the news about Trek Bicycle:
Summary:
✅ Trek Bicycle, a major bike manufacturer and retailer, is facing challenges due to slow sales and high inventory levels.
✅ To address these issues, they've announced a company-wide effort to "right size" their operations.
✅ This will involve a 10% reduction in spending across various areas.
✅ The exact details of the cuts haven't been announced yet, but they are expected to be revealed soon.
✅ Despite the restructuring, Trek maintains that its overall strategy remains unchanged.
Possible reasons for Trek's situation:
✅ The global bike market might be experiencing a slowdown after a surge in demand during the pandemic.
✅ High inventory levels could indicate they overestimated demand for certain models or sizes.
Possible impacts of the cuts:
✅ There could be layoffs or reductions in employee hours.
✅ Certain departments or projects might face budget cuts.
✅ Marketing or advertising spending could be reduced.
Overall, Trek's goal is to become a leaner and more efficient company to navigate the current market conditions.
Here are some additional thoughts and questions that might be relevant:
✅ How will these cuts affect Trek's customer service or product development?
✅ Will Trek prioritize online sales or brick-and-mortar stores?
✅ Are there any opportunities for growth despite the current challenges?
It will be interesting to see how Trek navigates this situation and what the long-term impact will be on the company.
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My passion for bikes started when my parents opened a shop in the 1980s called Parker Bikes (we were located in Parker, Colorado). My love for cycling has continued since then, in my work and with my hobbies of road cycling and mountain biking. After my parents’ shop closed, I worked for other bike shops (including Lee’s Cyclery in Fort Collins), where I built and sold bikes, fixed and tuned up bikes, and managed inventory.
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I wonder if it's because ppl want e-bikes but now e-anything isn't selling from what I'm seeing too
you can't price bicycles higher than motorcycles and expect to keep selling bicycles....
Exactly
As a former motorcycler that bought my street bike for about 8 grand, it seems insane to me that you get far less ebike for your dollars than if you put it toward a motorcycle that can rip over 200km.
Oh my word you are so right!
Most are subscale businesses and have no choice. Hence, consolidation will help more companies achieve some level of scale economies
I say that all the time. The bicycle prices are stupid high
I hate to sound like an oldhead, but you can see the bike industry begin its inevitable plummet when the big companies stopped selling beginner road bikes for under 800. You ain't luring any newbies to the sport with a starting price of $2,000, they'll just get a used bike.
The other thing is that the people that may have been looking into cycling will simply choose a different activity all together is the bar is raised too high for entry.
This is true. Even the used bike market is ticking upward.
Completely agree with this, old head comment or not, truth is truth! When you start looking at spending $2k on bikes it also opens the door for people to consider E-bikes.
I saw a youtube vid, maybe by GCN? It looked at the entry level road bikes of the big manufacturers. The conclusion, these were not really entry level bikes but mid level; forcing up the price.
Part of the problem is always going to be bragging rights over who has the best, fastest, latest tech on their bikes. This applies to manufacturers, guys down the club, and even dads polishing their machine in the front yard competing with neighbors.
Either your into bikes or not, the price is irrelevant. Most people are more into their phones and PlayStation’s than anything else.
I used to buy a new bikes every 2 to 3 years to upgrade. In the past 5 years, i have been buying used because the prices are completely outrageous, pure greed. If they lowered prices, they could sell more bikes.
Bike prices are now back down to ridiculously expensive, instead of outrageously expensive.
Ha ha. 😃
I’m not finding any of these “sales” being much of a sale. $2000 off a $10K bike is still a ridiculous price.
Support the small, independent bike shops that stock more than one brand, like the ones from your childhood…if you can find one!
My first bike was a red huffy in 1986.
Don't waste your time in poplar bluff mo. . Unless you got 4grand to drop, love to hear how great socialism is and enjoy the smell of 5 cats pissing on everything he won't give you the time of day😅
Greed…it’s ironic to see companies that demand so much from shops, offer so little to the consumer, but couldn’t see the inevitable failures lurking. Biking has been my saving Grace mentally and physically. It can offer so much to people. It’s a shame that GREED will be its downfall and biggest detractor moving forward. Sad for the loss of jobs. Thankful for the humble pie served
The bike industry needs to figure out how to get more average riders buying bikes. The feeling of community will sell itself and thus everybody wins.
The bicycle industry and cycling community is its own worst enemy.
Totally agree. I ride a Giant Revolt 1 2022 and its a really good gravel bike. However, when I ride with "veterans" you can guess the amount of dirty looks I get for riding plebeian aluminium. To many "hardcore" cyclists, you ain't shit until you have the most expensive thing on the market. Its the majority of cyclists themselves that create the need for $15k bikes.
@@carlsberg-gs6rlAlmost no one is buying those $15k bikes, they’re sold in extremely limited quantities. They’re a halo product to sell you a much cheaper product that has some of the same mystique. You shouldn’t worry about what people think or say, if you’re stronger they can’t say ish and you can rib them about being fat and slow on a motorcycle priced bicycle.
Good water cooler INTEL... I currently work in a big box retailer (Dicks Sporting Goods) as a bike mechanic we get our bikes from PON Holdings ( GT, Schwinn, Mongoose, and Pacific Cycles) and sometime later this year we will be selling Cannondale and Giant at our higher tier Public Lands and Moose Jaw stores. We're also the US distributor of Nishiki bikes. I'm looking forward to seeing how this all shakes out once the dust settles.
Ya mean the $10k bikes are not selling?
Actually it's the high end holding up.
Rich always win..
@jenmac287 can't take it with you when you die all alone with no friends
@@garybird8646Yes, the rich are just getting richer. The guy with the new Ferrari wants a Speed Concept too, even though he can’t ride.
Yeah...😂
If they really have 5 years of inventory,10% cuts aren't going to be anywhere near enough. Triple that.
That's 5 years at this Depression level spending.
@@GNMi79a lot of people would agree with you. I own a business, not cycling but every year I look at what’s sitting in my shop that needs to go and put the blowout price on it!
KONA tried a "buy one, get one free" online for one of their MTBs. Desperate.
Trek, like other bicycle manufacturers, are experiencing the pandemic bike craze pendulum swinging back the other way toward eventually achieving supply and demand equilibrium. The SKU reduction is needed. I still have an old 1995 Trek catalog and even back then they had a plethora models and a bunch of accessories.
They’ve been screwing the independent bike shops for years.
Interesting to see how this will all play out.
I feel bad for the small businesses, but not the big corporate heads.
As soon as I learned about "gravel bikes" I had my suspicions... Either it's a road bike with mountain bike tires or a mountain bike with road bike handlebars? Just keep making the chains lighter, weaker and unreliable - that'll sell more bikes...
Bike industry: we are hurting
Norco and pivot: here’s our new way overpriced bikes
Every big brand bike... new TOTL Bianchi is CDN$25,000 - are you kidding me??
@@johnandrews3568 what….😳
Let's price ebikes with NO battery and then let them eat the sticker shock of how much the batteries cost. smh
@@norcal9376 and what about replacing the battery? I bet that’s expensive and if the motor goes out you’re screwed. I think e-bikes are still not even close to where they should be.
@@mikegeddie2263 yep, top range Bianchi with Super Record is $25K
Like the auto industry they screwed us during COVID jacked up prices supply and demand now they are paying the price! You don't need all the models of every riding type. You used to buy a frame or model then upgrade to what you wanted or could afford now you got to many bikes to choose from.
I think you are right when you say most people want a bike for under $1000 that they can get on and ride. I bought a full touring bike, racks front and rear, 30 speed Shimano, for around $1000. The weakest link on the bike, performance wise and in every other respect is me.
However, Trek does have its uses in the propaganda department. My wife was complaining because I spent $30 on a bit of bike gear. When we were out shopping later I steered us into the Trek shop, and showed her a 10L bikepacking bag for $100 and bikes up to $15K. So Trek still has its uses for me.
There are plenty of bikes between &600 & $1200 that are more than enough bike for a beginner.
@@ronb9901 Yep, but you won't find them in Trek stores.
That sounds like the Only use most of us have for the "Trek" stores. We lost a long time independent local chain of multi-brand mid-high end bike stores when they became trek only. Sad.
🤣🤣🤣
I picked up a "new in box" road bike with a hydroformed aluminium bike for $250.
Great frame with top notch welds but absolute crap components.
I'm looking at $250 to replace everything with quality parts.
$500 and a bit of DIY for a quality bike or something comparable from a manufacturer that would set me back over $2k... 🤔
Love the info you're putting out.
I appreciate that!
The warranty/guarantee issue could become very painful for many of us still making fun about the downfall of these tumbling bike companies. Honestly, I hope they survive. 🙇🏻♂️
This grandpa loves his new Jamis Hudson Disc step-thru. Great exercise. Quality bike. Bedlam Bicycles in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Thanks Kevin & Lee 🙂
My local shop here in Golden Colorado has GT force E bikes on sale. An incredible value $2473 OTD. Normally they’re $5200 OTD.
I worked with a small atelier in France. We built frames for pro teams like, Festina, Cofidis, Jean deLatour and others. Riders like Brochard, Virenque, Millar, Fignon, Longo, Vandenbrouke, etc. I offered exactly the same frames to US bike riders at very low prices, $800 to 1,500 for frame and fork. It was very difficult because riders wanted the big name brands. I tried to explain that the name brands the pros used were usually not built by those brands. They were built by small custom frame shops like ours. Still no sale. In a way, US customers got what they deserved. High prices, low quality and frames the pros didn't actually ride on.
What is your web site?
So you're saying you can provide me top of the line frame/fork and with all other top of the line components I should be able to have a $7 to $8k bike for $3.5k or so?
@cmoredebris just because someone has money in their pockets doesn't make them smart. Some consumers are just plain idiots. Give me the small well-made brand in a heartbeat.
@@jameslakatos8506 Retired in 2001.
@@mxmike123 A $1500 frame and fork in 2001 would be $2600 today. I did not sell complete bikes. The frames were not inexpensive, but the point was the client received a made to measure frame, made by the same artisans who built for pro riders. That was added value the customer got for free, plus the years of fitting experience that went into each sale.
I own a bike shop (trek, giant and yeti). So far 24’ numbers are out performing 23’ numbers. It’s going to be a good year for bike sales, margins are still there with much better bike prices. Great time to buy a bike, and customers know that 🙌.
Me too, and thankful to have serious pro bike mechanics, you cant mail order a bike repair.
Same. Customers know who and where they wanna buy from. Support them and they support you.
'23 '24 vs 23' 24' . 23' is 23 feet.
Oh, I really liked my Trek 5000, it was such a beautiful green that had so much depth.
I know that there are some shops offering discounts, but new riders don't want to drop $2000. Amazon is the route many of them will go.
I’m in the bike industry and I can attest to how rough things were a year ago. They will get rougher this year I’m sure. I personally I’m not looking to get any new bikes for myself anytime soon.
Regarding the 40% SKU reduction… have you seen how many variations they have on any model of bikes? I was looking at Fuel EX’s recently, and I think there were 22 options. Why do they need more than 4 builds for the carbon frame and 4 more for the AL frame? And they have 4 other FS models I think. Too much.
I'd argue 2-3 per model and frame type. Cheap as possible Alu, Value build Alu, Value Build Carbon, Top end Carbon. Then maybe a limited/named/partner build. And stop with so many colors. Either just one colorway per spec level; Or one colorway and one simple black per spec level. Change/Rotate the colors every 6 months to 1 year.
Y’all are forgetting to multiply by the 7 sizes each build comes in lmao
I work part time in a Trek store and trying to explain the differences on a given model to a customer is difficult sometimes. Just confuses the customer who just wants a good bike to ride.
There's also too much crossover of models; Alloy hardtail bikes; Roscoe, Marlin, X-Caliber, the new alloy Procaliber. Do they really need all of them?
Last summer in 2023 I bought an older used 26 inch Trek bike at a garage sell for $5 and just repainted it and rebuilt it with new bike parts and stuck a rear ebike kit on it. Now it’s a sweet ride! 🙂
good video. thanks for you insights from your professional experience.
not a long-term solution, but the immediate for companies like Trek is to lower price. if demand stays the way it is, then only lower prices will clear the inventory. unfortunately that creates a lot of other problems for people in the industry, but that’s the only way unless federal government drops money from the sky again.
Great point
That was a sad day when Schwinn fell. Would have been better if they went away altogether rather than turn into Huffy.
My first legit mt bike was a Schwinn Mesa I bought with my hs grad money in 1997. My cousin raced for them, my fav small shop in Spokane WA carried them. Home Grown no more.
Just bought a Heybike City Run for $1000.00, hydronic breaks, directionals, electric horn, approx 55 miles on a single charge, can use throttle also
Back when I paid 700 for a new trek mountain bike ,I was working in an Oil Refinery making pretty decent money.back in 1995 we were making 17 to 18 dollars an hour,then wages stagnated 2024 lots of people 20an hour.now nice trek bike 2000 an up ,it's simple people had more spendable income in the 1980s and 90s.
Great update mate
We will see! I just decided to keep my "worlds lightest madone slr9" and make it even lighter. So once people start seeing my bike treks sales are gonna go thru the roof! lol
2018 Diamondback Release, 2020 Stumpjumper Carbon Expert, 2019 Scott Genius, 2020 Nukeproof Mega, 2019 Turbo Levo. I purchased each one used between $1,400 and $3,400. You don't have to buy new and probably shouldnt if you are just starting out.
Can not find a high end hardtail from trek or specialized
Believe we need to go back to simple and affordable. I only ride old single speeds to rebel against the billion standards and wild pricing.
yeah they're all trying to create the most affordable $5000 dollar bike! lol
Good video. Let’s hope the prices come down somewhat. Oh, how can I obtain the t shirt you’re wearing? Thanks!
Thanks for watching. You will find them here: i-know-a-guy-bicycles.myspreadshop.com/
What he doesn't say is that many of the independent bike shop owners are burned out after the bike boom and are now looking for an exit. Many want to retire. They no longer have prospective buyers lining up at their door, so selling to one of their bike vendors becomes an EXIT STRATEGY. Most of the company owned stores were an independent bike shop at one time. You can't blame the bike brands for wanting to protect and continue to grow their market share in those markets. That's not lack of support of the independent, that's giving them an exit to do whatever else they want.
Furthermore, Trek does it's best to have an annual review event with their independent retailers to make sure they have a solid business plan and marketing plan for the upcoming season. They do this at no cost to the retailer. Imagine the thousands of dollars that would cost to have a Consultant do that! Trek does it because they believe it's the right thing to do for their retailers. Strong retailers = strong Trek. No other bike brands supports their retailers like that and does it for free.
Trek bikes are insanely overpriced. There is no "free" - the customer pays for it all.
@@just4ivaylo92yep, everything is always built into the price.
Yes, we lost 4 independent bike shops due to retirements, then we lost a local independent multi brand mid-high end chain to trek. Sad.
There was a mass exodus, and Trek and Specialized bought those shops; now, I'm sure they are not buying anything until they get their numbers back into the black.
I am riding 2000 Specialized Road bike and still satisfying.Not everyone wants the latest the greatest specially electronic shifting that really wasn't needed for most riders.
I learned a new word, 'SKU' pronounced ''skew': it means Stock Keeping Unit. Anyway, informative video. It really is a soap opera out there, "As the wheel turns so do the days of our rides", ha ha
Thanks for the info! And Watching.
Luckily most of my friends that own bike shops do not stock Trek. They either just do repairs, etc or they will measure you and order your size theyll have a few bikes in the shop so you know what they look like of things like a Surly fatbike.
I waited about two weeks for my last new bike a few years ago a lot of the parts like the stem were used so my Surly was cheaper plus the black frame was $100 cheaper than a colored frame.
My local bike store I found out always went in and bought the year end “end of run” more lower priced Treks then kept in back and brought out through the year. They also had a few higher end ones to make you drool…I lost interest in Trek way back when they crushed Klein and Fisher. Eat your competition basically… and then didn’t manufacture in US anymore. My local store doesn’t stock enough goodies to come in and browse anymore… just a few things and all e-bikes . So I buy used 90’s Cannondales now.. made in USA … great stuff !! Trek is just Schwinn to me now….
You forget about Lemond. On top of it I don't like that they were suing Lance Armstrong. I don't agree with his practices but he made up Trek in terms of road cycling...
There were three Trek bikes I was interested in purchasing at the end of 23 but all were priced too high. Was hoping for some end of the year sales but they only knocked off $100-$300 so not worth it for me. Ended up buying used and customizing but would have rather bought new at a decent price.
I have a Trek Domane & Marlin .I'm interested in a hybrid performance bike.Trek Sport FX 6 Carbon is over $2700 .I think it's a great bike but it's not at a discount price anywhere ! Thanks for the info, dude .Stay strong and best of luck in the business .America is suffering right now with this economy. Let better days come soon 😊
Yes, that bike is great for what it offers. But definitely needs a price reduction.
Does this mean that I will have trouble with my recalled Trek in the future?
Not necessarily. Trek is very supportive in their warranty and service. Support a Trek dealer though, not a Trek owned store. They’re more likely to benefit you, for the sake of maintaining your relationship as a customer, rather than benefiting themselves at the opportunity to sell you more while you’re in the store.
Took me a minute to realize this wasn't Bike Farmer. 😂 Interesting vid.
He has a great channel as well. Also has a option piece on this topic as well. Worth taking a look. czcams.com/video/O1X2D8THzbg/video.htmlsi=OKOWaoxekbkYGzne
Canyon is especially ahead of the curve right now because they've put a lot of attention on marketing through social media and influencers. I guess the bigger guys think they're above that.
Or they have burned out or abandoned the influencers they did have. CZcamsrs and independent racers used to be showcases for bike manufacturers, with their bikes immediately becoming very desirable to a Large population of followers. I only see a couple of influencers who are supported by manufacturers anymore.
But that's exactly my point, companies like Canyon and Factor are some of the few that ARE sponsoring cyclists with a social reach to the community. Popular local and national racers and social media influencers with a decent following are getting sponsored by companies like Canyon while the big 5 manufacturers are just showing up for world tour pros.
i dont really see crazy deals so much, more like, prices are back down to what id consider normal, or at least pre covid prices. theyre gonna have to slash prices much lower to move out the old stuff. its still not low enough for me to bike a bike i dont really need... cost of living these days is up.
I have been buying online lately and really good prices. I got a niner rlt rdo 38% off along with a santa cruz jackal at 40% off. Also purchased a pair of sidi tiger 2's at 50% off.
Online retailers are the winners and theyre not suffering, their prices are still the best deal as theyve always been consistent in their pricing and not cutting crazy deals for months on end like the big box brands!!
canyon way ahead of the field
bought a trek domane sl6 just a couple weeks ago. im pretty sure i paid a premium but it was still 20% cheaper than the official trek store at where i live
I'd love to buy a bike at these discounted prices. But considering due to ecomic reasons at my company my salary hasn't increased since 2020. Inflation on everything else has effectively decreased my pay by 15-20%. I know the higher level economic numbers are better, but on a personal level buying a new bike right now ust doesn't make sense. Other friends I have are in the same situation, of having little to no wage growth while everyday expenses have increased.
Everyone else is making much more since 2020..you just dont want more and blaming others for your lack of motivation to earn more is your personal problem. Im able to afford more bike with my extra money than ever before!!
Bummer. Hope your employer makes the logical step of stepping up wages. The job market is pretty hot and it's hard to find good talent - good luck!
Best way to get a significant raise is to switch jobs. Might be worth considering…
That shirt’s hysterical. Where can I get one?
You can get that design on T-shirts, Coffee Cup, Hats, etc. at i-know-a-guy-bicycles.myspreadshop.com/
I bought a Trek Emonda SL6 in 2015 from an independent. Trek now has a "corporate" store in downtown $$$ Toronto. It was initially two large floors +basement with high ceilings and low product density. It has a luxury brand feel and I expect the rent to be sky high. Sure enough Trek gave up some space in the fall/winter as their rent came up but the math still does not add up to me.
I have the 2014 Emonda SL6, still love it!
My local bike shops has maybe 150 bikes in the store. If they were a little smarter they would "hide" 75% of those bikes in a storage unit. They have so many expensive bikes its almost hard to get around the store.
That's because no one has any money.
@@jasonbusch3624 They just choose when and how much they will spend..
@jaycahow4667 Meijer has Mongoose bikes on clearance right now. Doesn't get much cheaper than that and they still can't get rid of them.
@@jasonbusch3624no one you know. The people with money to buy $5k and up bikes are still able to buy them.
I was lucky enough to find a good deal on a Canyon CB bike it is the cheapest bike of everyone I ride with. It is an amazing lightweight bike at a fraction of the cost that is why they are doing so well yep you have to put the skewer in yourself though. cheers
I know a lot of people that bought Walmart bikes and were unhappy with them. They never got "into" cycling when people told them they needed to spend $1K or more on a good bike. They found other hobbies. An "entry level" bike shouldn't cost over a grand.
Bike companies should push hard for better bike infrastructure. Create the demand for bikes!
@@GNMi79Been riding for over half a century since I was a kid and now I mostly ride on Greenways because I don't want to get run over by a distracted driver on the street.
Waiting on special deal on trek roscoe 6
You mentioned Canyon…what do you think about State? I just built a Surly but was also considering a State Core line since the price is so good. How can they sell a “decent” bike for $300?
Haven't worked on any State branded bikes, so not sure.
given the LBS Trek shops that closed (my local included), who is REALLY surprised?
We pioneered a Specialized rental program 1989ish. They kept us informed and a priority to reach end users.
Today shops keep customers in the dark about components which have proven worthless. Sram Eagle bottom bracket on Specialized 29ers is an example. Wrenches knew bb wouldn't last a full season in Oregon but they had to move inventory.
Buyer beware is so last century. Manufactures must step up if shops are going to sell anything new ever again.
Totally agree!
From my perspective, I would've assumed that the bike industry was flourishing. Seriously. I live in SW PA and rails-to-trails around here are expanding constantly, with more and more people cycling. Particularly ebikes! Which is cool, but not my thing. I prefer a fleet of bikes, with a bike for every occasion. But I'll take your word for it bacause you're looking at it from a much more educated perspective. Sad though, even tho Trek was one bike I never owned nor wanted. Strange. Thanks for the video
I've seen a big increase in e-bikes on Greenways many of whose riders are older. I believe that trend is going to increase.
I wonder how much of this is due to more affordable “off-brand” e-bikes being everywhere now. Also I think frankly new bikes in bike shops are too expensive these days.
Real recognizes real. IBDs operating with a consumer perspective will thrive. This offers huge leverage for the shop with a big name dealer agreement. Big corporate is killing their brand identity with direct owned stores. Consumers crave connection with small business owners. They want to buy and service their expensive bikes from small locally owned shops. Big brands can keep their low-mid level bikes and make better margins on them. They'll still get serviced for 100% labor margin at a small shop with a local bike mechanic who cares about them and builds their cycling community.
I'm glad I got my 920 before they quit making them.
file that under cut skus, even though that was a cool practical bike that the bike industry needs more of!
Send this vid to Trek. I agree with what you are putting down. Like Trek bikes are too expensive for me 2 years retired to purchase. Love the bike but need food , electric, and shelter.
The competing yet casual ~ so funny and true
Alot of great comments from the GUY. Follow the money. Who makes the most profit ? Greed. I had a bike shop ,for many years, sold Trek , Norco, and KHS. The market changed. There was no good reason for all high markups on bikes other than greed. Shops used to be based on customer service . Now I can buy product directly from Asia, I am buying at what was my wholesale price, delivered to my door. That's without being a bike shop owner.
Was it the manufacturers, wholesalers, or shops ,that decided to increase the profit line on bike, parts, and accessories??
Whoever it was, the business plan is failing. The customer is paying the price at the till .
Wanted to get our grandkid an electra townie 7d bike and the dealer wouldn't budge 2 cents on their $1899 price even though we had bought 2 Dual sport bikes previously . Oh well , their competitors are almost half the price .
As a Hightower 1 owner (came out in 2016) the only things that have come out that seem like an improvement since then have been frame storage and better shock mounts. Yes I have demoed newer bikes. No they did not ride better. Even if I just wanted to freshen things up it’s all new standards for the sake of new standards. Can’t buy a 12 speed oval chainring for my 11 speed XTR crankset for example. The most common shock size was 201x50 and now they say metric sizing couldn’t be the same because metric has more bushing overlap - but 210x55 surely has less overlap? I could go on and on. Unfortunately cycling, like many other industries, has gotten way too fat and plump over the 16 or so years of ZIRP. It’s well past time for a purging period where only the fittest survive.
Is the trek fuel worth the price?I'm just getting back into mountain biking after 30 years,my last bike was a new trek for 700dollars in 1990.At 64 yrs old I might buy a schwinn or mongoose.
Top Fuel or Fuel EX? I had an EX but traded in on more of a cross country friendly bike. If I ever do return to a trail bike, the EX is at the top of my list. Between my wife and I we have 3 Trek bikes. They are going to be fine regardless of the fearmongering video. The shop I go to always has new inventory because they sell so much.
Honestly, I am not surprised by the industry meltdown. I'm just a bike rider who loves to ride. Every time I went to a retail shop I got tude. Small shops not so much but occasionally I did. You reap what you sow. Pricing bikes 50x what they cost to make is sad. I never bought into the $6k to the $15k bike. Kudos to those who can afford it or who went broke trying to stay with the Jones. A dose of reality to the bike industry.
I have been commuting on a Posiedon x for a few months for $700 made in America I have no complaints
Hmm.. Honda XR150L or a new bicycle.?
I wonder how much of the overstock of bikes is due to shops ordering far more bikes than they really had a right too, and not taking shipment or not paying for partial orders of those bikes post-Covid. I know one of my reps told me to hold off on making big orders because he knew most of the shops that were making orders 2x or more than they had ever ordered before were never going to be able to pay for their orders. We kept things pretty mellow with only small increases and have come out of this hole mess in pretty good condition.
That's part of it I'm sure.
I know direct to consumer brands are a touchy subject but honestly I bought my YT Capra for a fraction of the price than say trek.
I bought a Juiced RipCurrent S on sale last year for $1400+tax (about $1K off) that I absolutely *LOVE*. It has a ~60 mile battery (1 kWh), is plenty fast, has excellent torque sensor, 1K lumens headlight, and does everything I want except for full suspension (and I mostly remedied that with a Kinekt seapost and a fat seat). I looked at Trek, Specialized and others but anything remotely comparable was thousands of dollars more. I'm riding in a city where bike theft is common. I pay $10 a month via State Farm for $0 deductible insurance after my $999 Lectric was stolen. Seriously have no idea why people are paying so much for Trek, Specialized or Riese & Mueller unless they just have money to burn or are risking their lives on the most dangerous terrain. Last rode a bike about 35 years ago. I suspect the many, many new direct sales brands popping up are killing their margins.
Thank you for sharing, good insights on the insurance!
I got an email from Trek a few days ago about a big sale they are having. I'm not familiar with the Trek lineup, so I went through their emtb line up. My impression? Too many variations of the same thing with escalating prices the determining factor. Far, far too expensive imo. I still have my old Trek 9000 as well as a Trek Soho DLX. Well built and engineered bicycles at a good price for their time. But my go-to bike is a 2016 Haibike Full FatSix. The story of Haibike in the USA is a harbinger of what is happening now.
e-bikes are a one and done, ride twice and leave it in the garage. Mechanical bikes lend itself to more bikes and equipment. Having trails, races, benefit/organised rides, cycling fairs, community/school programs and products people want at affordable pricing.
Best option.. get a frame and build it up... no branding or logos. 😊
Nobody in mgmt got let go just the workers who did more with less, Check the driver of the Sparkle Bus not the passengers Who gave 120%
JB isnt selling his house or looking for a new Job. The best Team on the Field failed and the employees suffer
Prior to the pandemic bike and ebike prices were coming down. Then the pandemic hit and the prices of anything bike skyrocketed. Second hand 12 to 18 month old eMTB's pre pandemic where selling for around A$3k Febuary 2020, April 2020 the same bikes where selling for A$4 to 5k for a 18-24 month old bike with 2500 to 3500km on the clock.
Also parts became scarce and rediculiously pricy. Seems everyone wanted to get rich quick and the prices have remained over the top, now 2024 the price are over the top especially when you look at some eMTB's are dearer than a moto.
I wouldn't be too concerned about Trek - they'll find their proper level again, don't think they're going anywhere. They'll figure it out in time and they have the money to ride it out
Nothing to big to fail ! That’s the truth! I’m from mid American! Chicago! So I know what happened to Schwinn .
I’m a ex bicycle messager and amateur racer of the region. Plus I’m a been wrenching for about 25 years now .
The ride and fall has happened since the turn of the century. The mid American region is well based in the history of bicycle manufacturing.
As you said man they didn’t see it coming ! How ?
You rise to the top you get stupid then you drop ! Like a rock !
It’s a shame but at the same time the big name have been pushing small shops out for the last decade.
So to bad so sad ! I will try to get some good deals and keep on making the most with my little garage shop .
Helping
out the cycling Community the best way I can .
So keep the rubber side down and find your line . Keep your head on a swivel and get to your destinations safely!!!!!
I went with headland 1 it rides great the shifting is ok however better than trek got it 4 1800 was 2800
I see this is going a lot further. last year was at the state of "tip of iceberg" and this year more of the iceberg will be exposed. New bikes sale will plunge even further
Went down the isles of my local bike shop, the only new road bikes were electric. He was a big Giant dealer, but only saw a few, probably because of the Dick's deal. Trek is his new big seller now, all FX, Verves, and Marlins, beside mountain bikes, which I dont follow. Obviously only stocking the big movers. But I feel for a LBS to compete, everything has to be on ebay, from cheapest headband to expensive helmet. This way the customer knows if they don't buy now, that product likely won't be there next visit. And it revolves the stock. Perfect example of this is Piedmont Bikes in NY. Dealer needs to support local, weekly rides. Maybe buy an old school bus to offer rides to big local day rides, gravel or road. Build a community of people newbies want to be a part of, like local shoe stores do with running clubs.
Ragley, Nukeproof now Trek the list of big builders is going south fast..
I had 2 unlucky buys of mailed box bikes (not Canyon) and 1 lucky buy of Trek road bike in the store. Mailed box bikes had several quality cuts, not tuned components, squicking, uncomfortable sizes, etc. Never again!
I just bought a bike from a smaller mfr. that was $3000 less than a comparably equipped Trek Domane. There's no way a giant company like Trek with their huge volume should be more expensive than anybody.
I had 2 Trek bikes. Had and won't buy one again. Quality and reliability issues. Too many trips to the bike store to get them fixed. Switched to Salsa brand. Happy rider.
The real SKU creep at the OEM's started about 15 years ago. I could see it coming when Trek Specialized and GIant wanted every dollar on a bike. T (or S) brand bike computers, shoes, helmets, tools, lights clothing and every niche bike possible out there. This is the final culmination of all this silliness. Brands had to be everything to everyone all the time. Do what you do, do it well and if you don't do it well got out of it. Shimano has no place in Eyewear. Companies make 80% of their money from 20% of their SKU's focus on those and stop wasting your customers money on vanity projects competing with the next guy.
America. Capitalism. Gotta love it.
Trek can charge whatever they want. They own the product. It’s theirs. You can setup a lemonade stand, sell a cup for 50 bucks. See how long you stay in business. Trek, if they’re charging what they are, and still afloat - they’re right.
If they’re charging high and nobody buys - then it’ll show. They’ll go out of business.
That’s the beauty of America.
Writing has been on the wall for 6-8 years. When a top line bike went above $5-6k, that's the #1 cause. Poor business management. And word to the wise, tough tines are most important to increase marketing not cut. Ride on!
Trek and Specialized have also bought out a lot of bike shops. I’m sure that’s a lot of capital spending! Trek and Specialized bike are way overpriced at the top end of their lines. Say they dump a lot of inventory at fire sale prices. There’s a ripple effect that reduces demand a few years from now. Bespoke brands put out some pretty nice bikes, often at a much better price than a bike that has the big S on the down tube.
I would stay afloat by selling quality. I just bought a seat post for $230 that didn't have a tenth of the carbon fiber that the seat post that came on my fifteen year old schinn. The old carbon was a work of art, the new carbon fiber is a few strands inbedded in plastic. Consumers are tired of buying trash made from trash. I saw a bike for sell the other day for $4300 with a SX group set. Give me a break, the bike industry couldn't pay me to own that junk, I know I'm not going to give my money to a company for it. These big companies care nothing about customer satisfaction, it's only about getting as much profit as possible no matter what they have to sell to get it. The day they choke I will not shed a single tear.
Judging the “quality” of carbon fiber by aesthetics is a fools errand. You can have an extremely well engineered and properly built composite that looks like “cheap plastic” and you can have a complete pile of garbage barely fit for use that has an attractive weave.
Why did you buy a seatpost for 230 bucks? I hate to break it to you but you’re part of the problem.
@@greensleeves8095 People can buy whatever they wish. Your opinion on their purchases is irrelevant, as it will all be amortized across the total market demand. So, saying someone is “part of the problem” for their seat post purchase just makes everyone in cycling look like a judgmental dick.
@@greensleeves8095 I had no choice, I don't believe mixing carbon fiber with aluminum even though people are saying it's fine but I've heard the temperature causes the rate of expansion are different and will damage the fiber. I take my bikes out of a sixty eight degree house into 95 degree environment and what I have heard is if the two doesn't expand equally it puts stress on the fiber, kind of like the opposite when water freezes in a water hose. If it wasn't for that I would never have spent the money, it may give the industry the incentive to sell at that price but when different companies are holding hands and they're not real competition then people have no choice. Either pay to play or take up hiking in parks.
@@RyonBeachner If it looks like a fish and smells like a fish it is a fish
Seems like companies put out good stuff for about 10 or 20 years. Then the guys who started the business retire or die off. After that the corporate types, i.e. the Bean Counters are left. The Bean Counters are not innovators. The Bean Counters are financial guys. They don't care about the product. It could be bicycles. It could be sweat socks. It's all the same to them. It's just numbers. When companies get to the Bean counter stage, they seem to either go belly up or become absorbed. Sometimes everyone is laid off and the name is picked up by a budget manufacturer. I expect some Taiwan company will buy the Trek name. Operations in US will largely be closed down. But,......this is just another BS comment.
As a consumer who has bought a couple of high end bikes ...im only watching these tyoes of info vids to see if the bikes im interested in buying are going down in price. I havent seen proof of that yet.