Garmin buying training peaks though to me seems kind of weird. I'm not sure how it helps them compete with their Chinese competitors other than perhaps locking out automatic upload integration from those brand's devices. Seemingly they really want to generate some subscription revenue (Garmin Connect+). I guess we will see the financials in a few quarters, it might just be a good deal on its own.
Literally every bike racer and coach I know use TrainingPeaks…. It’s pretty much the only SAAS option for professional coaches to interface with their clients.
Quick anecdote: I’ve convinced myself to race the MSC DH at Targhee, and the Geometron G1 I pieced together isn’t quite what I hoped it would be, at least not yet. Hence, I started looking for a proper DH bike that wouldn’t break the bank and every bike that was in my budget is out of stock. Then I started shopping for a handful of other DH-adjacent items, shoes, pants, gear, etc., and had the same reaction: inventory feels noticeably lighter across the board. And again, bargain pricing also seems much harder to find. Really hard, actually, which I guess I predicted but it sure does sting mid summer~!
It feels like the industry tightening the supply spigot is finally starting to show up in the market, but this is obviously based on a very small and anecdotal sample.
What is everyone else seeing?
Separately, would there be interest in a quarterly anonymous survey for bike shops and industry companies, including bike and component brands, to report on inventory levels, sell-through, ordering activity, discounting, and general market conditions?
It would not be perfect, but with enough participation, it could give us a useful consensus view of what is actually happening across the industry. I feel I have enough of an audience now I could bootstrap this, but I'd want it to be really meaningful if I take it on.
Quick anecdote: I’ve convinced myself to race the MSC DH at Targhee, and the Geometron G1 I pieced together isn’t quite what I hoped it would...
Quick anecdote: I’ve convinced myself to race the MSC DH at Targhee, and the Geometron G1 I pieced together isn’t quite what I hoped it would be, at least not yet. Hence, I started looking for a proper DH bike that wouldn’t break the bank and every bike that was in my budget is out of stock. Then I started shopping for a handful of other DH-adjacent items, shoes, pants, gear, etc., and had the same reaction: inventory feels noticeably lighter across the board. And again, bargain pricing also seems much harder to find. Really hard, actually, which I guess I predicted but it sure does sting mid summer~!
It feels like the industry tightening the supply spigot is finally starting to show up in the market, but this is obviously based on a very small and anecdotal sample.
What is everyone else seeing?
Separately, would there be interest in a quarterly anonymous survey for bike shops and industry companies, including bike and component brands, to report on inventory levels, sell-through, ordering activity, discounting, and general market conditions?
It would not be perfect, but with enough participation, it could give us a useful consensus view of what is actually happening across the industry. I feel I have enough of an audience now I could bootstrap this, but I'd want it to be really meaningful if I take it on.
Thoughts?
Ha, I was at targhee yesterday (with the fam, no bike
Quick anecdote: I’ve convinced myself to race the MSC DH at Targhee, and the Geometron G1 I pieced together isn’t quite what I hoped it would...
Quick anecdote: I’ve convinced myself to race the MSC DH at Targhee, and the Geometron G1 I pieced together isn’t quite what I hoped it would be, at least not yet. Hence, I started looking for a proper DH bike that wouldn’t break the bank and every bike that was in my budget is out of stock. Then I started shopping for a handful of other DH-adjacent items, shoes, pants, gear, etc., and had the same reaction: inventory feels noticeably lighter across the board. And again, bargain pricing also seems much harder to find. Really hard, actually, which I guess I predicted but it sure does sting mid summer~!
It feels like the industry tightening the supply spigot is finally starting to show up in the market, but this is obviously based on a very small and anecdotal sample.
What is everyone else seeing?
Separately, would there be interest in a quarterly anonymous survey for bike shops and industry companies, including bike and component brands, to report on inventory levels, sell-through, ordering activity, discounting, and general market conditions?
It would not be perfect, but with enough participation, it could give us a useful consensus view of what is actually happening across the industry. I feel I have enough of an audience now I could bootstrap this, but I'd want it to be really meaningful if I take it on.
Thoughts?
It's a barren wasteland for L/XL DH frames right now in Canada.
I've given up for the time being, and will just continue riding and monitoring my cracked Session. But I'm very keenly waiting for a couple of imminent releases... Looking at you Norco
Quick anecdote: I’ve convinced myself to race the MSC DH at Targhee, and the Geometron G1 I pieced together isn’t quite what I hoped it would...
Quick anecdote: I’ve convinced myself to race the MSC DH at Targhee, and the Geometron G1 I pieced together isn’t quite what I hoped it would be, at least not yet. Hence, I started looking for a proper DH bike that wouldn’t break the bank and every bike that was in my budget is out of stock. Then I started shopping for a handful of other DH-adjacent items, shoes, pants, gear, etc., and had the same reaction: inventory feels noticeably lighter across the board. And again, bargain pricing also seems much harder to find. Really hard, actually, which I guess I predicted but it sure does sting mid summer~!
It feels like the industry tightening the supply spigot is finally starting to show up in the market, but this is obviously based on a very small and anecdotal sample.
What is everyone else seeing?
Separately, would there be interest in a quarterly anonymous survey for bike shops and industry companies, including bike and component brands, to report on inventory levels, sell-through, ordering activity, discounting, and general market conditions?
It would not be perfect, but with enough participation, it could give us a useful consensus view of what is actually happening across the industry. I feel I have enough of an audience now I could bootstrap this, but I'd want it to be really meaningful if I take it on.
Thoughts?
Have definitely felt it extremely difficult to source certain parts and certain pieces of DH gear as well!
Quick anecdote: I’ve convinced myself to race the MSC DH at Targhee, and the Geometron G1 I pieced together isn’t quite what I hoped it would...
Quick anecdote: I’ve convinced myself to race the MSC DH at Targhee, and the Geometron G1 I pieced together isn’t quite what I hoped it would be, at least not yet. Hence, I started looking for a proper DH bike that wouldn’t break the bank and every bike that was in my budget is out of stock. Then I started shopping for a handful of other DH-adjacent items, shoes, pants, gear, etc., and had the same reaction: inventory feels noticeably lighter across the board. And again, bargain pricing also seems much harder to find. Really hard, actually, which I guess I predicted but it sure does sting mid summer~!
It feels like the industry tightening the supply spigot is finally starting to show up in the market, but this is obviously based on a very small and anecdotal sample.
What is everyone else seeing?
Separately, would there be interest in a quarterly anonymous survey for bike shops and industry companies, including bike and component brands, to report on inventory levels, sell-through, ordering activity, discounting, and general market conditions?
It would not be perfect, but with enough participation, it could give us a useful consensus view of what is actually happening across the industry. I feel I have enough of an audience now I could bootstrap this, but I'd want it to be really meaningful if I take it on.
Thoughts?
I have no thoughts on this but I am interested in where the G1 is falling short for you
I have no thoughts on this but I am interested in where the G1 is falling short for you
Sorry for the digression but to answer, I have it setup 200mm/200mm and there are two problems
HTA is 61 degrees. Which is just too slack. I have a works headset coming to bring this back to 62.5
The rear suspension feels like a longer travel enduro bike, not a DH bike. Or maybe its just a firmer platform than I'm looking for. A rider looking for a lot of support may like it? I don't know. The bike just isn't eating bumps notably better than my other bikes, and in fact I'd say my current e bike I'm testing is more composed going DH despite having 50mm less travel.
All in all, I'm descending faster on my enduro bike (Spire) even though I like the fit of the Geometron a lot (~500mm reach, 475mm rear center). For certain riders it'd be the ultimate machine, but I just haven't found the right setup yet.
Sorry for the digression but to answer, I have it setup 200mm/200mm and there are two problemsHTA is 61 degrees. Which is just too slack. I...
Sorry for the digression but to answer, I have it setup 200mm/200mm and there are two problems
HTA is 61 degrees. Which is just too slack. I have a works headset coming to bring this back to 62.5
The rear suspension feels like a longer travel enduro bike, not a DH bike. Or maybe its just a firmer platform than I'm looking for. A rider looking for a lot of support may like it? I don't know. The bike just isn't eating bumps notably better than my other bikes, and in fact I'd say my current e bike I'm testing is more composed going DH despite having 50mm less travel.
All in all, I'm descending faster on my enduro bike (Spire) even though I like the fit of the Geometron a lot (~500mm reach, 475mm rear center). For certain riders it'd be the ultimate machine, but I just haven't found the right setup yet.
The head tube angle makes sense, 61 is way too slack.
As for the suspension quality, I wonder if that's a shock tune thing or the leverage rate and other kinematics. Very weird. I'm assuming you've played around with a ton of spring rates and have tried some very soft springs to confirm that's not it.
“The Athletic understands that Nike are planning a more focused return to the sport in the near future, which could have an impact on Pogačar...
“The Athletic understands that Nike are planning a more focused return to the sport in the near future, which could have an impact on Pogačar and others in the coming years.”
Talking about road cycling obviously. But Nike spends nearly $5B a year on marketing, and I’m sure they are seeing what Adidas is doing, so there’s potential that they could be looking at entering the MTB side as well. Would be a big deal for WC teams, venues, and WB to land a whale like Nike. Problem for them is MTB is such a small market they might struggle to care. They’ve seemingly struggled to handle non-core categories. They’ve waxed and waned on even soccer over the years, which is a ridiculously huge category.
Nike made some flat pedal MTB shoes in the mid 2000s in collaboration with Andrew Shandro, the Air Whistler. They were basically stiff Nike SBs with...
Nike made some flat pedal MTB shoes in the mid 2000s in collaboration with Andrew Shandro, the Air Whistler. They were basically stiff Nike SBs with pretty grippy (for the time) soles. Pretty cool.
I had a pair. I had to do a deep stream crossing in Crested Butte, took them off, and tied them around my handlebars. One fell off and was quickly carried away. I think it was about 8 miles I had to do with one shoe back to the car. The remaining shoe lived in my trunk for a long time. Why? I don't know.
Don't forget the PooBah and Grand PooBah John Tomac signature shoes from the '90's by Nike ACG. They even used recycled rubber soles.
Quick anecdote: I’ve convinced myself to race the MSC DH at Targhee, and the Geometron G1 I pieced together isn’t quite what I hoped it would...
Quick anecdote: I’ve convinced myself to race the MSC DH at Targhee, and the Geometron G1 I pieced together isn’t quite what I hoped it would be, at least not yet. Hence, I started looking for a proper DH bike that wouldn’t break the bank and every bike that was in my budget is out of stock. Then I started shopping for a handful of other DH-adjacent items, shoes, pants, gear, etc., and had the same reaction: inventory feels noticeably lighter across the board. And again, bargain pricing also seems much harder to find. Really hard, actually, which I guess I predicted but it sure does sting mid summer~!
It feels like the industry tightening the supply spigot is finally starting to show up in the market, but this is obviously based on a very small and anecdotal sample.
What is everyone else seeing?
Separately, would there be interest in a quarterly anonymous survey for bike shops and industry companies, including bike and component brands, to report on inventory levels, sell-through, ordering activity, discounting, and general market conditions?
It would not be perfect, but with enough participation, it could give us a useful consensus view of what is actually happening across the industry. I feel I have enough of an audience now I could bootstrap this, but I'd want it to be really meaningful if I take it on.
It's a barren wasteland for L/XL DH frames right now in Canada. I've given up for the time being, and will just continue riding and monitoring my...
It's a barren wasteland for L/XL DH frames right now in Canada.
I've given up for the time being, and will just continue riding and monitoring my cracked Session. But I'm very keenly waiting for a couple of imminent releases... Looking at you Norco
Offhand, it's interesting that Norco's DH bike is coming seemingly very soon, isn't really embargoed at all in the sense that it has been "public" for like three years at this point, and Norco's adjacent sponsored teams were all running torrents at National champs, with only Gracey and some head office employees on the new bike. I guess it is limited!
On a personal note, the bike has taken so long to come out and it's going to be so expensive I've lost all hype over it. I'll keep rocking my 2018 Aurum HSP til I can't, I guess.
On Jeff's personal experience, I think on the side of things that were already limited, like DH and now super-enduro stuff, you can't really find deals because they dried up and stock has only become more limited. But on the "trail" side of things, there's deals to be had. From talking to some shop folks on the chair this weekend at nationals, it seems like some companies have been doing a bit of a different strategy these days as far as getting rid of product. Rather than post on their website that X bike is on sale, they're phoning up their A-list shops and distributors and telling them that if they bulk buy, they can have excellent pricing, but it has to happen now, terms are limited/short, and then those shops are free to run whatever sale they want. Certainly a different landscape than what we saw in the past. One would have to imagine though that other than companies going under, this may be the last hurrah of sale prices for a while as belt-tightening continues to run its way through the supply chain.
EDIT: It's also a bit weirder than simple booking or sales, it's more like "this price applies to this batch of 40 single model, single spec but multiple size bikes if you want it, and you have to take all of them". So if you're seeing a shop near you flooded with a very specific group of specific bikes for great pricing, this is probably why.
Quick anecdote: I’ve convinced myself to race the MSC DH at Targhee, and the Geometron G1 I pieced together isn’t quite what I hoped it would...
Quick anecdote: I’ve convinced myself to race the MSC DH at Targhee, and the Geometron G1 I pieced together isn’t quite what I hoped it would be, at least not yet. Hence, I started looking for a proper DH bike that wouldn’t break the bank and every bike that was in my budget is out of stock. Then I started shopping for a handful of other DH-adjacent items, shoes, pants, gear, etc., and had the same reaction: inventory feels noticeably lighter across the board. And again, bargain pricing also seems much harder to find. Really hard, actually, which I guess I predicted but it sure does sting mid summer~!
It feels like the industry tightening the supply spigot is finally starting to show up in the market, but this is obviously based on a very small and anecdotal sample.
What is everyone else seeing?
Separately, would there be interest in a quarterly anonymous survey for bike shops and industry companies, including bike and component brands, to report on inventory levels, sell-through, ordering activity, discounting, and general market conditions?
It would not be perfect, but with enough participation, it could give us a useful consensus view of what is actually happening across the industry. I feel I have enough of an audience now I could bootstrap this, but I'd want it to be really meaningful if I take it on.
It's a barren wasteland for L/XL DH frames right now in Canada. I've given up for the time being, and will just continue riding and monitoring my...
It's a barren wasteland for L/XL DH frames right now in Canada.
I've given up for the time being, and will just continue riding and monitoring my cracked Session. But I'm very keenly waiting for a couple of imminent releases... Looking at you Norco
Offhand, it's interesting that Norco's DH bike is coming seemingly very soon, isn't really embargoed at all in the sense that it has been "public" for...
Offhand, it's interesting that Norco's DH bike is coming seemingly very soon, isn't really embargoed at all in the sense that it has been "public" for like three years at this point, and Norco's adjacent sponsored teams were all running torrents at National champs, with only Gracey and some head office employees on the new bike. I guess it is limited!
On a personal note, the bike has taken so long to come out and it's going to be so expensive I've lost all hype over it. I'll keep rocking my 2018 Aurum HSP til I can't, I guess.
On Jeff's personal experience, I think on the side of things that were already limited, like DH and now super-enduro stuff, you can't really find deals because they dried up and stock has only become more limited. But on the "trail" side of things, there's deals to be had. From talking to some shop folks on the chair this weekend at nationals, it seems like some companies have been doing a bit of a different strategy these days as far as getting rid of product. Rather than post on their website that X bike is on sale, they're phoning up their A-list shops and distributors and telling them that if they bulk buy, they can have excellent pricing, but it has to happen now, terms are limited/short, and then those shops are free to run whatever sale they want. Certainly a different landscape than what we saw in the past. One would have to imagine though that other than companies going under, this may be the last hurrah of sale prices for a while as belt-tightening continues to run its way through the supply chain.
EDIT: It's also a bit weirder than simple booking or sales, it's more like "this price applies to this batch of 40 single model, single spec but multiple size bikes if you want it, and you have to take all of them". So if you're seeing a shop near you flooded with a very specific group of specific bikes for great pricing, this is probably why.
This is great info about the morphing world of sales and sale channels. Thanks for sharing your chairlift wisdom. It's not like we have the DOW or NASDAQ to see how the bike industry is doing, so these sorts of tidbits are priceless.
Can confirm that things seem to be 'righting' themselves in the industry. Been hunting for inexpensive 27.5 DH ready rims and the choices that were are definitely no more, at least stateside. Thinking I need to legitimize my hobby repair business just to get access to parts for my few clients.
Overall revenue for the period ending June 27 was $2.02 billion, compared with $1.81 billion at the same time last year. Revenue in Fitness, which includes cycling products, increased 25% to $757 million. In the first quarter, Garmin's Fitness revenue was $547 million, a 42% year-over-year increase.
The other site predicts with a 80% chance that SRAM is going to release a new ebike motor, and a 40% chance that SRAM releases a motor/gearbox unit. That would be wild, and the opposite of what Jeff and I talked about in the Avinox podcast. I wonder if they know something at the other site that we don't. They also give it a 90% that Shimano will release a new motor, which I definitely agree with:
The other site predicts with a 80% chance that SRAM is going to release a new ebike motor, and a 40% chance that SRAM releases a...
The other site predicts with a 80% chance that SRAM is going to release a new ebike motor, and a 40% chance that SRAM releases a motor/gearbox unit. That would be wild, and the opposite of what Jeff and I talked about in the Avinox podcast. I wonder if they know something at the other site that we don't. They also give it a 90% that Shimano will release a new motor, which I definitely agree with:
So, I actually fill out those customer surveys that SRAM sends out after you register products. A few weeks ago, I got one related to ebikes. After I filled it out, they reached out (presumably also to other people) to see if I'd do a research interview. I said yes in hopes to read between the lines on what stuff they're considering. Based on the questions they asked, I'd say they're considering various motor options. Everything seems to be on the table from conventional to eCVT. Lots of questions regarding weight, range, power, durability, and aesthetics. Pure speculation on my part, but based on the questions it feels like they're either at the design & build prototypes stage, or choose which prototype model to advance development of.
The other site predicts with a 80% chance that SRAM is going to release a new ebike motor, and a 40% chance that SRAM releases a...
The other site predicts with a 80% chance that SRAM is going to release a new ebike motor, and a 40% chance that SRAM releases a motor/gearbox unit. That would be wild, and the opposite of what Jeff and I talked about in the Avinox podcast. I wonder if they know something at the other site that we don't. They also give it a 90% that Shimano will release a new motor, which I definitely agree with:
So, I actually fill out those customer surveys that SRAM sends out after you register products. A few weeks ago, I got one related to ebikes...
So, I actually fill out those customer surveys that SRAM sends out after you register products. A few weeks ago, I got one related to ebikes. After I filled it out, they reached out (presumably also to other people) to see if I'd do a research interview. I said yes in hopes to read between the lines on what stuff they're considering. Based on the questions they asked, I'd say they're considering various motor options. Everything seems to be on the table from conventional to eCVT. Lots of questions regarding weight, range, power, durability, and aesthetics. Pure speculation on my part, but based on the questions it feels like they're either at the design & build prototypes stage, or choose which prototype model to advance development of.
Nice! This is great info. I'm surprised, but encouraged to see it. I certainly hope SRAM and Shimano are both able to roll out new motors and compete with Avinox. Monopolies are bad.
Nice! This is great info. I'm surprised, but encouraged to see it. I certainly hope SRAM and Shimano are both able to roll out new motors...
Nice! This is great info. I'm surprised, but encouraged to see it. I certainly hope SRAM and Shimano are both able to roll out new motors and compete with Avinox. Monopolies are bad.
Avinox is far from a monopoly. Looking just at MGUs, I wouldn't underestimate players like Gobao. And, more broadly speaking, I wouldn't count out TQ or Bosch just yet.
But SRAM and Shimano have had a duopoly in the drivetrain market for ages, so maybe it's about time some others get some market share too. While I like both companies, I'm certainly not looking at the current landscape and saying "I hope this doesn't mean I'll be able to choose something other than SRAM or Shimano in the future."
Not that many hot deals on eMTBs yet, some manufacturers seem to be much more careful resulting in no discouting at all as inventories are limited. I'm thinking of the newer Norco VLT bikes and even the new Giant Reign Advanced E+ that is not so popular while being almost out of stock of 2026 builds anyway in Canada.
Santa Cruz discounting eMTBs, free powermore promotion & postponing 2027 release of some builds because of high inventory is somewhat surprising, I thought these bikes were a little bit more popular than that ?
Nice! This is great info. I'm surprised, but encouraged to see it. I certainly hope SRAM and Shimano are both able to roll out new motors...
Nice! This is great info. I'm surprised, but encouraged to see it. I certainly hope SRAM and Shimano are both able to roll out new motors and compete with Avinox. Monopolies are bad.
Was talking to a dealer last weekend after I did a test ride and he said there is a new Shimano motor coming. We agreed it was about time but I neglected to ask when and what companies. Sorry. 🤦♂️
Not that many hot deals on eMTBs yet, some manufacturers seem to be much more careful resulting in no discouting at all as inventories are limited...
Not that many hot deals on eMTBs yet, some manufacturers seem to be much more careful resulting in no discouting at all as inventories are limited. I'm thinking of the newer Norco VLT bikes and even the new Giant Reign Advanced E+ that is not so popular while being almost out of stock of 2026 builds anyway in Canada.
Santa Cruz discounting eMTBs, free powermore promotion & postponing 2027 release of some builds because of high inventory is somewhat surprising, I thought these bikes were a little bit more popular than that ?
Not that many hot deals on eMTBs yet, some manufacturers seem to be much more careful resulting in no discouting at all as inventories are limited...
Not that many hot deals on eMTBs yet, some manufacturers seem to be much more careful resulting in no discouting at all as inventories are limited. I'm thinking of the newer Norco VLT bikes and even the new Giant Reign Advanced E+ that is not so popular while being almost out of stock of 2026 builds anyway in Canada.
Santa Cruz discounting eMTBs, free powermore promotion & postponing 2027 release of some builds because of high inventory is somewhat surprising, I thought these bikes were a little bit more popular than that ?
Giant Syncdrive motors are not produced in-house. The center drive motors are rebadged Yamaha units and the hub-drive likely bafang produced . I would describe the product development as “semi-custom” with unique user interface, software and tuning. Having them branded as a Giant product has advantages for the consumer as they become the source for tech and warranty support and distinguishes the product from other companies offerings. This is similar to what Specialized has done with Brose and Mahle made products.
Not that many hot deals on eMTBs yet, some manufacturers seem to be much more careful resulting in no discouting at all as inventories are limited...
Not that many hot deals on eMTBs yet, some manufacturers seem to be much more careful resulting in no discouting at all as inventories are limited. I'm thinking of the newer Norco VLT bikes and even the new Giant Reign Advanced E+ that is not so popular while being almost out of stock of 2026 builds anyway in Canada.
Santa Cruz discounting eMTBs, free powermore promotion & postponing 2027 release of some builds because of high inventory is somewhat surprising, I thought these bikes were a little bit more popular than that ?
Giant Syncdrive motors are not produced in-house. The center drive motors are rebadged Yamaha units and the hub-drive likely bafang produced . I would describe the...
Giant Syncdrive motors are not produced in-house. The center drive motors are rebadged Yamaha units and the hub-drive likely bafang produced . I would describe the product development as “semi-custom” with unique user interface, software and tuning. Having them branded as a Giant product has advantages for the consumer as they become the source for tech and warranty support and distinguishes the product from other companies offerings. This is similar to what Specialized has done with Brose and Mahle made products.
Thanks, that makes way more sense. I stopped seeing Yamaha motors in ebikes and assumed Yamaha got out of the ebike market entirely, but it sounds like they went private label instead.
Thanks, that makes way more sense. I stopped seeing Yamaha motors in ebikes and assumed Yamaha got out of the ebike market entirely, but it sounds...
Thanks, that makes way more sense. I stopped seeing Yamaha motors in ebikes and assumed Yamaha got out of the ebike market entirely, but it sounds like they went private label instead.
Literally every bike racer and coach I know use TrainingPeaks…. It’s pretty much the only SAAS option for professional coaches to interface with their clients.
Quick anecdote: I’ve convinced myself to race the MSC DH at Targhee, and the Geometron G1 I pieced together isn’t quite what I hoped it would be, at least not yet. Hence, I started looking for a proper DH bike that wouldn’t break the bank and every bike that was in my budget is out of stock. Then I started shopping for a handful of other DH-adjacent items, shoes, pants, gear, etc., and had the same reaction: inventory feels noticeably lighter across the board. And again, bargain pricing also seems much harder to find. Really hard, actually, which I guess I predicted but it sure does sting mid summer~!
It feels like the industry tightening the supply spigot is finally starting to show up in the market, but this is obviously based on a very small and anecdotal sample.
What is everyone else seeing?
Separately, would there be interest in a quarterly anonymous survey for bike shops and industry companies, including bike and component brands, to report on inventory levels, sell-through, ordering activity, discounting, and general market conditions?
It would not be perfect, but with enough participation, it could give us a useful consensus view of what is actually happening across the industry. I feel I have enough of an audience now I could bootstrap this, but I'd want it to be really meaningful if I take it on.
Thoughts?
Ha, I was at targhee yesterday (with the fam, no bike
It's a barren wasteland for L/XL DH frames right now in Canada.
I've given up for the time being, and will just continue riding and monitoring my cracked Session. But I'm very keenly waiting for a couple of imminent releases... Looking at you Norco
Have definitely felt it extremely difficult to source certain parts and certain pieces of DH gear as well!
I have no thoughts on this but I am interested in where the G1 is falling short for you
Sorry for the digression but to answer, I have it setup 200mm/200mm and there are two problems
All in all, I'm descending faster on my enduro bike (Spire) even though I like the fit of the Geometron a lot (~500mm reach, 475mm rear center). For certain riders it'd be the ultimate machine, but I just haven't found the right setup yet.
The head tube angle makes sense, 61 is way too slack.
As for the suspension quality, I wonder if that's a shock tune thing or the leverage rate and other kinematics. Very weird. I'm assuming you've played around with a ton of spring rates and have tried some very soft springs to confirm that's not it.
Don't forget the PooBah and Grand PooBah John Tomac signature shoes from the '90's by Nike ACG. They even used recycled rubber soles.
Offhand, it's interesting that Norco's DH bike is coming seemingly very soon, isn't really embargoed at all in the sense that it has been "public" for like three years at this point, and Norco's adjacent sponsored teams were all running torrents at National champs, with only Gracey and some head office employees on the new bike. I guess it is limited!
On a personal note, the bike has taken so long to come out and it's going to be so expensive I've lost all hype over it. I'll keep rocking my 2018 Aurum HSP til I can't, I guess.
On Jeff's personal experience, I think on the side of things that were already limited, like DH and now super-enduro stuff, you can't really find deals because they dried up and stock has only become more limited. But on the "trail" side of things, there's deals to be had. From talking to some shop folks on the chair this weekend at nationals, it seems like some companies have been doing a bit of a different strategy these days as far as getting rid of product. Rather than post on their website that X bike is on sale, they're phoning up their A-list shops and distributors and telling them that if they bulk buy, they can have excellent pricing, but it has to happen now, terms are limited/short, and then those shops are free to run whatever sale they want. Certainly a different landscape than what we saw in the past. One would have to imagine though that other than companies going under, this may be the last hurrah of sale prices for a while as belt-tightening continues to run its way through the supply chain.
EDIT: It's also a bit weirder than simple booking or sales, it's more like "this price applies to this batch of 40 single model, single spec but multiple size bikes if you want it, and you have to take all of them". So if you're seeing a shop near you flooded with a very specific group of specific bikes for great pricing, this is probably why.
This is great info about the morphing world of sales and sale channels. Thanks for sharing your chairlift wisdom. It's not like we have the DOW or NASDAQ to see how the bike industry is doing, so these sorts of tidbits are priceless.
Can confirm that things seem to be 'righting' themselves in the industry. Been hunting for inexpensive 27.5 DH ready rims and the choices that were are definitely no more, at least stateside. Thinking I need to legitimize my hobby repair business just to get access to parts for my few clients.
Sales may be stopping but my prediction is that Bosch bikes will be on sale for the foreseeable future.
Overall revenue for the period ending June 27 was $2.02 billion, compared with $1.81 billion at the same time last year. Revenue in Fitness, which includes cycling products, increased 25% to $757 million. In the first quarter, Garmin's Fitness revenue was $547 million, a 42% year-over-year increase.
https://www.bicycleretailer.com/industry-news/2026/07/29/garmin-revenue…
Yep... https://www.competitivecyclist.com/rc/ebike-special-offer
The other site predicts with a 80% chance that SRAM is going to release a new ebike motor, and a 40% chance that SRAM releases a motor/gearbox unit. That would be wild, and the opposite of what Jeff and I talked about in the Avinox podcast. I wonder if they know something at the other site that we don't. They also give it a 90% that Shimano will release a new motor, which I definitely agree with:
https://www.pinkbike.com/news/rumor-roundup-things-that-may-or-may-not-be-happening-in-the-bike-industry.html
So, I actually fill out those customer surveys that SRAM sends out after you register products. A few weeks ago, I got one related to ebikes. After I filled it out, they reached out (presumably also to other people) to see if I'd do a research interview. I said yes in hopes to read between the lines on what stuff they're considering. Based on the questions they asked, I'd say they're considering various motor options. Everything seems to be on the table from conventional to eCVT. Lots of questions regarding weight, range, power, durability, and aesthetics. Pure speculation on my part, but based on the questions it feels like they're either at the design & build prototypes stage, or choose which prototype model to advance development of.
Nice! This is great info. I'm surprised, but encouraged to see it. I certainly hope SRAM and Shimano are both able to roll out new motors and compete with Avinox. Monopolies are bad.
Avinox is far from a monopoly. Looking just at MGUs, I wouldn't underestimate players like Gobao. And, more broadly speaking, I wouldn't count out TQ or Bosch just yet.
But SRAM and Shimano have had a duopoly in the drivetrain market for ages, so maybe it's about time some others get some market share too. While I like both companies, I'm certainly not looking at the current landscape and saying "I hope this doesn't mean I'll be able to choose something other than SRAM or Shimano in the future."
Not that many hot deals on eMTBs yet, some manufacturers seem to be much more careful resulting in no discouting at all as inventories are limited. I'm thinking of the newer Norco VLT bikes and even the new Giant Reign Advanced E+ that is not so popular while being almost out of stock of 2026 builds anyway in Canada.
Santa Cruz discounting eMTBs, free powermore promotion & postponing 2027 release of some builds because of high inventory is somewhat surprising, I thought these bikes were a little bit more popular than that ?
Was talking to a dealer last weekend after I did a test ride and he said there is a new Shimano motor coming. We agreed it was about time but I neglected to ask when and what companies. Sorry. 🤦♂️
Anyone know if you can upstroke the rear to 160 on these?
Wait, Giant makes their own motor?
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/syncdrive
For sure yes on the carbon vala on the M, L and XL. Not sure on the AL Valas and the bullit you can't as it's already 205/65.
Giant Syncdrive motors are not produced in-house. The center drive motors are rebadged Yamaha units and the hub-drive likely bafang produced . I would describe the product development as “semi-custom” with unique user interface, software and tuning. Having them branded as a Giant product has advantages for the consumer as they become the source for tech and warranty support and distinguishes the product from other companies offerings. This is similar to what Specialized has done with Brose and Mahle made products.
Thanks, that makes way more sense. I stopped seeing Yamaha motors in ebikes and assumed Yamaha got out of the ebike market entirely, but it sounds like they went private label instead.
Yamaha actually bought Brose pretty much a year ago today; announced in March but completed on August 1; https://www.bicycleretailer.com/industry-news/2025/03/31/yamaha-agrees-…
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