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Just going to leave this here...

I'm gonna disagree. For better or worse, Walmart-related money is responsible for Bentonville MTB being a thing. However, I don't think there's a huge risk of that investment drying up or their interest in cycling suddenly stopping. Their headquarters are in Bentonville and they're trying to making as desirable as possible for highly-skilled tech workers (and others) to move there so they can compete with Amazon. That's why they invest in outdoor recreation, art, culture, and education. Not saying the riding in NWA isn't good. But it wouldn't have the profile it has (or trails, events, etc.) without the direct...

They wanted to, but from what I've heard a large part of R&D resources went into the development of the bike diaper...

I’m currently riding a steel front end with aluminum rear off a Trek session. Great combination! Similar to that Vampire, different rear axle location/layout. Fun bike!

The tourism industry in Bentonville has a large interest in keeping the trails coming. The people who live there (and many have moved there because of the outdoor scene) are invested in continuing keeping the trails coming. I don’t think at this point the Walton’s are a key to the industry there.

There's been some discussion about whether we have an oversaturation of companies making frames/bikes, but surely the pool of brands attempting to sell MTB apparel is even larger. The number of companies selling $75 "tech tees" is ridiculous. I'm sure the up-front investment required to sell a line of clothing is much smaller, and the financial position less precarious as a result. Still seems like a very, very crowded market.

I'd say more in the region of 80-90mm. Ladies and gentlemen place your bets. Out of interest, would the best way of gambling on handlebar geometry be a sweepstake?

I loved the questions, but those were the expected public facing answers. PON Bike (Santa Cruz) and Trek are certainly feeling the pain. I have no idea about Transition, though they've made a deliberate choice to grow slower than they could have. Hopefully that means their balance sheet is strong enough to get through this in one piece. Are these brands optimistic looking forward 2 years? Yeah, probably. But I'd bet my entire 2024 riding season* that they're mostly freaked out, wondering how they're going to survive for the next 18 months until inventory is cleared out and normalcy returns...

Not really a tech rumour, but quite interesting nonetheless

I like my forum comments like I like my riding style. Fast, loose, awkward and over confident in my abilities.

Moto guy here. The scrub came about because James Stewart (or Rick Johnson, or Jojo Keller, depending on whom you ask,) determined that staying low was faster. Lower = less hang time = rear wheel on the ground sooner = more speed.) When the term "scrub" came out, it was roughly analogous to the Motocross Action magazine term "to scrub speed." In other words, to "wash off" some of the speed. MXA used it to describe getting on the brakes. Stewart used to go much faster than it would be necessary to clear an obstacle, then "scrub" off the speed...

100% disagree with your take, simply because in an ideal scrub the bike is still perfectly in line with the direction of movement. A whip for sure will slow you down, and that is what your "bike on a car rack" analogy corresponds to. Frixtalon + dark googles + scrub is just how I picture myself every ride, despite actually doing a weak turnbar on an ebike wearing prescription glasses in a 3/4 helmet.

Different sport on two wheels with clear example of scrub gain

LOL @Scrub fantastic debate @StudBeefpile just because of potential imagery alone. https://www.vitalmtb.com/features/Who-Scrubbed-It-Best-Leogang-World-Cu… - 2019 scrub-a-thon eliot at whipoff from 2014 or something filmed with a casio point and shoot before iphone slowmo it seems like lanky, long-legged riders like minnaar or benoit do the best squashes. a short-legger can only squash so much, right?

I think we'll be seeing more "right sizing " from both Giant and Specialized in the upcoming years.. The only difference is that the plan got leaked on the Trek side.. Unless some cut future orders before Trek, which given the Shimano Q1 report, i suspect that is happening..

Specialized bought the 49% ownership back from Merida in the early 2000's. When profits were increasing 20% or more every quarter from 2005 to 2012, they operated like the Catholic church and bought tons of property all over the world, including their own factories in China, and built a wind tunnel. They may downsize the workforce, but Specialized has the capital to survive the COVID bubble collapse.