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Brian_Peterson Liked a reply to forum topic The Bikeconomics (Mega)Thread
2/5/2026 12:24pm
Spending the better part of my last 15 years managing shops, here's my take on the maintenance situation. Some people don't think of bikes as machines that require regular maintenance. So, when that bike gets to the shop and it hasn't been touched by a mechanic since the day it was built, they are going to get sticker shock by the huge bill. Some people think maintenance cost are proportional to what they paid for the bike. I had a guy who bought a used road bike with a Campy group that was completely worn out. We practically had to...
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Maxipedia Liked a reply to forum topic The Bikeconomics (Mega)Thread
2/5/2026 12:21pm
Hello! I admit I have seen the ”Shimano Reports Bike Maintenance a Hidden Barrier to Participation” title on the home page and I got curious. I didn't read the entire thing, nor did I read all the comments here, as I don't have time right now (but I will make some time to read), so excuse me, but I feel the urge to say something. From my understanding, Shimano is whining that in Europe people are cycling less, because bike maintenance is hindering them. Did I understand right? If yes, than I find Shimano to be at least a bit...
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Marcusoutside Liked a reply to forum topic The Bikeconomics (Mega)Thread
2/5/2026 12:17pm
Yeah, this is definitely something that I have thought about quite a bit lately. The fact that it often costs more to service a mountain bike than a car... Since realistically the major costs involved are labour costs, which are likely to be similar to that of a car workshop. For the average joe, who has either just gotten into riding, and doesn't want to know the first thing about fixing bikes, this is a major problem. It is very difficult to see the value in spending $1000 getting your $4000 bike serviced, when your $70,000 Ute costs you $350...
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Primoz Liked a reply to forum topic The Bikeconomics (Mega)Thread
2/2/2026 11:09pm
Maybe the fact you could trust them was their undoing? I.e. They cared too much and were not competitive wrenching wise, taking too much time to fix bikes given the prices they charged for the work. Did good work but work nobody would be prepared to pay for all of it on the market? (I'm just coming off doing a full overhaul of my lady's parents bikes and they needed a lot of love, love that I cannot imagine would be given in any bike shop - lots of loose bolts, dirty parts, etc. And even from before I can't...
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Takaya94 Liked a comment about bike check Marino Custom Pinion "XC"
2/2/2026 11:33am
Dude! I didnt know Marino could do a gearbox set up! Can I ask what the frame cost with them? That bike is sweet!
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xremcox Liked a bike check Marino Custom Pinion "XC"
2/2/2026 11:33am
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Fantaman Liked a bike check Subaru Impreza WRC inspired Marino Custom Steel Trail Bike
2/2/2026 11:29am
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Mr.Nally Liked a reply to forum topic UCI grant Discovery WC rights from 2023 to 2030
1/31/2026 2:17pm
I mean, kinda expected from a launch video. But reality is there's gonna be a full red bull helmet/rider podium in both elite categories this year at least once. Monster and WBD can't avoid that. 😂
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BGoldstone Liked a reply to forum topic UCI grant Discovery WC rights from 2023 to 2030
1/31/2026 1:17pm
I'd say Monster athletes getting more visibility was answered in the launch video. but will be intersting to see how it is handled going forward.
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Mr.Nally Liked a reply to forum topic UCI grant Discovery WC rights from 2023 to 2030
1/31/2026 1:17pm
I always had that impression too. But more recently I've seen monster sign whoever they can who is fast/winning. Cabirou, Balanche, Vergier, Pinkerton, Luca Shaw plus others. Are all pretty clean cut, pro athletes. But I do agree monster still has a dirty/grimy/weird fake t*ts vibe 😂
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andyjr77 Added a reply to UCI grant Discovery WC rights from 2023 to 2030
1/31/2026 11:57am The other thing, and I don't know if anyone else has spotted this, there's a very different "athlete profile" from RB athletes (clean cut, media friendly, perfectly polished - and I'm not saying that as a negative, it's just a profile observation) to Monster athletes (edgier, more "extreme sports"). It'll be interesting to see if Monster athletes get more visibility...
SteveClimber Liked a reply to forum topic The Bikeconomics (Mega)Thread
1/30/2026 11:36pm
And again, I'm shocked trek didn't think of downside risks of a slowdown. They've acquired stores and drastically cut their offerings and servicing departments, limiting sales potential and then, in what must a surprise to them, sales have cratered.
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Studibranch Liked a reply to forum topic The Bikeconomics (Mega)Thread
1/30/2026 11:36pm
In Australia at least the Trek stores aren't real local bike shops. They are 'Trek shops' and stock only trek and bontrager with a handful of other accessories. Even then they dont stock at lot of small trek items and it can take quite some time to order parts in. It's not even worth ordering in anything that isn't Trek or Bontrager. I bought a Gen 6 Slash at a very big trek store in Australia around 12months after it came out and they had released updated parts and service bulletins to fix the chain dropping issues. None of it...
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Mr.Nally Liked a reply to forum topic UCI grant Discovery WC rights from 2023 to 2030
1/30/2026 11:18am
I don't think the point is valid at all. If WB were so keen to get rid of the "Red Bull Era" then they would have cut all ties from 2023 on. But instead they were happy to increase the RB branding and presence between 23 and 25. Red Bull media house (who broadcast the WC series before) and Red Bull the energy drink brand are not the same company. Connected yes, but not the same. So the branding deal from 2023 to 25, I imagine, was actually a new/different deal than anything before. Again showing that WB didn't have...
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ebikepartyshirt Liked a reply to forum topic The Bikeconomics (Mega)Thread
1/29/2026 6:02am
It’s a marketing expense. No one expects to break even during the event. The FWT costs a few hundred thousand to host (a lot of in kind) but it brings one million worth of marketing in Europe alone
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jeff.brines Liked a reply to forum topic The Bikeconomics (Mega)Thread
1/29/2026 6:02am
I'd actually say this is a very appropriate analogy. Though adjacent to your point, there have been rumblings of "creative accounting" that took place at one particular company (which I won't name). If said rumblings are true, it fits absolutely perfectly. For the rest, its also appropriate but in a "future expectations were always smoke and mirrors" kind of way.
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TEAMROBOT Liked a reply to forum topic The Bikeconomics (Mega)Thread
1/29/2026 6:00am
If any of those 2021/22 bike industry investors are looking to recover after getting crushed from the post-Covid sales slump, I have some mixed use commercial and residential properties that I'm putting on the market. **and yes Jeff, I realize this prop/facade joke isn't a fair apples-to-apples comparison for bike company valuations in 2021, like Rad Power estimated at $1.65 billion. But in hindsight... it sure feels like this.
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Digit Bikes Liked a reply to forum topic The Bikeconomics (Mega)Thread
1/29/2026 5:59am
I remember you interviewed Sam Nicols (ex YT CEO) on the Vital pod recently. I learned much, thank you. Sam was on another podcast yesterday, he framed PE / bankruptcy hazard in a way that was new to me, saying that PE investments need what amounts to inventory turns every 5-7 years. Kinda like refinancing an adjustable rate mortgage, where everything falls apart if someone was upside down on a mortgage when trying to refinance. Perhaps you discussed this with him on your pod and it just took this long to sink in for me. Anyway what you wrote here...
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jeff.brines Liked a reply to forum topic The Bikeconomics (Mega)Thread
1/29/2026 5:57am
There’s a line between the “mobility” space and “specialty cycling.” I get that plenty of people treat specialty cycling as a subset of mobility, but the distinction matters here: Rad is arguably closer to a moped company than it is to anything most of us think of as “cycling". So yes, I agree with @kperras , with the right leadership, it 100% could be turned around (depending on what they "acquired"). On the bankruptcy and the company’s brutal fall from a 10-figure valuation, this kind of unwind has (obviously) become normal in our corner of the world. The part I...
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eshew Liked a reply to forum topic Grassroots Enduro... Where Should It Go?
1/27/2026 1:50pm
If you want to build a base of riders who love Enduro it's clearly time for a miniduro. Limit the races to half the distance or less with half the climbing or less 12.5 miles, 2-2.5k elevation. For a little more action and condensed spectating and celebrating also have a hill climb competition or two mixed in, find a section of trail that is unclimbable, give points to the top 3 riders who make it the farthest, no dabs, no trials hops, no break in pedaling for over 5 seconds.
This forum topic has 59 replies.
