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Likely a DJI avinox m2 ebike judging by them hiding the motor

And, no offense to Norco, but I am not sure they'd be the first to market with a M2 Avinox motor. Atherton bikes said mid-April, so likely Sea Otter. Plus, as mentioned above, it doesn't appear to be wireless controllers.

" I guess that means the awful drawn-by-a-child aesthetic is continuing into 2025. Really hoped that would not be the case." agree, not a fan.

Personally I'd say most of us subscribed to this thread do. If you find his posts too long winded then fair enough, don't read them, but for me Jeff brings great insight and knowledge to the thread, he's certainly given me a better understanding of the financial side of the bike world.

I know this may sound crass, but the Rocky Mountain announcement, much like the GT announcement, doesn’t surprise me. Consolidation in the specialty cycling space has been anticipated for a long time. This consolidation doesn’t always mean brands acquiring other brands; it can also result from major players like Specialized or Trek dominating enough of the market to squeeze out mid-sized competitors. If a brand fails to offer something truly compelling—whether that’s performance, price, brand equity, reliability, or innovation—it’s going to struggle. Unfortunately, the nature of economies of scale makes this consolidation almost a self-fulfilling prophecy. To draw a parallel...

I know this isn't the conspiracy thread but I have a feeling that many brands are secretly happy with the new World Cup format. The big teams have less competition and the small ones might secretly be excited to be able to say "Oh Shucks, we will have to disband given these new constraints." I am sure that many people at these companies want to continue the team, but World Cup team budgets must have been feeling pressure in the last year or two. I wonder if brands were more on board with the changes to the format than they...

Reminder that some of the users commenting and getting downvoted are in fact team managers 😂

75k to get a spot on a factory team is nothing. Hundreds of families in the US every year put a second mortgage on their house for their kids to get 10th place at lorettas super mini class. Don't even get me started with ski racing. People send kids to "academy" that costs 100k a year. Then like have a 1% chance of being on a national team. Then make 20 dollars a year unless they are attractive enough for a Rolex or Visa sponsorship.