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"Riding stuff from Asia" is a pretty gross over-simplification of what actually happens to bringing a performance bike to market. I'd guess that the secret sauce for western brands is operating in a core environment that drives product excellence, which translates to a superior product to what non-core brands are able to offer. The Amflow frame, for example, is largely panned over by most and the focus of the brand is on the e-system itself. If that frame contained a Bosch of Shimano drive, it wouldn't have made the same impact. Frames like these are often referred to as parts...

Just to be extra clear, I’m not talking about no-name catalog frames or random bikes off AliExpress. I’m not even really talking about companies like Light Bicycle, though they make great stuff. What I’m talking about is the Amflow / X-Lab style model. That can work. But the key is that the bike cannot just be “good for the money.” It has to be genuinely good at any price point. You need real product management, strong engineering, credible distribution, at least some kind of dealer or service network, and a serious effort to show customers that you are going to...

I don't know. Perhaps that's the price you pay for a literally half price high performance bike - no warranty and limited aftermarket support. As an enthusiast I've kept up with DTC Chinese stuff for years now, and it seems anecdotally people are left out to dry when it comes to warranty with the exception of very, very few brands. The usual response seems to be something along the lines of "sure, we'll warranty your frame, but you need to send us your old one to our shop in Shenzhen completely arranged by you, and you need to pay shipping...

This 100% (I mentioned something similar earlier). Chinese companies will take over WHEN they can also show easily accessible and efficient customer support. Until that time it is worth buying from a legacy brand that can be reached easily when an issue arises.

One benefit of having a US based partner brand I can see as a consumer is warranty support. I usually buy used bikes but if I were to buy a new ebike, having native English speakers process claims would be helpful. Also if they had a facility in the US with some warranty stock, that means that if there are suddenly more protectionist tariffs or complete shutdown on certain Chinese brands entering the country, I could still get a replacement motor instead of being hung out to dry. An example is the Volvo EX30 (now canceled after 2 years). It...

I think this is the thing that has changed most over the last 12 to 24 months, maybe longer. The idea that you need a Western brand to “vouch” for a product’s quality feels like it is starting to break down. A lot of our stuff has been made in Asia for a long time, but historically it was still driven by Western product management, with engineering coming mostly from the west, but also from the companies making the stuff themselves. What seems to have shifted in the last few years is China’s ability to understand the core user and...

I wonder if some of the big cycling brands "survive" by being bought by Chinese capital as a vehicle into the rest of the world/brand credibility. We've already seen this in a somewhat small scale in the automotive space (although not so much in the US Market compared to Europe, so you can simmer down Americans) and I can certainly imagine a world where this happens to something like Trek. Maybe Chinese brands will have no interest in doing so when they can undercut traditional brands by about half, for now, if they want. On the Cannondale note, maybe it's...

What I would argue at this point is that waiting for a gearbox ebike is not like waiting for a next gen gpu. A next gen gpu is a generational thing, it was like waiting for Transmission to drop to see what it's like before buying a bike. More or less same old with some tweaks. Waiting for a gearbox ebike is like it was waiting for PCI Express PC platforms to replace AGP graphics slots as that opened up a whole new paradigm in the PC space - future compatibility essentially up to today, multi GPU setups, etc.). True...

Yeti Sixfinity enduro bike from la thuile pits here - https://www.vitalmtb.com/forums/hub/yeti-sixfinity-enduro-bike-spotted-… (in its own thread as to not disturb efficiency discussions : )

you don't get it, it's a freakin yeti!! 😉 plus it's finally a new highend trail/enduro bike from a major bike brand without a motor 😛

I know they had a pretty good warranty program for the Switch Infinite sliders - what's their policy for all the bearings in the 6finity links? Can you convert between the MT & LT? Any off-menu/Lunch Ride builds possible for them (specifically the MT)? 150/160 is my sweet spot, which is between the MT & LT. Mullet options? What's max seat post insertion depth for each size?

If you had asked me a couple of weeks ago, "What are the chances you buy a Yeti in the next 6 months?" I would have said 0%. Today, 80%.

Had to say it.

xynradital

Shut the fuck up about drivetrain efficiency. Holy shit. Go find a different thread.

Lost me at > aluminum nipples

Is this an 75% e-bike thread and forum now? Time to say 75% goodbye? Asking for a friend.

For the people who complain about too many bikes being horst link now--get ready it'll be all of them soon. Being able to easily split the rear triangle makes belt drive possible. Gonna be hard on the sales floor to tell people the chain that needs constant maintenance is better than the belt that doesn't. Maybe another one of the reasons Santa Cruz shifted the bullit/vala away from VPP. Seat post insertion, belt compatibility, and minimizing ugliness; three pretty compelling reasons. I think brands are going to probably be hard pressed to put all their R&D into ebike horst link...

they should use actual moto parts... because they are fucking eMotos. I hate those fucking bikes.