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The bike industry as a whole could have sold more than they did in 2020 and most likely throughout the whole 2021. However, the supply chains simply were not able to cope with the demand. And I completely understand that, for some companies (those that essentially everyone needed parts from) it was impossible to give exact lead times. Their systerm could not scale for that demand and that's why you suddenly heard about lead times of 700-800 days. In reality it could have been 300 or 1000. Simply because no one could accurately scale it up just like that, because...

Thanks @Sacki , for the detail! @jeff.brines how about asking Sacki if he's up for a podcast? I best we'd all be into hearing more about Bike Yoke!

It's a very interesting and impressive interview. Thank you, Sam, for taking the time and going so much into detail and also Jeff, of course for trying and then making this happen! It was interesting to hear how YT experienced the turbulent times during covid. For us, I can say, that we already saw OE orders being postponed and cancelled already around Q2 2022. But the more important thing happened to me in April 2021. There was one particular OE customer who used to need around 1,500 post per year from us. End of 2019 (pre-Covid) we received a projected...

Yeah @jeff.brines the podcast was amazing, thank you! I think that Sam actually addressed pretty much everything that Markus said before by simply voicing the fact that they both were managing directors sitting in the same room, making decisions together. I can only admire such a professional and neat way to call out the BS. Lots to learn!

@jeff.brines the Sam Nichols podcast was absolutely awesome. Really great insight to not only the situation YT was in, but also how bike oems handle their business, as well as an anecdotal case study of how PE/VC actually happens. It's nice being able to digest that paradigm with a case study that is relevant to my interests... makes what is otherwise a pretty dry subject if you're not in the thick of it and makes it palatable. Thanks Jeff, great work!

Elite enduro rider Simona Kuchyñková got a RB helmet, maybe enduro is not totally dead.

@jeff.brines' interview with Sam Nicols, YT CEO from 2021 to 2024. some really interesting insights about the inner workings of a brand like YT. i found the bike ordering, building and assembly process fascinating. 00:00 Introduction to Sam Nicols and YT Industries 01:49 Sam's Background and Career Path 09:28 Challenges of Stepping into YT During the Pandemic 11:35 Navigating Supply Chain Issues and Customer Care 16:01 The Private Equity Interest and Acquisition Process 23:45 Aligning Goals with Private Equity 30:15 Understanding the Risks of Private Equity 34:11 The Impact of Market Conditions on YT's Valuation 37:05 Transitioning to In-House Assembly...

It's official, Vali Höll joins Commencal Schwalbe Les Orres! The details are as yet scarce, but here's what we got so far from camp Commencal: WELCOME ABOARD “I'm incredibly excited to become part of such a renowned racing family. It was a pleasant surprise, but I firmly believe that every closed door opens a new opportunity. Working with COMMENCAL has always been a dream of mine; their racing spirit is unmatched. I look forward to continuing my legacy in the downhill world on a COMMENCAL bike. The moment I first rode one, I was astonished by how planted and stable...

There is also a solid chance that they had already ordered the bikes, and a factory already had these assembled waiting for payment. To smooth over relationships with past vendors they are selling these bikes cheap to generate some cash flow and pay for new models. Seems like something similar happened with Kona's BOGO sale, and Carbonada selling old nukeproof frames.

Might be missing a point with YT's Tues release. Given the rapid turn of new company, who dis? to the release of an uncaged DH model kinda says these were not just in the pipes but landed prior to the dissolution of the old and inferior brand. These may have been picked up by the neu and impruved YT for .50/dollar or less, so could not only be a marketing gimmick but also a bit of a profitable one to boot.

"You miss 100% of the bikes you don't sell." - Markus Flossman - Waynkus Flostzky - Wayne Gretzky

It's mad how the industry is in a state with lack of money etc then you go to local trails carpark and see 80k+ worth of ebikes swinging off the back of just one truck. I wonder could Moir get a little program going like Greg Callaghan and Dan Booker. Seems to work well for those guys.

Honestly, I'm surprised there hasn't been more fallout or investigation into Giant and the allegations of forced labour. It seems like one day there was an article about it and then a few weeks later, it was like, look everyone, there is a new STP! I would love to see a deeper dive into whether or not this is a more widespread issue than just Giant. Or maybe that kind of investigative journalism is above the paygrade of Vital and PB? As shady as Marcus is and what he's done with YT, I feel like the Giant thing should be...

I 100% agree with Jeff. What he is is trying to say is that discussions/disputes/debates in forums for example get heated very quickly. Sarcasm, irony, mimics, ... are not always being received the way they were sent. Words that weren't meant to be offending, are received to be. More often than not, things totally misinterpreted and cause frustration, anger, even hate. If you, on the other hand, sat with that counterpart in a bar and discussed with him while having a bee, it's usually a totally different storyWhile maybe still not agreeing with each other's views, the dispute would go...

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Since its a US holiday, I felt like going a touch more meta here and give some bigger picture thoughts... To start, and it goes without saying, but I’m continually impressed that this thread is still one of the best corners of the internet. That’s because of the people here who show up, think, and discuss topics that should be boring but somehow aren’t. I appreciate the time, effort, and respect from everyone that’s gone into this esoteric corner of the internet over the years (!!). First, my thoughts on the idea of "friction" I've been mulling...

(For those who don't know, @Sacki is Stefan Sack, the founder of BikeYoke 😁)

I get the desire to move on from this story, but it deserves the attention it is getting. Here is why: First, there is not much else happening in the space. The Felt news is interesting, and I reached out to Cesar and may do something there later. He is a great guy. Outside of that, the only real story right now, in my view, is the health of the consumer, which everytime I bring up in conversation i get glazed eyeballs (lol...its riveting!). When you compare that to the personality of Markus, the very public way he is handling...

I don't think it correct to assume that "Supercar money" can not be made in the Bike Industry. You can make decent money in the bike industry, then reinvest that money in something that multiplies your wealth astronomically. We live in a crazy world, where you can make insane amount of money with speculation in no time, if you are smart and/or lucky. Now, that money may not directly come from the bike industry, but I would say he could have pulled off his wealth from smart investment of money that he originally made in the bike industry. I believe...

On one hand, I shouldn’t give a F about what Markus says. I did my three years at YT, met amazing people, learnt a lot and got paid not too bad. On the other hand, given the number and kinds of situation where Markus showed zero accountability for his own actions and screwed up both customers and employees that I personally witnessed, I really wish for other people’s voices to be heard at least to the same extent as it was with the Downtine podcast. I am not the one to talk out loud since my role was not that...

+1 on Downtime here! The pre- and post-race shows are among the holy triumvirate of DH racing content (with WynTV and Vital Raw), absolutely not to be missed. The guests are often great but as hogfly says, the Downtime Goes Downhill series is evidence that the host n dem are interesting on their own. I have that as the best execution of that vibe in DH, it’s relatable and a really cool insight into the British DH racing scene. So yeah. Downtime good! Flossmann bad though. What’s noteworthy about Flossmann’s appearance is that he was given an open mic to...