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One of the problems with bikes (from the manufacturer's view) is that they last too long. So, you can't rely on sales from people replacing bikes that have broken and you need to keep offering something new to tempt people to ditch their perfectly functional bike and get a new one. You don't need that something new to be better of course, you just need people to think it might be better and a bit of confusion and controversy is not a bad thing. But, I wonder whether, with wheel sizes in particular, the marketing folk have gone too far and are starting to negatively affect sales. I doubt I'm alone in thinking that I quite fancy a new bike but will wait until the whole wheel size thing works itself out first as I don't want to spend a lot on what could be obsolete or equally well could turn out to have been an evolutionary dead end in a few years time. So, I'm actually being put off by the confusion marketing, which is the opposite of what was intended.
I wonder if this topic has been discussed much at all lately?
There are different wheel sizes?
I wonder if this topic has been discussed much at all lately?
Yup, at least twice in the last week.
thisisnotaspoon:
a) If spesh promote 29ers then you're as likley to buy a trek as you are a spesh. They promote their own 29ers to the market. They have 29ers to promote because the market is there for them.b) Whilst n+1 bikes is all well and good, most people keep bikes for a period of time then sell or break them. Then replace them. If it were all about profit and marketing they'd be telling you last years was the best ever, as that requires no R&D. most people wont buy three XC bikes, they'll buy one in whichever size they thinks best. If you're not planning on replacing your 26" bike this year then that doesn't make 29ers rubbish does it?
Maybe you just don't ride enough, but i've only ever sold two out of maybe 20 bikes I've owned in what could be described as 'good' or 'average' condition. The rest I've either sold with honest descriptions or hung up on the wall.
Lets take it away from the whole wheel sizing thing.
Do you think its a good idea that most of the manufacturers do "model years"? Every year, there is some update, even if it's just a colour change. Whatever is left in stock when this happens gets sold off cheap before it exceeds its shelf life, but then your smaller shops don't want to commit to buy stock that will be superseded so quickly. Supply at the start of each model year also tends to be crap.
And then you get folk (like the OP) who put off purchasing at certain times of year because the new model is just around the corners (see the Android Tablet threads for similar).
And then you get folk (like the OP) who put off purchasing at certain times of year because the new model is just around the corners (see the Android Tablet threads for similar).
But then you get people like me who put off buying untill this time of the year and get bikes much much cheeper!
Shops sell off whatever they've got in stock at the end of the year, but surely they sell more than one floor full of bikes in a year? I hypothesised that one shop full of bikes in September sold at 15% (ish) markup was just like the rest of the year selling half their stock each month at 30% (ish). And even then they seem to get last years stock from distributors, so presumably their trade price gets cut as well? bikescene don't stock that many R8's and specialized pitches all year round, ditto westbrookes and CAAD10 105's.
Personally think that it takes abput 5 years to get an actual noticable upgrade if you bought top level stuff originally
I agree they market drivel to get us to buy stuff - 10 speed fpor example then 11
I am not sure we are getting anything more from this
I could still use 7 speed and be fine tbh
Brakes , dropper posts and suspension have improved massively
The rest is just change to promote sales IMHO - I have no interest in the tyre size debate be it 26,29, 650 b or fat
I agree they market drivel to get us to buy stuff - 10 speed fpor example then 11
Shimano/SRAM agree with you. Shimano's been ages catcing up with Campag, and even then they're selling DA9000 as being better than DA7900 for 101 reasons that aren't 1-more-gear. Ditto XX1, it's not sold as 11-is better than 10, it's sold as a completley new mech which allows for a huge bottom gear and top gear withut ghost shifting over bumps. I'd say shifters/mechs/cassettes/chain have got better and smoother shifting over the years which is a benifit, adding gears at the same time just ices the cake.
They haven't made an 11speed XTR/X.0/XX, because as you say, it would be pointless in a 11-36 cassette, but 11-36 7speed would probably be a bit lumpy, and my memories of 8-speed were 12-28 cassetts, 9-speed 11-32, so the new gears are going int increacing the range, which IMO is usefull.
My bikes all have the right size wheels, QR's, non-tapered headtubes and run 9 speed transmissions
Despite none of these bikes being more than 3 years old, as far as the bike industry is concerned I'm a luddite. When what I actually am is bright enough to know when I'm being marketed too
I'm with Druidh.
I have never had a smartphone, tablet, go pro(or other action) camera etc because of current marketing trends. If I were to buy one I would have the shine taken off of it within a few months as I watch an updated model come out. My confused attitude to this is becoming worse and worse and I find purchasing most things a huge dilema even though I have the cash for them. 🙁 I have this underlying feeling that the manufacturer will not stand by their product and that it will be lacking robustness etc to be worth my purchase.
It is really annoying as I used to love new tech and shiny things but no longer get enjoyment due to the above feelings or I just don't buy anything as seems to be the case. I currently have an old laptop that is on it's last legs and the process of replacing it freaks me out. 😳
what could be obsolete
i seriously doubt it.
please name a standard in biking that is obsolete?
last time i checked you could still get 5,6,7,8&9 speed freewheels
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/transmission-dept758_pg1/