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"I think this is normal for this time of year, best time to buy a Santa Cruz."
Nothing normal about the depth of discounting, the number of models discounted, or the duration of the discounting for Santa Cruz or Reserve. Real distress signals.
Just found this history of the company which was written in 2008. When GT was already 36 years old.
https://sidewaysandfallover.blogspot.com/2008/07/history-of-gt-bicycles.html
It's very detailed, I haven't read it all I'm still at work.
Pon has become a bit of a graveyard for bike brands. Santa Cruz and Cervelo are run as proper bike brands with R&D, Marketing, etc. Cannondale and Focus seem to have some money thrown their way but not enough to enable them to really compete in the market place like they previously could. GT, Schwinn, Mongoose, Gazelle and Caloi are very poor versions of the brands they used to be. I wonder what the strategy is at Pon?
GT bikes were a dream bike when I started, but more recently they seemed a much less attractive package.
The RTS and the LTS were hugely desirable but way beyond my reach. More recent models have failed to catch my eye and more importantly my wallet.
Given the recent heavy discounting at Santa Cruz and Reserve
I think this is normal for this time of year, best time to buy a Santa Cruz.
To be honest I can't remember Santa Cruz every being discounted. They used to sell everything they could make at full price or near enough. In the glory days of the Syndicate you couldn't move in Sheffield for Santa Cruz bikes.
I picked up some Reserve wheels this year but I thought the discount was related to the DT Swiss hubs being updated. I'm happy with stone aged 350's.
GT bikes were a dream bike when I started, but more recently they seemed a much less attractive package.
The RTS and the LTS were hugely desirable but way beyond my reach. More recent models have failed to catch my eye and more importantly my wallet.
I bought my first ever MTB magazine in the summer of 1996 and that month's bike check was Steve Peat's LTS-DH. My teenage eyes popped out of my little head. Plus all the MBUK team were riding them, then the STS and LOBO were things of beauty.
I still never got one because I was skint. By the time I could afford to buy my own bikes they were fizzling out a bit.
For me, I can sum up GT thus:
1) Wyn Masters' excellent race coverage and privateer awards etc. This makes me possibly want to buy one - especially a cheaper gravity bike as a second bike.
2) Lifetime support of Hans Rey. I can appreciate it from a slightly non conventional sponsorship arrangement, probably won't make me buy a bike.
3) The Athertons and Martin Maes were on them for a while, was it between commencal and trek? Was probably a (comparative) low point in the Athertons' stellar careers, either that or it all just blurs into one.
I said something similar when Kona were in trouble, and when people were incensed that Ford had called the new electric car a Capri - something you lusted after decades ago which was good in its day but would be utter shite by modern standards, is no way to base your modern purchases or race team aleigances.
Hope they pull through, it would be sad to see them go. I always lusted after a Pro Performer in the BMX days but was well beyond my means.
Had a string of MTBs in the 90' s though - Timberline, Zaskar, LTS, STS and recently bought a very tired LTS 2 with intention of resurrecting it (been sat in the garage for about 9 months!)
Would agree that they don't seem that desirable these days (apart from the Fury)
I think this thread provides a great summary of the problem. Everyone wanted one 20 years ago and now no one does. Everyone had a rose tinted recollection of some of their classics. Alas investors dont care about rose tinted history, if no one wants to buy one then its either scale it down or throw money at it. PON have clearly chosen the first option.
I imagine retro GT bike prices might sneak up a little.
Kind of sad. GT's and Zaskars were dream bikes in the early 90s. I've owned a few over the years and still do (Tequesta, Pantera, few Zaskars). Got a mate in the UK who's a collector and was at Malvern again this year with a few of the other GT collectors.
What will happen to the MTB team?
What will happen to the MTB team?
They don't have one now AFAIK.
I think they had just stepped in as frame sponsor on the Continental team after nukeproof went pop, and had Martin Maes on the books.
He's off to Orbea and I'm not sure if the Conti team will continue, what with the rule changes.
This is the case for so many brands at the moment. A few of us were talking about some brands and when we actually last potentially wanted one........ GT about 1997/1998, Schwinn 1997/1998, Trek 1997, Kona 1995.
The big brands lost it back then.
Everything has looked the same since.
Basically, the times for lusting after mainstream bike brands has gone. Santa cruz all looks the same, and I couldn't want one less.
The only interesting manual bikes that are worth considering and wet the appetite are small niche brands like cotic, Stanton, kingdom and Curtis plus Huhn......
I imagine retro GT bike prices might sneak up a little.
Why?
Apart from the fact they're already attracting a retro premium I can't think of a single reason for the failure of a modern iteration that has nothing to do with the old brand other than a name to affect prices.
If anything the newer stuff is going to tank now that there will likely be no spares support. Which is then going to make people think twice about buying their other lines and so the spiral downwards continues. If they want to prevent that they need to make sure GT is supported for a reasonable time. We'll see what happens...
(not sure if that's already been addressed)