- This topic has 79 replies, 75 voices, and was last updated 8 years ago by mikewsmith.
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Loyalty to brands?
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HughStewFull Member
Loyalty is applicable to people, and maybe dogs, but not brands. Some soulless marketing drone applied the word to brands and the whole world seems to have fallen for it. Yuk.
Too many guests over Christmas and too much brandy have made me splenetic.woodsterFull MemberI’m not particularly brand loyal at all. Dakine and Camelbak are probably as close as I get, but given they’re often competing then it doesn’t show much loyalty to have both. Works Components might feature if they had a larger range of products.
I avoid Sram for most thins, but they do make some good kit albeit with iffy quality control.
hatterFull MemberTrying to narrow it down the actual brand loyalty rather than ‘stuff I buy’ as in stuff where, if I need a certain item here’s only one brand I’ll consider.
Bike related:
Thomson, my 4 bikes have 5 Thomson stems and seatposts between them, it’s become somwewhat of a default choice.
Chris King headsets: Buy new frame, factor in cost of a black Chris King headset, my brain does the maths automatically now.
Howies Merino Base Layers: Tried ’em all, still go back to these, have 7 of them now in various styles.
Sidi Mega Wide shoes – 47 please, fit me like a glove.
TiRedFull MemberGiant bikes, Giro helmets, Gore gloves and warmers, Chrome socks.
Giant seem to do nothing badly and some things (carbon) very well. Plenty of other great carbon bikes out there, but I like what they have done. The Defy is a fantastic all round bike that can do anything. And I have two. The Propel is a thoroughbred race machine that is still comfortable on a century. The Trance and Anthem seem well made, well specced and ride as well as their road counterparts.
Giro helmets just fit my head perfectly. Gore stuff works and merino socks and casual cycling wear from Chrome is a nice to have.
I did look hard at a Mondrian Look frame recently, probably the only carbon frame i’d consider as a “statement” carbon bike. Otherwise it would be Pegoretti.
monkeysfeetFree MemberHope Bike Bits (Wheels & Brakes ..had a few of both, started with the Mono Mini)
Raceface Bars & Stems
Madison Clothing just works well and is reasonably pricedSamsung Mobile ‘Phones
skidsareforkidsFree MemberDT hubs and spokes for sure. Used to use Hope hubs back in the flange-cracking days, which you could forgive due to the OK prices at the time and the great warranty. Tried Chris King hubs after that and ironically cracked a flange and got nothing but grief from the warranty guys, so that was that.
Shimano gears and brakes. Tried SRAM drivetrains and brakes. Loved the performance of the brakes, but they all rotted and fell apart eventually. X0 stuff always either seized or developed play.
Love Treks. Used to think they were the blandest brand out there, but have 3 now and likely will stick with them.
Thomson of course.
Dangerously, I seem to have pretty bad ocd with bike stuff, so if I ever change brand of one component, I HAVE to change said component on my other bikes to match… Not sure why.
Shimano shoes (though I have Sidis I like too), Giro helmets (Troy Lee for full-face), Gore clothing, Oakley.Samsung TVs and Apple stuff. Got a Samsung Galaxy S5 to try and convince myself I wasn’t an Apple fanboy but HATED everything about it. Got a Windows 8 PC for similar reason and hated that too…
YakFull Memberhmmm, I suppose shimano given my brief, but multiple rear-mech-snapping foray into sram.
Specialized tyres – just work and never fail to inflate first go tubeless.
Giro helmets – I have a Giro shaped head.
Mavic shoes on the bike and salomon off the bike. I assume they are the same or linked companies given the near identical fit.
On-ones – always had one and they do the job well and fit my budget.
Next – pants and jeans – they fit and are cheap enough for me.Mostly ‘brand loyality’ is just that I know what works and if the brands don’t bugger about with the product too much, then I know I can buy it in confidence that it will fit/work for me, and I can’t be bothered shopping around/researching everything to death whenever I need a chain/pants/shoes etc.
rickmeisterFull MemberWith 4 ibis and 2 9:zero:7 Fatbikes in the fleet I guess there is a theme…
Other favorites based an good durable no nonsense products
Sidi shoes
Time attak pedals (6 sets)
Maloja shorts
Gore bibs
Hope brakes
Race face cranks
Mavic wheelsphil40Free MemberLooking at my bike stuff there is no pattern I can spot. I seem to get whatever brand supplies an item I need at a price I want to pay at the time.
I am not a very good rider though, and never seem to be able to tell the difference between items! I reckon I am lucky to have started Mtb recently as everything seems to work ok!
accuFree Memberpatagonia…since i began/learned climbing in the early 80`s until today
for bike stuff the pattern is
shimano for gears
maguras for brakes
dt swiss for wheelssince i nearly only ride fatbikes right now…
salsa, as long as not all frames are in carbon..
(and i expect that this will come, like santa cruz )onandonFree MemberLike
Mavic for cycle clothing.
Arcteryx for outdoors clothing.
Ralf Lauren and Paul smith for general clothes.
Primark for t-shirts
American Classic for wheels and hubs.
SRAM for components , because I like gripshift and think double tap is a nice system.
Selle Italia for saddles.
Phillips for sonic tooth brushes and razors.Don’t like and would never own, based on having their stuff previously.
Anything Bose
Sony
Hope
Ford, Vauxhall, Renault, Peugeot, fiat, BMW.
Casio g watches.
Next
Tudor watchessteveoathFree MemberShimano – drive chain, cranks, brakes, wheels, Several spd shoes, pedals (holy crap, didn’t think i had that much).
Spesh clothing
Endura
Charge spoon!Vans size 9 trainers. They always fit perfectly.
steviedFree MemberI don’t change my bike very often so don’t have a pattern there. I do like things a little different to run of the mill stuff so now riding a Liteville (and loving it)
Seems to be going for Mavic shoes/clothing at the moment as it fits right and seems good quality/spec for the money.
Car-wise, I’m a bit of an Alfa fan. Had a 156 and now a 159ti. Very much looking forward to the new releases over the next few years as I think I’ll keep the 159 til something equally nice comes out.snownrockFull MemberShimano for brakes and drivetrains and shoes. Giro for helmets. Rockshox for suspension and Vittoria for road bike tyres. Mavic for cheap and robust wheels when I need them.
WhathaveisaidnowFree Membersantini and northwave for road gear
shimano for shoes as they fit nicely
Specialized helmets fit me nicely too, so look to them first.
squiffFree MemberGiant road bikes
MTB Scott ScaleGroup set Shimano
Road tyres VIttoria
Gore Windstoppet (8 years old)
All of the above have never let me down
fettlinFull MemberHmm, brand loyalty to me suggests buying stuff even when you know it’s no good for what you want (loyal, through thick and thin) to stay loyal to the company.
I’ve not bought anything knowing it was not the best value/performance/fit/color (delete as appropriate) just to stay loyal to a brand.
The closest I’ve come is Santa Cruz bikes, even though they have a certain stigma attached to ownership.
They have consistently been better for what I wanted at the time compared to other brands I tried, so they had my money. My sixth SC will be demoed at the end of the month.aPFree MemberTime pedals – both off and on-road, up till this summer when we got sick of them changing their road pedals/cleats again and have gone to Speedplay for road – still Time for off-road.
Rudy Project cycling glasses – 4th pair now.
Campagnolo for road and CX – when will they finally bring out that hydraulic disc/ EPS groupset?
Fizik saddles on everythingonlysteelFree MemberOutdoor kit: Patagonia. Lasts for ever, good ethos. Strayed occasionally to Haglofs & Fjallraven.
Running shoes: Asics GT 2000 series.
Running shorts: Pearl Izumi
MTB: Hope brakes and hubs, WTB saddles, CK headsets, KMC chains, Time pedals
Hi-fi: NaimBillOddieFull MemberStuff I like based on previous experience:
Sombrio clothing
Dakine clothing and packs
Osprey packs
Shimano Shoes
Giro Helmets
Fox Gloves
Maxxis Tyres
Patagonia clothing
Chromag Bikes and Bits
Shimano gears and brakes
Surly bikes and bits
Saveoursoles socks
dhb clothing
Oakley Sunnies/riding Glasses/normal specsStuff I won’t touch:
Endura
SpecializedOnzadogFree MemberStuff that has earned my loyalty:-
Turner
Hope
Oakley
Mostly through their customer serviceThose I avoid:-
Specialized
Trek
Because of the way they conduct business. I know it is a business but they don’t represent what cycling means to me.PickersFull MemberAs above, there are brands that merit loyalty through their customer service- Hope and Oakley.
Other brands based on previous experience – Shimano drive trains, Campag road stuff, Endura, Continental, Sidi, KMC, Osprey.
The ones I won’t touch now – anything by SRAM except for cable disc brakes. Shimano hydro brakes and chains.dufusdipFree MemberAlpkit – well made, well designed and decent price.
Shimano for drivetrail and brakes. Thought I was succumbing to brand blindness and went for SRAM and my experience was dreadful for their mid-range stuff.
Rockshox was a bit of a mixed one, Pikes are amazingly good after coming from Fox, Reverb has had so many problems but their customer service has pulled it out the bag and I think I’m a fan.
Merlin – competitive priced and excellent service a rarity.
tops5Free MemberAwaiting delivery of my 3rd Transition so guess I’ve inadvertently become something of a fan boy
Was the same with GT back in the day – had 5 in succes
Hope for hubs and brakes if I could afford them
PoopscoopFull MemberNot loyalty as such, more “likes” really.
Endura
QUAD Marin’s
SRAM DB5/ GUIDE brakes, yes really…
Hope hubs, love their adaptabilityOnly one real brand dislike. No, hate actually.
Apple.
Can’t stand the company or its over priced products. Could go on about my loathing for Apple but it would make me sound radicalized.
And breath…..
BigDummyFree MemberKona, except that they currently don’t really make anything that I want to ride.
Crumpler, although my messenger bag is 15 years old and scarcely showing its age, so it’s not like they get much business from me!
I struggle with Giants. No good reason, just never look at them and get that “MINE” feeling.
🙂
mikewsmithFree MemberHope bit
Sram gears, every time I try shimano I know why.
Carbon frames 🙂
Used to be spec shoes but the prices got too much and the local dealer was crap, might try again now I’ve moved.
Maxxis rubber can’t complain about it and way cheaper than the Schwalbe stuff
Torq energy products
Dell laptops
Evoc luggage
Virgin AustraliaidiotdogbrainFree MemberThis is pretty much me, but I do have a couple of preferences:
Specialized
Superstar <dons flame suit>
SonyThere’s also only a few brands I wouldn’t ever buy…
Trek (the Lance thing, the brands they swallowed and ruined, and the way they treated Greg LeMond)
Apple
Hayes brakesSaxonRiderFull MemberI struggle with Giants. No good reason, just never look at them and get that “MINE” feeling.
Me too. From a purely personal point of view, I think it is the fact that Giant just doesn’t have a very inspiring history. IIRC. it had simply made frames for others, then thought ‘why not put our own marque on them?’
I’d rather have something that grew up around actual riding, or location, or something.
But I could be wrong.
MrSalmonFree MemberI seem to get whatever brand supplies an item I need at a price I want to pay at the time.
I’m sort of like this, but while there are very few brands I wouldn’t consider it does tend to be the same few ones that hit the spot. Dunno if that counts as loyalty or not.
I don’t buy enough bikes for there to be a pattern there (although at the moment it seems likely any new bike would be a second Pinnacle). But whenever I’m looking for outdoor gear Rab, Mountain Equipment and Montane virtually always make the shortlist whereas, say, Berghaus and the North Face never seem to have anything at the right combination of price, function, and stuff I basically like the look of.
Also as mentioned above brands I already have have got a head start if buying clothes online because fit is a safer bet.freeagentFree MemberI love my Giant Defy – if/when I buy another road bike it will be a Giant.
Other brands I like –
Shimano (everything just works – unlike the beautiful but temperamental Formula brakes I had)
Oakley
Charge spoon saddles
Topeak stuff (dull but nicely made)
Nikon cameras
Camelbak
Nike for trainersBrands I don’t like –
Trek (they must have known about Lance)
5.10 (couldn’t get on with their Freerider shoes – uncomfortable and felt cheap)
Appleegb81Free MemberLike and repeatedly buy:
Specialized shoes and helmets as they fit me really well.
Charge Spoon saddles as my arse gets on with them.Stuff I don’t like: Altura and Endura clothing. IME Poorly designed and falls apart.
stilltortoiseFree MemberShimano probably. Their stuff works, it’s (relatively) inexpensive and ubiquitous for good reason. Not sure I see the point of experimenting with other brands for drivetrain (although I do have SRAM on the road bike). When I was riding with a guide in Spain several years ago, he was full of praise for Shimano having seen lots of other gear fail on his clients’ bikes.
TiRedFull MemberI’d rather have something that grew up around actual riding
My Giant Defy SL won Paris Roubaix last year. that makes it a keeper 8) . My Propel SL won four stages of the same Tour de France (flat stages, it’s true, and I’m no sprinter!)
It may be a while before they can truly claim a full race heritage, but I imagine they’ve already made some impressive frames for others 😉
mikewsmithFree MemberMy Giant Defy SL won Paris Roubaix last year. that makes it a keeper . My Propel SL won four stages of the same Tour de France (flat stages, it’s true, and I’m no sprinter!)
Did they get nicked?
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