What is going on ????

http://www.cannondale.com/2011-lefty-29er-pbr

I was wrenching on Sunday at my LBS and working on my Panasonic project, I had to help one of the other mechanics with his new C’dale 29’er. It was a f*ckin’ pain!!! Give me my trusty White Brothers fork any day of the week!

Then again I believe I read somewhere that Pacific was taking over …not sure if that is true ?

True, they are taking over the bulk low end sales (i.e. Wallyworld or Costco) but they can’t touch Giant and Trek for bike shop sales. Think back to the 90’s, Trek and Giant bought up almost every small time to mid sized bike manufacturer, some they kept and others they bought to kill and eventually limit the consumers’ options. Some have held ground like Santa Cruz and Yeti but the majority of privately owned bike companies are selling at price points above $2,000… hence why Pacific dominates the $350 and under market.

One thing too with Cannondale, Pacific has been on a massive “info squashing” campaign with regard to the fact that none of the C’dale models are made stateside. They didn’t care with GT and it hurt them badly, nobody really takes the new offerings from GT very seriously. Something like you wanted a Yeti but couldn’t swing it financially, so cut your losses and get a trail worthy bike from Asia. GT and a number of other “manufacturers” have become the true mid-priced option… not $3,000 but not $300… more like the $1,100 to $1,500 price point. It’s all fixed into the components, Santa Cruz can’t make a frame in the US and then outfit it with the typical Fox fork and Shimano XT 10 speed and not demand the high dollar. Heck, the fork and components cost more than the mid-line bikes like GT (think $800 msrp for Fox fork and $1,350 msrp for the XT group). When a Santa Cruz or a Yeti frame alone cost $1,000 to $2,000 add on $1,500 worth of OEM “discounted” parts plus Mavic wheels and you’re dead on for that $4,000 price point.

No new bikes for me…

Mike Sinyard might be a less than stellar individual but so is Gary Fisher and all the other millionaires that like to wear the just a “little bike guy” jersey. I’m going to leave it there. I’ve owned numerous Stumpjumpers over the past 20 years, you have to remember that Team Specialized brought us “Deadly Nedly” Ned Overend and many other greats that fueled the fire and built the sport of mountain biking in those early days when it all looked questionable. I would never do anything that diminishes or detracts from the fact that Ned was the true king of NORBA Championship (’86,’87,’89,’90,’91,’92) and he was a fine diplomat (just like his dad, a US diplomat) for the sport he loved. Big V., ride your Specialized with pride, that bike is from a golden period in mountain bike history and deserves to be ridden and enjoyed! I like to look at it from the standpoint that someone spent good money on that bike, it spoke to them, and kudos to you for keeping that mojo flowing!!!

Check out his cool bio on his Specialized page, I dig the fact that they keep him on the payroll!

http://www.iamspecialized.com/members/nedoverend/

Hail to the king!!!

(but Johnny T. is still my all time hero… but I do have a framed “Deadly Nedly” art print from his 1990 induction into the Mountain Biking Hall Of Fame)