Just wondering - How often do manufacturer's do a major upgrade to their bikes?

Depends a lot to do with cost. We invested X it this model and made Y amount off it. It’s selling well, and we don’t seem to be loosing out to our competitors, so let’s stay with it. Or the opposite can be true, we’re loosing sales because this is out dated. Time to revamp it.

Hell, I bet it has more to do with cost, then just innovation or new technology

Yeah I bet it's a delicate balance between the two. With free enterprise, there are lots of competition and if you don't innovate, you get left in the dust. It's interesting there are so many players of all sizes. The Toyota Tundra was essentially the same truck from 2007 to 2021 while the Rav4 get's a remake every 5-6yrs. I think Toyota can afford to do that for the Tundra cus they have other higher volume sellers that make more money for them.

As for bikes, it feels like bikes are hitting a wall as far as making their geo more slack for the different models in their portfolio. They're starting to come up with new technologies like switch the geo on the fly which is interesting.

Four year design cycles with a mid-cycle update are the norm. The best year for any bike are years 3 and 4. Those mid-cycle updates usually correct some flaws that have shown up.

LMN said:

Four year design cycles with a mid-cycle update are the norm. The best year for any bike are years 3 and 4. Those mid-cycle updates usually correct some flaws that have shown up.

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How does that factor in new tech from the component manufacturers? If Shimano come out with an entirely new groupset, or Fox releases a revolutionary new shock would they just get incorporated into the next model year, or would they wait for the new design?

LMN said:

Four year design cycles with a mid-cycle update are the norm. The best year for any bike are years 3 and 4. Those mid-cycle updates usually correct some flaws that have shown up.

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Nothing like using the publics hard earned dollars to beta test your new products!!

*OneSpeed* said:

Nothing like using the publics hard earned dollars to beta test your new products!!

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New models have the risk in every industry I know.

LMN said:

New models have the risk in every industry I know.

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Yeah, but some companies are worse than others about this. It's not just bike manufacturers but component manufacturers too.

It's one of my least favorite aspects of the industry.

*OneSpeed* said:

Yeah, but some companies are worse than others about this. It's not just bike manufacturers but component manufacturers too.

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Yes. There are a couple of companies who I think go straight from CAD to production.

*OneSpeed* said:

Yeah, but some companies are worse than others about this. It's not just bike manufacturers but component manufacturers too.

It's one of my least favorite aspects of the industry.

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Very prevalent in the automotive industry.