[fastmtnbiker33w]

So it seems that more and more manufacturers are jumping on the bandwagon with 29'r products.

So when do we tell all those late comers to stick it? I'd love to have everyone "boycott" Mavic because they waited so long with quality wheels.

Wouldn't it be great if FOX came out with a 29'r fork....not much better than the rock shox reba....probably heavier and much more expensive....and everyone in the 29'r biz said...."Yeah, ummm, but thanks. We already got a good fork.":nono:

I say we put our feet down and snub all the late comers. Stick with the original folks that jumped when we said "Jump!" Support those that believed from the early onset.

What do you guys and gals think?

 

[SlowSSer]

... I'd love to have everyone "boycott" Mavic because they waited so long with quality wheels....

why? just because they're a late arrival?

just a question...

 

[crisillo]

more competition = better performing parts, so I guess that's not the way...

 

[shiggy]

So it seems that more and more manufacturers are jumping on the bandwagon with 29'r products.

So when do we tell all those late comers to stick it? I'd love to have everyone "boycott" Mavic because they waited so long with quality wheels.

Wouldn't it be great if FOX came out with a 29'r fork....not much better than the rock shox reba....probably heavier and much more expensive....and everyone in the 29'r biz said...."Yeah, ummm, but thanks. We already got a good fork.":nono:

I say we put our feet down and snub all the late comers. Stick with the original folks that jumped when we said "Jump!" Support those that believed from the early onset.

What do you guys and gals think?

I do not care when a company comes on board. If what they are offering works and will do the job for me I will use it (or at least consider it).

If we applied your proposal to mtbs in general there would be very few companies we would be able to buy from.

 

[fastmtnbiker33w]

fork and wheel manufacturers in particular

Yeah. Late and just not getting it from the get go. Some companies were conservative about it. Like Titus.....they sold rear ends to several companies and made complete frames for Hammerhead. Now they have stock 29'rs....but already sold through their pre-season production. Just being conservative as they always have.

Others just seem like they don't want any part. But you know Fox will have a fork next year for sure. If not....then what gives with them? Sheez. Could have made a 29'r fork long ago...would have sold a ton.

Mavic...yeah. They made all their 29'r sponsored riders use those super heavy "city" wheels. Seems they could have had stuff 2 years ago.

 

[fastmtnbiker33w]

true

I do not care when a company comes on board. If what they are offering works and will do the job for me I will use it (or at least consider it).

If we applied your proposal to mtbs in general there would be very few companies we would be able to buy from.

True that. I just think that so many companies were originally like...."It's just a fad."

I want those guys to miss out financially for being so close minded or unaccepting.

 

[crisillo]

True that. I just think that so many companies were originally like...."It's just a fad."

I want those guys to miss out financially for being so close minded or unaccepting.

Maybe they had too much money invested in castings and other maufacturing stuff...and waited until the market was big enough..... I think it is getting bigger.. and the new offerings are great... but they are still in the business to make money... so they start when they feel it's safe...

 

[shiggy]

True that. I just think that so many companies were originally like...."It's just a fad."

I want those guys to miss out financially for being so close minded or unaccepting.

Then they can say "We were right, it was just a fad," drop out of the catagory and not develop new products that could be better than what we have now. It could also discourage other companies from entering the market.

 

[Chris130]

By your logic, why would you even be interested in seeing a 29er Fox fork? They were late-comers to the MTB shock game.

Your proposal is completely ridiculous, sorry to be blunt.

Cheers, Chris

 

[GRAVELBIKE]

Ten years ago, we were having the same discussions about companies supporting this wheel size. I'm glad I didn't hold my breath waiting for what we have now.

 

[29"_of_Firewater]

Embrace the late comers'...many of them have been paying close attention to the fly by night attepts already on the market. you wanna be part of the NEW Revolution? suck it up and enjoy the growing pains.

on the other hand....

He's right! time for the public to stand up and be the "Bike Nazi"
NO 29r for you!!!
next.

(so i guess we're all gonna be riding Gary fisher Supercaliber 29's with Marzocchi Marathon Sl forks and Bontrager Race 29 wheels.) What would the world do with all those Cheap cro-mo frames with EBB shells in them.




-You're a Roadie aren't you.....

 

[Om Flyer]

That ship has sailed

True that. I just think that so many companies were originally like...."It's just a fad."

I want those guys to miss out financially for being so close minded or unaccepting.

I think "those guys" have already missed out financially, and will have to invest heavily to compete with the established few.

 

[Rainman]

My view on this proposal is that those who made the 'jump' up to 29'er products have and will continue to reap the benefits.

The companies that didn't make the decision ... for whatever reasons, will have already lost money on this movement to the bigger standards, so a 'boycott' is not needed or indeed beneficial to the 29'er riders / owners.

We want the market to expand, and for this to happen, we need those who are still fence-sitting to see that this 29'er thing is not a 'flash in the pan' or a 'fad', and it isn't going to go away and die.

The smaller companies that jumped in early are reaping the benefits now, and will continue to do so as the market expands. Hopefully, the money to be made from the 29'er movement will also tempt the big players in to the game, and then we shall all reap the rewards of cheaper, more easily available bikes and components.


My opinion...



R.

 

[mud'n'sweat]

What Rainman and Shiggy said :thumbsup:

 

[BSIDE]

That would be like sawing off a tree limb while you were sitting out on the end of it. Since when has any of the big manufacturer's been on the cutting edge of innovation? More competition = better quality, more choices and better prices. I am a "late comer" to the 29er thing; how long have you been riding a 29er? You sound like one of those guys who has been ridin' 29ers for years and are frustrated cause you couldn't get parts. "Open" your mind and "accept" the benefits the big guys are going to be offering the next few years.

 

[TiRyder]

What Market?

Does anybody actually have any hard numbers? Do not let the large numbers of postings, veiwers, and interest on this forum fool you. In the grand scheme of things, I would imagine that the "Market" is very small in terms of percentage of total mountainbikes sold. If I were a larger company like Fox, Mavic, or any of the other latecomers, I would have done the exact same thing. It just makes good business sense. Why invest in new castings, molds, tooling, etc. for a relatively small customer base?

It is asinine to try to "punish" a company for doing what is best for itself and its interests. We should welcome all newcomers and new products with open arms. Perhaps then more companies will throw even more dollars at R&D and other investments. This will only serve to legitimize and grow the market to where we, the 29er riders and consumers, believe it should be.

 

[chequamagon]

True that.

you really wrote that? dork.....

 

[RobW]

I've said it before, but here it comes again. I doubt very much that the 29er movement has enlarged the market very much. There will be some who will switch back and forth because their biking opportunities and talants are diverse, but I'm willing to bet the majority of those who swing a leg over a 29er won't really want to ride a 26 incher anymore. I may have my facts wrong, but isn't the MTB market shrinking right now? The 29ers didn't enlarge the pie, it just cut it into smaller pieces. It's a lot harder to make a profit when you are selling the same amount of pie, but now you have to make it in two flavors...

 

[BSIDE]

You nailed it TyRider! If 29ers are a valid product in terms of the free market the demand will be there eventually. It is only smart business practice for the big companies to let the little companies take the risk first before jumping in to any degree.

 

[themanmonkey]

So it seems that more and more manufacturers are jumping on the bandwagon with 29'r products.
What do you guys and gals think?

I'd say that almost everything you ride is a late coming company in my book. Back in the day I bought 2 Diamond Back Overdrive Comps and Bianchi Project-7 and more Panaracer Smokes than you could shake a stick at. I had the 700c version of the Mag 21 and the 700c version of the Manitou II.

In those early days of the 90s the Mavic MA-2 was THE rim to have for 700c and the cut-down Bontrager versions for 26". So Mavic isn't really late to the party. Most of the companies that supported the early days of 700c MTB (now known as 29ers) lost scads of money when it died after one or two years. No wonder they're a bit shy to re-enter the market.

It's been said before, but there is little new under the sun. I was a happy guy with my big wheels for well over 10 years. Last year I finally gave a way my last Overdrive Comp frame and waiting to see where this 29er thing goes. I've been here before and I'll be there again once I get a new frame built.
best,
MonkeyB