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I see docents
- I'll die someday & I spend time daily trying to get cool with the idea. When my time comes I hope it's not on the bike. And if that's how it happens, I bet it won't be because I ran a red light. I'm a red light running connoisseur, and when I do so it's almost always for self-preservation.
- Open invitation: Track me down after the day is done and I'll buy your dinner and pick up the bar tab to boot. I'm quite pleased to have my training raison d'etre for 2010 buttoned up so early.
- The nearly-vanished-for-good blogger cyclingfansanonymous did us the kind favor of listing his RSS feeds. If you're looking to freshen up your feed reader, there's a lot of inspiration here.
- 2010 Tour of California, #1: When I think ToC, I think of Levi Leipheimer. His fellow Sonoma County residents are being struck with a case of vocal self-love endemic to Portland and Boulder. If it's really that good (and I suspect it may well be), they'd be well-advised to keep it secret. Discretion has its rewards.
- 2010 Tour of California, #2: The final day Los Angeles circuit race stage takes in a climb called the "Rock Store." A friend of mine said it's best known for this. Here's to hoping it comes down to the sort of twisty-turny last stage drama we've gotten accustomed to in the last few years of Paris-Nice. That's a great race to emulate.
- Amer Sports' feverish attempt to unload Mavic continues. A free Competitive Cyclist T-Shirt to the best guesses as to who the European & Taiwanese bidders might be.
- The layout of this blog is ripe for ridicule -- The bold font cluster-bombing. The cheesy sticky-note graphics. The Y-Teens font inside said sticky notes -- But of inverse proportion is the quality of the article therein. It's probably the 2nd most important thing written about the bike biz in 2009. The author is wise to point out that there are a finite number of decent bike shops in America (i.e. can provide adequate service AND have better-than-3rd world financing on their books.) Once Specialized and Trek gobble these dealers up, how will they derive the growth they're obsessed with? IMHO it has to be the internet. At what point will Specialized and Trek stop demonizing online bicycle sales and instead take their natural evolutionary next step: Selling their bikes consumer-direct online? Based on the success Canyon Bicycles is having in Europe in consumer-direct sales (no, their profitability is not a function of the fact Cuddles races on a Canyon), the risk isn't as great as some make it to be.
Detoxing themselves from their one-and-only sales channel, dealer-direct sales, will force Specialized & Trek to address the most screwed up thing about the bike industry: Its fanatical focus on dealer happiness. The lack of time spent on pursuing consumer happiness is alarming. If there is anything keeping Specialized and Trek from selling consumer-direct it might be their dumb-and-dumber grasp of the consumer. I'm not talking about marketing pizzazz or making their products appealing in other superficial ways. Rather, it's about building authentic brand accessibility to consumers. How many tales have I heard of consumers calling a bike company and getting told "You're not a dealer!" and all but getting hung up on by an inside sales rep (who makes 100% of their commission off of, of course, dealer sales?) Crap response times by manufacturers to consumer email sends the same message. Relying on brick-and-mortar as the sole means of giving consumers access to bikes or small parts overtly deprives them of the opportunity to buy -- arguably the ultimate way of turning them off.
- Excellent article by a rapidly rising star in cycling journalism, Podium Insight. In case you needed a reminder at the impact of the global economic mess on pro cycling, you get it here. At this point a year ago the 2009 NRC was projected to be 34 events with a total purse of $1.381m. Right now, the 2010 NRC is projected to be 27 races at $981k. And just a few days after this article was penned, the late season European semi-classic Rund um die Nürnberger Altstadt said kaput due to funding issues.
- I am an unrepentant voyeur. And cqranking makes it even easier with this, their semi-authoritative list of twittering PROs.
- The most important thing written about the bike biz in 2009? From an unexpected source: Bikesnobnyc. He's not his usual cynical-comic self here. Rather, it's his take on something that has long driven us batty: The bike industry's annual need to issue new model years on everything. Please, industry, quit devaluing our inventory investment in August every year!
- This guy has been following pro bike racing for, like, 15 minutes.
- A big week for banned words around here. This link to a funky new Boston bike shop terrified us. Not the shop, which we'd definitely buy a T-shirt from & who is getting kudos galore for their unpretentious disposition + the great party they put on last weekend. Rather, it's the name of the website linked above. "Curated"? Before 2009 was the verb "to curate" ever used out of the context of an art museum? The idea that day-in-day-out existence can be "curated" is a gross overestimation of the value of one's own experience of the quotidian. Have you noted (as, sadly, we have) the recent proliferation of the verb "curate" throughout hipster media outlets? These would-be tastemakers have a joyless, preening vibe ("preensters"?) and a trait they all likely share is the A- each got in a long-bygone Art History seminar b/c of the semester's worth of free weed they gave the professor in lieu of intellectual stimulation. The level of pretension-without-substance intrinsic to making a serious attempt of "curation" outside the museum context bespeaks grand insecurity. There's a long way between a curator and a docent. And I'm just the security guard over there asking you not to touch the paintings and praying to God to stay awake. So in case you're keeping score, our banned word list is: robust, artisan, and curate.
- Nomination for banned word #4: This one terrifies me. "PRO"? Two people, now, have said it's an inside joke with no fuel left in the tank. I use it as a tribute to the dearly departed Belgian Knee Warmers. It's a word that has meaning to me. I know what it implies. I'm getting resistance. I can't bear to ban it…but I've been in a banning mood of late…
Share this PageNovember 13, 2009
Cluster-bomb bolds? Y-teens font? How unkind. That's MY ACTUAL HANDWRITING, darn it. And the bolds are so people like you can read it quickly, before their lips get too tired.
But the more salient-- and given the procilities of your typical spokesniffer, even prurient-- point about the Bike 2.0 thesis has less to do with Specialized and Trek as with the approximately 60% of the bike business (and something on the order of 80% of the equipment business) they don't address-- and can't, because of the limitations in their business model.
The industry treats them as 800--pound gorillas, when actually, they're (given a thoretical milligorilla of, say, a thousand pounds) only about 100-150 pounds apiece. Very competent, effective companies, but, like so many bullies, not nearly as big as the rest of us seem to think they are.
But to your point, such as it may be: will the bike business move to the Internet? I think equipment will (and largely already has), but not bikes. You want to talk more about this, catch me on Twitter as @rick_vosper. I'm always glad to shoot the breeze with those who consider me "ripe for ridicule," which at this point includes just about anyone. Plus we can talk about linkbacks, pingbacks, and other newfangled forms of blog courtesy.
- Rick, For Smith, AR
October 29, 2009
I'm going to guess Speialized will buy Mavic.
If I'm right can I ride P-R sportive with ya? Or at least get a Belgian ale?
- Rob, Charlotte,NC
October 29, 2009
P-R sportive: I've done plenty of sportives (including 5 l'etapes, Flanders, Amstel). I cite this only as a qualification for the following observation: the P-R sportive is a truly unpleasant experience. Educational, yes. Fun? Nope. Not even in retrospect. Of course, this may be the whole point of the exercise. My fingers were swollen for a week afterward and I could open a jar for about 3 weeks following. Notwithstanding 27mm Vittoria Pave tubs on Ambrosio rims and riding in the gutter whenever I could, esp through the Trouee. I am never going back. Ever.
"Curate": Careful or BikeSnob will have you for plagiarism.
- Nota Flahute, London
October 28, 2009
My guess on who bids on Amer Sports is Zipp and Campagnelo. Probably not even close, but I wear a large just in case. While everyone is in the mood to ban words and phrases, how 'bout we just ban everyone from requesting words and phrases. It seems for every word or phrase people gripe enough until they aren't used, they're replaced by two or three more words everyone wants banned. Hell, with a trillion blogs and twitters and articles produced daily, there will be no end to it, so let's just laugh them off and let the bad ones go away on the own. Kind of a survival of the fittest words and phrases. I guess I'm just old school, but I find it surreal people want to ban the use of words. I suppose if they succeed, we could call it "The New America". Love and love to hate the posts, keep 'um coming. Well, maybe we should ban "'um".
- Ed, Franklin, KY
October 28, 2009
As a bike shop employee, let me just make it clear, that Trek and the big S do not treat LBSs any better.
But many bike companies prefer to deal with the bike shops because we're less likely to yell and accuse them of stuff, because we know how frustrating customers can be. I understand you're trying to play to your crowd, but be fair to brick and mortar shops as well, please.
- Lincoln, Saskatoon
October 28, 2009
I was about to chime in my 2 cents about customer service being totally hit or miss at the bike companies and I noticed someone mention a great experience with FSA- Great company who also went the extra mile when I had a crank that got rust on the spindle (my own fault for riding in winter and not cleaning...). The flipside is a company like Intense who I wrote in twice to and never got a response: They lost a sale.
- Frenchy, NYC
October 28, 2009
I don't get the arty boutique bike shops. You guys have a clean showroom and industrial design that showcases the product. In contrast, these punk hipster wannbees shops display bikes for the art part, not the ride 'em part. So not Pro.
- Edwin, Madison, WI
October 27, 2009
fender do not qualify as PRO, they qualify as SMRT.
- nacho libre, sans-cashville
October 27, 2009
I second banning "colorways"!
terrible word, used all the time...terribly.
- bruce friedman, center of the universe, boulder.
October 27, 2009
The USA Today columnist must be joking... And wasn't LA's stolen Trek a big publcity stunt...?
- mitch, newcastle, AUS
October 27, 2009
you better watch what you say about banning PRO. If it catches on, people may want to stop looking PRO, or riding a PRO ride, or training in the off-season and therefore not need those new race wheels to replace the old ones that became training wheels... and then you would be out of a job. PRO is why we do this and always will be. Trying to ban PRO is like trying to tell a 5 year old to stop pretending to be Superman.
- Clint, Somerville
October 27, 2009
I called Sram once because the lockring on my 1070 cassette wouldn't screw in any longer. They told me to ask around at a dealer's. As if a dealer would have an extra Sram cassette lockring? I told him I could make it work with a much heavier lockring from another company but wanted to use a lighter Sram one - he told me if I was that concerned about weight, I ought to get the 1090 cassette, i.e., spend $200 on another cassette because the damn lockring on the one I had didn't work. What the hell? As for the need to issue new models: as a consumer it can be awesome. I know when to buy bike equipment: October. My FSA K-Force Light crank cost me just over $400. That year's model cost around $650 up until October, the next year's model, released in November, with titanium bolts and a different paint scheme cost over $700. I think the difference was like 20 grams (and about $300). But yeah, generally speaking I don't get it either.
- Chris, Brooklyn
October 27, 2009
Totally OT: kudos for carrying a pretty full line of replacement freehub bodies. It's at the point (with the super-lightweight and super-not-at-all-durable aluminum freehubs) where you almost NEED to replace it when you replace a cassette.
- Chris, Little Rock
October 27, 2009
Please ban the phrase: "the new black"
- Yum Yum, Kansas City
October 27, 2009
Let's ban "Colorways"
- Gary, Detroit
October 27, 2009
Please ban "surreal." Seriously.
- RJ, Lincoln, NE
October 27, 2009
You also forgot to ban the words, gnarly, epic and oldschool...
- the yo, boston
October 27, 2009
I Sent an email to FSA requesting wave spring washers for their cranks. I was emailed back an hour later and asked for my address. I responded and asked if they could get them to me. The wrote back saying two were already in the mail. This took place over the course of 1.5 hours. Excellent customer service. Why can't all bike and parts manufacturers be like this? It's so easy, and I will be more inclined to buy FSA as a result.
- Fatboy, Denver
October 27, 2009
Dude, I am definitely thinking about it, that would make one more Canuck of one... you can give me the correct line all the way so I can be your ghost and take you in the velo !
- Marc, MOntreal
October 27, 2009
The 'Snob beat you on the curate hate: http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2009/10/curation-myths-some-assembly-required.html
Also, is it just me, or is the Superb bike shop just the old Boston Bicycle store tricked-out for artschool kids?
- Brian, Cambridge
