Could anybody explain me how the fuck this works?
https://singletrackworld.com/2018/07/the-kinetic-works-quintessenz-could-be-the-last-frame-you-ever-buy/
Eurobike 2018
- Thread starter djjohnr
- Start date
Sales are really down for the industry on the more expensive bike front? I'm a bit out of the loop since I stopped writing to a dodgy site I worked with 2 years ago. Would the low sales have something in common with a confused and angry customer due to standards madness?
It's a single pivot faux bar linkage with a high pivot point and idler. Plus you can change the geometry of the whole thing. Good idea, don't know how stiff it is.Could anybody explain me how the fuck this works?
https://singletrackworld.com/2018/07/the-kinetic-works-quintessenz-could-be-the-last-frame-you-ever-buy/
Ah, you are right! I missed the small pivot right in front of the main one, where this geometry altering part is attached to the main swing arm.
That's a different story then. Small dual link with attached linkage driven shock. Interesting, will start up linkage at home.
That's just inflation on products aimed at upper middle class and richer people that's happening everywhere but yeah it's idiotic. Even direct order brands got expensive.
I don't have any specific's, but I read Bicycle retailer and Industry news and they give general quarterly reports and they have been going down for a few years. And if you have investors, all they know is "growth".
Even without that factor, it just seems like the industry is desperate for THE NEXT BIG THING. Disc brakes and full suspension are pretty old things. Carbon is waaaay old and overrated and they don't know what else to do.
So let's create a new category with all new parts and standards and stuff and get everybody all excited again. OK maybe fine. Yes, I do have a bit of a problem with making Lithium Ion fires a daily occurance, but what really bugs me is the media's blinders on to everything else. The media days before Eurobike were mostly a smattering of E-bike, to ride at a bike park on a lift.
And I was told last year that if I didn't have an e-bike in the line up, nobody in Europe would carry my bikes. My "bio" bikes, which I now just heard are "analog" bikes.
cuz, you know, they can't just be bikes without a motor.
i think low sales are mainly because bikes have gotten pretty good over the last few years and not much better has happened. I've heard from some of my customers that have money that said they've wanted a new bike, but they demo everything and they're not any better than their old bike. and they were pissed because they had money to spend.
I guess they haven't heard of n+1? (or is that n-1?). People, you're not limited to one bike you know!
Whilst my n=6 I've no great need to change any of them and I certainly don't need to add a moped to my collection.
ooooh, I just had an idea!
maybe the Industry tm can now focus on developing new and imprvoed standards specifically for e-bikes. and leave the rest of us the fuck alone.
So low sales are because of the dentists?!
Send them to me. I am getting pretty good at rationalizing new bike purchases even when I have a perfectly fine bike from only a few years ago. I am about to pull the trigger on a new Full-Enduro-Bro Wunderbike and even my wife thinks it's a good idea!
Pretty much the only argument against the new bike purchase is that it implies I will be kicked out of the "I ride 26 because Fuck You" club. That makes me sad.
They have been into bitcoin-fueled adrenaline rush instead.
Dentists have realized rapidly that an eBike costs about 2 grands more than a similarly spec'ed normal bike. They have already switched to more efficient money-burning projects than simple muscle-powered bikes.
Needs a dropper post
It was dentists back when bikes only cost $7000.
Now it's hedge fund managers. Get with the times.
Yeah but all sales means the huge majority of those are cheap bikes in the sub 1200$ category not the producs we talk about here. For big companies bikes that are your competition don't really influence their bottom line. It's like icing on the cake more than anything.
As for the next big thing - they were desperate for that since 10-12 years. Every year they are pushing something new VERY hard and are super confident it will catch on. Plus wheels were pushed as the next big thing, same 35mm only slowly became reasonably popular but they have not completely pushed out 31.8 despite the industry pushing for that for 8 years. Also there have been some great changes that have helped sales on the enduro market - dropper posts and 1-11 drivetrains. That doesn't work for bike mfgs but for enduro you have so much room for improvement this is stupid. DH bikes are pretty dialed but Enduro and trailbike geometry is still evolving, many companies have absolutely atrocious suspension design (though they are often saved by progress in damping and people not knowing how to set up their own suspension).
Just go to the Taiwan event that happens every winter if I remember correct and you will hear about 3-5 next big things that will never happen that year.
Where are the aftermarket idlers??
Or just some sort of clamp on device like those primitive chain tensioner pulleys that were meant to be mounted mid chainstay 15 years ago.
Looks like dimension and Planet X still have some versions of those.
Looks like dimension and Planet X still have some versions of those.
I'd say they should be pretty burly, since the torque exerted by the chain would bend anything dangling from a ISCG mount.
So uh... GT I-Drive?
Not really. The two pulleys on drive side play a role too. Had no time to figure it out yet.