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is it just me or are bike trends getting old?

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biggins

Rump Junkie
May 18, 2003
7,173
9
i have just been noticing such a pattern of trends in bikes, fads if you will, over the last few years and it blows me away.

everyone wanted Banshee or Turner Dhr, then everyone wanted a VP-Free, then everyone wanted a v-10, the everyone wanted a morewood or Demo......

everyone wanted and Evil Emperial then a a DOC or an endless then everyone wanted some other hard tail that i am forgetting now everyone is getting a Union (which out of all those is my favortie).

i just dont understand the way these trends work. with a few exceptions none of the bikes are ground breaking in any way shape or form. i am not knocking the bikes at all they are damn fine and well crafted machines it is just amazing to me for some reason. I think we should start a betting pool to see which bike is gonna be the next trend.......

now that i think of it though most everything about biking is a trend. remember when everyone just had to have Profile cranks for like 6 months and then suddenly they were too heavy or too long? shouldnt people have noticed that before jumping on the "gotta have that new titanium/chromoly anodized 10 inch travel widget" bandwagon?Even trends come and go in the pictures taken of mountain biking so when 15 people all post pics of the local dh race or dirt jumps they all look styled the exact same.

i dont know i'll shut up now. feel free to discuss amongst yourselves.
 

biggins

Rump Junkie
May 18, 2003
7,173
9
LordOpie said:
marketing.

i feel ya i suffer bike ADD pretty damn bad but it seems like this attitude just leads to the demise of the smaller manufacturers. Only the big boys can pump out enoug hnew stuff every year to keep people comin back for more. its not like the bikes are any more amazing than the other "steel hardtail urban/park/trail frame with horizontal dropouts and blah blah blah...."

i dont know maybe its just me......
 

habitatxskate

blah blah blah
Mar 22, 2005
943
0
as you mentioned profile, i just got a used one for cheap, and i do love it..though i think its mroe of what the pros ride and the unique and exotic feel of them..(thats guna get me some bad feedback!) along with marketing like LordOpie said. Its more of the weight(for some riders) and the style(for other riders) it could be what your favorite pro rides or what is supproted by which rider.
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,768
8,762
biggins said:
i dont know maybe its just me......
i hear ya. dh still has advances in technology, however. the tires certainly have gotten a lot better, the forks lighter while maintaining plushness, and some (but not all -- how is kona still around?!) bad suspension designs have been weeded out.

fwiw, my xc bike is fully rigid, rocks Chris King and XTR stuff from 1996, v-brakes, the whole retro deal, and it's just as fun as any other ride. sure, i might take a little longer but smoothing out the whole trail isn't the point, at least not to me. on the other hand, i'm mainly a road biker these days so take this all with a large grain of salt... :oink:
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
43,110
15,187
Portland, OR
It's no different than any other industry. Cars, trucks, computers, games, bmx, road, mountain, you name it. That's what "trends" do, they grow old. Otherwise they wouldn't be trends, right?
 

manimal

Ociffer Tackleberry
Feb 27, 2002
7,213
22
Blindly running into cactus
i'm too poor to do much trend hopping...i plan on keeping my demo for a while, especially since i probably couldn't sell it anyway because of the super-dee-duper weld on the down tube :D

had i known that the demo would be EVERYWHERE this year....i still would have bought it :D
 

stevew

resident influencer
Sep 21, 2001
41,165
10,105
If I saw more people riding these frames, I'd be happy with that bandwagon....

 

Skookum

bikey's is cool
Jul 26, 2002
10,184
0
in a bear cave
i think trends are fine and dandy as long as they are practical and work for me. Otherwise they are stupid. Seems like there is just as much of a reverse trend of people getting something off the beaten path to just be different.

The focus should never be on what other people think (in terms of trendy bias), they're not going to be the persons riding it.
 

manhattanprjkt83

Rusty Trombone
Jul 10, 2003
9,660
1,237
Nilbog
I think this board is super trendy, esp in bike builds...I think if you really dig deep into the world of mtb's there isnt THAT much of a trend scene, its just the guys that spend alot of time online and like to post all the pics of their gear that are always changing it up.

^i am very guilty of this.

go ride.
 

fubar5

Monkey
Nov 5, 2001
206
0
Houston, TX
Singlespeeds and fixies seem to be the big trends right now. I have nothing against either of them, seeing as I how I ride both. A few years ago Surly, Webcyclery, and SingleSpeedOutlaw were really the only people on the scene, now even Fisher makes a SS and an Ebay fixie search actually gives results.

The trend doesn't really bother me though, sh!t happens as they say. I'll keep truckin' with one gear.
 

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
There will always be trends, and it is important to recognize that it is not about the bike.

I remember when I first started road cycling, and the trend was away from cloth tape to Cinelli cork, when aluminum frames overtook steel, or the onset of SIS (but not STI shifting brake levers). Trends come and go but riding still matters.
 

Full Trucker

Frikkin newb!!!
Feb 26, 2003
11,141
8,783
Exit, CO
I think "trends" are very regionally based. For instance... biggins is said that a few years ago "everyone wanted Banshee or Turner Dhr, then everyone wanted a VP-Free, etc..." But here in Colorado, I never really noticed a Banshee or Turner trend. Here we get Yeti (big time) and Specialized, some Kona's, a LOT of Santa Cruz, Intense.

Even here, it seems that trends of what people ride are really regional: i.e. a ton of people that live in Summit County (Keystone/Vail area) are riding Giant DH Teams, and a lot of Front Rangers are riding some sort of Santa Cruz (VP-Free, V-10, Blur 4X, all of them) or Specialized.

I think it's largely due to where manufacturers and teams are based: for instance, Yeti is located in Golden so we have a lot of them on the trails, but you hardly ever see a Brooklyn Machine Works (NYC) in Colorado. My guess is that Foes would be much more popular on the West Coast, near where they're made.

Also factor in price point: bikes that are more regionally "trendy" tend to be boutique, small company bikes and carry a higher tag (Yeti, BMW, Foes) and bikes that are trendy EVERYWHERE are more like "everyman" rides, like Specialized, Santa Cruz and Giant.

And of course, it could also be what the local shops carry. The shops in Summit County carry Giant, and thus a lot of Summit County riders seem to be rocking the DH Team or the Glory or whatever. Mojo Wheels in Denver is a huge Santa Cruz dealer, and is also the premier freeride/DH shop for the Front Range. Maybe the shops in biggins' (or your?) area carry certain brands, furthering the "trends" that you notice?

Okay, I really should be working now... I have to get some sh!t done so I can go to Deer Valley! Dang!
 

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
Why would you categorize "Yeti" in the same group as "Foes and BMW" and "Santa Cruz" w/ Spec and Giant? Yeti and SC are about the same thing, neither on par w/ Foes or BMW, but both different than Spec and Giant. Yetis are fine, but don't go overboard now.
 

Bicyclist

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2004
10,152
2
SB
Maybe because Yeti makes limited-edition super boutique bikes, where as Santa Cruz is super common.
 

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
Bicyclist said:
Maybe because Yeti makes limited-edition super boutique bikes, where as Santa Cruz is super common.
Please explain "super boutique" to me. SC makes their high end stuff in the states, with some very nice fab. How is a yeti different than that?
 

TN

Hey baby, want a hot dog?
Jul 9, 2002
14,301
1,353
Jimtown, CO
stevew said:
Kind of like beer drinking, wine tasting, and smoking pot.

A trendy thing you fall into.

Sorry, pal....All of the above have been around for waaaaayy too long to be trends. Try again.

...& I really don't drink much beer.

But being a prick on the internet....that may be a trend.
 

Bicyclist

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2004
10,152
2
SB
BurlyShirley said:
Please explain "super boutique" to me. SC makes their high end stuff in the states, with some very nice fab. How is a yeti different than that?
Ummm, does Yeti's "special projects" ring a bell?
 

lovebunny

can i lick your balls?
Dec 14, 2003
7,317
245
San Diego, California, United States
Full Trucker said:
I think "trends" are very regionally based. For instance... biggins is said that a few years ago "everyone wanted Banshee or Turner Dhr, then everyone wanted a VP-Free, etc..." But here in Colorado, I never really noticed a Banshee or Turner trend. Here we get Yeti (big time) and Specialized, some Kona's, a LOT of Santa Cruz, Intense.

Even here, it seems that trends of what people ride are really regional: i.e. a ton of people that live in Summit County (Keystone/Vail area) are riding Giant DH Teams, and a lot of Front Rangers are riding some sort of Santa Cruz (VP-Free, V-10, Blur 4X, all of them) or Specialized.

I think it's largely due to where manufacturers and teams are based: for instance, Yeti is located in Golden so we have a lot of them on the trails, but you hardly ever see a Brooklyn Machine Works (NYC) in Colorado. My guess is that Foes would be much more popular on the West Coast, near where they're made.

Also factor in price point: bikes that are more regionally "trendy" tend to be boutique, small company bikes and carry a higher tag (Yeti, BMW, Foes) and bikes that are trendy EVERYWHERE are more like "everyman" rides, like Specialized, Santa Cruz and Giant.

And of course, it could also be what the local shops carry. The shops in Summit County carry Giant, and thus a lot of Summit County riders seem to be rocking the DH Team or the Glory or whatever. Mojo Wheels in Denver is a huge Santa Cruz dealer, and is also the premier freeride/DH shop for the Front Range. Maybe the shops in biggins' (or your?) area carry certain brands, furthering the "trends" that you notice?

Okay, I really should be working now... I have to get some sh!t done so I can go to Deer Valley! Dang!
yeah thats just like california. in socal everyone and there mother has a turner DHR or an M3 but in norcal everyone has v10s with fox 40s
 

MikeD

Leader and Demogogue of the Ridemonkey Satinists
Oct 26, 2001
11,735
1,819
chez moi
When I was living in SoCal and riding at least once every weekend, and speding lots weekends up at Big Bear, this stuff was important to me. Now I just hope I can get a ride in sometime or other, on whatever I can ride on.

It's wierd...spent one single year not staying on top of the latest products online every day, and now when I go to the DH forum, it's half Greek to me.

MD
 

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
Bicyclist said:
Ummm, does Yeti's "special projects" ring a bell?
So because they make a couple limited editions they are all of a sudden more "boutique"? That's retarded.

Specialized has done much the same thing in the past w/ frames like the Enduro SX.

Boutique, ala FOES, and BMW has alot to do w/ cost and small amounts of product. Yeti makes plenty of cookie cutter frames just like SC. Get over it.
 

MikeD

Leader and Demogogue of the Ridemonkey Satinists
Oct 26, 2001
11,735
1,819
chez moi
MMike said:
Seriously.....How's Vouilloz doing this year BTW?
A real up-and-comer...I expect to see great things from this young man.
 

Full Trucker

Frikkin newb!!!
Feb 26, 2003
11,141
8,783
Exit, CO
BurlyShirley said:
So because they make a couple limited editions they are all of a sudden more "boutique"? That's retarded.

Specialized has done much the same thing in the past w/ frames like the Enduro SX.

Boutique, ala FOES, and BMW has alot to do w/ cost and small amounts of product. Yeti makes plenty of cookie cutter frames just like SC. Get over it.
Sorry friend, the point of my post was not to categorize each brand of bike as to whether they were boutique or not, but rather to put it out there for discussion the idea that "trends" of bikes is a regional phenomenon; based on where the manufacturers, their dealers, and their teams are located. Thusly, I put it out there that:

Yeti, whether or not you think they're a boutique builder (and admittedly they have qualities of both a boutique buidler and a 'big bike' company these days), is trendy in the Rocky Mountain region.

BMW's are seen primarily on the East Coast, and not as often in the Rockies or Cali. Also, when I think of an "East Coast" bike, I also think of Chumba Wunba for some reason, but that may be due to Lars Tribus being an East Coast guy and riding for them. I'm sure there are a bunch of Chumba's in Cali as well, but I think I know of a total of 1 or 2 here in the Rockies.

Foes are found much more often on the West Coast, it seems to me. As well as Intense being all SoCal oriented, although we get quite a few of them popping up at races here in Colorado as well.

Norco and Rocky Mountain = Canadia to me. Even though we have a few dealers in the area for these bikes, it seems that I rarely see them out on the trails or at the races. Or maybe it's just there's so many fvcking Yeti's and SC V-10's that I don't notice them? Anyways, maybe people on the coasts ride Norco and RM, but I don't notice them here, so the must be trendy somewhere else, right? ;)

Conversely, brands like Giant, Specialized, and SC have the marketing power and price points to be trendy on a national/international level.
 

stevew

resident influencer
Sep 21, 2001
41,165
10,105
TN said:
Sorry, pal....All of the above have been around for waaaaayy too long to be trends. Try again.

...& I really don't drink much beer.

But being a prick on the internet....that may be a trend.
hahaha, just a little sensitive.

I don't recall ever being a prick to you, but whatever sunshine.
 

Bicyclist

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2004
10,152
2
SB
BurlyShirley said:
So because they make a couple limited editions they are all of a sudden more "boutique"? That's retarded.

Specialized has done much the same thing in the past w/ frames like the Enduro SX.

Boutique, ala FOES, and BMW has alot to do w/ cost and small amounts of product. Yeti makes plenty of cookie cutter frames just like SC. Get over it.
The Enduro SX is nowhere like, say, the limited edition numbered 4X. But whatever floats your boat.
 

MikeD

Leader and Demogogue of the Ridemonkey Satinists
Oct 26, 2001
11,735
1,819
chez moi
Bunch of dudes fighting over whose boutique is more exclusive.

Not that there's anything wrong with that...

MD
 

Bicyclist

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2004
10,152
2
SB
MikeD said:
Bunch of dudes fighting over whose boutique is more exclusive.

Not that there's anything wrong with that...

MD
Now that I stepped back and realized what I was argueing about, it's pretty ridiculous. :dead:

Sorry...