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What exactly is going on at IronHorse

klunky

Turbo Monkey
Oct 17, 2003
1,078
6
Scotland
So everyone knows that things in Iron Horse are changing and it looks like its not exactly for the best but I am confused as to what exactly is happening.

I.H. Dropped the DW link. Fair enough they are going to concentrate on the lower end of the market. I guess Dropping the DW link saves them some money on License fees etc. DW link is expensive to manufacture (according to posts I have read on here) so again it will save some money.

IH then announce that they will not be selling bikes to IBDs. They will only be selling bikes to giant wallmart style chains.

IH then announce that they are moving to Ellsworth ICT So now they are paying a license fee and producing a "high end" bike again?

Will Iron Horse have a race team next year? Will any teams be running IH bikes?

Europe seem to still be selling in IBDs and still have DW link bikes available for 2009 so why available for Europe and not USA?


Any thoughts/comments/answers on this appreciated.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,562
24,182
media blackout
The big question is, who cares? I've ridden Ellesworth's ICT's before. They are really nice bikes. What IH will do with it... we're gonna have to wait and see. Personally, I'd be surprised if they still have a WC race team.
 

seand

Monkey
Nov 22, 2003
790
0
seattle
I thought that the Sunday and other dw-link'd bikes were still available, through RSC only, stateside as long as they were sold by March when the licensing expires. Is that not correct?

Either way, at this point it doesn't matter.
 

BlazinDayz

Chimp
Jun 6, 2008
7
0
IH is likely still selling the DW link bikes in Europe cause its open market there as far as patents go. Take a look @ some of the bikes sold in Europe, from Lapierre to Stevens, they all have a linkage that's otherwise untouchable here.
 

Zark

Hey little girl, do you want some candy?
Oct 18, 2001
6,254
7
Reno 911
Who cares? They thumb their nose at IBD's, ditch the best suspension design on the market and will soon bail on the race scene. Fvck em.
 

buildyourown

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2004
4,832
0
South Seattle
Who cares? They thumb their nose at IBD's, ditch the best suspension design on the market and will soon bail on the race scene. Fvck em.
Plus, from what I understand, everyone who made Iron Horse what it was, has left.
It seems strange that they would just kill the brand, but that seems to be whats happening.
 

Hesh To Steel

Monkey
Dec 12, 2007
661
1
Hell's Kitchen
The funny thing is, that for the 08 season they seemed to drop all their low wnd suspension bikes and sold only dw stuff. As far as I know there were no 08 yakuzas. But yeah, like others have said, who cares?
 

w00dy

In heaven there is no beer
Jun 18, 2004
3,417
51
that's why we drink it here
Sad truth, there's much more money in volume low-end sales.

Do well for a couple of years to get your name out there and then go dredging to rake in some dough. Not a bad plan. Maybe that's why Mongoose is making decent bikes again...
 

eRod

Chimp
May 16, 2007
85
0
Jettj45 IH was only popular b/c of Sam Hill and DW. The End.


You forgot the fact that the IH Sunday has something like 6 UCI world championships under its belt. I think its a little more than Sam and DW. I'm going to go out on a limb here but the Sunday is ONE of the sickest performing DH race bikes ever made. Will there be better to come from other companies? Absolutely. Are there other great DH bikes out there now? Yes. My point is that anyone who says they were only popular because Sam rode one or DW designed them is fooling themselves. The Sunday is proven. Period.
 

Udi

RM Chief Ornithologist
Mar 14, 2005
4,915
1,200
I think its a little more than Sam and DW. I'm going to go out on a limb here but the Sunday is ONE of the sickest performing DH race bikes ever made.
I don't disagree at all, the sunday is a killer racebike if not the best, but DW was responsible for a lot more than the suspension design. DW was 100% responsible for the geometry as far as I know, which is a big part of makes the bike what it is... I believe he had a hand in the geometry on the later SGS's as well.

Sam just helped make it damn popular. But yeah, I'd say those two guys had a lot to do with a) the bike being good and b) the bike actually selling, respectively. With them both gone I don't see the company going anywhere. I'll still happily ride mine though. :)
 

klunky

Turbo Monkey
Oct 17, 2003
1,078
6
Scotland
I wonder if the new Sunday (with ICT) will be closer to an SGS in terms of build quality than a Sunday with DW.....
 

Santa Maria

Monkey
Aug 29, 2007
653
0
Austria
the question is, which bike out there could possibly be an alternative to the sunday?

Actually i don't a see a lot, maybe the 2010 Glory.

On the other hand I don't think that IH will totally stopp sponsoring WC teams. They only think that I heard is that monster will switch frames, so will maxxis. Truth or rumors - we will see

No word on playbiker ironhorse or Ben Reid etc.yet
 

Damo

Short One Marshmallow
Sep 7, 2006
4,603
27
French Alps
The boys on Playbiker IronHorse are willing to buy a load of Sunday frames just to be able to be on them next year too.

Don't forget IH can still sell the Sunday next year, so there is no reason we won't be seeing them on the WC circuit.

And IH didn't drop the DW licence, DW dropped IH.