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What happened to Canfield Bros?

sbabuser

Turbo Monkey
Dec 22, 2004
1,119
57
Golden, CO
The new Balance frame looks good, although I might like a steeper seat tube angle (actual or effective). And I've got as much use for a water bottle cage as I do for 29" wheels. More weight on the wheels/ frame? No thanks.
 

slimshady

¡Mira, una ardilla!
If you look at the specs of he Ripmo AF, you wouldn't be able to build that bike from the frame up for that price. No chance.
Most Euro brands dot this. Try to build a YT, Canyon, Rose or any other German brand by yourself, you'll find the price of the components is higher than the complete bike by a big margin. I always thought they partially financed those bikes by smuggling coke or opium from the Far East inside the frames.
 
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maxyedor

<b>TOOL PRO</b>
Oct 20, 2005
5,496
3,141
In the bathroom, fighting a battle
I have heard from several places that Ibis themselves have been surprised by the success of the Ripmo AF. I also disagree about the $3K aluminum bike market - at least in the PNW, the number of aggressive and smartly-spec'd builds with alloy frames have spiked very sharply, mostly driven by Transition's latest crop of bikes. People are starting to realize that they care a bit less about weight with modern drivetrains and suspension performance, and prioritization of spending seems to be going more towards suspension and wheels.

If you look at the specs of he Ripmo AF, you wouldn't be able to build that bike from the frame up for that price. No chance. Ibis has the benefit of bulk orders, and they're doing a nice job of passing that benefit onto the customers. They prioritized suspension, and deprioritized semi-disposable wear parts. Sure, the NX drivetrain is heavy, but it actually works fairly well in my experience. Meanwhile, Specialized comes to market with their new Enduro, which, if you want non-S-Works, is ludicrously expensive and has a totally garbage spec if you ask me.
Entirely possible that it's a regional thing, also possible that Ibis had very low expectations and was surprised they sold more than a handful of the Ripmo AF.

No complete bike can be built for less when buying the parts individually, but that wasn't my point. With the Ripmo AF and even moreso the Canfield, these are niche bikes from boutique brands. If you're knowledgeable enough to know who Canfield is, I imagine you're also aware of how cheap used bikes are. There's for sure a segment of riders who don't want carbon, but again, like anybody who would actually know who Ibis or Canfield are, you're talking about a knowledgable rider who's been around for a while. Entry level bikes are aluminum due to price, not preference. You can get a lightly used Transition Patrol or Smuggler alloy with a kick ass build, better suspension and better wheels for the same kind of money as a Ripmo AF, or this Balance. A new rider seems most likely to "have to" buy a brand new bike, seems least likely to see the value in the higher end suspension or wheels, and least likely to buy a boutique brand, and especially won't buy a direct-to-consumer bike like Canfield or YT.

Making your "hardcore" bike downmarket just doesn't make much sense to me, but again I'm not nearly enough of a lizard to know the exact ins and outs of the industry.
 

djjohnr

Turbo Monkey
Apr 21, 2002
3,109
1,799
Northern California
Entirely possible that it's a regional thing, also possible that Ibis had very low expectations and was surprised they sold more than a handful of the Ripmo AF.

No complete bike can be built for less when buying the parts individually, but that wasn't my point. With the Ripmo AF and even moreso the Canfield, these are niche bikes from boutique brands. If you're knowledgeable enough to know who Canfield is, I imagine you're also aware of how cheap used bikes are. There's for sure a segment of riders who don't want carbon, but again, like anybody who would actually know who Ibis or Canfield are, you're talking about a knowledgable rider who's been around for a while. Entry level bikes are aluminum due to price, not preference. You can get a lightly used Transition Patrol or Smuggler alloy with a kick ass build, better suspension and better wheels for the same kind of money as a Ripmo AF, or this Balance. A new rider seems most likely to "have to" buy a brand new bike, seems least likely to see the value in the higher end suspension or wheels, and least likely to buy a boutique brand, and especially won't buy a direct-to-consumer bike like Canfield or YT.

Making your "hardcore" bike downmarket just doesn't make much sense to me, but again I'm not nearly enough of a lizard to know the exact ins and outs of the industry.
These are the exact types of bikes that I recommend to friends who ask about what bike to buy once they decide they really want to get into the sport and want a full suspension bike. They don't want to spend $5k but they also don't want to buy used.
 

jstuhlman

bagpipe wanker
Dec 3, 2009
17,314
14,123
Cackalacka du Nord
These are the exact types of bikes that I recommend to friends who ask about what bike to buy once they decide they really want to get into the sport and want a full suspension bike. They don't want to spend $5k but they also don't want to buy used.
y no used? i haven't bought a new bike since...like 2001(?)
 

jstuhlman

bagpipe wanker
Dec 3, 2009
17,314
14,123
Cackalacka du Nord
Depends on the person, but most want to start with something new either because 1) they don't know enough to evaluate what may need to be fixed on a used bike or how to fix it 2) they buy new things in general.
yeah, i know...i was just kinda being an ass. happens sometimes :D
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
88,641
26,885
media blackout
No ;)

I messaged them on FB to see how much reach/stack changes with a 180mm single crown in 27.5 mode.
revisiting this, what's wrong with the stack? its pretty much in line with the supreme 29, which is 638mm across all sizes. the canfield is 620/629/938 across sizes 1/2/3

note: i had been confused, i was looking at standover thinking it was stack, and it seemed way high.
 

djjohnr

Turbo Monkey
Apr 21, 2002
3,109
1,799
Northern California
revisiting this, what's wrong with the stack? its pretty much in line with the supreme 29, which is 638mm across all sizes. the canfield is 620/629/938 across sizes 1/2/3

note: i had been confused, i was looking at standover thinking it was stack, and it seemed way high.
Trend lately is higher stack with 29ers, but all my bikes are 600-610 stack at 460 to 470 reach. I can run higher if a bike is long/slack enough, but that requires a test ride to make sure.

Commencal Clash is 467/612 in large
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
88,641
26,885
media blackout
Trend lately is higher stack with 29ers, but all my bikes are 600-610 stack at 460 to 470 reach. I can run higher if a bike is long/slack enough, but that requires a test ride to make sure.

Commencal Clash is 467/612 in large
Commencal clash isn't a full blown dh bike, so it's not the best comparison. That's why I referenced the supreme.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
88,641
26,885
media blackout
My large Glory is 461 (466 w/ reach adjust headset)/599
is your glory 275 or 29?

the glory is on the low end if 29. this new One isn't off the charts. it's on the high end with a number of other popular bikes. like the supreme i already mentioned, spec demo: 633. trek session is a little shorter at 619. norco aurum is 617. but the 275 version of it is 592-612 depending on size.
 

djjohnr

Turbo Monkey
Apr 21, 2002
3,109
1,799
Northern California
is your glory 275 or 29?

the glory is on the low end if 29. this new One isn't off the charts. it's on the high end with a number of other popular bikes. like the supreme i already mentioned, spec demo: 633. trek session is a little shorter at 619. norco aurum is 617. but the 275 version of it is 592-612 depending on size.
Nope, not off the charts for a 29er. In general I don't like the stack height of 90% of 29ers (my main opposition to them), mostly due to short legs/long torso.
 

fwp

Monkey
Jun 5, 2013
415
410
Just Listened to Chris Canfield on the inside line podcast, sounds like a pretty cool guy that is passionate about DH and making bike suspension better. Unfortunately he said there will not be a new Jedi coming out, and if I heard him correctly he will be trying to qualify to race the 2020 WC DH circuit, which is super ballsy.
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
21,902
21,425
Canaderp
Just Listened to Chris Canfield on the inside line podcast, sounds like a pretty cool guy that is passionate about DH and making bike suspension better. Unfortunately he said there will not be a new Jedi coming out, and if I heard him correctly he will be trying to qualify to race the 2020 WC DH circuit, which is super ballsy.
He looks to have placed 19th at Windrock over the weekend, almost 23 seconds back from Norton.
 

ZHendo

Turbo Monkey
Oct 29, 2006
1,661
147
PNW
Just Listened to Chris Canfield on the inside line podcast, sounds like a pretty cool guy that is passionate about DH and making bike suspension better. Unfortunately he said there will not be a new Jedi coming out, and if I heard him correctly he will be trying to qualify to race the 2020 WC DH circuit, which is super ballsy.
Listened to that too, he seems like a cool guy but also seems to have some very strong opinions about his designs and preferences, came across a little preachy at times to be honest. His whole thing about how all pro riders should be riding cranks under 160mm, how his suspension is superior to literally every other design, how chainstays should be as short as possible, etc. I get that he's trying to build a brand around CBF suspension and all, but I always enjoy the perspectives a bit more when guys are able to speak to what they like about other designs, other new and interesting concepts in the industry, etc. versus just hyping their own stuff. He did say he has some new suspension patents in the works which will be coming out this year...
 

fwp

Monkey
Jun 5, 2013
415
410
He looks to have placed 19th at Windrock over the weekend, almost 23 seconds back from Norton.
Choosing to ride the Mullet Jedi, thats an interesting way to market the new DH Bike??:wtf:
Him and his brother must be on pretty bad terms or the Jedi is a better bike, or both if I had to guess.
Either way 19th is damn respectable, especially considering he is 43.