Monday, November 30, 2015

Santa Cruz Driver 8

This is a medium (17.5") 2012 Santa Cruz Driver 8 in great shape.  These bikes rock.  It's the do-all resort bike -- FR, DH, whatever. 

The highlights:

- 17.5" (Medium) 2012 Santa Cruz Driver 8 aluminum frameset
- Cane Creek Double Barrel rear shock
- Rock Shox Totem front fork
- DT Swiss disc wheelset
- Shimano Saint rear derailleur / Saint rear shifter
- Avid XO carbon hydraulic disc brakes
- TruVativ Descendant crankset
- Pedals not included

SOLD.


Sunday, November 29, 2015

Ventana El Cuervo

This is a mint-condition, showroom-condition 2011 Ventana El Cuervo that was ridden 5-times ... 2 races, and 3 days at the lifts.  Since then, I've installed a BRAND-NEW 2015 Marzocchi 380 CR that's never been ridden.  I'm a Marzocchi dealer, so the fork comes with the original factory warranty.

This bike was built up originally by Go-Ride here in Salt Lake City.  It's a beast; this was the last year of the El Cuervo.  Bike is just awesome.

The highlights:

- 17.5" (Medium) 2011 Ventana El Cuervo aluminum frameset, MINT CONDITION
- Fox Vanilla RC rear shock
- 2015 Marzocchi 380 CR front fork - BRAND-NEW
- Azonic Outlaw disc wheelset
- Sram X.7 rear derailleur / X.7 rear shifter
- TruVativ Hussefelt crankset
- Avid Elixir 5 hydraulic disc brakes
- Pedals not included

SOLD.

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Transition BottleRocket

This is a lime-green/yellowing 2012 16" (Medium) Transition BottleRocket in great shape.  It's super run to ride.  Only thing it needs is a replacement bolt near the crankset where the frame meets the rear triangle; I'm currently trying to track one down from Transition.

The highlights:

- 16" (Medium) 2012 Transition BottleRocket aluminum frameset
- Fox DHX RC2 rear shock
- X-Fusion Vengeance Air front fork
- Revolution 32 disc wheelset
- Sram X.7 rear derailleur / rear shifter
- Sram integrated crankset
- Avid Elixir 7 hydraulic disc brakes
- Flats included

SOLD.

Titus ML-1

This is a great 'original' Titus from the guys down in Tempe -- who broke away and formed Pivot.  Anywho, this is a large (19") American-made 2008 Titus ML-1 (Moto-Lite), totally stock, in great shape.

Check out the original spec's and value on BlueBook: http://www.bicyclebluebook.com/searchlistingdetail.aspx?id=3032462

And some reviews: http://www.mtbr.com/cat/bikes/allmtn-full-suspension/titus/ml-1/prd_417927_1547crx.aspx

The highlights:

- 19" (Large) Titus ML-1 aluminum frameset
- Fox RP2 rear shock
- Fox Talas front fork
- Mavic CrossRide disc wheelset
- Sram X.7 rear / Shimano LX front derailleurs
- TruVativ Firex integrated crankset
- Sram X.7 rapid-fire shifters
- Formula hydraulic disc brakes
- Pedals not included

SOLD.

Friday, November 27, 2015

Cannondale Prophet 600

This is a Petite (Small - Female-Specific) 16" 2005 Cannondale Prophet 600 in good shape.  The Lefty has lock-out and it working great.  The only issue is the rear brake (Hayes) needs a bleed.

The stock spec's: http://bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeSpecs.aspx?year=2005&brand=Cannondale&model=Prophet+600

The highlights:

- 16" (Petite) 2005 Cannondale Prophet aluminum frameset
- Manitou Radium R air rear shock
- Cannondale Lefty 100 DLR front fork
- Sun DS-1 XC / Coda disc wheelset
- Shimano XT rear / LX front derailleurs
- Shimano Deore rapid-fire shifters
- TruVativ Blaze ISIS crankset
- Coda hydraulic front disc brake
- Hayes Nine hydraulic rear disc brake (needs a bleed)
- Pedals not included

SOLD.

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Santa Cruz V10

This is a sweet 17" (Small) 2010 Santa Cruz V10.2 in awesome shape; it was custom powder-coated and the frame is super-clean.  I just installed a brand-new 2015 Marzocchi 380 CR today; I'm a Marzocchi dealer so the fork comes with the original factory warranty.

The highlights:

- 17" (Small) 2010 Santa Cruz V10 aluminum frameset
- Pushed Fox DHX 5.0 rear shock
- Brand-New 2015 Marzocchi 380 CR front fork
- Gravity DH disc wheelset
- Sram X.9 rear derailleur / X.7 rear shifter
- Avid Juicy hydraulic rear brake
- Shimano Saint hydraulic front brake
- Race Face Evolve DH crankset
- Thomson Elite setback seatpost
- DH flats included

SOLD.

Specilized SX Trail

This is a 16" (Medium) 2009 Specialized SX Trail 1 that's been custom powder-coated and upgraded.

The stock spec's: http://bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeSpecs.aspx?year=2009&brand=Specialized&model=SX+Trail+I

The highlights:

- 16" (Medium) Specialized SX Trail aluminum frameset
- Fox DHX 5.0 rear shock (New)
- RockShox Domain RC front fork
- DT Swiss / Specialized disc wheelset
- Sram X.9 rear derailleur / X.7 rear shifter
- Race Face integrated crankset (New)
- Avid Elixir CR hydraulic disc brakes (New)
- Race Face riserbark (New)
- DH flats included

SOLD.

Monday, November 23, 2015

Santa Cruz Blur XC

This is a large (19.5") Santa Cruz Blur XC in great shape; there's a few scratches on the frame but nothing out of the ordinary. The rear triangle was replaced by Santa Cruz a few years back.

The highlights:

- 19.5" (Large) 2007 Santa Cruz Blur XC aluminum frameset
- Fox Float R rear shock
- Fox Float R front fork
- Mavic / Shimano XT disc wheelset / running Tubeless
- Shimano XT rear / LX front derailleurs
- Shimano LX rapid-fire shifters
- Shimano LX integrated crankset
- Avid Juicy hydraulic disc brakes
- Pedals not included

SOLD.

Norco A-Line

This is a 17" (Medium) 2010 Norco A-Line in great shape; the Fox 40 RC2 is working great, although there is a little stanchion rub on the right stanchion, but there's no leaking out.

The stock spec's: http://www.norco.com/bike-archives/2010/aline/

The highlights:

- 17" (Medium) Norco A-Line aluminum frameset
- Fox DHX 3.0 rear shock
- Fox 40 RC2 front fork
- Sun-Ringle Jumping Flea disc wheelset
- Sram X.9 rear derailleur / X.9 rear shifter
- Avid Code hydraulic disc brakes
- Race Face Respond DH integrated crankset
- Pedals not included

SOLD.


Thursday, November 19, 2015

The (Head-Scratching) Fat Bike/r

My all-time favorite television show is The Simpsons, for a number of reasons.  One of my favorite episodes is when Homer joins the naval reserve.  Homer is sitting on the couch watching ‘exploitation theatre’ when the following commercial airs over the television:


‘Daybreak, Jakarta; the proud men and women of the Navy are fighting for freedom; but you’re in Lubbock, Texas, hosing stains off a monument.  You’re in the Naval Reserve; America’s 17th line of defense, between the Mississippi National Guard and the League of Women Voters.  After leaving training, you only have to work one weekend a month, and most of that time you’re drunk off your ass.’

I still laugh about that clip, even to this day.  Perhaps it’s an inside joke.  In any case, here’s a clever spin on it:

‘Daylight, Aspen, the filthy rich ski-bums are out hitting the slopes; but you’re stuck in your biking shoes and thermal tights.  You’re a fat-biker.  Rather than conform to the seasons and realize that it’s a blizzard outside, you refuse to admit that bikes aren’t meant for the snow.  Why enjoy the comforts of a ski-lodge and snow bunnies when you can freeze your ass off in the middle of nowhere?’






You see, I’m not a fan of the fat-bike (or those who ride them).  Why?  Well, unless you’re one of the 1% (literally) that happen to live on the beaches of either California or Florida, chances are that you’ve put your mountain bike away for the season.  I’m sure there are some hard-core junkies out there who just can’t get enough and will put on the layers to hit a few trails here and there, but for us in Regularville, we’ve officially called it quits for 2015.  That is, all of us except the Fabbers (hey, that works … Fat-bikers…fabbers…).
Ugh, the fat biker.  The cycling version of a doped-out surfer-bum.  

While I was the sales and marketing coordinator for Ellsworth Hand-Crafted Bicycles, Tony Ellsworth was hard at work designing and planning for the eventual release of their carbon hardtail fatbike: the Buddha.  Ellsworth had big plans and high-hopes of the Buddha being the new flagship of the brand that would put it back on the map of relevancy within the industry.  I was never so ambitious, but that’s a blog post for another day.  Suffice it to be said that putting all of your eggs into the fat bike basket won’t make you or your company relevant within the industry unless your company name is Borealis or Salsa.

You see, for the vast majority of ‘normal’ weekend warriors, one or two bikes is the extent of your arsenal.  A mountain and a road.  For that rare breed of individual who can afford a garage full of toys, perhaps their sixth bike will be a fat bike; but it’s rare.  This is why the attempt to turn the fat-bike into an everyday bike has failed (in my humble opinion).  Riding a 4” wide tire on hard-packed single-track isn’t ideal, no matter how you try to market it.  You’re not going to hit Slickrock on a fat-bike.  Heck, even a 2.35” tire on Slickrock is pushing it (I prefer a 2.1”).  You won’t hit Whistler with a fat-bike.  Not Fruita, not Downeyville, not Bend.  So, hypothetically speaking, where does a fat-bike actually make sense?  Perhaps the middle of the Sonora desert?  Huntington Beach?  A frozen lake in the middle of January?  Sounds like fun, doesn’t it?
More than anything, there’s a legitimate reason why fat-bikes and fat-bikers are beginning to deserve some wrath from the rest of the riding public: have you ever seen what a fat bike does to a wet/damp/muddy trail?  It isn’t pretty.

In Utah, there are various groups of individuals who are highly involved in the planning and construction of new trails; they’re also very hawkish about maintaining those trails.  No matter where you live, chances are there’s a group of individuals who are highly invested, very interested and very anal about the condition of their local trails.  While even 10-years ago the industry norm for mountain biking was mixed-use trails where hikers, bikers and horse-back riders were to share the trail, more and more biking-specific trails are popping up.  Mountain biking suddenly has a lot more clout; the industry has evolved.  People care, and I mean CARE, about ‘their’ trails – and nothing aggravates mountain bikers more than trails that have been torn up and destroyed.  You used to be able to blame a horse for that, but not anymore.  The vast majority of trail destruction can be blamed on bikes themselves.  In Utah, most damage comes during the ‘wet’ season.  Although in the late Spring-time many trails remain soft, they are rarely wet (we live in a desert).  The only time of year when trails are truly wet/damp is in the winter and early spring, when snow is on still on the ground … which is precisely when the average Joe-six-pack fat-biker is hitting the trails.

As I mentioned earlier, I’m not a fan.  I think they’re a fad if there ever was one.  I know this because I build and sell 300 used bikes a year, and I’ve never sold a single fat bike.  Now, there are various reasons for this: 1) the margins aren’t there, 2) the market isn’t there, and 3) I never build a bike that I personally wouldn’t ride.  Man created 2.35” Maxxis Minions for a reason; he also created the Fox Float 36 for a reason.  Why would I want to jump onto a bike with 4”-wide tires and only 100mm of travel (if that) in the middle of winter when I can drive 25-minutes from my home and be at Alta or Snowbird?   The answer is I wouldn’t.  Nobody rides a fat bike because they’re ‘fun’.  Now, perhaps the guys at Borealis or Salsa would try to convince you that the fat bike is a legitimate everyday bike, and there is definitely a small minority of rabid fans of it out there, but in the real world, they’re few and far-between.  There’s just enough of them to be really, really annoying.    

The trend of the fat bike, at least in Utah, has been relegated to the off-season.  I saw just one guy riding a fat bike this past summer here on the local trails, and he looked like an idiot.  Fat-bikers come out of their parents basement come October (much like CXers).  When every other sensible cyclist has put away their bikes for the year, the fat-biker just can’t get enough.  When it’s 38 degrees outside and flurrying, you can rest assured there’s some idiot on a fat-bike covered in mud destroying your favorite trail.  

The off-season needs to stay the off-season: for the vast majority of bikers, that means you put away your biking shoes and put on your ski boots.  When there’s a foot of fresh snow on the ground, that means you strap your feet onto a board or two skis, not your clipless pedals.    


About the author: Tyler Pace runs Anex Bicycles from his home in Cottonwood Heights, Utah.  He rides a Titus El Guapo, a Titus FTM, and a sweet Yoeleo road bike.  He built two sweet bikes for his wife, but she’s never ridden either of them … ugh!

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Rocky Mountain Flatline Pro

This is a 17" (Medium) 2012 Rocky Mountain Flatline Pro in good shape; it does have scuffs and scratches, but no dents or cracks.  The brakes need a bleed; hence, the insanely good price. 

Check out the review: http://dirtragmag.com/review-rocky-mountain-flatline-pro/

The highlights:

- 2012 17" (Medium) Rocky Mountain Flatline Pro aluminum frameset
- Fox DHX 5.0 Pro-Pedal rear shock
- Marzocchi 888 EVO V.2 front fork
- Wheeltech / Rocky Mountain disc wheelset
- Sram X.9 rear derailleur / X.5 rear shifter
- Sram Descendant integrated crankset
- Shimano Zee hydraulic disc brakes (Need bleeds)
- Pedals not included

SOLD.


Monday, November 16, 2015

Santa Cruz Butcher

This is a 19" (Large) 2012 Santa Cruz Butcher in great shape; it's been used but not abused.  The frame has the scratches and scuffs you'd expect from riding a bike of this caliber, but no dents or cracks to speak of.

The review: http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Santa-Cruz-Butcher-Tested.html

The highlights:

- 19" (Large) Santa Cruz Butcher aluminum frameset
- Fox RP23 w/ BoostValve rear shock (due for service)
- Rock Shox Revelation Race front fork
- Mavic X-321 disc wheelset (XT hubs)
- Shimano XT 10-speed rear derailleur / Dynasis XT front derailleur
- Shimano SLX Dynasis rapid-fire shifters
- Shimano SLX 2x integrated crankset
- Avid Elixir hydraulic disc brakes
- Flats included

SOLD.

Friday, November 13, 2015

Turner DHR

This is a medium (17") 2006 Turner DHR in great shape with high-end parts throughout.

Check out the Turner site for spec's: http://www.turnerbikes.com/turner-pdf/catalog/2006_turnerbikes_catalog.pdf

The highlights:

- 17" (Medium) Turner DHR aluminum frameset, Made in California
- Fox DHX 5.0 w/ external piggy-back Pro-Pedal
- Marzocchi 888 RC front fork
- Syncros / Hadley disc wheelset
- Sram X.O. rear derailleur / X.9 rear shifter
- Hope hydraulic disc brakes (front needs bleed)
- Race Face crankset
- Thomson Elite seatpost
- DH flats included

SOLD.

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Trek Fuel EX 8

This is a large (19.5" virtual, 18.5" actual) 2009 Trek Fuel EX 8 in great shape; there's one small dent on the chainstay but it doesn't harm the integrity. 

The stock spec's: http://bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeSpecs.aspx?year=2009&brand=Trek&model=Fuel+EX+8

The highlights:

- Large 2009 Trek Fuel EX 8 aluminum frameset
- Fox RP2 rear shock w/ Pro-Pedal
- Fox Float RL front fork w/ lock-out
- Mavic X-717 disc wheelset on DT Swiss hubs
- Shimano XT rear / SLX front derailleurs
- Shimano SLX rapid-fire shifters
- Shimano XT integrated crankset
- Hayes Stroker front brake
- Avid Juicy rear brake
- Pedals not included

SOLD.

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

HUH? Second-Guessing the Forced Extinction of the 26" Wheel



HUH?  Second-Guessing the Forced Extinction of the 26” Wheel
by Tyler Pace

In business, like life, only two things are certain: death and taxes.  Death in business isn’t like it is in life: in life you simply stop breathing, which results in physical death.  In business, death comes in a different fork: declining sales.  When a business runs out of ‘breath’, unless it finds a new source of income (think of income as oxygen), it will die.  Hence, why constantly searching for new and emerging markets to grab a share of is so important.  Do you think Apple would be the biggest corporation on the planet if they still only made the Macintosh desktop?  Of course not!  

In the cycling industry, this rule is most certainly true.  The ability to diversify and offer more products (as opposed to less) is key to the ability to diversify and grow.  When a niche within the industry emerges, competition is quick to gobble up market share.  Once all of the money has been sucked out of that sector of the industry – like a dried up west Texas oil well – the industry moves on.  This is where the 26” wheel stands as of now: it’s been boarded up and left to collect dust.  But, even the most dried-up oil wells still produce SOME oil.  And for this reason the pre-mature death of the 26” wheel is so surprising: there are, in fact, SOME people who prefer the 26” wheel.

With that being said, I’d like to propose something radical to the wizards of smart within the bike industry, particularly within the marketing departments, that may sound like sour grapes: PLEASE DON’T KILL OFF THE 26” WHEEL!  

The premise:

Let me begin by saying a few things:

1.       I’ve been building custom used mountain bikes since 1995; I’ve built and sold well over 4,000 at last count, and average 300 builds a year.

2.       I personally have 2 mountain bikes my stable – a 26” 2009 Titus El Guapo and a 26” 2010 Titus FTM.

3.       I worked as the sales/marketing coordinator for Ellsworth Handcrafted Bicycles in 2014.  

An Analogy:

It is said that the bicycle was born in 1817, which would make the 2-wheel mode of transportation nearly 200-years old.  Over the course of the last 200-years, the bicycle has had its number of modifications – from the penny-farthing to the Schwinn Stingray, and many, many more.  With new-comers to the industry, various niches were carved out and standardized designs formed: most recently the 700c became the norm for road bikes while the 26” wheel became the norm for the mountain.  

By contrast, the automobile is just over 130-years of age, having been invented in 1886.  Like the bicycle industry, various forms and versions of the automobile have come and gone.  There are now various forms of the automobile, ranging from the two-door convertible to the motor-home, and everything in-between.  Is there any one ‘perfect’ design of the automobile?  No.  There are simply various forms and options for the consumer to choose from.

For this reason (and many others), the untimely and hyper-intensified ‘death’ of the 26” wheel within the bicycle industry is so mind-boggling.  In the automobile industry, the powers-that-be are smart enough to give the general public what they want: millions of cars/trucks/SUV’s are sold each year.  There’s no ‘perfect’ car, just the perfect car for the individual consumer.  The more options an individual has, the more likely they are to get exactly what they truly want.  So why is it that, within the bicycle industry, rather than providing what the consumer wants, the industry needs to kill off the old models in order to force the consumer into a new standard?  Such actions are head-scratching, to say the least.  Somehow, what was the ‘best’ in the industry just 3+ years ago, and touted by the industry as the best, is now out-dated and crap.  Don’t believe me?  How many people are going crazy over the 26” Ibis Mojo HD in 2015?  
   
My Story:    

In 1994, at the age of 14, I purchased the only brand-new bike I’ve ever bought: a lime-green Nishiki Pueblo.  I loved that bike.  However, I soon found myself tinkering around with certain aspects of the bike, primarily the front fork.  I had noticed a bike on the trail with a suspension fork – a Rock Shox Quad 5 – and suddenly needed to have one.  The problem: they weren’t cheap, especially for a 14-year-old.  So, I worked hard at my job (I packed candy into cardboard boxes in a neighbor’s garage) and earned enough to finally purchase the fork that had by that time caught my eye: the Rock Shox Judy XC.  By that time I’d purchased my first used bike: a Mountain Tech.  With the addition of the Judy, it was the apple of my eye.  However, it didn’t take long for someone to notice it around town (I’m front Fort Collins, Colorado), and offer to purchase it.  Although I truly loved my bicycle, I also loved money, and at that point the capitalist in me was born: why not build bikes to sell (as well as ride)?  My first true project bike was a DBR Vector (remember those?).  I went all-out and purchased Grip-Shift X-Rays, a Judy SL, new Mavic X-317 straight-laced rims, and the list goes on.  I was suddenly building dream-bikes at the age of 15.  One thing led to another, and in 1996 at the age of 17, Anex Bicycles was created.  Fast-forward 18-years later and the concept is relatively unchanged: I build custom used-bicycles out of my garage with margins around 40% per bike.

In running my own bike-building business that’s 100% catered to the used market (the average selling price is around $1000 per bike), I deal with new customers to the bike industry on a daily basis.  People in the market for a used bike can be classified similar to those looking for a used car: they may not know much, but they know they aren’t going to buy new.  I deal with value-minded shoppers, not necessarily penny-pinchers, but customers looking for a good deal.  However, they are also being told (by peers and bike shops alike) what they should ride, even though they have no idea why.  So, it comes down to me to educate them of their options.  I live in Utah just outside Salt Lake City, at the base of two world-renowned canyons known for world-class skiing (ever heard of Alta or Snowbird?).  Utah – home of Slickrock, Porcupine, Gooseberry, and the list goes on.  With the risk of sounding overly snobbish, I’ll say this: Utah has the best mountain biking in the world – because we have all kinds of it that suits all levels of riders.  As such, there are trails which are naturally catered to just about every form of mountain bike, from the hardtail 29er to the 8” DH full-suspension.    

With all of the various types and forms of riding that are available within my beautiful state, I find myself educating my customer base about the reasons they do/don’t want a particular type of bike.  A typical conversation with a new customer goes something like this:

Customer: “I’m looking for a 29er with ‘dual’ suspension.”

Me: “Why?”  

Customer: “I don’t know – my friend just said I should buy a 29er.”  

Me: “What type of riding are you planning on?”

Customer: “I don’t know.”

What these conversations reaffirm to me on a daily basis is this: the vast majority of individuals coming into the sport of mountain biking are clueless, and will pretty much believe anything they’re told.  I’ve had 60-year-old men show up to look at Specialized Demo’s who are looking to get out on the ‘trail’.  I’ve had 14-year-old kids show up looking at Scott Spark’s planning to take them up to the resorts for a day of lifts.  What these customers, and thousands more like them, all have in common is this: they think that all mountain bikes are created equally for the same purpose.  How wrong they are.  

For years, the 26” wheel was all there was: it was the only game in town.  Once the 29er began grabbing a small niche about 10-years-ago, I had to explain in layman’s terms the difference between the two.  To differentiate, I usually draw a similarity to surfing.  The difference, I explain, between the two wheel sizes can be thought of just as you’d differentiate between a standard surf board and a long board.  One is smaller and more agile, while the other is more stable and flows over the waves smoother.  Now, I realize it’s not the perfect analogy, but it’s effective in that it gets people to understand there’s a big difference between the two.  Being that we live in Utah, we have a lot of mountains, a lot of steep trails, and a lot of switchbacks – what we don’t have are many tree-roots.  Yes, 29ers are the more preferred option if you intend to ‘roll’ over obstacles easier (and live on the east-cost) – but the reality is that we don’t have much to roll over in Utah.  The smaller wheels tend to be preferred in Utah due to the switchbacks and jumps that can be experienced on the vast majority of the trials.  Once I explain these facts to the new customer, they usually end up buying 26” bikes.  As of today, November 10th, 2015, I’ve sold 251 bikes this year: 231 have been 26”, 13 29ers, 6 road bikes, and 1 (yes, ONE) 27.5”.  So, take that for what it’s worth.

The Facts:

Now that we’ve differentiated between the 29 and 26, it’s time to face the unfortunate reality as we find ourselves dealing with in 2015: the 650b has replaced the 26”.  In effect, the industry has completely killed off the industry norm: they’ve replaced the 4-door sedan with the 4-door cross-over.  But, rather than continuing to build a few 26” models, they (every single bike brand I can think of) have agreed to complete terminate the genre from existence, relegating it to the history books.  The question I have is this: WHY?  

There is no one answer; the quickest explanation would simply be that in order to appear as ‘cutting-edge’ and still in-line with the current trend, the industry had to jump onboard the new norm and kill off the old in order to keep the public interested – and spending money.  In all reality, this was a marketing decision: the industry needed to create a need that would require people to part ways with their money, and convincing the world that 26” was dead was the best way to do just that.  You can only advance technology to much in suspension and drivetrains until you can’t, and the industry found that out in recent years.  The only way to boost sales was to either make proprietary parts specific to the frame (think of Cannondale) or to change the norm altogether.   In order to try and cut through the fat of what the industry wants you to think and feel – and buy – one must take themselves out of the industry as a whole and try to see it for what it is.  The bike industry (like all industries) is all about making money; the only way they can make any money is to sell bikes.  Bikes have become so incredibly high-tech and complex that the industry couldn’t continue to evolve without a major change.  Sram can only improve XX1 so much before they can’t; Fox can only improve the CTD before they can’t; ENVE can only improve the M70 wheel so much before they can’t.  For this reason, it was necessary to make a change that couldn’t be over-looked by the vast majority of the riders in the world: the wheel diameter.  

In the cycling industry, evolution is typically forced by a decline in revenue.  The need to differentiate between the competition is real: if every bike were the same, then price would be the determining factor for the consumer.  So, in order to justify a higher price-point, individual bike producers (Cannondale again) will use proprietary designs and industry standards that paint the consumer into a corner.  Because the only REAL difference from one bike to another is the frame, it’s up to Cannondale to market the other differences of their bikes over the competition, such as the Lefty, and to convince the consumer they need it.  Suddenly, Cannondale has carved a small niche for themselves.  A season goes by and they’re suddenly selling 650b’s like hot-cakes – suddenly, the entire industry takes notice.  Another season goes by and everyone is building a 27.5” bike.  Like that, the niche (or trend, or fad, however you want to view it) has become mainstream.  It was up to the market/industry to quickly make sure they weren’t left in the dust and adapt to the hype of the new norm.  Do I understand why they converted over?  Yes.  I’m a marketing guy, and I would have done the same thing, just like we did at Ellsworth.  However, in the wake of this paradigm shift within the industry, the most bizarre thing took place: as all resources began to shift towards 650b, the 26” lines weren’t only left by the wayside: they were discontinued altogether.

Again, from a marketing perspective, I get it: bike companies aren’t made of money.  They’re cash-strapped and constantly penny pinching.  They can only allocate so much towards R&D along with production costs and inventory.  It makes sense that they would shift focus to what’s hot.  However, to completely clean their hands of what’s been their bread-and-butter for years can only leave most riders scratching their heads.

Is there REALLY a difference?

Let’s get one thing very clear before I continue: wheel sizes actually make a difference: you can feel it.  Whether you ride with a tapered steerer or straight, or a 15mm TA or 20mm, or 142x15mm rear or 135x10mm thru-axle, the reality is you can’t FEEL that in your riding.  Perhaps Jared Graves or Cam Zink can – but for the rest of us, we can’t.  What we CAN feel is a difference is wheel size.   And, as strange as it may sound, some people (by which I mean hundreds of thousands, myself included) actually prefer the 26” wheel.  Call me old-fashioned, but I do.  In the paranoia that has swept over the bike industry these past few years, every major player has failed to realize that, although the industry itself may be a bubble located primarily in Southern California, in the real world people actually have preferences.  It may be cool and hip to ride a fat-bike on Laguna Beach and convince the world that unless you too are riding one, you’re a loser – but, in fly-over country, we don’t have beaches.  Selling an image only gets you so far if you try to convince yourself that EVERYONE ELSE thinks just like you.  And therein lays the problem: the industry insiders have made these choices from their break-rooms and from the inside-out, not from the trails and the outside-in.  

There are simply some people out there who LOVE their 26” wheels and will never change.  If you don’t believe me, take a trip to Monterey next spring and go to Sea Otter.  Perhaps the best people-watching within the industry can be had at Laguna Seca each April.  In 2014, I went as a team-member of Ellsworth.  I found it interesting (as well as frustrating) that nearly EVERY Ellsworth owner that would come up to our booth was on a 10+ year old model: it was our job to get them into a new one.  The response of most of these customers was the same: why give up a good thing?  Why get rid of perfection?  At first I was a little annoyed by the stubbornness of these customers; then I realized that I was the exact same way.  For my style of riding, I’m a 26” snob – and apparently, there are many, many more individuals like me.

Back in September I attended Interbike.  Yes, it’s a great event, but the fact remains: it’s a show for the industry to celebrate how awesome they are.  Interbike is all about drinking the Kool-Aid: it’s where everyone comes together and plans out how they’re going to convince you, the public, of how what was the best last year now sucks and how what they were developing while selling you last years model is that much better.  How else can the industry convince the world that what they were riding last year, which was the bomb only 12-months prior, suddenly sucks?  My point: don’t believe all the hype.  They’ve already developed next years model and are already producing it in Taiwan; they’re just selling you what they designed LAST year and hoping you’ll be dumb enough to come back in a years time for what they’re already developing NOW.

Can You REALLY tell a difference?

If only there were a realistic way to do a blind ride-test within the bike industry: I’d be curious to see the results of a test which had the same individual ride two identical bikes down the same trail, one with 26” and the other with 27.5” wheels.  If given the option between the two, which would they choose (before knowing which was which).  Would they even be able to tell a difference?  How about 29” to 27.5?  Would they tell a difference?  It’s relatively easy to tell a distinct different between a 29er and a 26er, even in a parking lot – but trying to differentiate a 650b isn’t so easy.  Between 650b and 29”, there’s realistically a .5” radial difference between the two options you now have: how many people can honestly tell a difference between the two?  Will a Specialized Stumpjumper 29er ride THAT much different than a Stumpjumper 650b?  I highly doubt it – because I’ve ridden them both.  The reality is that the results would more-than-likely be about 50/50%, for the same reasons I explained above.  Some people want the agility; others want the roll-over factor.  Unfortunately, the industry is choosing to ignore the facts that no matter what they do with the 27.5” wheels, it will not RIDE the same as a 26” bike.  But here’s the funny thing: I’ve had the opportunity to mix and mingle with a lot of good riders, be it XC, DH, what have you.  These are sponsored, popular riders; these guys are on podiums.  Yes, you see them on Instagram catching air and winning races – on 27.5” wheels – because that’s what their sponsors give them to ride.  But, it’s funny just how many of them switch over to the 26” wheel when they aren’t racing – and you know it’s true.  A DH bike with 27.5” wheels DOES NOT ride like a 26”; they simply don’t.  

Look at the basic facts of where the mountain bike industry has placed itself as of 2015: the 29er, the 650b, the emerging e-bike and the fat bike.  The fat bike is a niche that will never grow, despite the best efforts of such companies as Borealis.  There’s a reason why everyone sells off their fat bikes in spring: they’re useless for most of the year, and when they may be fun to ride, skiing is typically the better option.  In Utah in April you can tell when a Fat bike was just on the trail because the trail is absolutely HAMMERED.  In our day and age of social media and associations of trail conditions for specific trails, having some jackass ride a fat-bike in the mud makes for a whole lot of upset riders.  Hence, the fat-bike has quickly become a sour subject in Utah.  

What to do?

By now you’re asking yourself ‘okay, Tyler, what’s your point?’  Am I really that much of a 26” nerd that I’ll boycott the new industry norm?  No.  What I am is an avid life-long cyclist, a business owner, and a realist.  What I see is a HUGE opportunity, and all it takes is one.  All it takes is one brand to make that 4-door sedan once more – the 26” bike – because there are loads of customers waiting for just that.  Believe it or not, not EVERYONE prefers 650b over 26”.  

Because it’s still new and cool, the industry is still in the honeymoon phase with the 650b.  They’re selling like hot-cakes because they’re new and cool.  However, once the dust has settled and the trend dies down, don’t be surprised when some begin to wake up and realize that their options have been taken away from them.  Their 29er rides too much like their 650b, so why have both?  People will begin to consolidate back to just ONE bike rather than two.  That was the beauty of the way things were: the 29er was a different beast.  It was a different machine.  You could get away convincing the wife that you needed two bikes because they were, truthfully, two different bikes.  However, due to the over-zealousness of the industry to grab easy-money, they’ve failed to look at the long-term picture: they just shot themselves in the foot.  If the overall goal of the industry was to sell more bicycles over time, they just failed to do so.

Perhaps it won’t happen in 2016, perhaps not 2017, but I have a sneaky suspicion that the 26” will come back, and a lot sooner than you may think.  All it takes is ONE player within the industry.  And before I try to convince one, just one brand to bring them back, I’ll let the marketing manager come out in me: the opportunities are TREMENDOUS for that one company to reach out and carve a massive niche within the industry.  Obviously, it takes more than just a bike brand to make a bike: you need wheels, tires, and a fork – the rest of the parts are universal.  So perhaps we need Mavic, Maxxis, and Marzocchi on-board as well, but my point is simple: the possible financial windfall for whichever brand decides to ‘revert’ back to a 26” model within the next few years is gigantic.  I could go on and on about frame materials and being Made in the USA, but for now, let’s stick to the point: the 26” can’t die – because it’s simply too popular.  It’s too big to fail. The industry has (whether they meant to or not) alienated a massive portion of their buying audience by ditching the 26” wheel; but all it takes is one.  Talk about cornering a market.   

 My El Guapo
My FTM
My Yoeleo

About the author: 

Tyler Pace runs Anex Bicycles from his home in Cottonwood Heights, Utah.  He rides a Titus El Guapo, a Titus FTM, and a sweet Yoeleo road bike.  He built two sweet bikes for his wife, but she’s never ridden either of them … and it drives him nuts.