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Sorry, We Are Not for Sale

With the current supply shortage, people will buy anything that's up for sale.

By Jeff Barber
August 29, 2021 Last Updated: August 30, 2021

7 comments

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With the current supply shortage, people will buy anything that’s up for sale. #notforsale

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Jeff Barber

Jeff Barber has been mountain biking since 1992 and has tested hundreds of mountain bikes and components. He is the co-founder of Singletracks and serves as Editor in Chief. Contact him at [email protected].

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7 Comments

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jdgilbert Alabama // 2021
Aug 31, 2021

I'm guessing this is in reference to Singletracks.com not being for sale. A few big players have been aggressively buying out cycling related sites and apps lately.

4 reply

Phonebem Utah // 2017
Aug 30, 2021

Rode a lift and had a conversation with Chris Canfield (yes, THAT one) yesterday and this topic came up. He said even if COVID went away today, it would take two years for the supply chains to catch-up to what's already ordered or sold. In short, don't expect things to get better any time soon and get used to pre-ordering bikes instead of getting one on demand...

0 reply

enduroexpert78 Virginia // 2019
Aug 30, 2021

Do you think the supply shortage identifies an issue with bike/component longevity, the industry trending towards replacement over repair, insatiable consumer demand or some combination of?

0 reply

jimbolo Puerto Rico // 2021
Sep 4, 2021

consumer demand created by insatiable media sources and helped along by a million pointless new standards. it was never going to end well.

0 reply

Phonebem Utah // 2017
Aug 30, 2021

We didn't really get into that, my buddies and I were too busy drooling over the prototype frame he was testing (promised not to say anything other than it's badass) but I'd guess a perfect storm of "all of the above" would be the answer. New bikes are selling at a record setting pace and no one knows if that is going to change. Also, <gets on crotchetey, old-school mountain biker soapbox> modern bikes just aren't made like they used to be. Modern 12-speed drivetrains wear out much faster than older components, modern bottom brackets have a fraction of the longevity of old square-taper cartriges, and modern suspension (shocks and forks) require a lot more maintenance and consumable parts than older suspension components. These are without even considering the production issues in Asia which would be a problem in and of itself.
For the record, because this is the internet, I want to clarify that I'm not saying that modern bikes aren't better than old bikes. Just that along with the amazing capability of modern bikes, comes higher maintenance and less tolerance for mechanical wear.

0 reply

enduroexpert78 Virginia // 2019
Aug 30, 2021

Acknowledged on all accounts pertaining to parts wearing too quickly. I'm convinced modern bikes have evolved to be 'better' than their predecessors. Dropper posts, larger diameter tubeless tires on wider rims, and 1x drivetrains have made my experience 'better'. At this point, bike geometry is being tweaked for more specific riding, which is okay, but to what end? Do we really NEED a bike for EVERY discipline? And, how is that performance being measured? Most reviews are composed with almost all subjective descriptions and few quantitative metrics. Is weight REALLY a quantitative metric that can differentiate both qualitative and other quantitative metrics? The industry thinks so. I'm not inclined to jump on 'trends' unless they have clear, defined, and measurable benefits. That's tough in an industry ripe with engineering and advertising gimmicktry.

1 reply

jimbolo Puerto Rico // 2021
Sep 4, 2021

i dunno. 1998..gary fisher with genesis geometry, 150/160mm travel, bombroof bars and rims,downhill tyres with tubes..weighed 20lbs. 21lbs including some addons like a steel bashguard for the downtube and ring guards. im not sure whats netter tbh. even the brakes. i could stop on a dime in the wet (have done so) using xtr rim brakes with the red pad upgrade. im using xtr disks atm and have had nothing but problems with all the disk brakes ive used. biggest issue..stopping power. im not even a heavy rider. om just seeing bikes i wouldnt touch with a bargepole due to the weight back then now selling for about 20x what i payed back then (1400 +50% off) proper deals back then too.

0 reply

Tagged: cartoon, community

First published August 29, 2021 @ 7:17:00