UK bike sales plummet
Discussion
dave123456 said:
ALawson said:
Whatever happened to Proflex?
https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/proflexthesis-the-tale-of-proflex-k2-and-girvin-noleen-etc-some-history-as-i-know-it-maybe.455582/emicen said:
dave123456 said:
ALawson said:
Whatever happened to Proflex?
https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/proflexthesis-the-tale-of-proflex-k2-and-girvin-noleen-etc-some-history-as-i-know-it-maybe.455582/Court_S said:
Thomson were my go to post and stem for a long time but droppers killed them (their attempt wasn’t much cop if I recall). The 50mm X4 stem was a lovely thing.
I found my Thomson dropper to be every bit as good as the Bikeyoke revive, nicer to use and more reliable than the Rockshox reverb and Fox transfers. Don't see many about though ..or any tbh.Fusion777 said:
I remember GT being a bigger name than today too, never seem to see them now out and about.
I remember GT as a major player in the BMX market in the 80's. I never got into MTB until 2019. Before that a roadie since 1987. Before that BMX. I was glued to my BMX as a teenager.
GT, Skyway, Diamondback, Hutch, Redline.
GT very much alive. They've changed hands between investment companies three times since the 90's Now owned by PON Holdings who own Santa Cruz, Schwinn & Focus among others. Fun fact, Hans Rey is I think the longest continuously sponsored rider anywhere, something like 35 years with GT.
GT were enormous in MTB in the 90s and their team riders were getting massive pay packets.
They don’t seem as big now I’ve taken an interest again after nearly 20 years out.
At the same time, things constantly evolve. Now Specialized are top dollar for often fairly low spec compared to competitors. Back in the day, you got way more high end gearing etc on a Specialized at any given price point than a Cannondale or Kona.
Would still love a Hans Rey-esque mid-90s Zaskar even if I don’t really have any idea what I would use it for.
They don’t seem as big now I’ve taken an interest again after nearly 20 years out.
At the same time, things constantly evolve. Now Specialized are top dollar for often fairly low spec compared to competitors. Back in the day, you got way more high end gearing etc on a Specialized at any given price point than a Cannondale or Kona.
Would still love a Hans Rey-esque mid-90s Zaskar even if I don’t really have any idea what I would use it for.
GT's I-Drive suspension design was brilliant. The problem they have now is that they made all their bikes look terrible, but I suspect they still ride amazingly well.
I have an ex Mark Beaumont GT Fury hung up in my workshop, the one he won Fort William on. When I was fit I used to ride it up and down the hills, it's not all that heavy and it pedals well enough that it was no bother hoiking it up the big hills in the Peaks or the Lakes.
I have an ex Mark Beaumont GT Fury hung up in my workshop, the one he won Fort William on. When I was fit I used to ride it up and down the hills, it's not all that heavy and it pedals well enough that it was no bother hoiking it up the big hills in the Peaks or the Lakes.
emicen said:
At the same time, things constantly evolve. Now Specialized are top dollar for often fairly low spec compared to competitors. Back in the day, you got way more high end gearing etc on a Specialized at any given price point than a Cannondale or Kona.
.
Interesting you say that as I can remember about 6 or so years ago, standing in a fairly well-known bike chain here on the south coast that stocked both Specialized and Cube mountain bikes..
I was talking to one of the guys working there about my budget, requirements etc and that I was naturally leaning towards a Specialized rather than the Cube equivalent. He screwed his face up and more or less that the components were nowhere near the quality of the Cube and he wouldn't even recommend buying one.
I expect that might have been a margins thing between the brands they stocked. As it goes, Spesh innovate well on MTB, certainly on the eeb side they've done good things in recent years. The bikes don't appeal to me much but that's just a personal view but I can think of much worse options and their after care is pretty good too, much better than some of the direct to consumer brands.
They're also practically giving them awaty right now, Spesh discounts are everywhere, definitely in the oops, we massively misjudged 2023 category.
They're also practically giving them awaty right now, Spesh discounts are everywhere, definitely in the oops, we massively misjudged 2023 category.
I browsed the GT website just now, some very fine looking bikes there. Very much still in the game.
Looks like Hutch from the 80’s still sells original design BMX’s!!
https://hutchbmx.com/
I looked up Skyway and they are too. Nostalgia sells I guess.
My Hutch:
Looks like Hutch from the 80’s still sells original design BMX’s!!
https://hutchbmx.com/
I looked up Skyway and they are too. Nostalgia sells I guess.
My Hutch:
President Merkin said:
I expect that might have been a margins thing between the brands they stocked. As it goes, Spesh innovate well on MTB, certainly on the eeb side they've done good things in recent years. The bikes don't appeal to me much but that's just a personal view but I can think of much worse options and their after care is pretty good too, much better than some of the direct to consumer brands.
They're also practically giving them awaty right now, Spesh discounts are everywhere, definitely in the oops, we massively misjudged 2023 category.
I don’t know about giving them away, is it not more like the biggest prices need to see the biggest discounts?They're also practically giving them awaty right now, Spesh discounts are everywhere, definitely in the oops, we massively misjudged 2023 category.
My LBS email blasted “amazing” discounts on Specialized bikes. They were pretty amazing, £2500 in some cases, but still left a pretty amazing price behind
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