what happened to viathon bikes

Your email address will not be published. Now it has a toe in the high-end market and the chance to show that itscapable of making quality stuff. Department-store bikes look a lot better than they used to. Every single mountain bike I owned is used, unlike a motorcycle they should not depreciate as much (mileage) because there are few moving parts..I currently ride an RM Altitude MSRP $6k + tax however I bought it used and paid less then the cheapest Viathon bike!!! Viathon will benefit from the supply side muscle of Walmart, it may even one day be sold in Walmart stores, but it wont ever market itself as offering Walmart bikes., Australian MTB lifestyle brand Dharco has officially opened its European subsidiary, and has plans to, The BikeBiz jobs board helped filled over 740 positions in 2022, and listings are still, German custom bike brand Velo De Ville is due to launch in the UK and, Ribble Cycles has just announced a new collective of sponsored ridings, competing across various disciplines., Historic lock brand Squire has launched its first range of wearable security equipment for the, SRAM has released the latest development in its Force AXS groupset, including a new shifter. Its not a bad platform though, and for the right situations, it would serve the rider spectacularly well. Returns only available to original purchaser. Long, low, slack? I'd love to buy a rigid carbon 29er single speed for about $1300 Viathon. The G.1, one of 3 models launched by Viathon, is a modern gravel bike with a 1,010g claimed 54cm frame weight with hardware. Muley Freaks Erik Van Woerkom Charged With Felony Possession of Trophy Mule Deer, Get Up to 60% Off at REIs End of Season Clearance Sale, The Biggest Improvement to My Camp Kitchen Is a Mini Pizza Oven (But Not for Pizza), VanDOit Moov Builds on Adventure-Ready Ford Transit Trail, Avalanche Outside British Columbia Resort Buries 10, Kills 3 Heli-Skiers. By James Smurthwaite The brand is starting with three models: the R1 road bike, the G1 gravel bike, and the M1 hardtail mountain bike. That makes sense. Quan was with Cervelo from 2004 to 2008. There hasn't been a new supersport motorcycle design from ANYONE in like over a decade. When I worked for Fly racing in sales it was a tough barrier going from Moto shops to bicycle. A torque wrench is included to help the customer tighten screws appropriately. 3 for online traffic after Google and Amazon. bicycles Moto shops are fine with 35% margin where most bike shops wouldnt talk to you without keystone margins (50%). Unlike, say, the car industry, its relatively cheap to launch into the world of making bicycles, even bespoke framed ones. If you're making more of something, you can afford to invest in tooling and equipment and processes to make it cheaper. Be here, Virtually. I won't shop with them. A fine example might be the PRO Discover Carbon Seat Post which we reviewed, but there are others that would do the job well also. But don't count the traditional players out yet, on either the supply or retail ends of the supply chain. (The first was at the Sea Otter expo earlier in the year.). But to drive the demand, there needs to be a product in place to capture attention. If nothing else, we've been surviving in this business for decades and we know the "easiest way to make a small fortune" in it a lesson which even the best-heeled outsiders have yet to learn. Its a fine balance caused by the nature of disc brake calipers, front wheel spacing, hub flange spacing, and wheel design. I wouldn't ever recommend this bike to someone getting into the sport, because in my biased opinion xc geometry is not a good starting point and the price is simply too high. New bike brands come and go, but its rare that one makes as big of a splash with its debut as Viathon, a new direct-to-consumer marquee that launched this week. Huh, no one wanted to buy a $6k hardtail that has no track record? There may be a slightly lower initial cost but damn, these are gonna have terrible resale value. It uses four R12 bearings and everything is held together by the crank's 19mm spindle. Could always ride it and return it! A Redshift Sports ShockStop Stem tamed the harsh vibrations coming from the Viathons beefy carbon fork. Their investments are totally separate from Walmart even though Steuart is on the main Walmart board.. If we stopped inventing new shit the whole circus might just collapse in on itself overnight. They knew about it prior to launch only because I happened to meet Steuart in our office in January so I was able to show him a couple of pictures. The Viathon Lineup. cycling, Press J to jump to the feed. I want high-level quality customer service to begin with, and I can control that in the US.. In 2017, Bonobos was sold to, you guessed it, Walmart.Walmart wanted Bonobos because it was a favourite of high-income urban millennials. No dropper on the GX spec? Could be interesting. Walmart didnt opt to adopt more modern geometry, possibly because its current customer base will have to take a few steps to catch up to the rest of the bike market. Complete builds start at $2,300, and top out at $3,500 for the gravel models and around $6,000 for the road and mountain bikes. Sign up to receive GearJunkie content direct to your inbox. I'm seeing an unbranded power meter, but no mention of it. Whether this will serve as a "halo product" to introduce more affordable (or approachable) mountain bikes from the brand in the future is yet to be seen. Were partnering with the bike industry to deliver so we dont mess it up, said Spinhirne-Martin. Viathon, like Bonobos, goes against the fundamental tenets on which Walmart was built. It has more clearance and a modern, slack trail geometry that keeps things loose no matter how tough the terrain gets. And Kawasaki employs a lot more people in R and D and production than a typical bike company, thats my guess. Viathon says it wants to bridge Walmarts current low-price offerings to the bike-enthusiastbusiness. View specs and technical data for all Viathon Bike Models. 5G for Dura. It doesnt have to adapt to the future, it is the future. Likewise, this doesn't mean that the UK will see high-end road and MTB bikes retailed from Walmart-owned Asda (not least because Walmart is off-loading Asda in a deal with Sainsbury's if the CMA allows it Discussion of everything bicycle related. Just go to Bentonville, ride those trails, a lot of which is paid for w/ money from Wam-Lart, and I think you suddenly like the idea of their bikes a lot more. They also have controlling interests in Rapha and Allied Cycles. Walmart is the largest retailer for bikes in America by a good margin. Now, if Viathon frames were suddenly produced in the USA my American hands, with progressive geometry and class leading weights, that might be a different story - but a Taiwanese sourced frame that is pretty much identical to a Hong Fu or Workswell or whatever isn't really a selling point, especially when it costs a few grand. And its not as though it was even that expensive to create, at least not in Walmart terms. Posted Oct 2, 2019, We dentists don't shop at Walmart. That's a lot to love. Walmart Launches High-End 'Viathon' Bike Brand - Pinkbike. http://www.walmart.com/cp/viathon-bikes/8471299? But Viathon is a Walmart corporatenot Waltonproject, intended to expand Walmarts current bike offerings to the specialty market. the stigma of owning a bike bought at Walmart. The new G.1 is their top-tier carbon gravel bike, with a loaded spec including Zipp cockpit, Fizik saddle, HED wheels, and SRAM Red electronic shifting. Bicycle Shop. I want to figure out how to use that customer base to grow the bike industry.. You do not get the benefit of having a face-to-face resource for things like minor adjustments, tune-ups, or advice, as you would in a bike shop experience, but maybe that doesnt matter to some of you? By building via consultants and going straight to the consumer without any immediate plans to be available in Walmart stores enabled Spinhirne-Martin to get the brand up and running quickly. Order today! Now on to the final word on this carbon fiber crushed rock roller. "Of course, there was some backlash with the Walmart connection,'' said Mark Jordan, whose CrankTank marketing group staged the Viathon launch and was quoted in Yobbi's original article. bikeit! But if Walmart must have some data that shows theyll sell some of these. Viathon has chosen a RockShox SID RLC with 120mm of travel. It makes it a lot more difficult to invest in processes and equipment that can ultimately bring the cost down significantly. Walmart is long known as the home of low cost bic. All Viathon bikes come with a 2-year warranty. The Viathon M.1 GX Eagle Carbon Mountain Bike is a mountain bike with a versatile design for better performance anywhere on the trails. Equipped with a SRAM XO1 Eagle drivetrain that shifts seamlessly, Stans 29 carbon wheels, and an FSA K-force carbon handlebar, this thing was designed to climb. Of course, you can always install a nice, compliant carbon post. And that right there is the problem with any form of cycling, "my bike is better than yours" bullshit mantra. Even a hot segment like ADV, sees a new from ground up model maybe every 5 years. Dollar-for-dollar there are other carbon-framed high-end bikes out there that undercut the Viathon offerings. Now with over twenty years under our belt we know more than ever how important the ride really is. Needs another $ 1,000 price drop still. as all the other big brands. Others seek innovation above all, eager to check out the latest suspension tech from Trust Performance or Yeti. But there aren't enough spec details to tell what we're looking at. Browse our range of in stock and ready to ship road, gravel, mountain, hybrid and electric bikes. Most people won't even bother looking or once they see every new bike worth buying is >$1100, they quit. Walmart is also the largest grocer in America and possibly the world. Things have moved on. unless you can pay for it with your grocery bonuses / tickets that accumulated over a year after you forgot the card on your neighbors house after playing some domino. The frames are customized for REI's product line and highly durable. Plus, Viathons graphics are a little bland, in my opinion, the pricing isnt so aggressive that its clearly better than bikes from established brands like Canyon or Giant (or Remot, for that matter), and the product marketing so far feels spare to the point that its pro forma. I did hear you and Andy mention 2300 on podcast 65. As much as I agree with the general sentiment, there are some other factors that tend to get overlooked in this comparison: Wal-Mart has these pretzel bites with beer cheese for like $2 bucks, pretty freakin awesome after a ride. Andy T fitted the ShockStop stem and immediately felt the benefits. The Bike Forum. ! 439mm size large w/ no XLactually dont care, but love an opportunity for a Zoolander quote!! In effect, Viathon is a pop-up bike brand, and just as quickly as it has appeared it could just as easily disappear again, no skin off Walmarts very large nose. I followed with an opinion column about Viathon's unique formation, business model and value proposition. And while the bikes may be sold on Walmarts website at some point, theres no mention ofselling in stores, which would put the bikes in front of a broader audience. Someone in the Walmart family must be a mtb enthusiast as they also fund the Bentonville Arkansas trails which I believe is where their HQ is located. $2000 is still steep for an entry level hardtail, especially without at 27.5+ option. And I suspect Viathon isnt relying on a deep tech story to market its bikes for a simple reason: the frames dont seem to offer clear innovation in design or materials. Its a night and day difference!, exclaimed Andy. c'mon. The SRAM components and Zipp cockpit pieces are quality bits that should last the rider quite some time. A few things are apparent with Viathon. There is certainly a fair amount of seat post extension to work with there., explained Andy T. Hes right too. Walmart takes their terrible gun selection out then adds this ballbuster. best army base in germany is dr abraham wagner married is dr abraham wagner married For less. Both are well-qualified bike industry veterans, but its not a riveting founder story like, for instance, that ofAllied. Walmart is not just a brand of box stores that populates every U.S. state. And other direct-to-consumer brands like Canyon have a big head start on Viathon in terms of reputation. Considering the Walmart shopper and what bike theyre on now, the answer is probably yes. I read an article that estimates the bikes the top pro supercross riders use would cost somewhere in the range 100k-200k. Its almost impossible for Walmart to develop premium offerings with the Walmart name, which is synonymous with keen pricing and out-of-favour out-of-town malls. Doesn't really looks like a revolution to me yet. He proposed a private-label project, and hes bringing it to fruition. 12-speed, electronic shifting, handlebar diameter changes, four piston brakes, blah blah don't need. Makes me think of the Walmart gaming pcs released a while back, which were so bad reviewers raised concerns about their safety, despite the presence name brand components. So far, Viathon isnt saying much about what makes its bikes different, nor is it telling much of a brand story. And then you have a full Dura disc model for 5G. Press J to jump to the feed. They want tech, they want new features, they want new stuff. For anyone familiar with the beer industry, this is like Anheuser-Busch creating Shocktop, not Anheuser-Busch buying Goose Island or Elysian. Go to the shop Go to the shop. Does it seem like a no-brainer to spring for Viathon for people interested in that? Viathons carbon bikes retail online for between $2,300 and $6,000. Viathon is run as a digitally native vertical brand, a phrase coined by Andy Dunn, founder of US menswear brand Bonobos. Its not the frames: they arent open-mould no-names, all three shapes were CAD designed by the legendary Kevin Quan Studios of Toronto, Canada. An s-works bike off the floor performs at a pro level. RZC Investments, founded by Tom and Steuart Walton, grandsons of Walmart founder Sam Walton, owns Rapha and part-owns Allied Cycle Works, a high-end bike manufacturer based in Little Rock, Arkansas. I dont think people in the market for $2000-5000 bikes would even think to buy at Walmart let alone shoulder the stigma of owning a bike bought at Walmart, right or wrong as that is. And the bikes look good! But once you lend them a bike and let them tear it up, they are all-in, 99% of the time pending an injury. Someone posted an Outside magazine article above that details it. Yeah I'm in Australia and I know this, along with they do a bit for some mtb community's and trails. Right now, Viathon sits on the value end of the spectrum, alongside other house brands like Scattante or the now-closed Foundry: perfectly fine, but not particularly compelling. The Viathon G1 has been ridden a couple of months now by Andy T, and so we are ready to give the final verdict on this Walmart distributed bike. He employs six engineers and designers at his Toronto-based studio. Im guessing thatwithout the connection to the largest retailer in the world, Viathon wouldnt be getting nearly this level of attention. The Viathon website has more specs: https://www.viathonbicycles.com/products/road-bike-r1-105. Its exploding right now because people are afraid of riding in traffic. I'll be honest if I ever worried about someone thinking less of me for buying a bike at Walmart I'd probably leave the bike wherever I was and get out of the hobby. But it is building out a platform not just with more and better bikes, but with video and editorial support. Spinhirne-Martin doesnt need to fret about shipping: he outsources that to industry veteran Richard Wittenberg of Lucidity-Podium Marketing, who has been involved with in-house logistics for brands such as Ridley, Cannondale and Factor. And every single article, including this one, focuses on the Walmart ownership. Join Outside+ to get Outside magazine, access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. Walmart's return policy is insane and the employees there generally DGAF. Brand manager Zack Spinhirne-Martin doesnt see it that way. Sold exclusively through Wiggle and Chain Reaction Cycles. The last time we posted on the Viathon G1 we mentioned that this bike might be the perfect candidate for the Redshift Sports ShockStop Stem. Atomik/Berd Ultimate Gravel Wheels: At The Finish, The Riding Gravel Pedal Round-Up: Time Pedals Wrap-Up, Showers Pass Hi-Line SS Shirt and Cross Country Shorts: Quick Review, Cannondale Topstone Carbon Force eTap AXS: Getting Rolling, Episode #64 Waffle, GORE, Touareg, Hunt Wheels & More, WTB SG2 Gravel Tires: Resolute Checkpoint , Bontrager Circuit WaveCel Helmet: Quick Review, Gravel Grinder News: Shimano Introduces CUES New Mid-Level Group. Good question, Dan, and one we'll come back to in just a minute. Writing in 2016, Dunn wrote: Digitally native vertical brands (DNVBs) are maniacally focused on the customer experience and they interact, transact, and story-tell to consumers primarily on the web., Dunn added: The DNVB is born on the internet. Its also important to note whats not in the current lineup: womens bikes, utility bikes, and e-bikes. REI Co-op bikes are worth a look for most cyclists. Get $1000 off Select Items ViathonBicycles.com w/ Coupon (Activate). Did Viathon offer some bold new technology,jaw-dropping value, or an irresistible brand story? Pleased to see this. At any rate, the Viathon G1 is an interesting option that we hope to see developed into something more refined in the areas of rider comfort, versatility, and geometry in the future. Too many highly paid engineers on staff working on "advancements" that most riders never needed. VIATHON M.1 MOUNTAIN BIKE PROMO VIDEO: M.1 | XX1 Eagleproduct description: One of the lightest, fastest mountain race machines that money can buy, the top-line M.1 delivers a SRAM XX1 Eagle drivetrain for race-proven, single-ring shifting performance. Wed like to see fork mounts for extra water bottles, for instance. I just pay the numbers. When you're at this level, you may as well just buy direct from manufacturer through Aliexpress, They need to build a 130/140 travel trail bike for 2k with GX eagle then I am in lol. Shop our Buy Direct collection for a new ride they'll love! And who cares what other people think? Shit, I'd probably buy one to beat up/lend out. Spinhirne-Martin wouldnt reveal sales targets but, reading between the lines, he likely doesnt have to sell many for the brand to be considered a success. Then delivered directly from us to youwith an easy assembly process to get you riding as quickly as possible. The crankset was square taper FSA even though Sora was already using HT2 by this time. Damn. Blog postings are outsourced to cycling journalist Aaron Gulley. Bike is not returnable if damaged or not fit for continued use (Please see Warranty and Crash Replacement policy) ", i wouldnt buy the mountain bike but their gravel offering is interesting for sure at 3k. The impetus for the brand was therefore personal, not corporate. ViathonBicycles.com newsletter codes, Viathon Bicycles reseller codes, Viathon Bicycles competitor coupon codes. "With Walmart's reach, we will create an awareness of the brand.". Viathon G.1 GRX 600 gravel bike review: Carbon at alloy pricing - CyclingTips. I can build proof of concept and then push over time into stores.. The writer, Sarah Moore, found the connection when looking up the trademark on the name, which isregistered to Walmart. Although from a bike industry perspective, the geometry is a few years outdated even for a hardtail. Industry watchers may remember the last time Walmart tried to get into the carbon bike game, which as I recall was about ten years ago. For sure we are also undergoing huge changes; times are tough now and likely to get tougher before they get better. Don't forget to donate a dollar for starving children. Full on rippers. Sales are via the brands website, and this does not feature the Walmart name in the about us section. Don't need. the forks face the right way. Bayside Women's Cruiser Bike, Rose Gold 1385 Pickup 2-day shipping Best seller $648.00 Hyper Bicycles Electric Bicycle Pedal Assist Mountain, 26 In. The bikes look pretty good on paper, and the price points are very slim for what you get. And failing. Let's see the salaries of engineers at Specialized giving us all these "advancements" in recent years that 90% of people riding mountain bicycles on trails don't need. It just so happened that I have one of these stems to spare so that Andy T could check it out on the Viathon G1 to see if that might tame the harshness of the massive carbon front fork. Hopefully the forks won't be on backwards. At this writing, the various models are listed at "Summer Sale" prices on the Viathon website. The brand is starting with three models: the R1 road bike, the G1 gravel bike, and the M1 hardtail mountain bike. We tested ways to dial out that feeling, like installing a ShockStop stem, and even to the point of using ridiculously low tire pressures, but as is, this bike is on the harsh side. So, we feel this is a good bike, but maybe that stiffness and the specifics on spec and business model are not for everyone. Whole Foods kinda sells bikes through their shit parent company Amazon. It's why car companies like BMW don't come out with a new 3-series every year, but more like every 7. Unfortunately, your shopping bag is empty. Are bike shopsscary, elitist, and unwelcoming? No normal business can compete with their strategy. It appears the newswas first mentioned in a Pinkbike story. They are currently in a process of rebranding it because they realized it's forever associated in people's minds with entry level or even below entry-level (BSO) bikes. I think bikes are priced high and I think the margins are higher than in other enterprises. But the bikes are neither crap nor cheap. Sign up today. Its one of the biggest online merchants in the world, No. (The Walmart connection can be found only on the sites copyright line.) Love lower price bikes and bringing the MTB sport to more people.. We could ship anywhere but Im concerned about customer service, because I dont have distributor partners globally. Manufacturing costs vary inversely with manufacturing rate. Hey Waltins: quit coming to aspen and stay in facking arkansas. Who am I kidding. Its to do with the fact that you can get 200kg of world rounding desert crossing Yamaha Tenere T7 2019 for less than a lot of mtbs now. Apt analogy. Walmart hopes its own expensive bike will be proof of concept to attract mainstream brands to that marketplace brands that previously opted out, like Evil and Niner, which are both sold at Walmart-owned Moosejaw.com. Bike industry seems super healthy (at least outside looking in), coming from the moto world. The point is, a Viathon purchase does not include some intangibles that are benefits of buying in a traditional model. Lots of things coming from different directions can sometimes become out of whack enough to cause a problem. Viathon was his idea, springing from his background as a former pro rider, a one-time USA Cycling team mechanic and latterly a web commerce geek with Backcountry.com and before that Competitivecyclist.com. Our Fezzari Bicycle experts are here to help you find the perfect bike. I will also say again that for the extra money, a RedShift ShockStop stem cures that front end issue. I dont shop at Walmart anyway since they decided to blame guns for violence. Absurd that things with engines are cheaper than pedal bikes. Hyper Bicycle 26" Men's Havoc Mountain Bike, Black 417 Pickup +2 options $248.00 Kent 26 In. You think bikes v motos are bad, hell you can get a casio watch for 1000x less than a rolex. according to industry analyst Jay Townley. Viathon made a big splash when it announced its presence to the bicycle world back in April, leveraging the cost-efficiency muscle of its parent company, Walmart, into a line of carbon bikes that . The company's launch includes three bikes: the G1, R1 and M1 for, aptly, gravel, road and mountain biking, respectively. The Boundary has the geometry of a road bike with the heart and handling of a trail bike so you can rumble confidently across all kinds of mixed terrain and races. The initial feel is that of being a disjointed one- the front being very stiff while the back is not so much, at least on gravel. Also something to liven up trails that you ride regularly. Now on to the final word on this carbon fiber crushed rock roller. According to the designer and engineer, Kevin Quan of Kevin Quan Studios, Viathon manufactures frames at the factory, making the best bikes you can think of.. The mountain bike is the perfect companion to discover new things off the beaten track. Which raises the question who is the brand aiming to reach? Thanks to its robust construction, coarse tyre tread, powerful brakes and . Should brick-and-mortar or other online retailers worry? Thats a fine goal, but lets not kid ourselves: $2,300 is both a lot of money and also not appreciably cheaper than the pricing offered by a number of other brands. Walmarts top-of-the-line M.1 hardtail mountain bike has 120mm travel with RockShox components, Stans wheels, Level Ultimate brakes, and Continental tires. Walmart already has impeccable high-end bicycle connections. This may have been mentioned already but Im not gonna read everything. Oh that bike would make a good gift for my grandchild, so he stops playing mine craft and go outside a bit. Well I'm kinda torn here. They have dumped millions into cycling in AK, even helping to fund the Arkansas High Country Route. It starts with younger customers..

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what happened to viathon bikes