SSU insolvency and the bike industry generally

**singlesline** · 04-29-2024, 06:06 PM

Originally Posted by muted reborn

Ah. sorry, that is a woman. Here is some mens rapha

While I'm happy you all found a way to combine your two main loves of being outside and consumerism, it has suck to ruin a $500 kit crashing on a MTB. Good gear scuffs well, as I'd hope Rapha does, and I suppose there's the apre-crash joy of buying a new kit too?

Dude, that's perfect for after work rides. Will pair nicely with my Arc'teryx Veilance goretex blazer:

**muted reborn** · 04-29-2024, 06:27 PM

Good call. But how do you plump yer lips like these two bikers to complete the look? The only success I've found is after falling on my face.

**Abies** · 04-29-2024, 09:20 PM

Not to be too sensitive but I buy nice gear and keep it for a long time. As for rips this stuff is a staple for me:

I’m not above riding in dickies and a t shirt when weather allows but I kinda think good riding clothes make a bigger difference in outdoor experience than, say, carbon wheels.

Also back on topic, has Specialized been closing any locations? They now own three shops within 5 miles near my office. Two of them are like 6 blocks from each other. That doesn’t seem sustainable.

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**toast2266** · 04-29-2024, 09:36 PM

Originally Posted by muted reborn

While I'm happy you all found a way to combine your two main loves of being outside and consumerism, it has suck to ruin a $500 kit crashing on a MTB. Good gear scuffs well, as I'd hope Rapha does, and I suppose there's the apre-crash joy of buying a new kit too?

I don't own any rapha stuff, and most of my gear has holes in it from crashing.

Just saying that I get it. Nice gear is nice.

**grabtindy** · 04-29-2024, 09:38 PM

I don't know why I'm carrying water for Rapha, I was being facetious about it being 'economical'.

Regarding mtb damage, I've never had to take advantage of it since their trail bibs are their only offroad gear I use and they're always covered with shorts, but their repair policy is pretty solid on paper: https://support.rapha.cc/en/articles...epairs-service

**Andeh** · 04-30-2024, 07:40 AM

Their MTB stuff all comes with color matched repair tape made using the same fabric as whatever garment you got has.
I also managed to tear the sleeve on the knee pads on an OTB, and asked if they had any crash replacement discount. They gave me a hefty discount code to get a new pair.

**muted reborn** · 04-30-2024, 09:12 AM

Originally Posted by grabtindy

I don't know why I'm carrying water for Rapha, I was being facetious about it being 'economical'.

Regarding mtb damage, I've never had to take advantage of it since their trail bibs are their only offroad gear I use and they're always covered with shorts, but their repair policy is pretty solid on paper: https://support.rapha.cc/en/articles...epairs-service

In this land where dentists roam, it's hard to know if you were joking, ha.

Originally Posted by Andeh

Their MTB stuff all comes with color matched repair tape made using the same fabric as whatever garment you got has.
I also managed to tear the sleeve on the knee pads on an OTB, and asked if they had any crash replacement discount. They gave me a hefty discount code to get a new pair.

Good to hear on repairs and such, that is nice. What was the % of the discount?

**Andeh** · 04-30-2024, 10:11 AM

Originally Posted by muted reborn

In this land where dentists roam, it's hard to know if you were joking, ha.

Good to hear on repairs and such, that is nice. What was the % of the discount?

40% off and free shipping.

**joetron** · 04-30-2024, 10:46 AM

Amer Sports sells Enve to Utah investor group.
Pre-emptive RIP Enve, lol.

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**Marshal Olson** · 04-30-2024, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by joetron

Amer Sports sells Enve to Utah investor group.
Pre-emptive RIP Enve, lol.

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Whoa!

**joetron** · 04-30-2024, 11:26 AM

Buyer is PV3 Enterprises LLC, a private investor group with a principal described as “an experienced entrepreneur and cycling enthusiast” with experience as a holding group for healthcare providers. The other PV3 principal is a lawyer from Mountain Green.
lol.
Welcome to the Thunderdome gentlemen. These ain’t healthcare margins. Healthcare finance vampire about to learn some things about this fucked up industry.
Odds on Enve lifetime warranty going away in 2025?

https://www.bicycleretailer.com/indu...tes-utah-group

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**Marshal Olson** · 04-30-2024, 12:08 PM

what could possibly go wrong?

at least this has only been tried once or twice before, all with great successes!

[/sarcasm]

**skaredshtles** · 04-30-2024, 12:15 PM

Originally Posted by joetron

<snip>
Odds on Enve lifetime warranty going away in 2025?

I'd bet it doesn't even take that long...

**MarsB** · 04-30-2024, 01:15 PM

At least PV3 is local and not some mega-conglomerate. My LBS had been slowly phasing out ENVE stuff recently as they were becoming 'more difficult to deal with' (not sure of the details).

**TBS** · 04-30-2024, 06:36 PM

^^^My LBS sez they are slow shipping and every third wheel is defective out of the box.

**EWG** · 04-30-2024, 07:47 PM

I wonder what 2010 TGR would have to say about 2024 TGR defending Rapha?

Actually, I don’t wonder. I have a pretty good idea.

**hick** · 04-30-2024, 08:18 PM

Originally Posted by EWG

I wonder what 2010 TGR would have to say about 2024 TGR defending Rapha?

Actually, I don’t wonder. I have a pretty good idea.

Ha!! Everyone got old and had to get real jobs to afford all the sweet Rapha kits.

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**wendigo** · 04-30-2024, 09:05 PM

i didn't know rapha existed until this thread ¯\_(?)_/¯

**jamal** · 05-01-2024, 08:59 AM

The last set of enves I saw the parting lines in the rim bed were so big they wouldn't seal and I had to spend a good part of a morning sanding them down and then re-taping them.

Enve's reply was something like "oh yeah sorry that's a qc miss for sure. You could have the customer warranty it but they'll be fine if you just clean that up yourself."

I touch a lot of wheels and have never seen anything like that.

**zion zig zag** · 05-01-2024, 09:28 AM

There was a husband and wife team that worked at Enve back when they built the new facility in Ogden. They left shortly after that and it kind of seemed downhill since then. I think they went to work somewhere in CO.

There was a 4-5 year period where it seemed like every bike you saw on the trails around Ogden had Enve wheels, but I rarely see them anymore.

**Benneke10** · 05-01-2024, 09:38 AM

I'd much rather have my wheels built by engineers in Taiwan or China than high school students from Ogden. I know they have young teenagers working in manufacturing. Great job for a kid but if I'm spending that kind of money I'd want better QC. Interestingly they started sponsoring the best road team in the world last year (UAE) and they seem to be having success there

**toast2266** · 05-01-2024, 09:57 AM

Originally Posted by Benneke10

I'd much rather have my wheels built by engineers in Taiwan or China than high school students from Ogden. I know they have young teenagers working in manufacturing. Great job for a kid but if I'm spending that kind of money I'd want better QC. Interestingly they started sponsoring the best road team in the world last year (UAE) and they seem to be having success there

It's a safe bet that it's high school students in Taiwan and China too. Maybe some middle and elementary school kids in the mix as well.

**MCS5280** · 05-01-2024, 10:22 AM

The "flat" mount interfaces on recent Enve forks that I've worked with have been rough

**Meconium** · 05-02-2024, 08:23 PM

The "Trail", "Fat Bike", "Enduro", "Down Country" and "Gravel Bike" did not off XC. Strangely XC is just MTB in my mind. I'm guessing NICA is beneficial and cable router engineers/industrial designers are just marketing bitches. Electric shifting is dumb.