Even a hot segment like ADV, sees a new from ground up model maybe every 5 years. So, that limits demand. Does it seem like a no-brainer to spring for Viathon for people interested in that? The G.1 is the direct-to-consumer brand's competitively priced gravel bike. But Viathon is a Walmart corporatenot Waltonproject, intended to expand Walmarts current bike offerings to the specialty market. Por - 10 junio 2022. Viathon M.1 GX Eagle Mountain Bike Review | SRAM GX EagleI was amazed how light this bike was and how well it climbed!Viathon was kind enough to send me over. In an interview last week at Sea Otter, a bicycling industry gathering in Monterey, Calif. I came to Walmart to grow the bike industry. The difference is being wholly owned by US hypermarket chain Walmart. Yea 10k is a lot for a bike, but its also top tier in the Mtb world. Arkansas is also hosting several UCI events in the next few years including cyclocross WORLDS. Your email address will not be published. Explore, search and compare thousands of the world's best mountain bikes here on Mountain Bike Database. VIATHON BICYCLES SPONSORS CAFFEINE AND WATTS CLUB. Ive already gotten questions for people internationally. Walmart thinks so, and the retail juggernaut is betting its customers do too. $$$ Outdoor & Sporting Goods Company Privacy Policy Photos See all Videos See all 0:11 But Quan is the only person mentioned in a team of top bicycle industry veterans with decades of collective experience. The only other real face behind Viathon is brand manager Zach Spinhirne-Martin, who spent nine years with the online retailer Competitive Cyclist before joining Walmart as its bike category manager. If they somehow get interested in riding they will take what Wmart has to offer, and if they have a lot of money and want the "best", Wmart is now there for them. All this went down in April and May of this year. Not that Viathon is going mass-market anytime soon. It appears the newswas first mentioned in a Pinkbike story. 3G for Ultegra, double the 105 model. Walmart are best known for their $300-$500 bikes that. By James Smurthwaite Be here, Virtually. Cue the cheap-crap jokes. Honestly the bike prices are high because people buy them LOL. A Viathon representative told me that Walmart simply wanted the story to be more about the bikes than the company behind them. And that is the point. Thats a challenge. price sold by type electric assist +. The impetus for the brand was therefore personal, not corporate. Viathon Bikes - Walmart.com. But the bikes are neither crap nor cheap. As it is not a pinnacle that can be reached, it is an ongoing process of always honing, evolving, & refining the way our bikes feel. So how much cheaper are these complete builds? Thanks to a dropped chainstay design, the G1 clearance for 700c x 40mm or 650b x 2.1" tires and a maximum chainring size of 50t, according to the viathonbicycles.com website, while walmart.com boasts 700c clearance up . It starts with younger customers.. Who am I kidding. cycling, Press J to jump to the feed. First, this hardtail gets more than just the usual 100mm-travel fork. But when people saw these bikes here, it was like, 'Hey, these are real bikes! The multi-tier distribution model of sporting goods companies doesn't help either but it's a reality that's likely not going to change. Manufacturing costs vary inversely with manufacturing rate. Its a one-man Canyon, with Spinhirne-Martin sitting at his computer in San Bruno, California, bolting on expertise when he needs it. Shit, I'd probably buy one to beat up/lend out. Pretty sad that a brand new YZ250 cost thousands less than some of the bikes I come across in the wild. Viathon Bicycles announced today it will sponsor the Caffeine and Watts Club. Its also important to note whats not in the current lineup: womens bikes, utility bikes, and e-bikes. WhatsApp. Hes also the founder and part owner of Knight Composites. I dont shop at Walmart anyway since they decided to blame guns for violence. Some of that is a function of the homogeneity of the modern bike-enthusiast business. 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. Pleased to see this. Maybe you don't, but I do. Sales are via the brands website, and this does not feature the Walmart name in the about us section. Viathon Bikes launched to surprise, confusion and intrigue back in April, offering high-end carbon XC hardtails despite links to Walmart. It's not the products: a three-frame range of MTBs, and gravel and road bikes. Not everybody has great trail access, but almost everybody has access to dirt roads.. I like his channel and all but want to see people ride bikes like I would or better. The GVR is designed for the speed of race day and fast-paced action on pave and open fire road sections. GearJunkie Copyright 2013 2023. 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. Oct 2, 2019 by James Smurthwaite Viathon Bikes launched to surprise, confusion and intrigue back in April, offering high-end carbon XC hardtails despite links to Walmart. When I worked for Fly racing in sales it was a tough barrier going from Moto shops to bicycle. 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. When flexing the wheels on hard pedaling, I get some rubbing which viathon attributed to spokes being out of tension, but the clearance is ridiculously minimal. Most people won't even bother looking or once they see every new bike worth buying is >$1100, they quit. Second, the designers chose to mount a dropper seatpost as standard equipment on the M.1. Or did you have its sale / closeout pricing in mind ($1,599)? bicycling Well I'm kinda torn here. "The negativity starts in-store with reports of forks installed backward. Viathon calls the full carbon frame optimized for light weight & efficient pedaling, claiming a frame weight of 870g a size 54 with all hardware. Bike shops could benefit from more riders on more bikes. The website has no we-can-offer-keenest-prices-because-were-Walmart spiel. 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. With Walmart backing this brand, we can engage in a bike segment other brands wont touch.. Unfortunately, your shopping bag is empty. Read Review. They want tech, they want new features, they want new stuff. Unbelievable a$$holes, TLDR: "successful family chooses to enjoy their success while remaining frugal to ensure long term multigenerational wealth". Bikes are getting more expensive because more expensive bikes and bike parts are selling better than cheaper bikes and bike parts. I'm a kiter, and that industry is even worse. The issue with Walmart isn't how the founders choose to spend their billions, but the effect that Walmart has on local economies. No mention of any real pertinent specs that you'd expect when buying a bike. 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. Its easier and faster for me to expand our bike offering online than it is to go into stores. Which raises the question who is the brand aiming to reach? It's not the frames: they aren't open-mould no-names, all three shapes were CAD designed by the legendary Kevin Quan Studios of Toronto, Canada. So they're definitely taking a loss on these.. Good, we need more of this competition. 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. Seems like an easy decision there. And while low, Viathon pricing was at parity with any number of other name-brand carbon models, including Trek, Specialized, Cannondale and Canyon. 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. Years ago a friend of mine bought a carbon fiber Dura Ace bike. But Ive never seen the numbers. (The Walmart connection can be found only on the sites copyright line.) Viathons carbon bikes retail online for between $2,300 and $6,000. REI Co-op bikes are worth a look for most cyclists. can i return it after thrashing it for a season? Ive heard quotes saying a pros super cross bike runs around 100-200k. Even more interesting was Jordan's underlying premise that at least some of those hundreds of millions of Walmart customers would for reasons unknown and perhaps unknowable leap at the opportunity to purchase a full-dress carbon bike with a price tag northward of $3,000 precisely because they didn't have to go into a brick-and-mortar bike shop to purchase it. The value from Viathon is good- not a spectacular deal but decent. Y'all talk a big game about wanting more low-priced options but no one is out there actually buying them - I do P&A analysis for a bike distributors, I would know. They travel by private jet, stay in luxury hotelshave huge parties And never tip anybody anything EVER. GravelNut April 10, 2019, . I wanted to make bikes that I would want to ride, says Spinhirne-Martin. Yeah I'm in Australia and I know this, along with they do a bit for some mtb community's and trails. The shifters and RD were DA and that was it. The brand is starting with three models: the R1 road bike, the G1 gravel bike, and the M1 29er MTB. Maybe they could pump out some sultans for turner? 1600 Pearl St., Ste 300Boulder, CO 80302This website copyright 2023. And failing. 12-speed, electronic shifting, handlebar diameter changes, four piston brakes, blah blah don't need. Mount a water bottle to the frame and stay hydrated for harder riding. Point being it comes with a lot more and substantially more development. In the meantime, it seems Walmart isn't quite sure what they've created or who . This is not meant to be in support or against Viathon or Walmart, but there's a few things people here are missing. 1600 is still not going to mitigate the way this bike rides, and that is maybe something some folks wouldnt be willing to compromise on at any price. 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. Marketing has been slow-burn so far, rolling out a website and social media, getting journalists on the bikes at Sea Otter, and paying for GCNs Simon Richardson to ride the G1 from Outerbike in an advertorial video posted on 12th July and which has already had 34,000 views. It can take 650b wheels with up to 2.1-inch tires, or 700c wheels with up to 51mm tires. It's why car companies like BMW don't come out with a new 3-series every year, but more like every 7. Time for competition to drive down the absurd prices on bikes. @roma258: It's a catch 22. I spoke with him at the recent Outerbike expo in Idaho, the second public outing for the brand. what happened to viathon bikes. Re: Viathon G1 Rival being good (but not spectacular) value Was that determination based on list price ($2,498)? Maybe. The parts kits feature quality components from premium suppliers. Needs another $ 1,000 price drop still. And its partnering with shops, mobile shops, and more, as well as creating an online fit calculator. By running razor thin margins at insane volumes. I would love to see good reviews on them, but KevCentral's just don't cut it for me for actual riding. He wants to grow the brand slowly but steadily. as an example they probably make 100-1000-10000 more of the same model moto as they would for the mtb. So this is competing against the Ibis DV9? Walmart Launches High-End 'Viathon' Bike Brand - Pinkbike. For anyone familiar with the beer industry, this is like Anheuser-Busch creating Shocktop, not Anheuser-Busch buying Goose Island or Elysian. 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. And that right there is the problem with any form of cycling, "my bike is better than yours" bullshit mantra. An s-works bike off the floor performs at a pro level. They have dumped millions into cycling in AK, even helping to fund the Arkansas High Country Route. i gave it a spin. At least they dont come with pegs. All rights reserved, an opinion column about Viathon's unique formation, Workers at REI Cleveland store vote to join union, Hi-Torque closes Road Bike Action and Electric Bike Action magazines, Top Executives Tackling Biggest Bike Industry Challenges at the 2023 Bicycle Leadership Conference, Suplest shoes now available in North America through Blacksmith Cycle, NY City Council passes lithium-ion battery safety package. Since 1994 these are the words that continue to resonate within us. News of a new bike brand was recently published online that linked the Viathon Bicycles brand with Walmart. Therefore we have nothing really to go by but the suggested retail and maybe current internet pricing at the time of publishing a piece. I built the brand without them knowing about it at all, reveals Spinhirne-Martin. The FD was 105 as was the 10 sp cassette. Absurd that things with engines are cheaper than pedal bikes. what happened to viathon bikes But what was remarkable about Viathon was the identity of the brand's owner: Walmart. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. In Europe there's this large French sports goods chain called Decathlon. Should brick-and-mortar or other online retailers worry? Sign up to receive GearJunkie content direct to your inbox. What's the point? I won't shop with them. Did you have any issues with clearance between the spokes and rival caliper in the front? The writer, Sarah Moore, found the connection when looking up the trademark on the name, which isregistered to Walmart. Love lower price bikes and bringing the MTB sport to more people.. Are bike shopsscary, elitist, and unwelcoming? http://www.walmart.com/cp/viathon-bikes/8471299? The Viathon website has more specs: https://www.viathonbicycles.com/products/road-bike-r1-105. Hed been with the online retailer for 10 years. The average person is a Walmart shopper, he says. I've bought many clothing items from them, trekking boots etc and I was perfectly happy with the price/quality ratio. But Viathon's G.1 GRX 800 is light, fast, and sporty, and costs much less than its competitors. I read an article that estimates the bikes the top pro supercross riders use would cost somewhere in the range 100k-200k. When everyones selling a $3,500-ish Shimano Ultegra disc-equipped carbon gravel bike with an oversize headtube, asymmetric rear triangle, and scads of tire clearance, its a little hard to stand apart from the crowdeven when there are real differences. Although from a bike industry perspective, the geometry is a few years outdated even for a hardtail. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts The XX1 bike is around 21.5 pounds for a size M. The weight is competitive with other hardtail cross-country bikes in the same price range, and the price isnt wildly low. what happened to viathon bikes. @roma258: The development and progress is exciting but the concern is that the bike industry is nothing but development and process - all icing no cake. Who does this serve?! Too many highly paid engineers on staff working on "advancements" that most riders never needed. Whole Foods kinda sells bikes through their shit parent company Amazon. Viathon G1 Bike: At The Finish by Guitar Ted with Andy T. 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. viAtHOntM is a systemic product. 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. which would be why the mtb would cost more, not enough numbers to drive down the productions costs, mould costs. The bikes look fine. 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. 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. Both are well-qualified bike industry veterans, but its not a riveting founder story like, for instance, that ofAllied. Lots of things coming from different directions can sometimes become out of whack enough to cause a problem. Like Remot, Viathon debuts with three offerings: one frame each in road, gravel, and mountain, with three levels of build kit. @I wonder how many ZX-6rs are produced and sold. All models are available exclusively at Walmart in-store and online. The frames are engineered and designed in partnership with Kevin Quan, a longtime designer whos responsible for well-known bikes from well-known brands like Cervelo, Parlee, and Pivot. 29 plumtrees road newtown, ct; popular subdivision names; how to cite the implicit association test Now it has a toe in the high-end market and the chance to show that itscapable of making quality stuff. ($1k frame only pricing). Viathon is backed by the big box retailer but has teamed up with industry veterans that'd designed frames for brands like Cervelo and Pivot. The crankset was square taper FSA even though Sora was already using HT2 by this time. MTB, Black 648 3+ day shipping Best seller $91.14 16" Marvel Spider-Man Bike for Boys' by Huffy 435 5G for Dura. a buddy of mine, bought the g1 gravel bike to keep at his lakehouse (insert dentist joke, he's actually a cpa). 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. It's been just about four months since a line of consumer-direct carbon road, gravel and mountain bikes premiered from a new brand called Viathon, emerging out of the bright Sea Otter sunshine like the goddess Athena springing full-formed from the forehead of Zeus. Will hopefully bring the prices down across the board. Trail systems even in coastal areas are getting so well-built (and relatively easy due to limited elevation, at least on the US east coast) that a lot of people can easily get into the sport if they have a bike. not bad at all. Without the curiousness of the Walmart link, I wouldnt even be writing about Viathon. We tested the brand's top-end M.1 Mountain Bike for 6 weeks to gain an. Turner Tech Read more. I might consider buying it for the components. Discussion of everything bicycle related. Don't need. Go to the shop Go to the shop. They also have controlling interests in Rapha and Allied Cycles. Boost? Browse our range of in stock and ready to ship road, gravel, mountain, hybrid and electric bikes. The GX spec would be tempting if the geometry and looks weren't reminiscent of my 2009 Stumpy hardtail. At least 30-50% of surfers at my local breaks are on $200 Wavesorms and other "foamies" from Costco and the like.