• Re: anemic industry's retrenchment continues

    From AMuzi@21:1/5 to John B. on Mon Feb 3 10:13:39 2025
    On 2/3/2025 10:06 AM, John B. wrote:
    On Mon, 3 Feb 2025 08:06:50 -0600, AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org> wrote:

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/general/longstanding-us-brand-closes-another-company-makes-layoffs/ar-AA1ycvIb


    And down at the bottom of the page there is an announcement that
    "Costco raises pay to over $30 an hour for most employees"

    +1
    Different business model than our industry.

    --
    Andrew Muzi
    am@yellowjersey.org
    Open every day since 1 April, 1971

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  • From =?UTF-8?B?Y3ljbGludG9t?=@21:1/5 to All on Mon Feb 3 17:31:46 2025
    On Mon Feb 3 10:13:39 2025 AMuzi wrote:
    On 2/3/2025 10:06 AM, John B. wrote:
    On Mon, 3 Feb 2025 08:06:50 -0600, AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org> wrote:

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/general/longstanding-us-brand-closes-another-company-makes-layoffs/ar-AA1ycvIb


    And down at the bottom of the page there is an announcement that
    "Costco raises pay to over $30 an hour for most employees"

    +1
    Different business model than our industry.




    Nevertheless a pretty shocking wage which was once considered to be a top pay grade. This puts people like Liebermann in the lowest 2% of income group. I don't like this and put it directly on the shoulders of Biden and Yellen.

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  • From Mark J cleary@21:1/5 to AMuzi on Mon Feb 3 13:06:30 2025
    On 2/3/2025 8:06 AM, AMuzi wrote:
    https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/general/longstanding-us-brand-closes- another-company-makes-layoffs/ar-AA1ycvIb

    This is interesting in that I see bikes as things that people need and
    want. The amount of variance among consumers for bikes is quite large.
    Here is my take.

    1.
    People like myself who are serious cyclist. They ride usually for
    recreation and even performance. They tend to be knowledgeable about
    bikes and can do much of there own work or the basics. To me this group
    is not huge but does draw some serious technical innovations. The money
    spent here is quite out of proportion to the number overall percentage
    of the industry. This folks draw the big $$. Naturally some in this
    group can afford and have others do there mechanical work.

    2.People who ride bikes purely for fun off and on and probably only in
    really nice weather. They might be retired or just get out around the neighborhood. This group is large in number but probably not in demand
    for new stuff. This group though relies heavily on having maintenance
    and work done by shops or mechanics places that do bike repairs.

    3.
    People who ride bike for real transportation and need. They use these
    bikes for work sometimes and to get around. In effect they use a bike
    like someone like myself would drive a car. They need to keep on going
    repairs and parts, the whole gambit of things related to keeping the
    bike running. They probably can do some of there own work but not
    always. This group is actually I believe a pretty heave consumer of
    cycling industry but the do not draw the attention. This might not be
    the picture of the industry in US but in other countries huge,

    To me if you are in the bike industry and want to survive you have to
    have a target market and know your customers and needs. In turn they
    need to know what you have and turn to you for items. I love high
    performance fast recreational cycling but I believe on the whole that is
    not much of the real industry.

    Am I wrong?


    --
    Deacon Mark

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  • From AMuzi@21:1/5 to All on Mon Feb 3 08:06:50 2025
    https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/general/longstanding-us-brand-closes-another-company-makes-layoffs/ar-AA1ycvIb
    --
    Andrew Muzi
    am@yellowjersey.org
    Open every day since 1 April, 1971

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  • From Roger Merriman@21:1/5 to Mark J cleary on Mon Feb 3 20:58:25 2025
    Mark J cleary <mcleary08@comcast.net> wrote:
    On 2/3/2025 8:06 AM, AMuzi wrote:
    https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/general/longstanding-us-brand-closes-
    another-company-makes-layoffs/ar-AA1ycvIb

    This is interesting in that I see bikes as things that people need and
    want. The amount of variance among consumers for bikes is quite large.
    Here is my take.

    1.
    People like myself who are serious cyclist. They ride usually for
    recreation and even performance. They tend to be knowledgeable about
    bikes and can do much of there own work or the basics. To me this group
    is not huge but does draw some serious technical innovations. The money
    spent here is quite out of proportion to the number overall percentage
    of the industry. This folks draw the big $$. Naturally some in this
    group can afford and have others do there mechanical work.

    For bike manufacturers the draw for this group is the margins are good for higher end bikes, ie bikes getting on for 10k or above!

    I’d not suggest that these groups are particularly good at maintaining
    their bikes, surprisingly number who can’t change a tube even.

    Depends on the type of riding one does, I’m unusual in that I do ride in locations away from places you can get help or phone reception, generally
    the MTB so need to be self sufficient.



    2.People who ride bikes purely for fun off and on and probably only in
    really nice weather. They might be retired or just get out around the neighborhood. This group is large in number but probably not in demand
    for new stuff. This group though relies heavily on having maintenance
    and work done by shops or mechanics places that do bike repairs.

    Lot of these are bikes that live their lives in the shed. Dragged out on
    first sunny day!
    3.
    People who ride bike for real transportation and need. They use these
    bikes for work sometimes and to get around. In effect they use a bike
    like someone like myself would drive a car. They need to keep on going repairs and parts, the whole gambit of things related to keeping the
    bike running. They probably can do some of there own work but not
    always. This group is actually I believe a pretty heave consumer of
    cycling industry but the do not draw the attention. This might not be
    the picture of the industry in US but in other countries huge,

    I have two bikes for utility different flavours ie a road and a MTB though
    it has city tyres and mudguards so can cope with wetter roads.

    I have a very local bike shop that I use for stuff I can’t do or can’t be bothered to get tools to do, my ability to do maintenance is rather reduced post brain injury so one of the ways life is more expensive!

    To me if you are in the bike industry and want to survive you have to
    have a target market and know your customers and needs. In turn they
    need to know what you have and turn to you for items. I love high
    performance fast recreational cycling but I believe on the whole that is
    not much of the real industry.

    Am I wrong?


    Roger Merriman

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  • From Catrike Ryder@21:1/5 to Roger Merriman on Mon Feb 3 16:19:20 2025
    On 3 Feb 2025 20:58:25 GMT, Roger Merriman <roger@sarlet.com> wrote:

    Mark J cleary <mcleary08@comcast.net> wrote:
    On 2/3/2025 8:06 AM, AMuzi wrote:
    https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/general/longstanding-us-brand-closes-
    another-company-makes-layoffs/ar-AA1ycvIb

    This is interesting in that I see bikes as things that people need and
    want. The amount of variance among consumers for bikes is quite large.
    Here is my take.

    1.
    People like myself who are serious cyclist. They ride usually for
    recreation and even performance. They tend to be knowledgeable about
    bikes and can do much of there own work or the basics. To me this group
    is not huge but does draw some serious technical innovations. The money
    spent here is quite out of proportion to the number overall percentage
    of the industry. This folks draw the big $$. Naturally some in this
    group can afford and have others do there mechanical work.

    For bike manufacturers the draw for this group is the margins are good for >higher end bikes, ie bikes getting on for 10k or above!

    I’d not suggest that these groups are particularly good at maintaining
    their bikes, surprisingly number who can’t change a tube even.

    Depends on the type of riding one does, I’m unusual in that I do ride in >locations away from places you can get help or phone reception, generally
    the MTB so need to be self sufficient.



    2.People who ride bikes purely for fun off and on and probably only in
    really nice weather. They might be retired or just get out around the
    neighborhood. This group is large in number but probably not in demand
    for new stuff. This group though relies heavily on having maintenance
    and work done by shops or mechanics places that do bike repairs.

    Lot of these are bikes that live their lives in the shed. Dragged out on >first sunny day!
    3.
    People who ride bike for real transportation and need. They use these
    bikes for work sometimes and to get around. In effect they use a bike
    like someone like myself would drive a car. They need to keep on going
    repairs and parts, the whole gambit of things related to keeping the
    bike running. They probably can do some of there own work but not
    always. This group is actually I believe a pretty heave consumer of
    cycling industry but the do not draw the attention. This might not be
    the picture of the industry in US but in other countries huge,

    I have two bikes for utility different flavours ie a road and a MTB though
    it has city tyres and mudguards so can cope with wetter roads.

    I have a very local bike shop that I use for stuff I can’t do or can’t be >bothered to get tools to do, my ability to do maintenance is rather reduced >post brain injury so one of the ways life is more expensive!

    To me if you are in the bike industry and want to survive you have to
    have a target market and know your customers and needs. In turn they
    need to know what you have and turn to you for items. I love high
    performance fast recreational cycling but I believe on the whole that is
    not much of the real industry.

    Am I wrong?


    Roger Merriman


    My Catrike has 40,000 miles and has never been in a bike shop,
    although most of it has been replaced once or twice.

    --
    C'est bon
    Soloman

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