SSU insolvency and the bike industry generally

**XXX-er** · 04-18-2024, 01:27 PM

Cue the engineer jokes

**EWG** · 04-18-2024, 02:01 PM

NCL (national crit/cycling league) shut down yesterday too. 10 teams, all with riders on good, living wage salaries - all gone instantly.

**smmokan** · 04-18-2024, 02:14 PM

Discounting the imminent Kona announcement, I'm putting my money on Spot or Alchemy to go under next.

**toast2266** · 04-18-2024, 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by smmokan

Discounting the imminent Kona announcement, I'm putting my money on Spot or Alchemy to go under next.

I was trying to remember when Spot bikes was founded - seems like they've been around for a while. Looking at the website doesn't give me the answer, but it does say that the people who own Spot were the founders of Avid brakes (sounds like they bought Spot after selling Avid to Sram). Thought that was interesting.

**Phall** · 04-18-2024, 03:29 PM

they've been around since at least 2006?, probably longer, belt drive was an early thing for Spot, and i think if I'm not mistaken I rode a 650b Spot demo bike at a NEMBA fest in summer 06?

**EWG** · 04-18-2024, 03:39 PM

Pretty sure it was started in Canadia. DeKerf build the earliest protos. Late 90s maybe?

**toast2266** · 04-18-2024, 03:57 PM

Originally Posted by EWG

Pretty sure it was started in Canadia. DeKerf build the earliest protos. Late 90s maybe?

Yeah, a little digging shows they started in Canada in the late 90's. I definitely remember seeing some of their stuff in the early 00's. Looks like the Avid people bought it in '09.

**Dumbest Known Time** · 04-18-2024, 08:36 PM

https://nsmb.com/articles/rumors-of-...y-exaggerated/

Yeah Kona looks like it's on the scrap heap. Bummer. Never owned one but they still hold a spot in my heart for being the first mountain bike I wandered past in a shop as a high schooler and going "woah."

**snowaddict91** · 04-18-2024, 08:42 PM

My entry into mountain biking was fueled by the Snowshoe bike park in the early 2000s. Kona was affiliated with the park and they were everywhere. My cousin and I both eventually had Stabs, my brother had a Kahuna, I think my dad even rode one at one point. I owe a lot of my passion for Mountain Biking to Kona and that bike.

**rideit** · 04-19-2024, 01:29 AM

Oofdah, I just remembered that there is a local shop here that only really sold two lines, Kona and Guerrilla Gravity.

**hick** · 04-19-2024, 06:44 AM

The Kona news is kinda sad. My first higher end mountain bike was a 92 Kona Explosif. Raced the shit out of it and rode it back from the auto shop just this week. I should say it was a great gravel bike as much logging ride as I rode on that thing.
The bike industry is such a roller coaster.

Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

**smmokan** · 04-19-2024, 06:52 AM

Originally Posted by toast2266

I was trying to remember when Spot bikes was founded - seems like they've been around for a while. Looking at the website doesn't give me the answer, but it does say that the people who own Spot were the founders of Avid brakes (sounds like they bought Spot after selling Avid to Sram). Thought that was interesting.

Correct, I think they bought Spot and rebranded everything (in addition to adding the FS bikes) about 10 years ago? They’re running 40% off sales right now, my guess is they are trying to sell off a bunch of inventory before it’s essentially worthless.

**Canada1** · 04-19-2024, 08:31 AM

The power of you tube.
I saw one of your rides on a you tubers video where the guy snapped the Spot frame in a relatively standard drop. It took them out of any consideration for me. It's funny how similarly the constant utilization of you tube by Ibis has arguably worked for them. I wonder if you tubers now have as much reach and influence as racers. Maybe even more?

**El Chupacabra** · 04-19-2024, 08:49 AM

Originally Posted by hick

The Kona news is kinda sad. My first higher end mountain bike was a 92 Kona Explosif. Raced the shit out of it and rode it back from the auto shop just this week. I should say it was a great gravel bike as much logging ride as I rode on that thing.
The bike industry is such a roller coaster.

Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

Kona always seemed like they made bikes to be fun to ride, like they were designed with some purpose in mind but make it fun too.

I have the last Explosif - a 2018 steel hardtail, 27.5, the only year they did boost dropout spacing.

Also an old Sutra touring bike, which is a keep it forever bike.

**east or bust** · 04-19-2024, 08:54 AM

Even more motivation to get my ‘07 Coiler fixed up.

Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

**smmokan** · 04-19-2024, 09:00 AM

Originally Posted by Canada1

The power of you tube.
I saw one of your rides on a you tubers video where the guy snapped the Spot frame in a relatively standard drop. It took them out of any consideration for me. It's funny how similarly the constant utilization of you tube by Ibis has arguably worked for them. I wonder if you tubers now have as much reach and influence as racers. Maybe even more?

Yes, I think they do have as much influence as racers - mostly because they have more reach than most racers these days. Plus, IME from talking to hundreds of customers over the years, most of the popular YT'ers (BKXC, Singletrack Sampler, Seth, etc) are a lot more approachable and relatable.

Also... I have to admit, it was pretty fun riding a broken frame with only a rear brake and half a handlebar down the last 8 miles of the Whole Enchilada.

**snowaddict91** · 04-19-2024, 09:02 AM

Originally Posted by east or bust

Even more motivation to get my ‘07 Coiler fixed up.

Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

Nice. I lusted after one of those for a long time, wanted to get one to match my Stab.

**MCS5280** · 04-19-2024, 10:17 AM

Planet Cyclery/Colorado Cyclist appears to be shutting their doors.

**toast2266** · 04-19-2024, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by MCS5280

Planet Cyclery/Colorado Cyclist appears to be shutting their doors.

Wow. That's kinda more surprising that a lot of these bike companies going out of business. Colorado Cyclist has been around forever.

**frorider** · 04-19-2024, 01:49 PM

Good chance the Kona brand will live on once the industry pendulum swings yet again. Whether or not the new owners will ‘get’ the brand is a different question.

I agree with the mtb journalist who observed that the Ouroboros appears to have been a passion project that had an announcement/release cycle complicated by senior mgmt shenanigans.