Yep, Tomac is a total farmer. Even his first signature tires were called ”Farmer John”. And he's father to one of the most successful MX guys out there. Oh, and he's a MTB legend, doing product development and asked to coach every now and then. Including a certain, erm, (what's his name, I keep forgetting, nobody important...)... Aaron Gwin (there you go!). Anyway, Tomac,he's in charge with the crops, total John Deere aficionado.
EC is with Hyper. Check his IG for what he's doing. Just finished doing a riding camp, if I remember correctly.
I believe ari can and piggybag clearnce with the frame, and I believe, as with most frames with similar issues, depends on frame size... check mtbr...
I believe ari can and piggybag clearnce with the frame, and I believe, as with most frames with similar issues, depends on frame size... check mtbr forum...
looky pretty tight here: you guys think it's a custom air can then?
the X2 with 210x55 seems availlable OEM and with us retailers only but not on fox's pricelist.
Ok guys, please stop discussing shocks, wheel sizes, what's on Loris' sandwich and all sorts of irrelevant crap on this thread. Start a new thread. It's getting old having to wade through all these posts trying to find RACING RUMOURS.
Rant over.
About Gwin. I'm all for guys getting paid what they are worth. It's the same in any business. If a sales guy brings in the sales and hits his targets he is entitled to his bonus. For sure Gwin didn't hit his targets in 2018. Maybe that's made everyone financing the team take a step back and reconsider.
EC yes Eric Carter. I am not saying they have bad lives but they certainly did not get setup for life. EC has bounced around working as rep for companies.
My point about those older riders is they all had to find something new to keep them and families afloat. They didn’t leave setup for an easy future, where I think that’s part of Gwins goal.
I mean, it's seemed to have been confirmed anyway, but ratboy on a Habit?
Judging by the video: the overall lack of hair, not a tall lanky stature, and the bell helmet/smith goggles combo point it to be Max (3_dumb) rather than rat. Edit* Max has been on that exact Habit alloy 4 for a while now as well.
Ok guys, please stop discussing shocks, wheel sizes, what's on Loris' sandwich and all sorts of irrelevant crap on this thread. Start a new thread. It's...
Ok guys, please stop discussing shocks, wheel sizes, what's on Loris' sandwich and all sorts of irrelevant crap on this thread. Start a new thread. It's getting old having to wade through all these posts trying to find RACING RUMOURS.
Rant over.
About Gwin. I'm all for guys getting paid what they are worth. It's the same in any business. If a sales guy brings in the sales and hits his targets he is entitled to his bonus. For sure Gwin didn't hit his targets in 2018. Maybe that's made everyone financing the team take a step back and reconsider.
Pretty sure not hitting your goal of world domination due to injury but still keeping it in the top 5 whilst holding back and testing new equipment is nothing any company would consider something worth cutting from their budget given the fact there´s really no valid alternative. Not many podium regulars are up for grabs and even if they were, injury can strike any time.
I´m not a Gwin fanboy or anything but come on, he is injured once and doesn´t deliver runs that devastate the competition anymore and people think he´s done for? I don´t believe that.
I´m pretty certain a company willing to invest millions into a bicycle racing team for marketing reasons is capable of a more valid risk assessment procedure than simply "hurrdurr Gwin not win anymore, we no pay anymore".
Certainly anybody involved knows a racing team and the marketing value it produces is a continuous process of media exposure first and foremost and (constant) winning is nothing but a bonus.
Otherwise we´d end up with only one team per season as nobody would be willing to pay for second or third place riders.
I´d rather suspect Gwin has simply done his part for the company/team and isn´t worth investing the money anymore. He established the brand as a household name in record time. YT went from zero to hero in only a few years and i´m certain his hero status has helped tremenduously with that. Now is the time they can sell bikes even without constant podium domination.
With the apparent cost for his services i think he has become more of a flash to spark sales for companies than a rider to represent continuous effort. His aura will cling to a bike for a while even after he left the company as a sign of validation and accomplishment.
If YT can get somebody like Blenki or any other stylish top ten rider on the TUES after Gwin left, i think they are well set up for the future but with way less cost involved so that may be the reason they let him go.
I also read somewhere last season Trek doesn´t consider downhill a valid market, but they do in fact value the marketing value very highly and are willing to invest a lot in it. Gwin certainly knows his market value and he has already shown he´s willing to sell his services to the highest bidder (and i fully support this), so i guess he just went window shopping other teams as always and ended up with a better deal which the mob wasn´t willing to match.
If it was not Trek, i guess there´s other companies out there which came to the same conclusion about marketing values of downhill racing and Aaron Gwin in particular.
My post wasn't a criticism of Gwin. The guy is a beast. He was unlucky with the type of injury he had. but you know what they say; 'Win on a Sunday, sell on a Monday'.
I fully expect Gwin's partners to have done their due diligence. Maybe Gwin's pay was heavily based on a bonus structure where race wins and the overall contributed a huge amount to his wage. This is the only way I can imagine YT etc were able to offer more than Specialized etc. Somebody with big bills might want to switch to a different, more regular pay structure.
This is all speculation of course. Gwin's a smart guy. I fully expect him to make a deal then come out fit in 2019.
Remember, Gwin left specialized because he wanted to maintain control over his program... Specialized wanted him to go head to toe Specialized and that would have meant dropping other sponsors that were also paying him... Several smaller checks might be worth more than one big check...
Remember, Gwin left specialized because he wanted to maintain control over his program... Specialized wanted him to go head to toe Specialized and that would have...
Remember, Gwin left specialized because he wanted to maintain control over his program... Specialized wanted him to go head to toe Specialized and that would have meant dropping other sponsors that were also paying him... Several smaller checks might be worth more than one big check...
so true, but that was the reason why i thought YT would leave the mob and trek or some other brand would step in as frame sponsor. but since gwin left the mob it‘s hard to see him go back to a team where he is just „an employee“. things definitely got more interesting now
Was it just me or did nobody else see the infamous poem or map of team rumors? Seems like the past few years somebody has made one and came like 80% true. remembering the American flag to Germany of Gwin to YT, and Manon Carpenter's periodic table hint about going to radon.
Judging by the video: the overall lack of hair, not a tall lanky stature, and the bell helmet/smith goggles combo point it to be Max (3_dumb)...
Judging by the video: the overall lack of hair, not a tall lanky stature, and the bell helmet/smith goggles combo point it to be Max (3_dumb) rather than rat. Edit* Max has been on that exact Habit alloy 4 for a while now as well.
Pretty sure josh actually says somewhere in his comments that it’s @3dumb riding in the video.
Remember, Gwin left specialized because he wanted to maintain control over his program... Specialized wanted him to go head to toe Specialized and that would have...
Remember, Gwin left specialized because he wanted to maintain control over his program... Specialized wanted him to go head to toe Specialized and that would have meant dropping other sponsors that were also paying him... Several smaller checks might be worth more than one big check...
so true, but that was the reason why i thought YT would leave the mob and trek or some other brand would step in as frame...
so true, but that was the reason why i thought YT would leave the mob and trek or some other brand would step in as frame sponsor. but since gwin left the mob it‘s hard to see him go back to a team where he is just „an employee“. things definitely got more interesting now
As I have heard it, he's shopping a team deal consisting of himself and Neko plus John as a mechanic... It would funny to see both of them back to Trek...
As I have heard it, he's shopping a team deal consisting of himself and Neko plus John as a mechanic... It would funny to see both...
As I have heard it, he's shopping a team deal consisting of himself and Neko plus John as a mechanic... It would funny to see both of them back to Trek...
Seems likely seeing that none of the Athertons are tagging trek anymore. Maybe keeping kade as the rising star?
I’m wondering if YT’s inability to deliver a 29” DH bike on a timely basis was one of the reasons the relationship with Gwin soured. Perhaps Gwin realizes that he needs to ride for a bigger company with a proper R&D budget. Trek hired Neff to ensure their XCO domination so I could see them signing Gwin.
I’m wondering if YT’s inability to deliver a 29” DH bike on a timely basis was one of the reasons the relationship with Gwin soured. Perhaps...
I’m wondering if YT’s inability to deliver a 29” DH bike on a timely basis was one of the reasons the relationship with Gwin soured. Perhaps Gwin realizes that he needs to ride for a bigger company with a proper R&D budget. Trek hired Neff to ensure their XCO domination so I could see them signing Gwin.
IDK about the 29er part, Vali Holl had a prototype on her instagram today.
just found this shot online:
wheels look quite big (just like the HT LT next to it), no?
[img]https://p.vitalmtb.com/photos/forums/2018/10/29/6883/s1200_2019HTLT.jpg[/img]
just found this shot online:
wheels look quite big (just like the HT LT next to it), no?
Nah still 27.5, the headtube is too long for 29. Ill keep holding my breath for one tho!
EC is with Hyper. Check his IG for what he's doing. Just finished doing a riding camp, if I remember correctly.
the X2 with 210x55 seems availlable OEM and with us retailers only but not on fox's pricelist.
Rant over.
About Gwin. I'm all for guys getting paid what they are worth. It's the same in any business. If a sales guy brings in the sales and hits his targets he is entitled to his bonus. For sure Gwin didn't hit his targets in 2018. Maybe that's made everyone financing the team take a step back and reconsider.
My point about those older riders is they all had to find something new to keep them and families afloat. They didn’t leave setup for an easy future, where I think that’s part of Gwins goal.
I´m not a Gwin fanboy or anything but come on, he is injured once and doesn´t deliver runs that devastate the competition anymore and people think he´s done for? I don´t believe that.
I´m pretty certain a company willing to invest millions into a bicycle racing team for marketing reasons is capable of a more valid risk assessment procedure than simply "hurrdurr Gwin not win anymore, we no pay anymore".
Certainly anybody involved knows a racing team and the marketing value it produces is a continuous process of media exposure first and foremost and (constant) winning is nothing but a bonus.
Otherwise we´d end up with only one team per season as nobody would be willing to pay for second or third place riders.
I´d rather suspect Gwin has simply done his part for the company/team and isn´t worth investing the money anymore. He established the brand as a household name in record time. YT went from zero to hero in only a few years and i´m certain his hero status has helped tremenduously with that. Now is the time they can sell bikes even without constant podium domination.
With the apparent cost for his services i think he has become more of a flash to spark sales for companies than a rider to represent continuous effort. His aura will cling to a bike for a while even after he left the company as a sign of validation and accomplishment.
If YT can get somebody like Blenki or any other stylish top ten rider on the TUES after Gwin left, i think they are well set up for the future but with way less cost involved so that may be the reason they let him go.
I also read somewhere last season Trek doesn´t consider downhill a valid market, but they do in fact value the marketing value very highly and are willing to invest a lot in it. Gwin certainly knows his market value and he has already shown he´s willing to sell his services to the highest bidder (and i fully support this), so i guess he just went window shopping other teams as always and ended up with a better deal which the mob wasn´t willing to match.
If it was not Trek, i guess there´s other companies out there which came to the same conclusion about marketing values of downhill racing and Aaron Gwin in particular.
My money is still on Trek though.
My post wasn't a criticism of Gwin. The guy is a beast. He was unlucky with the type of injury he had. but you know what they say; 'Win on a Sunday, sell on a Monday'.
I fully expect Gwin's partners to have done their due diligence. Maybe Gwin's pay was heavily based on a bonus structure where race wins and the overall contributed a huge amount to his wage. This is the only way I can imagine YT etc were able to offer more than Specialized etc. Somebody with big bills might want to switch to a different, more regular pay structure.
This is all speculation of course. Gwin's a smart guy. I fully expect him to make a deal then come out fit in 2019.
This pretty much confirms it.
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