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Edited Date/Time
10/28/2020 8:49am
Over on the 2021 Team Rumors forum there is talk about how bike companies are selling very few DH Bikes worldwide on an annual basis. I'm very interested in this topic, but feel it is best to keep it separate from Team Rumors.
Someone mentions a company that only sold 500 DH bikes globally last year
Another said one brand sold 800.
I hope someone can get references for those claims, for validity's sake.
So are DH bike sales really falling? If so, why? And should we even care if they are?
Someone mentions a company that only sold 500 DH bikes globally last year
Another said one brand sold 800.
I hope someone can get references for those claims, for validity's sake.
So are DH bike sales really falling? If so, why? And should we even care if they are?
While I don't live near a lift park, and none of my local trails require a DH bike, but my favorite trails to ride are more fun on my DH bike than my enduro bike. I feel like the industry has done such a good job of selling enduro bikes to the DH crowd, they have shot themselves in the foot for DH bike sales.
-Mondraker is aluminium for 2021
-Specialized is aluminium only for now
-Commencal is anti carbon
From memory, they both cited ride quality & performance as the reasoning, but the cost of multiple molds will soon add up.
Imagine if the EWS were able to put on a better live show to match UCI DH (which I don't see happening), barely any DH bikes would get sold.
The parks and mountain bike regions wanted to bring more people to their parks and regions - not only the "hard core downhill biker". And they had to build tracks to combine the already existing tracks in their regions. And all these new tracks where made to suit beginners, too. So in my region there are maybe four tracks where I would definitely prefer a downhill bike. Maybe 8 where both enduro and downhill bike would be fine. But at least 15 where a downhill bike is just too much and less funny than an enduro bike. And when we drive a little further there are some enduro bike regions where a downhill bike would be completely wrong. Some also with very interesting "old school downhill tracks" which are nowadays perfect for enduro bikes. And as we come from this era we still like those tracks a lot.
On TV downhill is still very interesting and joyful to watch. (And recently I also like watching the XC races a lot). But it would be a huge effort to bring enduro racing to live TV. So I hope that downhill racing will stay an important tool for marketing and the brands keep investing in their downhill racing teams.
And actually, when looking at all this downhill racing on TV and thinking about the downhill tracks in Schladming or Leogang I'll really thinking about getting a downhill bike again.
Edit: "They must sell", meaning the big brands. So total DH bike sold in Norway would be 50+
IMO the race categories (DH and XC) are getting so refined that they aren't the most fun for the non-racing rider. That said, the tech bits and racing is great right now. Even if you're an XC rider, the Stumpy EVO, Spur, Etc. is going to be a more fun and comfortable bike. Even the new Yeti ARC is probably too slack for the professional racer but is a great hardtail option for the average XC rider. For me, it's hard to push a DH bike to the limit or fully utilize the ended design for some of modern sleds. I simply can't push the bike that hard anymore which is why I am on an enduro bike now.
I could see some companies moving to AL for their DH bikes but from a marketing perspective the materials story of carbon (if that's what you are using elsewhere in your assortment) is an important story to tell via your race programs.
I think what’s driving the switch is a cheaper end product more than prototype investment. Brands can get a pretty long run out of a reasonably designed dh frame. But I’d guess the vast majority of dh sales are rental bikes and park rat teenagers (my buddy buys new bikes for his teens but is riding a old Jedi himself.). I don’t think that clientele necessarily wants to or can afford more for a little less weight.
I probably won’t ever have a dh bike tbh. My enduro bike is too capable and I’d probably get more out of a hardtail, dj, and a short travel trail bike than I would a dh bike because of where i live.
That said the dh bike is for me the most fun to ride by far. But I really only get to ride one maybe 10 times in a good year where I can ride my enduro bike everyday. I can even ride it from my house to the trailhead to the bar and back to my house. I’d have to be in a really different financial situation or live right next to a sweet bike park to ever justify buying a dh bike. And I’d have a Even harder time justifying spending more on one as opposed to less
How about this 'rental' spec DH bike with geometry more friendly for a family from Iowa to cruise the green runs on?
*66deg head angle with 0mm stem = same 'safe' distance behind the front wheel with less floppy steering at 7mph
*140mm cranks to never hit on the ground when you're coasting with 1 crank pointed straight down
*Single speed- geared to pedal from the rental shop to the lift and from the lift to the start of the trail. Focus on not crashing- don't worry about shifting.
*1 brake lever actuating both brakes- up to 60% front, 100% rear. 160 front rotor, 220 rear. Can't flip the bars- ever.
*seat and frame geo made to ride seated most of the time. Longer Chainstays? Steep STA?
*what else? built in selfie stick? cup holder for a starbucks?
haha you know this is the future of DH bikes!!!!
EDIT: By comparison, I'd be willing to bet that the enduro bike has taken over a lot of the sales that would have once gone to a cheaper trail and a cheaper DH bike.
Yes, enduro race bikes are getting really good at DH, but often at the expense of general usability.
Also, a big shout to this forum's system; lost the best part of 40 minutes writing a reply with compeling(IMO) arguments pro and against dh bikes, future sales and future racing(references to the past(history of the sport), geos, diff articles on the subject).
Read it twice to be sure it is as good as I'm personaly capable from a syntax pov...then I clicked 'submit'...and the message "you have been atutomatically logged out" filled my phone screen and, at the same time, my heart with a big no. of effffffs!
It's simple. Of course a trophy truck will be better at Baja 1000 than an F-150 Raptor. Or a Subbie Outback. But on the school run and going to vacation? And doing the grocery runs? People don't use trophy trucks for that. A weird analogy where the trophy truck is the DH bike and the Outback is a trail bike. For the majority of people it's enough, even if they sometimes beat the crap out of it off road (occasional park visit). And trust me, they can take some abuse and be fun as hell doing it!
But yeah, make custom bikes and sell them off as a limited edition for a high price, numbered even. I think it should do even more for the marketing that what is done currently. And for the people that still want a DH bike? Do a park/DH bike that's maybe even a bit cheaper. That would kill off the grassroots scene though, so it's a double edged sword...
Just to add, I've actually never ridden a DH bike and am told (and I believe) that they are much different to enduro bikes. Which is logical. But like most people it just makes zero sense to even look at one and I'm too lazy to go through the faff of renting one, when I can do the bikeparks I actually like riding with my 150 mm trail bike. I don't do jumps, I'm not much of a fan of berms, so what would I gain with a DH bike? In the rough stuff I'll be a bit slower and that's it? On the other hand I do probably 70 % of the rides starting from home, pedalling all the way to the uphill, up and down and then back home again.
https://www.vitalmtb.com/features/10-000-Mountain-Bikers-Respond-2020-V…
Alternatively, they should race 180mm (maybe dc-ed)enduro bikes and call it a day!
As for bikes, yeah, more of the upper 'monstrosity'. As for non-production bikes, like I said, make and sell 20 frames and call it a day
And no, the enduro bike is not a bike with 150-160mm..no, that is either an agressive trail bike or a enduro type racing bike - racers have other requirements than us, the mere mortals -
For me, an enduro bike is 170-180mm, enough travel for the park, big wheels for going fast, slack&low geo for going even faster.
I have a pretty similar geo on my actual trail bike(29er 130-150), to my former 2016 enduro bike(27.5 160-170); I'm older and weaker but the speed is the same.
Apply this to DH and current big enduro bikes. 63s HAs, WBs bigger than most of 2019 dh bikes, 20mm less travel. Do you really think there is a difference?, with a sc, maybe there is, maybe there isn't; the whole ideea is, geometry dictates the speed and the capability of a bike, not 20mm of extra travel.
I don't mind low sales for DH bikes if they are used as a platform to experiment and allow riders like Bruni and Hart's to push the limits of what can be achieved into a bike.
IF (!) it can actually be trickled down...
I miss DH bike but I know I will never find the terrain nor have the skills to fully exploit it... Nothing replace à DC fork though.
Propain Spindrift with Zeb fork. 190-180mm bike(could just as well be 180-180), loong(but not that long, maybe with the long pos CS), low, best served in a mullet form. Now really, how much slower do you think you'd be on such a bike?, or how much faster on a dh bike?
I've owned some pretty sweet current model 170mm enduro bikes but nothing beats a triple clamp fork with 200mm of travel at both ends when the "true" DH terrain is in front of you. Three times I've sold the DH bike and said a new enduro will fill the void. It never works! I just end up with another one down the road.
With bike parks catering to the new school flow and jump lines, and trying to attract a wider audience, the need for DH bikes is clearly less. But for those of us who are fortunate enough to own them, you'll have a hard time convincing us that an enduro bike is "good enough" when the going gets rough!
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