After Interbike.
an outsider’s observations from inside the bike industry
I needed the whole weekend to recover from Las Vegas. Most people do. But I didn’t go out to the clubs, didn’t gamble, and didn’t even have a stiff drink. I was so tired from walking the show. I even took a long nap on Saturday.
I want to share a few thoughts about the bike industry, just from what I’ve seen at Interbike 2015. Keep in mind that this is only the third time I’ve been to the show. The first time was in 1996 and the second was just last year. The idea of Karmic Bikes was merely a seed in my mind back then. This year people were stopping me as I was walking, and we made lots of new friends.
Dead Man Walking
The head of Interbike tried to put on a good show, stating that numbers were up from last year and that Interbike was doing well, despite the rumors. Walking the show for the next three days really gave it away. Interbike’s days are numbered. Attendance appeared to be way down compared to just last year. The final day was open to the public for “Customer Appreciation Day”, but it was the quietest day and some booths started shutting down by 1pm. Companies who spent up to $25,000 to show new products in a booth ended up with a terrible ROI for the week. Big companies like Trek, Specialized and Cannondale were skipping the show as usual, but we also felt the absence of smaller brands like Ibis and Chrome.
If the show doesn’t make sense for bike companies to attend, then it will make even less sense for bike dealers to attend. The Internet (and private dealer demos) has made new product releases independent of Interbike’s once a year schedule. The bike industry’s manufacturing process and timelines have made the annual pilgrimage to Las Vegas unnecessary.
The bike industry has been on a ten-year decline. Interbike is the canary in the coal mine. I wonder who will be the industry voice for the next decade.
Biking versus Cycling
The other thing I’ve noticed is the competitive focus of cycling is shifting. It is something we’re working to change with Karmic Bikes, but seeing others in the industry navigate this change is encouraging. I think I noticed it a few months back, as Bicycling magazine (the heart and soul of the cycling community) started to show regular people on their cover. Bike touring, female bike racers, and even a cute couple have graced the cover for the last few months. Even the Bicycling logo changed, and I think it’s way better.
I tweeted that bikes are for everyone, and the Governor of Colorado agrees. A cynic would argue that the new trends of adventure road bikes, cargo bikes and commuter bikes are just an attempt to monetize new segments of the market, or sell more bikes to the same customers. I like to think that bike industry folks are like me, we just want to see more people riding bikes. So it’s hugely important that we make the statement that biking is for everyone, when cycling has long been an exclusive sport for only a select few. This small change in how we think can save the bike industry.
Everyone’s Ebiking
It was really great to see the ebike area of Interbike has more than doubled compared to last year. If you include the Test Track, it’s probably 3–4x the size. There were many familiar faces, and other Kickstarter projects presenting at the show. We saw our friends at Faraday, Revolights and tried out new products like the Copenhangen wheel and the Linka smart lock. The big names were there as well, with booths from Stromer and iZip, and a stage/presentation area called Electric Theatre presented by Bosch.
The two biggest surprises for me were the new Yamaha powered bikes, which are strong and smooth, and significantly less expensive than their equivalent Bosch equipped bikes. The other great ride was Yuba’s Spicy Curry. While the motor system was a bit jumpy and power abruptly cuts off at 19–20mph, the bike handled really well and the riding position is comfortable for a wide range of people. We ended up buying one of them!
While we were bummed to not have our pre-production bikes in time to show the world at Interbike, we got to see some old friends, meet our partners in-person and get a sense of where the industry is, and where it needs to go. Karmic Bikes is going to play a significant part of the bike industry’s turnaround story. We’re glad to have you along for the journey.
Cheers,
Hong
