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Why are mountain bikes so expensive? Industry veteran Rick Vosper explains the economics of cycling

Why are mountain bikes so expensive? Industry veteran Rick Vosper explains the economics of cycling

Episode 428 Published 1 month, 3 weeks ago
Description

Rick Vosper has been in the bike industry since the 1980s, serving in marketing and communications roles for some of the biggest brands in the business. His company, RVMS, provides creative services to consumer products and outdoor companies, and he's a regular contributor to Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. 

  • What was your first job in the bike industry? How did you land that job?
  • Is cycling now, or has it ever been, a growth industry? What are the main participation drivers?
  • For bike brands, how realistic is it to grow overall participation vs. market share?
  • Why are mountain bikes so expensive? Is anyone getting rich by selling bikes?
  • What do you make of Chinese brands like Avinox and X-LAB entering the US market? Is vertical integration a threat to existing bike brands?
  • Is the local bike shop doomed? What is working for the more successful bike shops?
  • Between brands, retailers, and consumers, who wields the most power in the bike industry?
  • Is it that some US bike brands are seeing 50% or more of their sales going to e-bikes?
  • It seems like the US e-bike classification system was meant to avoid confusion, but now we're seeing problems around the country involving the sale and use of e-motos. What went wrong?
  • Now that a lot of the volatility in the supply chain has settled down, what opportunities do you see for bike and component brands going forward?

    • What advice would you offer a young professional considering a job in the outdoor industry?

    Keep up with the latest bike industry analysis from Rick at Bicycle Retailer.

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    An automated transcript will be available at Singletracks.com later today.

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