In fact, the only example I can think of where a large outside brand has achieved even modest success is Dorel Industries, with its serial purchases of Pacific, Cannondale, Schwinn, GT and related brands. Doesn't seem like anyone is really sold on Viathon though. We could ship anywhere but Im concerned about customer service, because I dont have distributor partners globally. I followed with an opinion column about Viathon's unique formation, business model and value proposition. Don't need. By building via consultants and going straight to the consumer without any immediate plans to be available in Walmart stores enabled Spinhirne-Martin to get the brand up and running quickly. I spoke with him at the recent Outerbike expo in Idaho, the second public outing for the brand. The bike thats getting the most attention is Viathons new hardtail mountain bike, though Walmart is also launching with road and gravel options. ''', And indeed they were. It uses four R12 bearings and everything is held together by the crank's 19mm spindle. 3G for Ultegra, double the 105 model. There are no whiz-bang spangles for instance, the MTB is a vanilla hardtail. ! 439mm size large w/ no XLactually dont care, but love an opportunity for a Zoolander quote!! Why would pile-em-high-sell-em-cheap Walmart be interested in such a high-end part of the bicycle market when the market-dominating retailer is already Americas biggest seller of keenly priced bicycles? As we continue to build out the platform, we welcome other brands, said Spinhirne-Martin. A slacker/longer hardtail in the Chameleon/Honzo mold, with carbon frame for $2k might get people looking. They want tech, they want new features, they want new stuff. 1600 is still not going to mitigate the way this bike rides, and that is maybe something some folks wouldnt be willing to compromise on at any price. 2G for 105, 1.5G for a frame. Yeah I'm in Australia and I know this, along with they do a bit for some mtb community's and trails. All rights reserved, an opinion column about Viathon's unique formation, Workers at REI Cleveland store vote to join union, Hi-Torque closes Road Bike Action and Electric Bike Action magazines, Top Executives Tackling Biggest Bike Industry Challenges at the 2023 Bicycle Leadership Conference, Suplest shoes now available in North America through Blacksmith Cycle, NY City Council passes lithium-ion battery safety package. The road bike is 200 grams lighter than the gravel bike, with more aggressive geometry, 28c tires, and a stiffer frame. The M.1 is the first mountain bike from Viathon, and from the sound of things, it won't be the last. Plus, Viathons graphics are a little bland, in my opinion, the pricing isnt so aggressive that its clearly better than bikes from established brands like Canyon or Giant (or Remot, for that matter), and the product marketing so far feels spare to the point that its pro forma. Be here, Virtually. When you're at this level, you may as well just buy direct from manufacturer through Aliexpress, They need to build a 130/140 travel trail bike for 2k with GX eagle then I am in lol. I've bought many clothing items from them, trekking boots etc and I was perfectly happy with the price/quality ratio. And I suspect Viathon isnt relying on a deep tech story to market its bikes for a simple reason: the frames dont seem to offer clear innovation in design or materials. Spinhirne-Martin doesnt need to fret about shipping: he outsources that to industry veteran Richard Wittenberg of Lucidity-Podium Marketing, who has been involved with in-house logistics for brands such as Ridley, Cannondale and Factor. Despite this pedigree, Tom and Steuart Walton had no hand in launching Viathon. It's funny - as a surfer, I'm seeing a lot of people who typically spend mediocre wave days in the water scrapping for a lousy ride now turn towards mountain biking as their go-to activity when the waves are garbage. The bike arrives 98 percent pre-assembled the customer has to tighten on pedals, install the front wheel, and attach the front face plate over the handlebar. The bikes are clean and simple, classy but without any fanfare. The parts kits feature quality components from premium suppliers like Fizik, Hed, and Zipp, and the pricing is competitive with a number of brands. Viathon's staff is made up of bike industry veterans, and the company has partnered with Kevin Quan Studios for its design and engineering. See how long we last Shimano Consolidates Entry- to Mid-Level Groupsets With New CUES Drivetrains, Opinion: Five Things The Bike Industry Could Do Better, Throwback Thursday: A Brief History of Direct Mount Derailleurs, Buying a Bike From a Shop Versus Buying Online, DH Bike Review: Canfield's Jedi Masters Rough Terrain, Review: Mythos 3D-Printed Titanium Stem is My Kind of Excess, DH Bike Review: Orange 279 - A Staple of British Downhill Racing, www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-gear/first-ride-review-deciphering-the-viathon-m1-hardtail-mtb, www.outsideonline.com/2295486/single-track-minds, www.diycarbonbikes.com/collections/hardtailframes. At least they dont come with pegs. Without the curiousness of the Walmart link, I wouldnt even be writing about Viathon. Brand manager Zack Spinhirne-Martin doesnt see it that way. And while the bikes may be sold on Walmarts website at some point, theres no mention ofselling in stores, which would put the bikes in front of a broader audience. Bayside Women's Cruiser Bike, Rose Gold 1385 Pickup 2-day shipping Best seller $648.00 Hyper Bicycles Electric Bicycle Pedal Assist Mountain, 26 In. Just go to Bentonville, ride those trails, a lot of which is paid for w/ money from Wam-Lart, and I think you suddenly like the idea of their bikes a lot more. The history of the bicycle business is, in one sense, a history of powerful outsiders coming in to teach us dumb yokels how things are done in the Big Leagues. the stigma of owning a bike bought at Walmart. Walmarts top-of-the-line M.1 hardtail mountain bike has 120mm travel with RockShox components, Stans wheels, Level Ultimate brakes, and Continental tires. Viathon has chosen a RockShox SID RLC with 120mm of travel. Sales are via the brands website, and this does not feature the Walmart name in the about us section. It does all those things a really good racing bike should do. It can take 650b wheels with up to 2.1-inch tires, or 700c wheels with. Right. If we stopped inventing new shit the whole circus might just collapse in on itself overnight. Atomik/Berd Ultimate Gravel Wheels: At The Finish, The Riding Gravel Pedal Round-Up: Time Pedals Wrap-Up, Showers Pass Hi-Line SS Shirt and Cross Country Shorts: Quick Review, Cannondale Topstone Carbon Force eTap AXS: Getting Rolling, Episode #64 Waffle, GORE, Touareg, Hunt Wheels & More, WTB SG2 Gravel Tires: Resolute Checkpoint , Bontrager Circuit WaveCel Helmet: Quick Review, Gravel Grinder News: Shimano Introduces CUES New Mid-Level Group. First they took our jerbs, and they're taking our guns! They don't know from Canyon et al. Its almost impossible for Walmart to develop premium offerings with the Walmart name, which is synonymous with keen pricing and out-of-favour out-of-town malls. ViathonBicycles.com newsletter codes, Viathon Bicycles reseller codes, Viathon Bicycles competitor coupon codes. In 2017, Bonobos was sold to, you guessed it, Walmart.Walmart wanted Bonobos because it was a favourite of high-income urban millennials. I have my doubts. Viathonbicycles.com has more info. 0. khao lak, thailand tsunami 2004. 3 - OP linked to the Walmart site, which had little information. Call it a 'Walmart' bike if you must. With the backing of Walmart, we can scale very quickly.. Blog postings are outsourced to cycling journalist Aaron Gulley. The Viathon Lineup. Hey Waltins: quit coming to aspen and stay in facking arkansas. Writing in 2016, Dunn wrote: Digitally native vertical brands (DNVBs) are maniacally focused on the customer experience and they interact, transact, and story-tell to consumers primarily on the web., Dunn added: The DNVB is born on the internet. can i return it after thrashing it for a season? Thanks to its robust construction, coarse tyre tread, powerful brakes and . $2000 is still steep for an entry level hardtail, especially without at 27.5+ option. So far, Viathon isnt saying much about what makes its bikes different, nor is it telling much of a brand story. Press J to jump to the feed. I don't know what site you are on but thats all there. "SHIMANO 105 FC-R7000, HOLLOWTECH 2, 50-34T". My surfing friends friends and others who are "action sports oriented" are super hesitant to bike at first due to the cost of entry, fear of injury, etc. Walmart is hoping to entice customers to Viathon with a no-questions-asked return policy. (not sure exactly) into building up a mountain bike mecca in Bentonville, Arkansas. according to industry analyst Jay Townley. Viathon Bicycles Promo Codes, Coupons & Deals for February 2023. Viathon Bikes - Walmart.com. And the mountain-biking-mad Waltons have also upgraded the MTB trails close to Walmarts corporate HQ in Bentonville, Arkansas. Now it has a toe in the high-end market and the chance to show that itscapable of making quality stuff. Thats a call youll have to make. Schedule a free call. If they somehow get interested in riding they will take what Wmart has to offer, and if they have a lot of money and want the "best", Wmart is now there for them. But when people saw these bikes here, it was like, 'Hey, these are real bikes! Whether this will serve as a "halo product" to introduce more affordable (or approachable) mountain bikes from the brand in the future is yet to be seen. Viathon bikes are not yet available, but appear set to retail through a direct to consumer model, rather than stocked in Walmart stores. Read more. All models are available exclusively at Walmart in-store and online. "With Walmart's reach, we will create an awareness of the brand.". bikes The mountain bike is the perfect companion to discover new things off the beaten track. The brand is starting with three models: the R1 road bike, the G1 gravel bike, and the M1 hardtail mountain bike. Brought on board to run Walmarts online bike sales, he pitched the idea of a standalone brand. Wed like to see fork mounts for extra water bottles, for instance. A torque wrench is included to help the customer tighten screws appropriately. Marketing has been slow-burn so far, rolling out a website and social media, getting journalists on the bikes at Sea Otter, and paying for GCNs Simon Richardson to ride the G1 from Outerbike in an advertorial video posted on 12th July and which has already had 34,000 views. Good, we need more of this competition. There are many many people for whom Wmart is their entire mass produced goods consumption experience. We tested the brand's top-end M.1 Mountain Bike for 6 weeks to gain an. Unfortunately, your shopping bag is empty. Discussion of everything bicycle related. Two Walmart heirs, Tom and Steuart Walton, are themselves highly enthusiastic riders who have invested in cycling companieslike Allied Cycle Works and Rapha, and they directed the trailbuilding grants that have helped transformWalmarts home base of Bentonville, Arkansas, into a world-class mountain-bikingdestination. A fine example might be the PRO Discover Carbon Seat Post which we reviewed, but there are others that would do the job well also. Not that Viathon is going mass-market anytime soon. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts Whether as an agile bike for everyday rides, a robust partner for city and countryside or as sports equipment for touring and off-road action, the MTB guarantees lots of riding fun. This segment of the gravel bike market has fierce competition for your attention, and Viathons G1 doesnt strike us as being outstanding from much of what is offered now. I'll be honest if I ever worried about someone thinking less of me for buying a bike at Walmart I'd probably leave the bike wherever I was and get out of the hobby. At this writing, the various models are listed at "Summer Sale" prices on the Viathon website. The GX spec would be tempting if the geometry and looks weren't reminiscent of my 2009 Stumpy hardtail. It just so happened that I have one of these stems to spare so that Andy T could check it out on the Viathon G1 to see if that might tame the harshness of the massive carbon front fork. Compare that to a top end World Cup dh bike at around 10-15k. There is certainly a fair amount of seat post extension to work with there., explained Andy T. Hes right too. It's well documented in various media outlets. needham bank mutual conversion. How long do Walmart bikes last? When I worked for Fly racing in sales it was a tough barrier going from Moto shops to bicycle. Of course, you can always install a nice, compliant carbon post. Someone posted an Outside magazine article above that details it. For those people, being able to buy a high-quality bike online means they dont have to go into a potentially scary, elitist, unwelcoming bike shop where theyll be uncomfortable and possibly judged.. Join Outside+ to get Outside magazine, access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. Maybe in this specialist market they've done a better job. Does a rising tide lift all boats? At any rate, the Viathon G1 is an interesting option that we hope to see developed into something more refined in the areas of rider comfort, versatility, and geometry in the future. Spinhirne-Martin says yes, and reiterated that he wants to grow the bike industry, not put other brands or bike shops out of business. Viathon is a new direct-to-consumer bike brand owned by Walmart that launched this week with a line of carbon bikes that sell between $2,300 and $6,000. I'm seeing an unbranded power meter, but no mention of it. Spinhirne-Martin says Walmart is launching with the hardtail to fill in holes in what they already offer on the Walmart.com marketplace. Its not the frames: they arent open-mould no-names, all three shapes were CAD designed by the legendary Kevin Quan Studios of Toronto, Canada. tony dokoupil ex wife the bachelorette. Shop all Genesis Bikes with sizes ranging from 18" to 700c, in kids and adults sizes. Viathon bikes. They are currently in a process of rebranding it because they realized it's forever associated in people's minds with entry level or even below entry-level (BSO) bikes. The Viathon M.1 is available in three complete build kit options, starting at $2,400 USD. We got bills to pay and we work our asses off for you ya jergoffs. Its one of the biggest online merchants in the world, No. By running razor thin margins at insane volumes. You cannot buy a Viathon bike from one of Walmarts 4000 plus US stores (or from Asda supermarkets in the UK). The issue with Walmart isn't how the founders choose to spend their billions, but the effect that Walmart has on local economies. @roma258: It's not. The frames are engineered and designed in partnership with Kevin Quan, a longtime designer whos responsible for well-known bikes from well-known brands like Cervelo, Parlee, and Pivot. Outside's long reads email newsletter features our strongest writing, most ambitious reporting, and award-winning storytelling about the outdoors. 2 - You can't buy these bikes at a Walmart. Kev has 43,000 subscribers. Schedule a one-on-one call today! REI Co-op bikes are worth a look for most cyclists. @alex There are better bikes in regard to front end compliance than the Viathon. http://www.walmart.com/cp/viathon-bikes/8471299? machines ect. The value from Viathon is good- not a spectacular deal but decent. The pricing. Now with over twenty years under our belt we know more than ever how important the ride really is. At these prices you can buy if for the components and off the frame. So take the roads less traveled, or the ones that don't even show up on the . Viathon is backed by the big box retailer but has teamed up with industry veterans that'd designed frames for brands like Cervelo and Pivot. I'll bet. this will fail big time not just a little. One could even go as far as to install Redshifts own ShockStop Seat Post for the ultimate smoothness out back. All this went down in April and May of this year. If These guys could take a similar (or slightly better) spec and cut $200 off of it, and I'd bet it'd be a huge seller. cycling, Press J to jump to the feed. In 2017, Bonobos was sold to, you guessed it, Walmart. Hyper Bicycle 26" Men's Havoc Mountain Bike, Black 417 Pickup +2 options $248.00 Kent 26 In. Y'all talk a big game about wanting more low-priced options but no one is out there actually buying them - I do P&A analysis for a bike distributors, I would know. If the demand for an entry level bike is there, then they can produce enough units to make it financially viable. However, 29 wheels will make your bike react slower to obstacles you may encounter. That's a lot to love. They also have their own brands, among which there's their B-Twin brand of bikes and bike accessories brand. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, http://www.walmart.com/cp/viathon-bikes/8471299, https://www.viathonbicycles.com/products/road-bike-r1-105. Walmart buying Rapha would be the latter. On its own, Viathon strikes me as a modestly interesting enthusiast brand with some solid, value-oriented bikes that feature industry-standard design and technology. They were puzzled by it, because the market for a pure XC race bike is pretty small compared to more general modern geometry hardtails that are built for "fun.". The difference is being wholly owned by US hypermarket chain Walmart. dont think people in the market for $2000-5000 bikes would even think to buy at Walmart let alone shoulder the stigma of owning a bike bought at Walmart. There are a lot of reasons why our bikes are so expensive first thought, offerings in multiple sizes. Viathon riders, like every other bike customer, will need service. (The Walmart connection can be found only on the sites copyright line.) what happened to viathon bikeshtml5 interactive animation. Surprised it hasn't happened already or will it appear on tomorrow's front page! You do not get the benefit of having a face-to-face resource for things like minor adjustments, tune-ups, or advice, as you would in a bike shop experience, but maybe that doesnt matter to some of you? 250? Viathons carbon bikes retail online for between $2,300 and $6,000. Maybe. Hi all Thanks for the reviews and updates. Unless they are basically making no money on the bikes, I find it hard to see how they could undercut their competition, especially considering the frames themselves don't really often anything out of the ordinary. The gravel scene is important for that. What is this, a bicycle for ants?? (if they care about value, they'll go YT or Canyon, etc.). Viathon is a new direct-to-consumer bike brand owned by Walmart that launched this week with a line of carbon bikes that sell between $2,300 and $6,000. Most people won't even bother looking or once they see every new bike worth buying is >$1100, they quit. Turner Tech At first it was seemingly impressive for $2500. Its not the products: a three-frame range of MTBs, and gravel and road bikes. And failing. The Viathon M.1 is available in three complete build kit options, starting at $2,400 USD. I read an article that estimates the bikes the top pro supercross riders use would cost somewhere in the range 100k-200k. And that right there is the problem with any form of cycling, "my bike is better than yours" bullshit mantra. Sign up today. If in the next 6 months new bikes stopped selling and P&A upgrades shot through the rough, you bet your ass the industry would respond. I'm cheering for you walmart!!! At least 30-50% of surfers at my local breaks are on $200 Wavesorms and other "foamies" from Costco and the like. Bikes cost more than motos, makes no sense at all. It seems like it would be a good exploring bike for when you'd likely be riding lots of dirt roads as well as singletrack. Walmart is not just a brand of box stores that populates every U.S. state. Department-store bikes look a lot better than they used to. Whole Foods sells the Yeti decals to place over 'Viathon'. But the bikes are neither crap nor cheap. FWIW, Ibis quietly raised the price on the DV9 to $1250 about ~6 month ago. A Viathon representative told me that Walmart simply wanted the story to be more about the bikes than the company behind them. We tested ways to dial out that feeling, like installing a ShockStop stem, and even to the point of using ridiculously low tire pressures, but as is, this bike is on the harsh side. The bikes themselves, it was agreed, were competently designed and engineered, and marketed by respected industry professionals with big-brand credentials. It turns out that Walmart bike buyers, as much as theyre dismissed or even ridiculed, include some passionate fans. @MDZ Thanks for checking out Riding Gravel and for that feedback. At the end of the day, we bike people live and work in a quirky, parochial and, more than occasionally, incestuous little industry, one with its own set of business realities. what happened to viathon bikes 1. But once you lend them a bike and let them tear it up, they are all-in, 99% of the time pending an injury. I'm a kiter, and that industry is even worse. Moto shops are fine with 35% margin where most bike shops wouldnt talk to you without keystone margins (50%). milford regional lab franklin, ma. Viathon's goals seem to be crystal clear with the R.1: Build a race-ready road bike for a high-end audience without the high-end price tag. VIATHON M.1 MOUNTAIN BIKE PROMO VIDEO: M.1 | XX1 Eagleproduct description: One of the lightest, fastest mountain race machines that money can buy, the top-line M.1 delivers a SRAM XX1 Eagle drivetrain for race-proven, single-ring shifting performance. Thanks for your site. Dollar-for-dollar there are other carbon-framed high-end bikes out there that undercut the Viathon offerings. Its exploding right now because people are afraid of riding in traffic. There is very little flex since your BB is both on the swingarm and the front triangle. Yea 10k is a lot for a bike, but its also top tier in the Mtb world. A long wheelbase and dropped chainstay design supports wide rubber and rough riding conditions. For now, no. While you could swap to 650B wheels, and the bike can carry a front rack, there isnt a lot of versatility built in here beyond that. As a straight-up road bike, wed have no issues with the Viathon G1. To be honest they have decent bikes (they sold an aluminum frame/carbon fork road bike with Ultegra Di2 and disc brakes for about EUR 1800, which is/was unique in the industry I believe) but, take this as you may, I only buy products from this line (clothing mostly) which don't feature large logos. Por - 10 junio 2022. For instance, TRP Sprye calipers are known for having a part in this issue with many other combinations due to the wider caliper designed to accommodate the dual moving pistons on that design. Frame weight is a claimed 1,010 grams for size 54, including derailleur hardware and bottle cage bolts. It's why car companies like BMW don't come out with a new 3-series every year, but more like every 7. Someone shopping for a high end bike is never going to go to Walmart for it. I dont think people in the market for $2000-5000 bikes would even think to buy at Walmart let alone shoulder the stigma of owning a bike bought at Walmart, right or wrong as that is. REI bikes are made by the largest manufacturer in the industry, Giant. Right now, Viathon sits on the value end of the spectrum, alongside other house brands like Scattante or the now-closed Foundry: perfectly fine, but not particularly compelling. Viathon is a start-up carbon bike brand with a difference. There may be a slightly lower initial cost but damn, these are gonna have terrible resale value. bicycle The bike uses a very rigid pivot/BB comprised of two MID-BB's inside one another. I'd love to buy a rigid carbon 29er single speed for about $1300 Viathon. Viathon is run as a digitally native vertical brand, a phrase coined by Andy Dunn, founder of US menswear brand Bonobos. Giant Stance, pretty close to fitting this bill at 2k! Too many highly paid engineers on staff working on "advancements" that most riders never needed. So, that limits demand. The R.1 is available in five stock frame sizes (52-59cm), and three complete bike build in addition to the $2000 frame & fork. Did Viathon offer some bold new technology,jaw-dropping value, or an irresistible brand story? Second, the designers chose to mount a dropper seatpost as standard equipment on the M.1. I mean, they still have to make the same deals with sram, rockshox, shimano etc. So how much cheaper are these complete builds? The bikes look pretty good on paper, and the price points are very slim for what you get. Boost? The XX1 bike is around 21.5 pounds for a size M. The weight is competitive with other hardtail cross-country bikes in the same price range, and the price isnt wildly low. With Walmart backing this brand, we can engage in a bike segment other brands wont touch.. The Bike Forum. Nowadays, a search for Viathon bikes on the Walmart website (see here, here and here) returns a notice that the item is no longer available; the image from the final link (also shown above) displays another brand and model entirely. What's the point? Ive already gotten questions for people internationally. Correct that 74 million. And while low, Viathon pricing was at parity with any number of other name-brand carbon models, including Trek, Specialized, Cannondale and Canyon. Damn. As for the wheels, Viathon M.1 GX Eagle 2021, has a 29 aluminum model. The G.1 is the direct-to-consumer brand's competitively priced gravel bike. Stock yz250 is a joke compared to what actual supercross athletes ride. reviewed it. Maybe you don't, but I do. 29 plumtrees road newtown, ct; popular subdivision names; how to cite the implicit association test Bike industry seems super healthy (at least outside looking in), coming from the moto world. bicycling But like you say: prices and perceptions of value vary. I think it's time for a Field Test review on this bike to dispel or confirm all the controversy. Having 29 wheels means that you need less fork travel, leading to a reduction of the pedal bob effect. The average person is a Walmart shopper, he says. Its a night and day difference!, exclaimed Andy. Apt analogy. The brand is starting with three models: the R1 road bike, the G1 gravel bike, and the M1 hardtail mountain bike. Trail systems even in coastal areas are getting so well-built (and relatively easy due to limited elevation, at least on the US east coast) that a lot of people can easily get into the sport if they have a bike. Hed been with the online retailer for 10 years. But if Walmart must have some data that shows theyll sell some of these. Waiting for Whole Foods to offer MTBs. bikeit! Makes me think of the Walmart gaming pcs released a while back, which were so bad reviewers raised concerns about their safety, despite the presence name brand components. Or assembled in store by Walmart employees???? Some of that is a function of the homogeneity of the modern bike-enthusiast business. Twitter. Point being it comes with a lot more and substantially more development. They knew about it prior to launch only because I happened to meet Steuart in our office in January so I was able to show him a couple of pictures. Bike is not returnable if damaged or not fit for continued use (Please see Warranty and Crash Replacement policy) ", i wouldnt buy the mountain bike but their gravel offering is interesting for sure at 3k. Im sure you can find wheels that wouldnt clear, depending upon hub design, and wheels that would be just fine. its true, For everyone else. No dropper on the GX spec? "Of course, there was some backlash with the Walmart connection,'' said Mark Jordan, whose CrankTank marketing group staged the Viathon launch and was quoted in Yobbi's original article. The impetus for the brand was therefore personal, not corporate. I might consider buying it for the components. I dont shop at Walmart anyway since they decided to blame guns for violence. @roma258: The development and progress is exciting but the concern is that the bike industry is nothing but development and process - all icing no cake. The R.1 is a true road racing bike, the G.1 is for gravel and the M.1 hardtail is for cross-country riding. "We're trying to build a culture, building an education," Jordan said at the introduction.