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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. MTB, Black 648 3+ day shipping Best seller $91.14 16" Marvel Spider-Man Bike for Boys' by Huffy 435 One of the podcasts I listen to (maybe Singletracks?) When flexing the wheels on hard pedaling, I get some rubbing which viathon attributed to spokes being out of tension, but the clearance is ridiculously minimal. https://bikepacking.com/routes/arkansas-high-country-route-northwest-loop/. Now it has a toe in the high-end market and the chance to show that itscapable of making quality stuff. We got bills to pay and we work our asses off for you ya jergoffs. Viathon M.1 GX Eagle Mountain Bike Review | Super light weight hardtail As technical editor Dan Cavallari pointed out in our sister publication VeloNews, "Viathon ticks almost all the high-end boxes for a bike with a lower pricepoint. Our gravel, road, and triathlon bikes are designed, tested, and assembled in North America; engineered for performance, and crafted with rider-first geometry. Hey Waltins: quit coming to aspen and stay in facking arkansas. There is very little flex since your BB is both on the swingarm and the front triangle. 1600 Pearl St., Ste 300Boulder, CO 80302This website copyright 2023. No mention of any real pertinent specs that you'd expect when buying a bike. @jason-99: If a home mechanic rounds off the flats on a nut, because they used a Wal-Mart adjustable, is that the fault of the tool or the mechanic? On the Streets: Viathon G.1 - Road Bike Action 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. Press J to jump to the feed. Shoppers will have four build choices per model. If you're making more of something, you can afford to invest in tooling and equipment and processes to make it cheaper. But like you say: prices and perceptions of value vary. Department-store bikes look a lot better than they used to. 207 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. The parts kits feature quality components from premium suppliers like Fizik, Hed, and Zipp, and the pricing is competitive with a number of brands. 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. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Viathon made a big splash when it announced its presence to the bicycle world back in April, leveraging the cost-efficiency muscle of its parent company, Walmart, into a line of carbon bikes that . 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. It is aimed squarely at millennials and digital natives. Someone in the Walmart family must be a mtb enthusiast as they also fund the Bentonville Arkansas trails which I believe is where their HQ is located. Now with over twenty years under our belt we know more than ever how important the ride really is. There hasn't been a new supersport motorcycle design from ANYONE in like over a decade. 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. The difference is being wholly owned by US hypermarket chain Walmart. And its not as though it was even that expensive to create, at least not in Walmart terms. best army base in germany is dr abraham wagner married is dr abraham wagner married 3G for Ultegra, double the 105 model. Yeah I'm in Australia and I know this, along with they do a bit for some mtb community's and trails. So take the roads less traveled, or the ones that don't even show up on the . Bikes - Ventum Prices of big brand quality mountain bikes jumped the shark years ago. 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. VIATHON BICYCLES SPONSORS CAFFEINE AND WATTS CLUB. Surprised it hasn't happened already or will it appear on tomorrow's front page! The Viathon G1 has been ridden a couple of months now by Andy T, and so we are ready to give the final verdict on this Walmart distributed bike. How much is the bike when it has the XX1 components? Returns only available to original purchaser. Considering the Walmart shopper and what bike theyre on now, the answer is probably yes. It appears the newswas first mentioned in a Pinkbike story. The issue with Walmart isn't how the founders choose to spend their billions, but the effect that Walmart has on local economies. Not just kooks either. Im guessing thatwithout the connection to the largest retailer in the world, Viathon wouldnt be getting nearly this level of attention. And 2 years ago, the company hired Zach Spinhirne-Martin, a senior buyer at CompetitiveCyclist.com. bicycle bike brands don't make as much as you think per unit. (The first was at the Sea Otter expo earlier in the year.). The bikes themselves, it was agreed, were competently designed and engineered, and marketed by respected industry professionals with big-brand credentials. It uses four R12 bearings and everything is held together by the crank's 19mm spindle. http://www.walmart.com/cp/viathon-bikes/8471299? 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. The G.1 is the direct-to-consumer brand's competitively priced gravel bike. Hi all Thanks for the reviews and updates. The gravel scene is important for that. But to drive the demand, there needs to be a product in place to capture attention. The brand is starting with three models: the R1 road bike, the G1 gravel bike, and the M1 29er MTB. Viathon Bicycles made waves at its launch earlier this year as a premium bike brand incubated under an unlikely source. That's a lot to love. All Viathon bikes come with a 2-year warranty. Look for Viathon bikes online at ViathonBicycles.com in mid-May, and soon after at Walmart.com. He employs six engineers and designers at his Toronto-based studio. Mountain bike companies (and all sporting goods, for that matter) shoot themselves in the foot by changing their product every other year. Not a fan of Walmart. 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. i gave it a spin. Viathon bikes are not yet available, but appear set to retail through a direct to consumer model, rather than stocked in Walmart stores. Equipped with a SRAM XO1 Eagle drivetrain that shifts seamlessly, Stans 29 carbon wheels, and an FSA K-force carbon handlebar, this thing was designed to climb. Years ago a friend of mine bought a carbon fiber Dura Ace bike. Viathon Bikes - Walmart.com In effect, the brand is a sortie into a high-end scene, allowing Walmart to test the waters of a rarefied market. Full on rippers. Walmart didnt opt to adopt more modern geometry, possibly because its current customer base will have to take a few steps to catch up to the rest of the bike market. Im sure you can find wheels that wouldnt clear, depending upon hub design, and wheels that would be just fine. Or is the front-end harshness that pronounced? They also have their own brands, among which there's their B-Twin brand of bikes and bike accessories brand. Walmart is not just a brand of box stores that populates every U.S. state. as an example they probably make 100-1000-10000 more of the same model moto as they would for the mtb. They don't know from Canyon et al. price sold by type electric assist +. Then delivered directly from us to youwith an easy assembly process to get you riding as quickly as possible. Be here, Virtually. No dropper on the GX spec? Maybe they could pump out some sultans for turner? We wanted to create a non-intimidating platform, said Spinhirne-Martin. A Viathon representative told me that Walmart simply wanted the story to be more about the bikes than the company behind them. 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. They want tech, they want new features, they want new stuff. unless you can pay for it with your grocery bonuses / tickets that accumulated over a year after you forgot the card on your neighbors house after playing some domino. The impetus for the brand was therefore personal, not corporate. 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. He said that he originally felt that the rear triangle was fairly smooth, but now that the excessive vibrations have been tamed up front, the rear stiffness jumped out as something he didnt feel was as comfortable. what happened to viathon bikes. The shifters and RD were DA and that was it. The company's launch includes three bikes: the G1, R1 and M1 for, aptly, gravel, road and mountain biking, respectively. According to Spinhirne-Martin, Walmart is not currently planning store-based service departments. It'll take ONE major company (looking at you. Walmart isnt currently targeting the kind of customer who wants the latest carbon layup or the greatest new geometry, nor is it targeting customers who self-identify as cyclists. I've bought many clothing items from them, trekking boots etc and I was perfectly happy with the price/quality ratio. milford regional lab franklin, ma. 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. the stigma of owning a bike bought at Walmart. But the move that really set the cat among the industry pigeons was the Viathon sales strategy, which at least strongly hinted at distribution via Walmart.com. Meanwhile, the Waltons have put Millions? I spoke with him at the recent Outerbike expo in Idaho, the second public outing for the brand. It is being released alongside a carbon road bike, the R.1, and a carbon gravel bike named, you guessed it - the G.1. Tapping into the gravel and bikepacking trends is the G.1, with the frameset and 105 options priced identically to the R.1. 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. First, this hardtail gets more than just the usual 100mm-travel fork. Tommaso Sentiero Gravel Bike, Shimano Claris Adventure Bike with Disc Its one of the biggest online merchants in the world, No. 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. has lg fixed their compressor issues 2020. They said it's, basically, a pure XC race bike. I'm honestly surprised by how many people don't realize the Walton family is already waist deep in the cycling industry. Therefore we have nothing really to go by but the suggested retail and maybe current internet pricing at the time of publishing a piece. It's been just about four months since a line of consumer-direct carbon road, gravel and mountain bikes premiered from a new brand called Viathon, emerging out of the bright Sea Otter sunshine like the goddess Athena springing full-formed from the forehead of Zeus. 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? 99% of Americans walk into a Walmart store every week. FWIW, Ibis quietly raised the price on the DV9 to $1250 about ~6 month ago. There are no whiz-bang spangles for instance, the MTB is a vanilla hardtail. what happened to viathon bikeshtml5 interactive animation. Thanks to a dropped chainstay design, the G1 clearance for 700c x 40mm or 650b x 2.1" tires and a maximum chainring size of 50t, according to the viathonbicycles.com website, while walmart.com boasts 700c clearance up . ruston city court hours; conventional tillage advantages and disadvantages; texas express lane payment; i can t pass the praxis core writing 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. Did you have any issues with clearance between the spokes and rival caliper in the front? Savvy consumers may baulk at the Walmart connections not just because of the value connotations but also the corporates reputation for poor labour relations but nor is Viathon a bike brand for the decal-focussed. The last time we posted on the Viathon G1 we mentioned that this bike might be the perfect candidate for the Redshift Sports ShockStop Stem. 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. 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. Browse. Viathon Bikes launched to surprise, confusion and intrigue back in April, offering high-end carbon XC hardtails despite links to Walmart. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts Although from a bike industry perspective, the geometry is a few years outdated even for a hardtail. Unfortunately, your shopping bag is empty. The road bike is 200 grams lighter than the gravel bike, with more aggressive geometry, 28c tires, and a stiffer frame. And other direct-to-consumer brands like Canyon have a big head start on Viathon in terms of reputation. I have my doubts. The brand is starting with three models . So, we feel this is a good bike, but maybe that stiffness and the specifics on spec and business model are not for everyone. Since the news was announced last week, fans have been coming out and saying that this is what theyve been waiting for. what happened to viathon bikes I want to figure out how to use that customer base to grow the bike industry.. what happened to viathon bikes At least they dont come with pegs. In stock bikes | CANYON US The mountain bike is the perfect companion to discover new things off the beaten track. $$$ Outdoor & Sporting Goods Company Privacy Policy Photos See all Videos See all 0:11 They travel by private jet, stay in luxury hotelshave huge parties And never tip anybody anything EVER. Still others are simply doing their best to sort through the marketing-speak to make a performance-to-value calculation on the best tool to get on the roador into the woods. a buddy of mine, bought the g1 gravel bike to keep at his lakehouse (insert dentist joke, he's actually a cpa). Bikes. It's not the frames: they aren't open-mould no-names, all three shapes were CAD designed by the legendary Kevin Quan Studios of Toronto, Canada. Even more interesting was Jordan's underlying premise that at least some of those hundreds of millions of Walmart customers would for reasons unknown and perhaps unknowable leap at the opportunity to purchase a full-dress carbon bike with a price tag northward of $3,000 precisely because they didn't have to go into a brick-and-mortar bike shop to purchase it. @Greg B We did not experience that issue, but as you say, the clearances are minimal, and that is not an uncommon issue with many combinations of calipers/wheels. 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. @MDZ Thanks for checking out Riding Gravel and for that feedback. Sign up today. The impetus for Viathon didnt come from Tom and Steuart Walton, avid riders, Walmart heirs responsible for the trail network in Bentonville, Ark., and investors in Rapha and Allied Cycle Works. A year later, the bikes closed out for about $1,000 apiece, and I read at the time on various online consumer groups that sharp-eyed cyclists were snapping them up as preassembled build kits and flogging the framesets online for maybe a hundred bucks a copy. @roma258: It's not. Bike industry seems super healthy (at least outside looking in), coming from the moto world. reviewed it. $6000 Walmart Bike? | Viathon Bicycles coming soon! - YouTube I was recruited two and a half years ago to raise the game and show what Walmart can deliver in terms of bikes, Spinhirne-Martin tells me. ummm.I regularly pass the bikes in walmart on my way to the sporting goods section to buy fishing/hunting stuff and I don't know of these $500 walmart bikes you speak of$250 is about the top price going unless yall have some gucci walmarts wherever this story was based? Bikes come equipped with well-recognized components such as SRAM, Zipp, and Stans' No Tubes, on a good/better/best three-point pricing structure, with all models starting below $2500. All models are available exclusively at Walmart in-store and online. All this went down in April and May of this year. Thats a call youll have to make. They tasked a few well known bike designers with creating a new brand. Viathons G.1 gravel bike requires the same build. Absurd that things with engines are cheaper than pedal bikes. Did Viathon offer some bold new technology,jaw-dropping value, or an irresistible brand story? Our Fezzari Bicycle experts are here to help you find the perfect bike. Viathon Bikes - Walmart.com. That wont set it apart in a highly competitive market or bring high-end tech to a new market of people. 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. Complete builds start at $2,300, and top out at $3,500 for the gravel models and around $6,000 for the road and mountain bikes. You could get a 450 for the same as a well optioned V10. At The Finish: So, what we have here is an interesting sales model and a fine bike for those who crave the ultimate in efficiency that carbon fiber can bring to the table. GravelNut April 10, 2019, . How is the Walmart frame wroth 4x an ebay frame? Brought on board to run Walmarts online bike sales, he pitched the idea of a standalone brand. And failing. Could always ride it and return it! Lightweight carbon frames: Viathon bikes, including the Dura-Ace road bike, Ultegra model, R.1, and G.1 bikes, are crafted with durable, lightweight carbon frames to give you an edge over riders with heavier XC and mountain bikes. I'd like to know how it rides, how well it's assembled, quality of the frame, etc. Likewise, this doesn't mean that the UK will see high-end road and MTB bikes retailed from Walmart-owned Asda (not least because Walmart is off-loading Asda in a deal with Sainsbury's if the CMA allows it Viathon Launches New Direct-to-Consumer G1 Carbon Gravel Bike The rolex is just a bunch of metal gears and springs where the casio has a better computer in it than what got us to the moon! cycling, Press J to jump to the feed. Climbing and racing bikes made of carbon are tough enough for tumbles and rough riding. Does REI make their own bikes? First they took our jerbs, and they're taking our guns! Their investments are totally separate from Walmart even though Steuart is on the main Walmart board.. Bike MSRP vs. what people actually pay is a whole nother conversation. Does a rising tide lift all boats? Dave Rome Apr 2020. By signing up for email newsletters, you agree to GearJunkie's, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window). its true, For everyone else. Now on to the final word on this carbon fiber crushed rock roller. Too many highly paid engineers on staff working on "advancements" that most riders never needed. Seems like an easy decision there. Now, if Viathon frames were suddenly produced in the USA my American hands, with progressive geometry and class leading weights, that might be a different story - but a Taiwanese sourced frame that is pretty much identical to a Hong Fu or Workswell or whatever isn't really a selling point, especially when it costs a few grand. I might consider buying it for the components. In the meantime, it seems Walmart isn't quite sure what they've created or who . Walmart's Viathon G.1 gravel bike might be the most - Bikerumor For anyone familiar with the beer industry, this is like Anheuser-Busch creating Shocktop, not Anheuser-Busch buying Goose Island or Elysian. And every single article, including this one, focuses on the Walmart ownership. Both are well-qualified bike industry veterans, but its not a riveting founder story like, for instance, that ofAllied. here is a whole range of styles with bikes for children all the way up through adults. In 2017, Bonobos was sold to, you guessed it, Walmart.Walmart wanted Bonobos because it was a favourite of high-income urban millennials. Needs another $ 1,000 price drop still. But Walmart. The big-box retailer is trying to cater to cycling enthusiasts with a line of three new carbon rides. Certainly, there are many Walmart shoppers among us, though likely few who have bought a bike there. When used in conjunction with good cultural management practices and as part of a complete disease control program, viAtHOntM will control/suppress specified diseases associated with almond, barley, corn, grasses grown for seed, onions, peanuts, pecans, pistachio, soybeans, walnut, watermelons, and wheat. The Viathon Lineup. The multi-tier distribution model of sporting goods companies doesn't help either but it's a reality that's likely not going to change. 1 - Walmart didn't buy Viathon. There is certainly a fair amount of seat post extension to work with there., explained Andy T. Hes right too. Doesn't really looks like a revolution to me yet. Walmart launches upscale Viathon road, gravel and mountain bike brand The initial feel is that of being a disjointed one- the front being very stiff while the back is not so much, at least on gravel. Turner Bikes - Titanium Mountain & Gravel Bikes Viathon's staff is made up of bike industry veterans, and the company has partnered with Kevin Quan Studios for its design and engineering. Sign up to receive GearJunkie content direct to your inbox. Thats a challenge. Very glad for your fair judgement and perspective. Buyers have 60 days from purchase to return the bike, and it can be new or used. Thanks for your site. Honestly the bike prices are high because people buy them LOL. In that sense, Viathon hit the nail on the head.. In 2017, Bonobos was sold to, you guessed it, Walmart. I'm guessing this is Plan B to get the bike seen by more people Will it actually be in the store or order online with instore pickup or delivery? Doubt they are taking a loss, even at these prices. Sales are via the brands website, and this does not feature the Walmart name in the about us section. It can take 650b wheels with up to 2.1-inch tires, or 700c wheels with up to 51mm tires. The FD was 105 as was the 10 sp cassette. 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. Point being it comes with a lot more and substantially more development. 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. Posted Oct 2, 2019, We dentists don't shop at Walmart. I like his channel and all but want to see people ride bikes like I would or better. Without the curiousness of the Walmart link, I wouldnt even be writing about Viathon. what happened to viathon bikes - ricepharmacy.com 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. Will hopefully bring the prices down across the board. Arkansas is also hosting several UCI events in the next few years including cyclocross WORLDS. What's the point? 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. If the demand for an entry level bike is there, then they can produce enough units to make it financially viable. Does it seem like a no-brainer to spring for Viathon for people interested in that? Twitter. 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. That's a hell of alot of awesome MTB trails read about it here Do Steu and T-Dubs ride Viathons? GearJunkie Copyright 2013 2023. 12-speed, electronic shifting, handlebar diameter changes, four piston brakes, blah blah don't need. Same price as the Grail 7 AL right now, both have quite race-y aspects to them. Viathon G.1 GRX 600 gravel bike review: Carbon at alloy pricing - CyclingTips. The Bike Forum. If successful, Viathon can be rolled out widely, claimed Spinhirne-Martin.With the backing of Walmart, we can scale very quickly., Im focusing on the US right now. 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? They also have controlling interests in Rapha and Allied Cycles. I don't know what site you are on but thats all there. "SHIMANO 105 FC-R7000, HOLLOWTECH 2, 50-34T". It's very hard to make it and also find decent paying work. Oct 2, 2019 by James Smurthwaite Viathon Bikes launched to surprise, confusion and intrigue back in April, offering high-end carbon XC hardtails despite links to Walmart. Someone posted an Outside magazine article above that details it. They are direct to consumer from the website, just like Canyon. As much as I agree with the general sentiment, there are some other factors that tend to get overlooked in this comparison: Wal-Mart has these pretzel bites with beer cheese for like $2 bucks, pretty freakin awesome after a ride. So this is competing against the Ibis DV9? Explore, search and compare thousands of the world's best mountain bikes here on Mountain Bike Database. REI Co-op bikes are worth a look for most cyclists.