Darren325 wrote:
The bike industry is entirely clueless when it comes to retail.
Canyon has a far from revolutionary business model, yet when it comes to this industry, they look cutting edge.
Say I want to buy a road bike...I visit Canyon.com, I am directed to the kinds of bikes they offer that suit what I'm looking for and I am presented with a list of prices. Simple, clear and easy. I did the same with Cannonade. I can't even tell what level of bike I am looking at...Do I want an EVO 1 2 3 4 or Hi Mod, is there a low Mod, can I get the EF version of the bike with fake stickers? Once I figure out how the bikes differ...I still cannot determine which bike I want as I have to find a dealer to get pricing. Then when I do find a dealer, if he or she bothers to reply to online queries, I am sure I will not be presented with a complete inventory in model, size and colour, and I will be steered to whatever version they have in stock. And then...I have to negotiate in the dark on price.
In the meantime, I bought my second Canyon with a few clicks, I know what I am getting and what I am paying for it. I know that it is a competitive price, and in my personal experience with my Speedmax, Canyon stood behind the product with excellent warranty service. I also understand the inconveniences and cost if I need to order proprietary components from Canyon, but also that most of what is wear and tear I can get from any bike shop any where.
Felt? What do they offer and how do they sell in this environment? My only surprise in the bike industry is the huge number of incompetent brands that somehow lurch on year to year rather than a few once big names fading into irrelevance like Felt.
You nailed this on the head. Given Lucy Charles just won Kona, I just want to browse Cube bikes. The whole site is a mess, and I can't tell which bikes are what or even what they cost. I just gave up.
Even Cervelos site is just bizzaro. First, the TT section has half the page taken up with a dramatic photo of a bike they don't even sell anymore. Then you get to choose the P series or the P5...series? Nothing about the difference between them or why I as a consumer would want one over the other.
I don't think all bike OEMs need to be D2C. But I should be able to go to their website, quickly find the range of bikes I'm looking for, and then see the MSRP.