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Following on from that "brands gone bad" thread, I was looking through the 2012 dirt 100 and a load of brands mentioned got entries; Kona, Specialized, Foes, Intense, Marzocchi. Same companies get good write ups on big bike magazine in France (who don't usually pull their punches)
Decent equipment, well regarded by pretty knowledgeable journalists yet deemed failed brands on here. Why? and what therefore does a company need to do to have a credible brand in the eyes of STW?
specialized are probably THE best bike brand, regardless of what folk on here think.
good designs, good r&d, fantastic warrenty, fantastic range.
middle of the road is good.
These type of questions always remind to link to [url= http://surlybikes.com/blog/post/some_answers_to_just_about_any_bike_forum_post_ive_ever_read ]THIS [/url] little gem.
Enjoy...
If its unpopular here it's usually pretty good. See orange five, specialized etc.
specialized are probably THE best bike brand, regardless of what folk on here think.
good designs, good r&d, fantastic warrenty, fantastic range.middle of the road is good.
+1
love Specialized. And they're top of the road, not middle.
These type of questions always remind to link to THIS little gem.
I kind of thought that was ok up until this:
"Sometimes, recumbent bikes are ok."
I know, that one is a tad hard to swallow.
Maybe they're okay if being 'ridden' by a naked woman or some such...
Edit : But they'd have to have a transparent shell, obviously.
specialized are probably THE best bike brand, regardless of what folk on here think.
good designs, good r&d, fantastic warrenty, fantastic range.
I don't like them personally and wouldn't buy from them. Their corporate behaviour is less than fantastic. Their bikes are no better than those of their main competitors either.
STW loves niche....Kona, Spesh etc are nowhere near niche enough....there is a certain amount snobbery on this forum.
there is a certain amount [of] snobbery on this forum.
[i]Masses[/i] is the word you were looking for, I believe...
So what constitutes a good bike brand?
A brand that makes good bikes, looks after it's customers and is nice 🙂
For me Santa Cruz fits the bill (not releasing new bikes every year - cause thats what they all do)
5 year warranty
Bikes that ride nice
They also pay Steve Peat which isn't a bad thing.
General Brands
Hope - making good products and being honest about them, fixing their mistakes and making good on promises. There is a premium for the UK manufacture but they offset that with quality.
Many others available...
Spec fell off the list with the 29r evangelist thing and some of their branded stores are run by cocks which is a reminder that it's not just the actions of the company but those under their flag.
What constitutes a good brand will vary wildly from person to person. One man's dream "steed" is another mans wildly overpriced über-niche, eye sore (eg. Jones) .
Some people want prestige or heritage with their brand. Some people want hand made artisan products. Some people want value for money or after sales support such as warranty etc. Some people want performance, or the latest technology, or bleeding edge geometry and so on.
Few brands, if any will capture everyone's imagination.
I look for fit & feel, and performance in a bike. I prefer the characteristics of horst link bikes so I almost invariably find myself drawn to Specialized. I like to know that above all else I have the best bike under me, the corporate policies of the company or a random shop manager doesn't enter into it as far as I am concerned.