Blog Post 3: Bikes

As bikes have become increasingly popular, the bike industry has evolved to appeal to different target markets. The cycling industry has developed new products based on trends in consumer buying and fads in our society. Every bike is made for a specific discipline and is designed for a specific consumer. A large section of the bike market is road cycling enthusiasts. A lot of these enthusiasts watch the Tour de France, the largest bike race in the world, in which the best cyclists from around the world race. A lot of companies sponsor these teams and new road bikes are released every year just before the race so that they can be showcased throughout the 3 week race.

The 2016 Trek Madone 9.9 used in the Tour de France by the
Trek Factory Racing Team

With road bikes, there are two materials the bikes are made from. Aluminum is the material used in a lot of the bikes with a lower price tag. This makes them more marketable to the beginning cyclist or a cyclist who is interested in getting better but wants a bike to get them started. As you get into the more elite road bikes, the frame is made from carbon fiber, a stiff, but very light material which can be used to help reduce the weight of the bike and make it stiffer so that the cyclist can get more power out of each pedal stroke. Typically the higher end road bikes are marketed to the cyclists who are competing or looking to compete. They tend to be at least $2,000 and most people don't want to drop this kind of money on a bike. That being said, with the newest models being released every year in time for the Tour de France, the top companies can get their best gear on tv for a month just by sponsoring a professional team. This advertising is brilliant because people will see these bikes used by the professional riders and automatically be interested in riding them.

Fat bike being used for racing in the snow

The newest addition to the bike industry is fat bikes. Fat bikes are bikes with extra-large tires. These can be used in snow, on the beach, or even just as a normal mountain bike. They have started to take off in the market lately and a lot of bike brands are starting to capitalize on this. Catamount Outdoor Family Center offers fat bike rentals. Catamount is a company with 500 acres of land and maintains more than 20 miles of trails. This is the perfect area to expose people to fat bikes and let them try them out for themselves. A lot of people have rented fat bikes and then after a couple times, gone out and bought their own fat bikes. While it could be argued that this is a trend or fad in the bike industry, a lot of bike enthusiasts don’t expect it to slow down.

While the bike industry has changed a lot in the past few years, a lot of research and marketing has gone into this change. The pricing behind lower end bikes favors the beginners by getting their interest and then getting them to upgrade their bikes. It also works because these bikes are very versatile and can be used on roads and trails. This helps beginning cyclists get more comfortable before they start upgrading. The marketing that goes into the design of the bike is huge. Just based on a simple hybrid bike, the consumer can decide which direction they want to go in and what type of bike they would want to upgrade to.