In the 2 previous posts, I chatted briefly with you about the need for Bicycle Companies to LOSE the status quo websites and give their visitors a more interactive web experience.
I threw out 2 suggestions and want to expand on the 2 previous posts;
1. Lose the 'Dealer Locator' page and expand that into putting an employee within the zip code in charge of following up with a person IF site visitors fill out some sort of preference profile.
2. Lose the 'Contact Us' page in lieu of a page where a visitor can set up a profile and based on their Profile preferences, the company could feed the visitor company information based on their profiles.
The problem with a Dealer Locator pages in this age of Social Media is the user plugs in their Zip Code and the visitor is pointed in the direction of the retail outlet where the product is stocked...With no interactivity, what message is this sending to your POTENTIAL Customer?
-These are our products
-This is where you can go buy them.
My goodness!These same consumers are only 3 friend additions or less from having a LIVE CHAT or at a minimum receiving a 'Tweet' from super stars such as Beyonce, Lebron James and Hannah Montana online...How does your visitor experiences compare to this Bicycle Company owner?
WOW! Your fearless blogger has been humbled once again. As many of my regular readers know, I have a DISDAIN for bicycles that have 'Alot of Stuff' and clutter on them. It, in my opinion, just takes away from the simplicity that is bike design. My eyes start to roll around in my head as I count the number of EXTRA WIRES, gears, and what I view as totally unecessary additions to bikes that make them look more complicated (in the name of adding value) than they really are.
That is until I saw this design people and Urban Funk Enthusiasts! This design certainly won't make it into my design 'Funk Hall of Fame' anytime soon, but this design from a company called Work Cycles catches my eye on a few levels. The first is although I think black tires and black frames are totally MINDLESS and unimaginative, it works on this bike, the sprocket and chain are covered with a slick cover and the top and bottom tubing are a thing of BEAUTY. Not the FUNK, but well done...Work Cycles, I don't like ANY of your other designs, but I like this one...you get the APPLAUSE!
I will answer this question as quickly and truthfully as possible:
"Do you use any pictures from yahoo's image search?"
thanks,
darrin
Umm...NOOOOOO! Now dear readers I am going to go on one of my rants. I get pictures from all over the net. This means whether the URL ends in .com, .net, .us, .info, .org, .au, .in, .cc or whatever, I grab it and feature it! I also get images from Google's Image program. But Yahoo! seems to have some sort of SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP with Flickr which to me, small time Blogger, STINKS! It stinks because after going sometimes 20-30 pages back, EVERY PHOTO is from users of Flickr. This tells me a few things;
1. Yahoo Crawlers aren't gathering the largest and best assortment of relevant results! I found that Photo Bucket and Flickr LACK the photos that fit the vision of my blog although they are HUGE Online Photo Sharing services.
2. If you favor, say, Photo Bucket or other service for online photos, Yahoo! doesn't give a darn how relevant your photos are to the search query...They are going to scratch Flickr's back..Regardless of the cost in terms of a credible product!
Example:
Do a Yahoo Image Search on the term 'Unusual Bike Design'. You will find EVERYTHING except unusual bike designs.
Google still has work to do on their image searches also, but I tell you what...THEY ARE GREAT...Compared to Yahoo! Image Search which, after over 14 years in Business, is down right embarrassing...I have said this before and I will say it again. Yahoo needs a FACE LIFT more desperately that any other Internet behemoth on the web. The first step is to get rid of Jerry Yang..whose time has passed!
The line is being blurred between bike design and artwork at a really rapid rate these days. The above pictured...ummm...bike..I guess is probably the most unusual design I have seen that that hovers in the gray area that is bike design and artwork. Gismo Rocket Powered Bicycle It is powered by two 75lb. Thrust Hybrid Rocket Motors. The frame is made of lightweight T6-6061 aircraft aluminum. “Gismo” features a unique front suspension system designed by Michaelson.
Your fearless blogger must give the big ups to the creator of this particular design in that as I look at it, alot of thought went into designing and creating this...ummm...bike! Truthfully, I love the color, the rims, the back..ummm...fender and the handle bar and steering column overall are kind of..umm...NASTY..This bicycle is rocket powered and 150 lbs. of thrust will 'Push your wig back'. In conclusion..I have used the word UMM in this post because I am struggling to understand IF this is..ummm..bike design or artwork!
The first recumbent bikes go back to our first recumbent customer, Roger Hoffeditz’ Avatar 2000 in the late ‘70’s. On today (as the old church folk used to say) Angletech continues to represent the best of recumbent bike and trike design. Offerings from Challenge, Rans, Bacchetta, Greenspeed, ICE, Terratrike and others are found here on line, and in our Woodland Park, Colorado store. With this type of perspective, a thorough phone consult with Angletech results in a bike that truly fits every expectation.
Readers, I really do not have an opinion on these bikes one way or another. The truth is their is a market, I guess and these designs have their place within that market...Would I ride one of these? NO WAY! The thought of laying down for the most part to ride a bicycle makes me personally feel...well.lazy. Next thing you know, someone is going to come out with a Lazy Chair Recliner that looks more like a mini sofa for the rider to sit in. Riding bikes is about Freedom and Exercise along with STYLE...But being lazy while you ride isn't style at all, it is just that...LAZY!
Bicycle History is a Debatable Topic
Some history books will state that Pierre and Ernest Michaux, the French father and son team of carriage-makers, invented the first bicycle during the 1860s. Historians now disagree and there is evidence that the bicycle is older than that. However, historians do agree that Ernest Michaux did invent the modern bicycle pedal and cranks in 1861.
Baron Karl Drais von Sauerbronn - Early Bicycles and History
The German Baron Karl Drais von Sauerbronn invented the "Laufmaschine" or "Running Machine", a type of pre-bicycle. The steerable Laufmaschine was made entirely of wood and had no pedals; a rider would push his/her feet against the ground to make the machine go forward. Sauerbronn's bicycle was first exhibited in Paris on April 6, 1818. The celerifere was another similar early bicycle precursor invented in 1790 by Frenchmen, Comte Mede de Sivrac, however, it had no steering.
The Penny Farthing is also referred to as the 'High' or 'Ordinary' bicycle, and the first one was invented in 1871 by British engineer, James Starley. The Penny Farthing came after the development of the 'Hobbyhorse', and the French 'Velocipede' or 'Boneshaker', all versions of early bikes. However, the Penny Farthing was the first really efficient bicycle, consisting of a small rear wheel and large front wheel pivoting on a simple tubular frame with tires of rubber.
African American inventor Jerry M. Certain patented a parcel carrier for bicycles, on December the 26th, 1899 (U.S. Patent #639,708 )
I came across this bicycle while conducting some VERY LIGHT bicycle viewing. I am posting this not because I like the design or dislike the design, but to tell yall that this bike retails for...umm...$4,000! Oh my, Oh my...Hermes Bicycles were introduced into the market place in the 1980s and is a Dutch Bicycle Company that SAYS they like to push the envelope of stylish bicycle design.
WOW! I am getting a little wound up because if the pictured design is PUSHING the envelope, my brand soon to launch, Iron RIDERZ is going to Rip, chew, burn, smash and OBLITERATE that same envelope. Happy days are here again folks.
Below Article courteyt of www.tuvie.com
Hermes bicycle, with its stylish shape and features, will allow the users to show off their flair and elegance even during the early morning stroll. Hermes bicycles were introduced in the market during 1980s and recently boomed the market with their new idea of wrapping a stainless steel bicycle developed by the Dutch brand Batavus with leather. Hermes decorated the frame, seats and handles of this bicycle by enfolding with Taurillon Clémence, which is an extremely supple grained leather in a pumpkin and zesty Havana shade while keeping its original black finish intact. Spare accessories are not available of this bicycle yet, but can be developed by special workshop upon request. The Hermes bicycle retails at $4,000.
WOW! This bicycle would be SOOOO HOOOTTT if it wasn't for those tacky 'Ape Hanger' Handlebars. I love the color, the fan style spokes, sprocket is nice and small, seat could use some work...but WHAT IF they did something alot funkier with the handle bars and got rid of those played out black tires? I give this design, as low riders go anyway a solid C+ FELLA!
Save the emails dear readers complaining and whining about the fact that I am not a low rider fan, how I don't appreciate the art in it, saying I am insulting the Latino culture..blah-blah-blah...The great thing about blogging is it is usually opinion based and used to drive some one's agenda...My blog is no different...My agenda is going to War against crappy bike designs and my opinion matters because...well, this is 'My party and I'll cry if I want to!'
If you think I'm playing, listen to the song...
I am forced to post some more bicycle designs that are.......well.....dumb. Please play this video when you are inspecting the heights of stupidity these folks have gone to.
Lisa...My Design Style when I made my Pee-Wee Herman was..like the above song:
GHETTO SUPERSTAR!!!!!
I got a very interesting question from a reader concerning a post from a few years back. Her question was "You said you made a ghetto version of the Pee-Wee Herman back in 1985...what was your design style then compared to now?" The answer to that is multu-layered I guess, however, back then I lived in the ghetto so my designs reflected the things that I held dear. Our values, good or bad, are almost always learned. Back then, I had a hero who happened to be one of my sister's boyfriends. His name was Jerry Sallis who we simply called 'Jay Sal'. At that time (most certainly not now) represented EVERYTHING I wanted to be:
1) He was one of the few men I knew who had a job (granted he was stealing $$$ from both of them)
2) He was always dressed nice and had $$$ in his pocket.
3) His car was always clean and he LEANED so hard in it!
4) Jay Sal could cook too!
5) His command of ghetto slang was unmatched. I can still hear him saying "What up cuz?" In the drawl that was uniquely Jerry.
Jay Sal was GHETTO FABOLOS nad I wanted to be also. He was my role model and growing up in such an environment, positive role models were rare. Our sense of what is and what isn't important, our values are sensory driven in our formative years. When many of you hear this, you will think "Oh my goodness, how could he believe that?" Next time you see one of those programs on TV where they are asking you to give $23.00 per month to help feed a hungry child, notice that some of those children are drinking polluted and discolored water while others are eating spoiled food from garbage dumps. They do this, like I, because if that is all you see and are looking for a way to survive or fit in, you work with, eat, and imitate those around you!
Cadillacs, chrome, and FLASH was the order in my neighborhood, and my bike design reflected this. I tell you what, I will remake that bike EXACTLY as it was then and post it this spring. Until then, for those of you out there who feel like an outsider because of the way you dress, act, or other, be who you are because the worst thing any one of you can do is to not be......UNIQUELY YOU!
"SQUADRA is built to exceed the expectations and demands of our customers. Simply put, our mission is to make the best gear and offer the best service. It is time to further our company's personal growth and nurture the development of our own brand," quotes Dan Weatherford, Founder and President.
This company was licensing someone else's brand. Short tutorial on licensing. One company, the licensee, (usually a manufacturer) pays a royalty of say, between 4%-6% to what is called a licensor for the priviledge of selling that particular brandname. For instance, TREK is licensing the name Greg Lemond.(although Lemond can't keep his mouth shut) TREK uses the cycling greats name to sell bikes, Lemond gets a fat check. I tell you what, I saw the deal and alot of it is based on actual bike sales, but Lemond set it up with what is called a 'Minimum Royalty' which says "Even if yu don't sell one bike, you need to give me $180,000 for 10 years!"
Anyway, this company SQUADRA, doesn't want to sell someone else's products anymore, so they threw the lincensor off the boat and decided to go it alone. My only issue is this; why doesn't SQUADRA cut the BS and say what they are really thinking instead of putting out the above quote?! Dan, Mr. President of SQUADRA, your products and customer service aren't gonna be any better than anyone of your competitors and if you think it is, you are only going to frustrate yourself! I am a partner in a company and I know for a fact that it is a good thing to push for great customer service with your employees, but don't think you are fooling the Public with that WEAK press release statement! You could've come up with something a little more original, don't you think?
Let me tell you something else I KNOW you haven't thought of. In the very near future, customer service is going to shift from the 'Front Desk' to the 'Back Office'. All I am encouraging you and your team at Squadra to do is BE YOURSELVES! Take this opportunity as you roll out your own brand, to 'Rollout your own company culture.' There is NOTHING WORSE than something as unoriginal as your press release, I mean, it is right down pathetic. As crazy as this may sound, instead of of saying all of that...well..nothingness...you should have just said "SQUADRA...COMING SOON!" At least this little bit of information as compared to your press release sounds a bit less regurgetated! Or tell the truth;
"SQUADRA has decided that we can not only make better products than Castelli, who was our licensor, but we have taken the last several years, really not given 100% to our Licensor because we have been developing our own brand, picked up and improved on their practices, and will now do what is best for our own company! Why should we keep giving them 4-6% when we can keep it for ourselves and not drag our feet, and give you, OUR FUTURE CUSTOMERS, BETTER PRODUCT."
Hell, at least be real with it. You tell the public what they can expect from you AND you let Castelli know out front "We are going to CRUSH YOU!" You think Castelli doesn't know? Also, how are you going to make 'The Best Gear.' What does that mean? I hope it is manufactured somewhere here in the U.S. baby boy! I have this little old blog, many,many,many readers, no college education to speak of, but one thing I will not be is unoriginal...SQUADRA...these people read my blog, not because it's is a GREAT OR NICE LOOKING website, not because I gave them some 'Line' like you did in your press release, but because I am real! Read some of my posts, check out my language and my flow...All I am asking is, "Now that you are dumping Castelli, who IS SQUADRA?" Communicate this to us, we, your customer want to know.
I also want to save you the effort of saying "Well, you don't know what it is like to launch a company or brand." Sure I do! It is because I do know that I can sit here and write these things. It is because I know the importance of seperating yourself from the pack that I can say these things. It is because I know when you are launching, every word that comes from your mouth Dan can make or break your profitability that I can exhort you to stop the BS!
Mr. President, I understand, even better than your Executive Team,why this time between the break from Castelli and yur launch is SO CRITICAL..You are stepping away from a known quantity and gambling on an unknown brand name, even if it is your own. This isn't merely the next 'Step' for SQUADRA, but it is a 'LEAP' into uncharted territory. A message has to be genuine, not that crap you released to the press. Take a breather and figure out what GENUINE looks like to SQUADRA! Good Luck!
"This was so true-WE LOVED US SOME Donkey Kong & Pac-Man"
Since I bought a home in a suburb of Denver, Colorado, I often look out
but the window and have been very disturbed at the lack children playing outside on warm days. There was a time when that is what we did, we played outside, made up games to play, and usually, especially in summer, outside from sun up to sun down. Those days are long gone I guess. When dealing with our youth today, I found one of the reasons why. VIDEO GAMES! If you are 30 or over, you may remember your 1st experience with video games. They were typically in stores, laundry mats, or small arcades. 3 of my favorites were Bezerker, Frogger, and Donkey Kong. I still remember the music that played on Donkey Kong, it was funky! In the late 1980's. Superstar Will Smith came out with a Rap called 'Donkey Kong' and the music was that of the video game.
In one part of the rap Will said "I brake into the arcade, screamin and hollarin anticipating putting $25 dollars in." He went on to say "I was out of control, I didn't bring quarters, I bring $10 dollar bank rolls." Real or not, this same addictive behavior has gotten a grip on many of our children today. They don't have to go to the store or arcade to play anymore, the addictive product is in their homes. I am not hear today to 'Wax Philosophical', but there has to be a connection between the kids today not going outside to play, ride bikes, childhood obesity at an all-time high, and video games. As off base as it may seem, I believe the biggest competition facing the kid and junior bicycle markets is the advent and growth of home video games and gaming systems!
O.k., video games are here to stay, we know that. Nevertheless, I believe that there is an opportunity for the big boys, IE Pacific Cycles (They own the Schwinn and Mongoose brands among others) Huffy and the like to take back some of that market. The video game industry in the U.S. generates anywhere from $3.4 Billion to $11 Billion per year depending on what expert you choose to listen to. The way our culture is today, if parents give most kids a choice between a video gaming system that costs $300 (not including a variety of games) and a $100-200 bicycle, kids are going to choose the video game. MOST HAVE BOTH!
There is a way to take back a fair portion of that market though people! I wrote in an earlier posting that the bicycles today do not line up in style with an Urban audience in fashion, music, hairstyles etc. What if someone could come up with bicycles that line up with this audience's taste in culture. When I say line up, I mean in "Name, imagery, mags and wheels, floss, HISTORY" and the like? Bicycles will never fit in with this audience if when they go to purchase it, the attitude is "Oh, that is a nice bike" as opposed to "Dang, I gotta have that!" What type of product that isn't being currently produced can get that type of reaction? I will let you know in my next posting.
Views: 2,483,069
Yall know I love me some Scraper Bikes! I just checked their site and it seems they had...A CONVENTION OF SORTS! I tell you what, these cats, the Trunk BOIZ love what they re doing and they found a way, despite their circumstances to do something BIG! I admire their grit and their hustle. What is more I am hoping the CEO Da Champ is entering into some big time promotion relationships with other companies! Champ, you and your team GET IT! Their are companies out their spending MILLIONS per year advertising and can't (although they desire to)reach that niche you have in your back pocket MAN!
To my readers, I am going to share something with you that that Da Champ, Trunk BOIZ, and I understand that you may not;
1) Pushing your product in Urban Areas requires you to SPEND LESS big time advertising dollars and 'Get Hood' with it like Scraper does it! Aka- a more 'Viral' approach!
2) To my readers in the industry, IF you really wanna penetrate the Urban Bicycle Market, STOP BUILDING BIKES THAT ARE UGLY! Why do you think Scraper is such a popular movement? It is because they took THE JUNK you built, and turned it in to something kids all over the country are doing. They are in Cali and I am in Denver and their is a youngster up the street 'Cruisin on his Scraper Bike!'
3) Partner with Street Promoters, like Da Champ, Trunk Boiz, and Scraper for your 'Viral Marketing'. Not just to go promote, but to consult on your designs. They know what Urban Youth will like and what they won't.
4) This will sound contrary to everything you think you know, however, celebrities aren't the most effective way to promote your products. The most effective way is to design hot products, consistently, that will sell regardless of endorsements. Take some of that endorsement $$$ and stick it into infastructure.
These are just a few ideas, but ideas are the things that GREAT COMPANIES nd GREAT PRODUCTS are made of, no?
The word Provolution is a word that was sometimes used in black churches. It simply means 'Taking the best of the past and bringing it forward into the present and carrying that ideal into the future.' Many other industries do this when designing product. Yet, the bicycle industry seems not to be in step with this. The are many challenges when designing bicyles, but going forward into the future, they are going to have to step up to the plate. There are bicycle design competitions all over the world. I recently saw the 2nd place winner in the Tiawanese design competition held every year. The bike was called 'Wild Buffalo'. This design was HOOTTT! That being said, in the market right now, it was totally impractical for mass production.
If you are wondering where I am going with this, the term Provolution applies. Bringing the best of the past forward into the present requires not that some designer comes up with a new hand brake system, or for design, those things are basic and there are only so many variations of them you can use. The good news is that when one focuses on the young adult, kid and junior bicycle market, kids don't care about innovative design, they care about whether they like their bikes and can they have fun on them! I challenge any of you with children to relay a story to me when you took your child to get a bike and they said "Well mom and\or dad, I really don't like the braking system on this bike and the rear wheel base is 2 inches to short for my taste." I raised two kids and I never heard any of that from them. It is about asthetics to them!
When they look at the bike, will they get excited, or will they say "I wish you would have bought me a video game instead." My next post will deal with the biggest enemy of the bicycle industry today (Video Games and gaming systems). Let those of us who love bicycles and like to design them keep the thought of 'Provolution' on our minds and I promise, the industry will sit up and take notice!
You have got to be kidding me! Check out this trick rider named Aaron Frost. His name is Aaron Frost and he and the man you only know as 'The Fabricator of Funk' used to ride together back in the day. I posted about the 3 trick practices so far;
1) Ghostin- Gained popularity in the Bay Area and basically consists of a person running along side their Adult Trike while it peddles itself...BORING!
2) Drifting- This practice is hot and consists of a number of tricks like prolonged skidding when coming down a hill, and peddling faster than the tire can get it's grip which produces a cool looking-controlled skid! HOOOOTTTTT!
3) Aaron Frost- I don't know what he is doing but for the first time in a LOONNNGGG time people I will give Aaron my "I saw the FUNK, and it was good" Award which is the top honor given to anyone on this site.
These are the types of niche and bicycle sub-cultures which we at Major Taylor will latch onto and bring into the main stream. To all of you bicycle tricj riders and enthusiasts, keep on doin your thang, I am coming to get ya and make you STARS!
WOW! I ran across these bicycles in my search for great bicycle design. The company is called The Little Bike Company and they are based in the U.K. I must say that these bikes for small kids are HOOOTTTTT! 
I like these designs for a number of reasons, but the main reason is their SIMPLICITY! I have been telling yall since the beginning that simplicity is where it is at. Gadgets and all that other stuff really takes away from the greatness of the base design.
There is an emerging market that I spoke about some time back in 'Track Bicycles'. These things hearken back to the days of old when the Safety Bicycle was a new thing and the biggest sports stars, like Major Taylor, were men on bicycles! Track Bicycles are some of the most elegant machinery you will ever see folks.
More about that in another post! In other Marshall Taylor News, I am almost done with the design of my new website which will be found, when launched, at www.lemajor.com. Le Major, is French for The Major! This website will be a monster yall! Talk at ya soon.
I agree Sameer....I agree!
Article courtesy of: Sameer Kumar
There have been ample instances when I have been really hard on those who have created concept bikes and designed amazingly improbable concept cars. The reason for that is simple and it is the fact that I really do not see how many of these actually ever making it on to the road and in 99% of the cases they indeed are relegated to the drawing board. But this cool new concept bike design from Eric Zhang is an absolute novelty and something I strongly feel has a great future if taken up and fine-tuned by one of the big boys of biking world.
The ‘Modulated Bike’ is practically the best design one can get in terms of a modern city bicycle that acts both as a green, pollution free bike and a transporter which has a wonderful module to stay connected when you are on the move. The bike has basically three modules which can be easily inter-changed for our convenience. We have the communication mode in which you cans stay connected with all your wireless gadgets, you have the transportation mode which allows you to carry stuff in a custom made box which even comes with a freezer and then you have the engine-propelled mode which allows you to attach a fuel-cell powered engine for faster transport.
The modulated is one concept bike which has its wheels in reality and hence I fully expect it to hit the roads some time in the future. Eric Zhang has done an incredibly good job with a fundamentally sound design by adding great improvisation to it.
Designer:Eric Zhang
Things that make you go HMMMM? Check the video out and then the bike designs!
Hubless what?
People, IF you are SO IN LOVE with cycling that you buy Bicycle Furniture..2 words "GET SOME HELP!"
WOW!(And I don't say that in a complimentary way!)
And you thought the Old High Wheels from the late 1800s were DANGEROUS!
QUIT PLAYIN! The FABRICATOR OF FUNK sent me the link to these Wood Rims by Ghisallo classic wood rims (tubular and clincher). I am sittin here TRIPPIN right now because these things are just so bomb! I have been to Bike Swaps and shows and have seen rims that look like wood, and they look good but these wood rims are the real deal! You see, awhile ago I came to the conclusion that I didn't have to design EVERY component on my bikes and because of this conclusion I have come across a whole lot of 'Specialists' all across the world who focus on one component of bicycle and leave the rest to others. 
I must say that I can most certainly imagine some luxury wood rims on some of my designs. Here are just a few of the specialists I have come across during my journey to discover THE FUNK in bicycle designs:
- CDS Components: This is the company of the man you all know as 'The Fabricator of Funk' and the one who is set to build the hottest bicycles on the planet! Sorry I can't give his name right now but a brotha like me gotta keep him under wraps for now.
- Sweet Skinz: Maker of the HOTTESSSTTT tire patterns on the planet today. DANG, the name is even hot.
- Bike Dubz: Maker of urban style spinners and rims for bicycles.
- Scraper Bikes: Simply put, bicycle wheel ARTIST who believe in and promote the individuality of each rider. They have a design called 'Peaches & Creme'...come on man....QUIT PLAYIN! Youtube video with over 2.5 million hits...they got me saying, as on the video "I'm cruising on my Scraper Bike..I'm cruising on my Scraper Bike."
- Wil Min: This is SUPER UNDERCOVER because this person has the MOST AWESOME color coordinating mind on the planet, has kicked out over 100 original tire color coordinated patterns, and does it with CRAYONS and MARKERS! You won't find anyone in the world with the gift this person has.
During my search for the great bicycle design, I came across MANY lowrider bikes and after much thought, I have finally decided to address the issue. I have gotten a few emails asking my thoughts, one from a guy with a bicycle company that was looking to expand his product line. Wwhat I told the company owner was this; "Don't sell anything that you aren't an expert on, can't build, is SO NICHE, and requires a certain race of people to make the product line viable. In fairness, most of the pictures in this post consist of 'Show Bikes' but there is some of ones people ride everday also.
Lowrider bicycles, in my opinion are too niche to EVER be mainstream and unfortunatley, when people see these bicycles, they think of Mexicans. That isn't racial, it is just the truth! Like african americans, as latinos start to understand their buying power as a race and demand better housing, civil rights, fair wages and the like, their standard of living will go up as a people, and the old ways, like with black folks will fade into the past. I am ceratin spanish, no matter how well they are doing, will continue from generation to generation.
Back to the lowrider bike issue, it is RARE to even see a latino kid on these bicycles, here in Denver and believe me, we have a VERY LARGE latino population and they are at least 50% of the homeowners in the area where I live and I can't even remember the last time I saw a lowrider bike. I said all of that to say this, this market is WAY TO NICHE to ever flourish in the mainstream. ALL OF THE LATINO KIDS AND TEENS where I live ride regular bikes (although ugly ones) and truthfully, they could buy a lowrider bicycle for about the same cost as some of the bikes I see them on....what does that say? And what does that say about the mainstream viability of this niche market?
To those of you who build them, GREAT! Keep on doing your thing cause I ain't hatin on you, but it is a tough sell where 'Cross over appeal' is concerned when anyone, no matter what race, looks at a product and says "You know a ***** person designed that." Offended yet, OH BABY I GOT MORE! When you see, or hear of 'Bling-Bling' Jewelry, what color man do you think of? A Black man! Don't lie, that's who I think of and I AM BLACK! For those of you who live here in Colorado, when someone mention the city of Boulder, Colorado, what type of people do you think of? WHITE PEOPLE!
It's true so get mad if you want. Anyway, I think low rider bikes, for the most part look, well, OVERDONE!
Out of the hundreds and hundreds I have looked at, the one pictured below is the ONLY ONE I have ever seen that I kinda think is ok. Even this one....white wall tires.....PLAYED OUT! I vomit ever time I see a bicycle with WHITE WALL TIRES! YUK!
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