#!markdown
Tim.
As the author of the above article, I can state with a fair amount of
certainty that no, I don't really think there is a global bike industry
conspiracy of planned obsolescence. That was a jest. Which there were a few of
in the article. Right?
I understand your point about SKU counts. That's actually kind of my entire
point. Today's "new and improved" means that the old stuff isn't going to be
around for long because we all know that nobody can really manage to stock 50
variables of each fork model. That's what sucks about the whole thing. And why
I freak out when people say things like "why do you care? It's not like
anybody is forcing you to buy the new standard." Because you actually kind of
are. Few years from now Dave is in fact going to have to buy the new standard
because that's all that will be available. Progress wins by default. Doesn't
mean you have to like it. Or like all aspects of it. I'm allowed to question
the system. I'm allowed to be troubled by an aspect of our sport where 3-5
year old equipment is obsolete junk that is increasingly hard to source
replacement parts for.
There's no "right" or "wrong" to this argument. Both sides are equally messed
up is kind of the point I'm trying to make.
July 10, 2014, 1:56 p.m. - Dirk
#!markdown Tim. As the author of the above article, I can state with a fair amount of certainty that no, I don't really think there is a global bike industry conspiracy of planned obsolescence. That was a jest. Which there were a few of in the article. Right? I understand your point about SKU counts. That's actually kind of my entire point. Today's "new and improved" means that the old stuff isn't going to be around for long because we all know that nobody can really manage to stock 50 variables of each fork model. That's what sucks about the whole thing. And why I freak out when people say things like "why do you care? It's not like anybody is forcing you to buy the new standard." Because you actually kind of are. Few years from now Dave is in fact going to have to buy the new standard because that's all that will be available. Progress wins by default. Doesn't mean you have to like it. Or like all aspects of it. I'm allowed to question the system. I'm allowed to be troubled by an aspect of our sport where 3-5 year old equipment is obsolete junk that is increasingly hard to source replacement parts for. There's no "right" or "wrong" to this argument. Both sides are equally messed up is kind of the point I'm trying to make.