I only don't agree with the notion that it's "coasting" when a company is making something great and sticks with it. Is King Ti Cage coasting? Are Renthal handlebars coasting?
It's like the chef at my favourite local Sushi place. He has been making the same food for the entirety of the, almost, two-decades I've lived on the North Shore. He's even raised the prices a number of times. Is he coasting? I'd say not. The product is awesome.
\-\-\-\-\-\-
Reynolds' is still buying all the materials, making rims, and assembling wheels (and have updated hub spec), and they still have a design & engineering team they're paying to develop products. Sure, they've paid off any molds by now but as a per-rim cost, my understanding is that machining molds is a small portion of costs.
This is where the bike industry is at by and large. Marginal improvements, _sometimes_, and lots of industrial design and marketing. And it's not new - how much have rear shocks really improved since Cane Creek released the CCDB Coil in 2005 (2005!!!)? I maintain that the Ohlins RXF 34 from 2016 stands up to any fork on market today. Etc.
I like that some companies aren't trying to reinvent the wheel constantly.
\-\-\-\-\-\-
This isn't a dig on We Are One in any way. I like their story, their products, and the fact they're made in BC.
I could do with a lot less fanboyism, especially in discussions of 'value' when we're talking about premium luxury products, especially ones that are essentially the same price in an apple:apple comparison.
March 7, 2023, 5:53 p.m. - Andrew Major
I only don't agree with the notion that it's "coasting" when a company is making something great and sticks with it. Is King Ti Cage coasting? Are Renthal handlebars coasting? It's like the chef at my favourite local Sushi place. He has been making the same food for the entirety of the, almost, two-decades I've lived on the North Shore. He's even raised the prices a number of times. Is he coasting? I'd say not. The product is awesome. \-\-\-\-\-\- Reynolds' is still buying all the materials, making rims, and assembling wheels (and have updated hub spec), and they still have a design & engineering team they're paying to develop products. Sure, they've paid off any molds by now but as a per-rim cost, my understanding is that machining molds is a small portion of costs. This is where the bike industry is at by and large. Marginal improvements, _sometimes_, and lots of industrial design and marketing. And it's not new - how much have rear shocks really improved since Cane Creek released the CCDB Coil in 2005 (2005!!!)? I maintain that the Ohlins RXF 34 from 2016 stands up to any fork on market today. Etc. I like that some companies aren't trying to reinvent the wheel constantly. \-\-\-\-\-\- This isn't a dig on We Are One in any way. I like their story, their products, and the fact they're made in BC. I could do with a lot less fanboyism, especially in discussions of 'value' when we're talking about premium luxury products, especially ones that are essentially the same price in an apple:apple comparison.