Race Face shuts its doors

I heard something interesting yesterday, seemed to come from a credible source. That MEC had just bought Raceface for dirt cheap from the receiver(bank). I am not sure but if so, this could mean we might still see the brand name under a different owner.

I don't know a ton about what's going on now, but I know enough to confirm this is bs. There is no buyer as of yet.

(ie nominally owned by a bunch of nominal hippies)

This had to be isolated for the shear awesomeness of it!

Best way to describe MEC.

The more I read this the less like people I feel. This went from fascinating to weird. All this speculation about the strange and magical world of manufacturing is way out there. I feel like an alien.

The more I read this the less like people I feel. This went from fascinating to weird. All this speculation about the strange and magical world of manufacturing is way out there. I feel like an alien.

Maybe its just cause you're reading it at 2 in the morning?

The more I read this the less like people I feel. This went from fascinating to weird. All this speculation about the strange and magical world of manufacturing is way out there. I feel like an alien.

Most people have no understanding of where the raw materials [HTML_REMOVED] products they use or consume come from, or how it gets to where they use it.

Eg. Open pit coal mine, open pit gold mine, tar sands mine, active logging operation, refinery, production machine shop, brewery, winery, airport operations, hydro electric generation, etc.

if they owned - rather than simply distributed - raceface, they'd likely have to address the pretty lousy environmental profile of aluminum mining and production. it would be interesting, at least.

actually i recant this. mec bikes are already made from aluminum, and no one gives a $hit. mec went from having an ethics-light sourcing policy to creating an ethical sourcing brand, and as far as i can tell that's where it stands - they're not an industry leader in environmental or ethical sourcing, merely content to maintain a well documented profile they can refer to and design powerpoints and marketing bs around. if mec did acquire raceface, my guess is that from an environmental standpoint it would be business as usual; from a labor standpoint, i can't seem them being interested in the NW factory

from a labor standpoint, i can't seem them being interested in the NW factory

It was the staff, machines and manufacturing processes at the NW location that are the most desirable aspect of Raceface, to me at least. Whoever takes on RF should look to Hope and King, and forget the OEM crap. If MEC buy RF, my name's Nelson Mandela.

It was the staff, machines and manufacturing processes at the NW location that are the most desirable aspect of Raceface, to me at least.

i would hazard to guess that to anyone with the resources and interest to make the purchase, the brand (which, built though it was on those essentials, is all about recognition, status, customer loyalty and emotional connection) is all that matters

Not too tired, 2 AM is right after work for me. I knew that we were different. I watch that show how things are made (they're not really made that way) and I kind of understand what people think of manufacturing. It's a bad business everyone being so ignorant of how everything works. I guess nobody will care as long as the toilet keeps flushing.

But going this route as a society, eventually, the toilets will cease to flush.

Apparently they made a How It's Made show in the factory I worked at in Ontario, making Fram oil filters. I was never able to find it.

I noticed in those shows they rarely show the workers, because they all look bored.

I've been away from my computer for a while.

As RaceFace mentioned earlier MEC has not bought RaceFace. Nothing has been sold yet (no parts of the company, no inventory, no machinery) as Grant Thornton is still looking for a buyer for the company as a whole. The place still looks like it did last Monday, minus my milk crate of parts that I'd forgotten to take with me, I picked them up this afternoon. I'm glad to say I have my old clipless pedals back. So you won't be seeing my 2000'ish era XTR pedals up for auction any time soon people, sorry to disappoint!

rf website is back up.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN????

That didn't take long…

That didn't take long…

there was only 2 available so I don't know if that's a sign of anything or not.