Wow, this was a shocker, Neuvation Cycling

[bobswire]

Neuvation Newsletter Monday Jan 6 th.






2014
Neuvation Cycling has shut its doors. I am not at liberty to discuss the details but do plan on opening up another wheel business by early spring. At that time, all the elements willing, I will be able to honor warranties and wheel protection plans from Neuvation Cycling.

If you are in need of a Neuvation specific part in the mean time, please feel free to contact me at JohnNeugent@aol.com and I will do whatever I can to help out.

Any orders placed after Friday, Dec ember 20th have not been processed nor the credit cards run. All attempts have been made to get any warranties completed and I am not aware of any credits due customers

It’s been a lot of fun and I expect to be back up to full steam in the early spring. I will be doing occasional newsletters just to stay in touch.

I fully expect to get literally hundreds of e-mails in response to this announcement (I have lots of truly great customers) so please be a little bit patient if it takes a few days to get back to you. I am personally doing great and really looking forward to 2014 and lots of new opportunities.

Thanks very much for all of your support – John Neugent

[BumbleBeeDave]

I wonder what happened?

Maybe Sinyard sued him for also using the letter "i" in his company name? :rolleyes:

BBD

[benc]

Huh. That's too bad. Sold?

[AngryScientist]

hmm, that is odd. i've got a couple pair of neuvation wheels that have been pretty good to me.

[sales guy]

Two logical choices....

Divorce

Or

Specialized sued for some insane reason.

[rePhil]

I was wondering why I haven't been getting my daily e mails. I assumed he was taking some time off.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . about QC issues--and known several friends who had QC issues--I've also heard many, MANY complimentary stories about the value of his products and the sterling customer service.

But it's odd I just went to his website and it's still up and running. Nothing I could see there about shutting down.

BBD

[chengher87]

Not surprising. Their best selling M28(as well as the R28) wheels haven't been in stock in months. They also tapered their frame sales as well. The only Neuvations were available as custom wheels or fully built bikes recently. I was hoping this wouldn't happen and they'd restock, but I guess that wasn't the case.

I've had good experiences, so I am a little disappointed.

[Tony]

hmm, that is odd. i've got a couple pair of neuvation wheels that have been pretty good to me.

I've got a pair, one of his first wheels, still as true and smooth as the day I received them.

[texbike]

Wow! Has Divine Cycling Group bought Neuvation as well??? :rolleyes:

Texbike

[Steve in SLO]

I am local to him, and have not heard anything through the local cycling scuttlebutt tree. "All the elements willing" sounds like there's some other party(ies) involved.

[vqdriver]

not a customer, but i like how he addressed the biggest concerns of online customers, warranty service and transactions in limbo. nothing more disconcerting when shopping online than the shop up and disappearing.

[malbecman]

I've had a pair for a ~yr now and they've been great; hope it all works out for him.

[54ny77]

For me, the various pairs of wheels were just plain AWFUL....but darned it all if John and his team weren't 1st class in replacing or fixing things no questions asked, even express shipping me a replacement wheel or two. Stellar customer service. Absolutely stellar.

. . . about QC issues--and known several friends who had QC issues--I've also heard many, MANY complimentary stories about the value of his products and the sterling customer service.

But it's odd I just went to his website and it's still up and running. Nothing I could see there about shutting down.

BBD

[tiretrax]

I hope he reappears. I don't own any, but I have lots of friends who think Neuvation products are a fantastic value.

[Germany_chris]

Isn't he a regular at bike forums or RBR??

Sent from my newest gadget I'm either on the bike or in the Jeep

[CunegoFan]

For me, the various pairs of wheels were just plain AWFUL....but darned it all if John and his team weren't 1st class in replacing or fixing things no questions asked, even express shipping me a replacement wheel or two. Stellar customer service. Absolutely stellar.

This sounds like the business model of the new millenium: Goods made as cheaply as possible with the inevitable product failures viewed a way to increase business by building goodwill with great customer service. I prefer products that don't need great customer service.

[thirdgenbird]

This sounds like the business model of the new millenium: Goods made a cheaply as possible with the inevitable product failures viewed a way to increase business by building goodwill with great customer service.

Maybe SRAM sued them for stealing their business model.


(Only joking, I know a few people that have been very pleased with their wheels, I've nearly bought then too)

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . and this is why I never bought any. I kinda dislike getting broken spokes 20 miles from nowhere and it looks like rain. :eek:

BBD

This sounds like the business model of the new millenium: Goods made a cheaply as possible with the inevitable product failures viewed a way to increase business by building goodwill with great customer service. I prefer products that don't need great customer service.

[aoe]

I wonder what happened?

Maybe Sinyard sued him for also using the letter "i" in his company name? :rolleyes:

BBD

What choice did Mike have? He has the nerve to use every vowel in the first word alone....a hoarder and a complete vowel monopoly. Even hogs the "sometimes 'y'" in the second word.

[mike p]

I've had a couple pair of they're wheels and thought they were great. Awesome customer service! I also really enjoyed his daily email, short, funny, and often educational. Wish him the best and hope he does come back.

Mike

[hankchong]

To echo the general sentiment, I hope he re-surfaces soon. I own and enjoy a set of his wheels; I've never had a problem. Also, I enjoy his daily emails.

[Scott Shire]

Aside from the wheels (mine have been great) John is a real bike biz vet with some amazing insight into Asian manufacturing, overhead, and the way the typical customer interacts with his LBS.

His resume pre-Neuvation is nothing to scoff at, and I'm beyond sure that he lands on his feet.

[likebikes]

What happened?

[Steve in SLO]

This sounds like the business model of the new millenium: Goods made as cheaply as possible with the inevitable product failures viewed a way to increase business by building goodwill with great customer service. I prefer products that don't need great customer service.

To be fair to the company, I think there were some QC issues in some of the earlier prebuilt wheels, however these issues were dramatically decreased in the recent past, and further so when they brought wheel production in-house.

A personal experience with their customer service: I have a rear wheel I had been bashing around on my cyclocross bike for several years. The back brake track was so scored up from years of running through gravel/mud/grit, that it was nearly through the sides of the rim. John offered to replace the rim under warranty, although I told him the wheel was over 2500 dirt miles old. I made him charge me for the rim, but he replaced the bearings and cassette body free of charge. In this case, a perfectly well-made item had lived a good life and the replacement was done with stellar customer service. That made me a fan.

[tele]

I've had a couple pair of they're wheels and thought they were great. Awesome customer service! I also really enjoyed his daily email, short, funny, and often educational. Wish him the best and hope he does come back.

Mike

I have the same experience/feelings and thought he brought a lot to the biking world.

[katematt]

Got a pair of M28's with 10k plus on them. No complaints other than not very sexy.

Wish him luck.

[oldpotatoe]

Aside from the wheels (mine have been great) John is a real bike biz vet with some amazing insight into Asian manufacturing, overhead, and the way the typical customer interacts with his LBS.

His resume pre-Neuvation is nothing to scoff at, and I'm beyond sure that he lands on his feet.

Well, he was never a fan of any LBS..he made that crystal clear in some of his early videos. Painted with a really wide brush along with 'implying' a person is a complete idiot for buying anything at...'retail', horrors.

Big volume, low cost, made a long way away..then trying to monitor QC...very low margins relying almost entirely on volume to 'crack the nut'..he's not the first to see this.

[FlashUNC]

A personal experience with their customer service: I have a rear wheel I had been bashing around on my cyclocross bike for several years. The back brake track was so scored up from years of running through gravel/mud/grit, that it was nearly through the sides of the rim. John offered to replace the rim under warranty, although I told him the wheel was over 2500 dirt miles old. I made him charge me for the rim, but he replaced the bearings and cassette body free of charge. In this case, a perfectly well-made item had lived a good life and the replacement was done with stellar customer service. That made me a fan.

And this might be part of the problem actually. Tough to make folks buy the cow when you're giving the milk away for free.

[discman]

Here's the story from Bicycle Retailer. John Neugent sounds like a class act.

http://www.bicycleretailer.com/north-america/2014/01/07/neuvation-cycling-shuts-down-%E2%80%94-now#.UsxqptJDuNY

[binxnyrwarrsoul]

This sounds like the business model of the new millenium: Goods made as cheaply as possible with the inevitable product failures viewed a way to increase business by building goodwill with great customer service. I prefer products that don't need great customer service.

This.

[rice rocket]

Here's the story from Bicycle Retailer. John Neugent sounds like a class act.

http://www.bicycleretailer.com/north-america/2014/01/07/neuvation-cycling-shuts-down-%E2%80%94-now#.UsxqptJDuNY

I'm confused.

It sounds like he's bowing to the competition, but then says he'll be back later in the year. What does a new brand achieve?

[oldpotatoe]

I'm confused.

It sounds like he's bowing to the competition, but then says he'll be back later in the year. What does a new brand achieve?

Sounds like he was a layer of distribution that a Chinese factory didn't have, so people bought from them, not him. In this game, it's more about price than anything.

[texbike]

Here's the story from Bicycle Retailer. John Neugent sounds like a class act.

http://www.bicycleretailer.com/north-america/2014/01/07/neuvation-cycling-shuts-down-%E2%80%94-now#.UsxqptJDuNY

“Neuvation Cycling has been a value-based business, and that format is now degenerating to its lowest possible common denominator because of those influences. It’s a trend that is only going to get stronger,” he added.

Hmmm. It sounds like he was getting beat at his own game.

Texbike

[discman]

I was referring to him honoring warranties and appearing to not drag employees and other creditors into a tailspin.
A guy direct selling cheap imports gets knocked out by others selling the stuff cheaper. It's a race to zero... glad I'm not in the bike business.

[blantonator]

I have a pair of C50 tubulars i've been using for cross for over 4 years. they are totally bomber. too bad.

[oldpotatoe]

I was referring to him honoring warranties and appearing to not drag employees and other creditors into a tailspin.
A guy direct selling cheap imports gets knocked out by others selling the stuff cheaper. It's a race to zero... glad I'm not in the bike business.

I hear ya brother.........

[thunderworks]

I was referring to him honoring warranties and appearing to not drag employees and other creditors into a tailspin.
A guy direct selling cheap imports gets knocked out by others selling the stuff cheaper. It's a race to zero... glad I'm not in the bike business.

+1.

I was in the bike business - over 20 years - starting in 1974. It was tough enough then without internet competition. Margins were always thin. My store was successful, with 11 employees and a strong customer base, but I doubt my business model from that era would succeed today. It really seems as though the primary driving criteria for purchasing is cost. Someone can always sell stuff for less money. If being the lowest cost provider is the only driver to success, it's a fools game. Glad I'm not playing.

[ultraman6970]

Anybody has a list of all the wheel brands in the american market right now?

[discman]

Anybody has a list of all the wheel brands in the american market right now?

The list is probably larger than it's ever been. All the big names now have wheels and "anyone" can order a couple dozen rims open-sourced from Asia, stick a few decals on and bingo...you're a wheel manufacturer.