Moots Carbon Gravel E-bike!

[Spdntrxi]

Originally Posted by Toddtwenty2

In my view, Firefly wins this e-bike round:

https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=242535

https://fireflybicycles.com/ebike-upgrade/

other then being Ti.. it looks like arse.. To be fair the moots huge slope is fugly too.

[mstateglfr]

Originally Posted by rice rocket

there's two distinct versions of Moots, the prior semi-custom titanium builder, and the current cash cow milk the brand version. Which are you referring to?

The prior version would be the one I am referring to.
I definitely havent considered the current version to be a 'cash cow milk the brand' version though. It still seems quite unobtainable for most and a niche option for those that have the means.

[jds108]

I am reminded of Porsche's entry into the SUV market so that they could continue making 911s.

[brewsmith]

Cashing in on cashe, more power to the new owners and likely reason that Eriksen sold and Bingham left to keep perusing the smaller boutique market

[bicycletricycle]

Awful

[merckxman]

Moots email blast just arrived:

"Imagine being able to put the wind at your back no matter the direction, take the biggest hills and level them out, squeeze twenty miles in a limited window of daylight. All these dreams, and more, quickly become reality with the Moots Express.

THE DETAILS
The Express is a class 3 (up to 28mph) pedal assist gravel eBike featuring the Shimano EP801 drive system.

Four sizes S, M, L, and XL
All sizes have two water bottle mounts in the front triangle with the downtube mount being a 3 pack variant
Each fork leg has 3 pack mounts
Fender mounts front and rear
Clearance for a 29x2.1 tire
Suspension corrected for use with longer travel gravel suspension forks
Removable battery via battery access panel
Charging port in frame
100+ mile range with up to 60Nm of power.

Superhuman power with a gravel minded pedigree.

Adventure ready features throughout in a pedal assisted gravel package."

Link to more info https://moots.com/bikes/gravel/expre...gVWY%3D.UHWWhb

[d_douglas]

seems like such a departure for a company so steeped in the handmade tradition. I assume that they design something they think is amazing (arguably, but...) and then send the design to a manufacturer in Taiwan to make a curvy mold and pump them out. Its what I hate out carbon bikes to be honest. I am sure itd be fun to ride, but seems so incompatible with their marketing of the past.

I guess that is why you market to future demand, not what was cool three years ago?

[72gmc]

Designed by industry trends, decorated with a disembodied brand.

[Philster]

Originally Posted by jds108

I am reminded of Porsche's entry into the SUV market so that they could continue making 911s.

This was my first thought. My second thought was that it reminds me of Cadillac. Their customer base is dead or dying and everything they do to try to solve the problem makes people mad.

I'm still waiting for a post by someone who has actually put dollars behind Moots in the recent past and has an opinion.

[Elefantino]

Originally Posted by texbike

Honestly, this could be a home run for Moots. The number of sales of these could potentially be in the high single-digits...

Texbike

Are there that many dumb dentists?

[Elefantino]

Originally Posted by Eli Bingham

Get a Santa Cruz Skitch instead.

And save 2.7 to 4 grand.

[David Kirk]

I can understand why they would want to expand their product offering. Sales of metal bikes overall are slipping and I know that Moots has had a hard time and laid off some good people recently. If there are new owners/investors they need to figure out a way to grow a shrinking business to protect their investment. Selling more Ti bikes is an upstream swim and it could very well require more investments in people and tooling which they will be hesitant to do.

But if you can pay a 3rd party to make the bikes for you and you only need to bring them in and put a new shipping label on the box and send it off to a Moots dealer that is a full-on win. And since the real growth and profit in the bike biz is coming from e-bikes that is the low hanging fruit to grab first if trying to grow your bike biz.

The days of making large numbers of handbuilt bikes in the USA are over. There is just no way to do it and keep the lights on and the investors happy. Moots (and many others like them) need to adapt or they will die. Simple as that.

I wish them luck. It’s a brave move and it could work or it could backfire. But doing nothing and hoping that suddenly more people understand handmade goods and want to buy them is certain death for many like Moots.

dave

[Likes2ridefar]

Originally Posted by Elefantino

And save 2.7 to 4 grand.

And even with those savings, to my eyes anyways, you get a better build on the Santa Cruz with AXS components. I don’t think the added range is worth the difference, but I’ve not ridden either. Maybe the Shimano drive is a lot better.

Regardless it’s ugly like most e bikes so Moots can’t argue aesthetics like their lovely Ti, and I don’t know why anyone, even a dumb dentist interested in branding (wouldn’t they get an s works?), would buy this.

[m_sasso]

Originally Posted by David Kirk

I can understand why they would want to expand their product offering. Sales of metal bikes overall are slipping and I know that Moots has had a hard time and laid off some good people recently. If there are new owners/investors they need to figure out a way to grow a shrinking business to protect their investment. Selling more Ti bikes is an upstream swim and it could very well require more investments in people and tooling which they will be hesitant to do.

But if you can pay a 3rd party to make the bikes for you and you only need to bring them in and put a new shipping label on the box and send it off to a Moots dealer that is a full-on win. And since the real growth and profit in the bike biz is coming from e-bikes that is the low hanging fruit to grab first if trying to grow your bike biz.

The days of making large numbers of handbuilt bikes in the USA are over. There is just no way to do it and keep the lights on and the investors happy. Moots (and many others like them) need to adapt or they will die. Simple as that.

I wish them luck. It’s a brave move and it could work or it could backfire. But doing nothing and hoping that suddenly more people understand handmade goods and want to buy them is certain death for many like Moots.

dave

My personal view is I would prefer them to die as a good memory, then another entity polluting the world with more plastic trash. Yes, a bit absolute however people that contine to support this junk just don't care about the worlds future.

[Spdntrxi]

I have not used the Fazua Ride60 which is on the SC bike, but have a bike with Ride50 and it's pretty nice. Very small battery at 252w though.