Except none of that happened. Sign up today. There's this scales of economy thing you should look into: Compare top end to top end, yeah you can get a budget moto for less than an s works, but that is simply because motos prices increase at a much more exponential rate. Sales are via the brands website, and this does not feature the Walmart name in the about us section. Boost? Almost all carbon frames come from Asia, and different brands often subcontract with the same large producers. Some cyclists are extremely brand-loyal, willing to pay a premium for pride in heritage brands like Bianchi or Pinarello. Explore, search and compare thousands of the world's best mountain bikes here on Mountain Bike Database. Thats a fine goal, but lets not kid ourselves: $2,300 is both a lot of money and also not appreciably cheaper than the pricing offered by a number of other brands. The M.1 is the first mountain bike from Viathon, and from the sound of things, it won't be the last. You could get a 450 for the same as a well optioned V10. according to industry analyst Jay Townley. The bike uses a very rigid pivot/BB comprised of two MID-BB's inside one another. By running razor thin margins at insane volumes. Pleased to see this. Another new direct-to-consumer brand, Remot, alsolaunched this week with far less buzz, despite being owned by American Bicycle Group, the holding company for established high-end brands Litespeed and Quintana Roo. Posted Oct 2, 2019, We dentists don't shop at Walmart. Doesn't really looks like a revolution to me yet. Good question, Dan, and one we'll come back to in just a minute. its true, For everyone else. Wed like to see fork mounts for extra water bottles, for instance. Don't think too fast. The impetus for the brand was therefore personal, not corporate. No mention of any real pertinent specs that you'd expect when buying a bike. Tapping into the gravel and bikepacking trends is the G.1, with the frameset and 105 options priced identically to the R.1. As a straight-up road bike, wed have no issues with the Viathon G1. (The Walmart connection can be found only on the sites copyright line.) WhatsApp. VIATHON M.1 MOUNTAIN BIKE PROMO VIDEO: M.1 | XX1 Eagleproduct description: One of the lightest, fastest mountain race machines that money can buy, the top-line M.1 delivers a SRAM XX1 Eagle drivetrain for race-proven, single-ring shifting performance. And its partnering with shops, mobile shops, and more, as well as creating an online fit calculator. We could ship anywhere but Im concerned about customer service, because I dont have distributor partners globally. But the move that really set the cat among the industry pigeons was the Viathon sales strategy, which at least strongly hinted at distribution via Walmart.com. Compare that to a top end World Cup dh bike at around 10-15k. I know you're talking frame only, but at least this one ships with tires that actually fit the frame (unlike the DV9, which has known problem with tire rub on the tires it ships with). The big-box retailer is trying to cater to cycling enthusiasts with a line of three new carbon rides. The frames are engineered and designed in partnership with Kevin Quan, a longtime designer whos responsible for well-known bikes from well-known brands like Cervelo, Parlee, and Pivot. But if Viathon is going to have any real impact, its the next set of new bikes that will matter most. bicycling The impetus for Viathon didnt come from Tom and Steuart Walton, avid riders, Walmart heirs responsible for the trail network in Bentonville, Ark., and investors in Rapha and Allied Cycle Works. Pretty sad that a brand new YZ250 cost thousands less than some of the bikes I come across in the wild. Most people won't even bother looking or once they see every new bike worth buying is >$1100, they quit. It is being released alongside a carbon road bike, the R.1, and a carbon gravel bike named, you guessed it - the G.1. Viathon has chosen a RockShox SID RLC with 120mm of travel. $$$ Outdoor & Sporting Goods Company Privacy Policy Photos See all Videos See all 0:11 Writing in 2016, Dunn wrote: Digitally native vertical brands (DNVBs) are maniacally focused on the customer experience and they interact, transact, and story-tell to consumers primarily on the web., Dunn added: The DNVB is born on the internet. as an example they probably make 100-1000-10000 more of the same model moto as they would for the mtb. "With Walmart's reach, we will create an awareness of the brand.". Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts Browse. Viathon bikes are not yet available, but appear set to retail through a direct to consumer model, rather than stocked in Walmart stores. A Redshift Sports ShockStop Stem tamed the harsh vibrations coming from the Viathons beefy carbon fork. The parts kits feature quality components from premium suppliers like Fizik, Hed, and Zipp, and the pricing is competitive with a number of brands. Unless they are basically making no money on the bikes, I find it hard to see how they could undercut their competition, especially considering the frames themselves don't really often anything out of the ordinary. There are a lot of reasons why our bikes are so expensive first thought, offerings in multiple sizes. what happened to viathon bikeshtml5 interactive animation. Did Viathon offer some bold new technology,jaw-dropping value, or an irresistible brand story? They are currently in a process of rebranding it because they realized it's forever associated in people's minds with entry level or even below entry-level (BSO) bikes. Quan was with Cervelo from 2004 to 2008. ''', And indeed they were. I was recruited two and a half years ago to raise the game and show what Walmart can deliver in terms of bikes, Spinhirne-Martin tells me. He designed Turner and Cube bikes, the first Pivots, and Diamondbacks for 5 years. Hi all Thanks for the reviews and updates. Unfortunately, your shopping bag is empty. Viathons G.1 gravel bike requires the same build. Viathon bikes. Carlton Reid sits down with brand manager Zack Spinhirne-Martin. There is certainly a fair amount of seat post extension to work with there., explained Andy T. Hes right too. The Viathon M.1 is available in three complete build kit options, starting at $2,400 USD. They seem to offer a solid value for a full carbon bike. And no im not interested in your bicycle either. The brand is starting with three models: the R1 road bike, the G1 gravel bike, and the M1 29er MTB. Twitter. When you're at this level, you may as well just buy direct from manufacturer through Aliexpress, They need to build a 130/140 travel trail bike for 2k with GX eagle then I am in lol. It's funny - as a surfer, I'm seeing a lot of people who typically spend mediocre wave days in the water scrapping for a lousy ride now turn towards mountain biking as their go-to activity when the waves are garbage. Viathon, like Bonobos, goes against the fundamental tenets on which Walmart was built. Thanks to a dropped chainstay design, the G1 clearance for 700c x 40mm or 650b x 2.1" tires and a maximum chainring size of 50t, according to the viathonbicycles.com website, while walmart.com boasts 700c clearance up . The road bike is 200 grams lighter than the gravel bike, with more aggressive geometry, 28c tires, and a stiffer frame. Who makes Viathon frames? We have incredible traffic on our site. The finishing kit and drive train on the G1 option of the Viathon gravel bike is decent and should be seen as a good value. But there aren't enough spec details to tell what we're looking at. Moosejaw now sells cycling gear on their website and has a retail bike shop in Birmingham, MI. I spoke with him at the recent Outerbike expo in Idaho, the second public outing for the brand. By signing up for email newsletters, you agree to GearJunkie's, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window). Damn. Viathons carbon bikes retail online for between $2,300 and $6,000. So take the roads less traveled, or the ones that don't even show up on the . You think bikes v motos are bad, hell you can get a casio watch for 1000x less than a rolex. Or at least, hasn't happened yet. Then theres the idiots who think they can get 1500 for their POS 1988 cr125. They don't know from Canyon et al. Let's see the salaries of engineers at Specialized giving us all these "advancements" in recent years that 90% of people riding mountain bicycles on trails don't need. Walmart already has impeccable high-end bicycle connections. If successful, Viathon can be rolled out widely, claimed Spinhirne-Martin.With the backing of Walmart, we can scale very quickly., Im focusing on the US right now. 250? There is very little flex since your BB is both on the swingarm and the front triangle. This move isn't all too surprising. Things have moved on. I built the brand without them knowing about it at all, reveals Spinhirne-Martin. I dont shop at Walmart anyway since they decided to blame guns for violence. Correct that 74 million. WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT? Walmarts top-of-the-line M.1 hardtail mountain bike has 120mm travel with RockShox components, Stans wheels, Level Ultimate brakes, and Continental tires. It's not the frames: they aren't open-mould no-names, all three shapes were CAD designed by the legendary Kevin Quan Studios of Toronto, Canada. Certainly Viathon's not to that point yet, but time will tell. It is aimed squarely at millennials and digital natives. . We tested ways to dial out that feeling, like installing a ShockStop stem, and even to the point of using ridiculously low tire pressures, but as is, this bike is on the harsh side. For anyone familiar with the beer industry, this is like Anheuser-Busch creating Shocktop, not Anheuser-Busch buying Goose Island or Elysian. Dave Rome Apr 2020. Katie Compton. However; on crushed rock and rough surfaces, the overly-stiff front fork can be a liability when it comes to rider comfort. The bikes will be available to order within weeks. Hed been with the online retailer for 10 years. Probably trying to compete with REI. Right? Never blame a person, blame a tool, people are never to blame only the tools they choose to use. Moto shops are fine with 35% margin where most bike shops wouldnt talk to you without keystone margins (50%). Note: Viathon sent over the Rival 1 G1 bicycle for test and review at no charge to Riding Gravel. In effect, Viathon is a pop-up bike brand, and just as quickly as it has appeared it could just as easily disappear again, no skin off Walmarts very large nose. Just go to Bentonville, ride those trails, a lot of which is paid for w/ money from Wam-Lart, and I think you suddenly like the idea of their bikes a lot more. No normal business can compete with their strategy. Yea 10k is a lot for a bike, but its also top tier in the Mtb world. Complete builds start at $2,300, and top out at $3,500 for the gravel models and around $6,000 for the road and mountain bikes. I'll bet. this will fail big time not just a little. This segment of the gravel bike market has fierce competition for your attention, and Viathons G1 doesnt strike us as being outstanding from much of what is offered now. When flexing the wheels on hard pedaling, I get some rubbing which viathon attributed to spokes being out of tension, but the clearance is ridiculously minimal. REI Co-op bikes are worth a look for most cyclists. The load is transmitted through four large bearings and a large 19mm chunk of steel. Filter bikes by year, weight, components, price, and performance. Andy T described the handling as stock as being razor sharp, so from that standpoint, riders looking for a more road racing leaning gravel bike should be satisfied with the G1. Way too much focus on the manufacturing/engineering side on squeezing out that next 1% gain in performance, then convincing us through marketing (or forcing us in the case of Boost) that we need it. At least they dont come with pegs. The crankset was square taper FSA even though Sora was already using HT2 by this time. I wanted to make bikes that I would want to ride, says Spinhirne-Martin. Second, the designers chose to mount a dropper seatpost as standard equipment on the M.1. Bike MSRP vs. what people actually pay is a whole nother conversation. If they somehow get interested in riding they will take what Wmart has to offer, and if they have a lot of money and want the "best", Wmart is now there for them. Now on to the final word on this carbon fiber crushed rock roller. This may have been mentioned already but Im not gonna read everything. FWIW, Ibis quietly raised the price on the DV9 to $1250 about ~6 month ago. If nothing else, we've been surviving in this business for decades and we know the "easiest way to make a small fortune" in it a lesson which even the best-heeled outsiders have yet to learn. It starts with younger customers.. It's been just about four months since a line of consumer-direct carbon road, gravel and mountain bikes premiered from a new brand called Viathon, emerging out of the bright Sea Otter sunshine like the goddess Athena springing full-formed from the forehead of Zeus. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, http://www.walmart.com/cp/viathon-bikes/8471299, https://www.viathonbicycles.com/products/road-bike-r1-105. At these prices you can buy if for the components and off the frame. You can race and ride it at the highest Mtb level. The M1 carbon hardtail, with a SRAM GX Ealge driveterain comes in at a bargain price of $2,200, with the top-level SRAM AXS electronic drivetrain equipped model hitting $6,500. Plus, Viathons graphics are a little bland, in my opinion, the pricing isnt so aggressive that its clearly better than bikes from established brands like Canyon or Giant (or Remot, for that matter), and the product marketing so far feels spare to the point that its pro forma. But the bikes are neither crap nor cheap. The history of the bicycle business is, in one sense, a history of powerful outsiders coming in to teach us dumb yokels how things are done in the Big Leagues. Thats a challenge. http://www.walmart.com/cp/viathon-bikes/8471299? As it is not a pinnacle that can be reached, it is an ongoing process of always honing, evolving, & refining the way our bikes feel. Same price as the Grail 7 AL right now, both have quite race-y aspects to them. And then you have a full Dura disc model for 5G. First, this hardtail gets more than just the usual 100mm-travel fork. But don't count the traditional players out yet, on either the supply or retail ends of the supply chain. Or assembled in store by Walmart employees???? And does it matter, because the nut is now unusable? The bikes are clean and simple, classy but without any fanfare. Cue the cheap-crap jokes. Schedule a one-on-one call today! The history of the bicycle business is, in one sense, a history of powerful outsiders coming in to teach us dumb yokels how things are done in the Big Leagues. Walmart will sell bikes under this brand soon with price tags up to $6,000. Walmart's first mountain bike offering is a carbon hardtail called the M.1. Thread starter nakman; Start date Apr 12, 2019; nakman Club Secretary . They also have their own brands, among which there's their B-Twin brand of bikes and bike accessories brand. Dont squint at the pix, the forks face the right way. VIATHON BICYCLES SPONSORS CAFFEINE AND WATTS CLUB. The company's launch includes three bikes: the G1, R1 and M1 for, aptly, gravel, road and mountain biking, respectively. @jason-99: If a home mechanic rounds off the flats on a nut, because they used a Wal-Mart adjustable, is that the fault of the tool or the mechanic? Department-store bikes look a lot better than they used to. ! 439mm size large w/ no XLactually dont care, but love an opportunity for a Zoolander quote!! Vitus Bikes offer an award winning range of Mountain Bikes, Road Bikes, Ebikes and more. Hopefully the forks won't be on backwards. Which raises the question who is the brand aiming to reach? what happened to viathon bikes Byjunho 3, 2022 At Viathon, we believe that great bikes make riding more fun. @roma258: It's a catch 22. It turns out that Walmart bike buyers, as much as theyre dismissed or even ridiculed, include some passionate fans. Now on to the final word on this carbon fiber crushed rock roller. Thats a call youll have to make. Required fields are marked *. @alex There are better bikes in regard to front end compliance than the Viathon. dont think people in the market for $2000-5000 bikes would even think to buy at Walmart let alone shoulder the stigma of owning a bike bought at Walmart. Well I'm kinda torn here. And other direct-to-consumer brands like Canyon have a big head start on Viathon in terms of reputation. Hopefully they turn over some % of these bikes into more trail advocacy. It seems like it would be a good exploring bike for when you'd likely be riding lots of dirt roads as well as singletrack. Brought on board to run Walmarts online bike sales, he pitched the idea of a standalone brand. Does a rising tide lift all boats? Both are well-qualified bike industry veterans, but its not a riveting founder story like, for instance, that ofAllied. At any rate, the Viathon G1 is an interesting option that we hope to see developed into something more refined in the areas of rider comfort, versatility, and geometry in the future. He said that he originally felt that the rear triangle was fairly smooth, but now that the excessive vibrations have been tamed up front, the rear stiffness jumped out as something he didnt feel was as comfortable. I have noted that we are not the only ones saying this, for what it is worth. But does it have enough soul and personality to compete with more established brands offering quality bikes at a similarly low price?". RZC Investments, founded by Tom and Steuart Walton, grandsons of Walmart founder Sam Walton, owns Rapha and part-owns Allied Cycle Works, a high-end bike manufacturer based in Little Rock, Arkansas. View specs and technical data for all Viathon Bike Models. Walmart is also the largest grocer in America and possibly the world. Viathon is a start-up carbon bike brand with a difference. Our Fezzari Bicycle experts are here to help you find the perfect bike. All the frames are carbon fiber, and the gravel and road models fit solidly within current design trends that prize features like disc brakes and clearance for wider tires. All Viathon bikes come with a 2-year warranty. bicycles Although from a bike industry perspective, the geometry is a few years outdated even for a hardtail. Could be interesting. Walmart thinks so, and the retail juggernaut is betting its customers do too. But what was remarkable about Viathon was the identity of the brand's owner: Walmart. Get 40% off Select Items ViathonBicycles.com w/ Coupon (Activate). Viathon is a standalone direct-to-consumer brand that, by rights, shouldnt exist. The bike arrives 98 percent pre-assembled the customer has to tighten on pedals, install the front wheel, and attach the front face plate over the handlebar. Apt analogy. Complete builds start at $2,300, and top out at $3,500 for the gravel models and around $6,000 for the road and mountain bikes. Its almost impossible for Walmart to develop premium offerings with the Walmart name, which is synonymous with keen pricing and out-of-favour out-of-town malls. He doesnt have a marketing team: he outsources that to Idaho-based Cranktank, the PR and marketing outfit led by Adrian Montgomery, ex of Scott, and Scott Montgomery, ex of both Cannondale and Scott and who is also the current president of Reynolds Cycling. They were puzzled by it, because the market for a pure XC race bike is pretty small compared to more general modern geometry hardtails that are built for "fun.". For those who dont want to deal with immediate upgrades and want a more compliant bike, I would advise to look elsewhere. Muley Freaks Erik Van Woerkom Charged With Felony Possession of Trophy Mule Deer, Get Up to 60% Off at REIs End of Season Clearance Sale, The Biggest Improvement to My Camp Kitchen Is a Mini Pizza Oven (But Not for Pizza), VanDOit Moov Builds on Adventure-Ready Ford Transit Trail, Avalanche Outside British Columbia Resort Buries 10, Kills 3 Heli-Skiers. And every single article, including this one, focuses on the Walmart ownership. To be honest they have decent bikes (they sold an aluminum frame/carbon fork road bike with Ultegra Di2 and disc brakes for about EUR 1800, which is/was unique in the industry I believe) but, take this as you may, I only buy products from this line (clothing mostly) which don't feature large logos. Viathon is a new direct-to-consumer bike brand owned by Walmart that launched this week with a line of carbon bikes that sell between $2,300 and $6,000. Shop all Genesis Bikes with sizes ranging from 18" to 700c, in kids and adults sizes. Im sure you can find wheels that wouldnt clear, depending upon hub design, and wheels that would be just fine. Thanks for your site. Like Remot, Viathon debuts with three offerings: one frame each in road, gravel, and mountain, with three levels of build kit. I did hear you and Andy mention 2300 on podcast 65. Certainly, there are many Walmart shoppers among us, though likely few who have bought a bike there. Why would pile-em-high-sell-em-cheap Walmart be interested in such a high-end part of the bicycle market when the market-dominating retailer is already Americas biggest seller of keenly priced bicycles? Ive already gotten questions for people internationally. Should brick-and-mortar or other online retailers worry? Viathon M.1 GX Eagle Mountain Bike Review | SRAM GX EagleI was amazed how light this bike was and how well it climbed!Viathon was kind enough to send me over.