Santa Cruz is just as mass produced and sold as Specialized, they are not boutique. When speaking of boutique, the consideration of 'rarity' and 'one off' are mentioned within definitions. Think of boutique clothing stores, things you don't find at your local mass franchise store... Santa Cruz does not check those boxes.
I'm sure the perception varies depending on location as well.
For example, to pick on some from your list -
You class Orange as a 'big manufacturer', but are they really known or recognised outside the UK? I could be wrong but I've never seen one here in NZ, and only ever heard them mentioned by people in the UK. To be considered a big manufacturer in the bike industry I think a significant international market share is needed.
Calibre and Boardman - also appear to be UK brands that are basically unknown in other countries?
Could also mention Merida - a big manufacturer for most of the world, but I don't think they sell to the USA? I'd rate them a step below Giant/Trek/Specialized for quality, but maybe that's just my own bias?
Then there are some like Ibis and Pivot which are expensive enough here in NZ to make them quite rare and so they seem exotic to me, but may be more accessible and less special in the USA where they are from?
Boutique = custom made....... so specifically tailored to the rider
Interesting definition.
I don't think being custom made is a prerequisite for being boutique. It might be part of it, but boutique could also mean only offering one product. This is what we sell, you buy it or you don't.
I'm sure the perception varies depending on location as well.
For example, to pick on some from your list -
You class Orange as a 'big manufacturer', but are they really known or recognised outside the UK? I could be wrong but I've never seen one here in NZ, and only ever heard them mentioned by people in the UK. To be considered a big manufacturer in the bike industry I think a significant international market share is needed.
Calibre and Boardman - also appear to be UK brands that are basically unknown in other countries?
Could also mention Merida - a big manufacturer for most of the world, but I don't think they sell to the USA? I'd rate them a step below Giant/Trek/Specialized for quality, but maybe that's just my own bias?
Then there are some like Ibis and Pivot which are expensive enough here in NZ to make them quite rare and so they seem exotic to me, but may be more accessible and less special in the USA where they are from?
Yeah thinking about it, Orange are like a (slightly) cheaper version of Santa Cruz, rather than a mass manufacturer.
Calibre and Boardman (and Voodoo I think?) are shop own brands in the UK.
I get what you're trying to say. I think I put them into brackets of mostly equal brands. Here's how I rate some of the brands, assuming there may be some upward/downward mobility for each:
-Antidote (I cannot imagine a finer bike.) -Pivot, Yeti, Transition, Santa Cruz -Commencal, YT, Intense, Nukeproof -Specialized, Giant, Trek -Fezzari, Vitus
Ultimately, I think where you're trying to establish a "hierarchy" for bike brands, you could just substitute that for cost. The most expensive bikes are at the top.
Whether that cost hierarchy matches up with people's individual tastes and what they deem as the "best" brand is another matter
I, for one, think that Unno bikes are absolutely honking, and make me think of Italian fashion brands and car manufacturers who make designs that are eye-shatteringly ugly, but because they cost a million pounds, their customers think they're brilliant
Santa Cruz is just as mass produced and sold as Specialized, they are not boutique. When speaking of boutique, the consideration of 'rarity' and 'one off' are mentioned within definitions. Think of boutique clothing stores, things you don't find at your local mass franchise store... Santa Cruz does not check those boxes.
Santa cruz produces nowhere near the volume of Specialized. It's not even close...
Post Message
Quote
