Industry Digest: Ellsworth's New Owners, Shimano Shuts Down Fake Website & 2022 Predictions

Dec 15, 2021
by James Smurthwaite  
What's going on in the cycling industry this month? Industry Digest is a peek behind the curtain and showcases articles from our sister site, Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. In each installment, you might find patents, mergers, financial reports and industry gossip.


RP Designs acquires Ellsworth brand
By: Bicycle Retailer and Industry News

New cycling component company RP Designs has acquired mountain bike brand Ellsworth from the ASG Group. RP Designs and Ellsworth will offer a complete bike lineup, components, and accessories. Ellsworth will continue to focus on designing and manufacturing mountain bikes and operate separately from RP Designs.

RP Designs, which was started this year by CEO Rudi Pienaar to develop cycling smart technology, has four patents pending, including the Smart-Cockpit, which has a crowdfunding campaign under way at StartEngine with 20 investors and $49,772 raised as of Wednesday afternoon. The Smart-Cockpit is an integrated touch screen built into the handlebar that features wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto technology. RP Designs said the Ellsworth Truth will be the first mountain bike offered with the Smart-Cockpit. Truth pre-orders will begin in March with the deliveries expected in June.
Ellsworth PR

"RP Designs' core mission is to drive rapid and targeted innovation in products designed for the broader cycling sector, and the Ellsworth brand is a great fit," Pienaar said. "Not only will we instill the company's core mission into every Ellsworth product, but products will have RP Designs technology either as standard or as an option, which we expect will drive tremendous value for riders and stakeholders alike."

(Read more.)



Vosper: Five things that might happen in 2022. Or not.
By: Rick Vosper

It's the time of year when people ask what happens next for the bike business. And business has been booming for two years now, but nothing lasts forever. So, what's next?

Lots of things, doubtlessly, ranging from the tantalizing to the disastrous. Here are five of the most interesting possibilities that might (or might not) actually happen to our industry in the next twelve months, together with an estimate of their likelihood.
But what about Zipper Tires

(Read more.)



Bianchi plans carbon frame factory and headquarters in Italy
By: Bicycle Retailer and Industry News

Bianchi has unveiled plans to build a new headquarters building and factory in Trevilglio, Italy. The 30,000 square meter (325,000 square foot) facility will have about 17,000 square meters devoted to bike production. Production is expected to begin in 2023. At full capacity, the factory will be able to make 1,000 bikes per day.

Bianchi CEO Fabrizio Scalzotto went over the plans Thursday at the company's current headquarters in Via delle Battaglie – which has been home to the company for over 50 years.

(Read more.)



Shimano gets fake clearance website taken down
By: Bicycle Retailer and Industry News


Shimano says it successfully petitioned the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers to have an e-commerce website taken down because it was posing as a Shimano company site.

Shimano warned the public about the site in October.

"After discovering the site in question, we promptly sent a petition for its closure to the relevant agencies and organizations, including sending a warning letter, and we have confirmed that the site was closed in early December," Shimano announced Wednesday. "We will continue to take resolute action against any suspicious websites posing as our company or our group."

(Read more.)



Industry still struggles to grasp impact of e-bikes
By: Marc Sani

As PeopleForBikes' Electric Bicycle Summit—a one-day affair—got underway late last week, a key takeaway was this: The industry is struggling to understand the impact of a fast-growing e-bike boom.

Whether it's unit sales, average selling price, inventory, supply chain snafus, rider usage, safety training, reporting e-bike injuries and deaths, supplier and seller liability, battery recycling, new trends in advocacy or the impact of internet sales, the industry lacks accurate baselines to measure the future potential of the e-bike industry.

(Read more.)


MIPS unveils Virtual Test Lab that can shorten helmet development times
By: Bicycle Retailer and Industry News

Helmet technology company MIPS continues to refine concept testing with the introduction of its Virtual Test Lab, helping brands develop new designs without physical prototype production.

According to MIPS, VTL will enable brands to understand early how a helmet performs in linear and rotational testing, reducing development time. It will be more environmentally friendly, with less re-tooling and material consumed, while also being more cost-effective.
MIPS headquarters

(Read more.)



Posted In:
Industry News Industry Digest


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179 Comments

  • 224 1
 I honestly did not know Ellsworth was still around.
  • 90 1
 So is Tab. In both cases, you really need to look to find it, and really, why would you?
  • 5 0
 @ReformedRoadie: was having the Tab discussion literally 2 days ago lol
  • 2 1
 Came here to say the same thing. I had one of their Al road frames back in the early 00's and it was nice, but have not seen an Ellsworth since my college days. How many lbs did the old Dare's weigh anyway?
  • 35 0
 And I’m not sure it’s brand recognition has any value. Can’t remember actually ever wanting one.
  • 8 0
 I didn't know they were owned by Shimano. Or that Pandas can handle firearms.
  • 6 0
 @ReformedRoadie: strangely enough Coke just axed Tab a few days ago along with a huge list of their minor brands.
  • 6 2
 @ohbmxer: They were some of the lightest DH bikes around. Weight was not the issue.
  • 1 0
 unfortunate for sure
  • 2 0
 @chrishei1: ha, met too...was watching Scrooged w/Bill Murray and he had a Tab and Vodka...
  • 8 0
 Yeah, bring back Titus as well. Great bikes till Planet X bought and destroyed the brand name. Loved my Racer X and the Ti Exogrid was stunning.
  • 15 2
 @Hairyteabags: I believe Titus is now Pivot, essentially.
  • 3 2
 I honestly though this company was a joke when I read this old Pinkbike article, especially with a name like "Truth"!
m.pinkbike.com/news/ellsworth-truth-gets-a-remake-sea-otter-classic.html
  • 6 0
 @plyawn: Oh, it’s the main cause for firearm related deaths in China, gangs of armed Pandas attacking peaceful farmers. True fact there.
  • 4 0
 @whambat: i had an epiphany in the mid 2000´s...it was a nice bike back then. i prefered the turner 5 spot i got after the ellsworth.
  • 5 0
 End of an era for one of the first 4-bar linkage bikes with monocoque design. I always wanted the Ellsworth Joker. Guess it fell behind thru times.
  • 29 0
 At least their target customers can now play Creed loudly out of their handlebar instead of their fanny pack.
  • 2 0
 I only knew about them when Brian Lopes signed up with them -which I heard was a weird thing to have done...
  • 8 0
 @whitebirdfeathers: Damn it! I was really getting excited about streaming Apple maps directions and podcasts on my new Ellsworth's integrated handlebar iPad while a cold Tab chilled in the can holder.
  • 2 7
flag Thirty3 (Dec 15, 2021 at 16:28) (Below Threshold)
 That Ellsworth frame looks awesome! Very pretty
  • 5 0
 @CSharp: The Joker was a bad bike: they were poorly engineered about the CNC'ed machined pivot that the swing arm attached to. Most broke (at least here in BC). Factor in the warranty......wonder what it cost. I had 2 Dares in the early 2000s but the brand has been a non-issue for years. Especially since it was bought out by ASG and went to the CF designs they have.
  • 4 0
 I think one of those guys brought them "back to the future"...he said something about a flux capacitor?
  • 3 0
 @karatechris: Truth... as in 'truth or dare'. the DH bike was called "Dare"
  • 2 0
 @Tayrob: thx, dude. ur comment caused me to watch a couple creed vids and have a chuckle. cheers!
  • 1 0
 I wonder how much they sold for. Why buy a bike when you can buy a whole brand?
  • 3 0
 I can't believe Ellsworth fell off the map like that, with all their constant updates on frame design, and geometry.
  • 1 0
 @Bleeder: haha! Tvis
  • 7 0
 @Bleeder: and massive failure rates and a douche bag boss. Ah for the days when a marketing budget could not hide what a bunch of twats a company really was Big Grin
  • 1 0
 I had a Rogue for about a year and I actually really liked it. For a 26er is long and low. I would pick up another one if the opportunity arose
  • 4 0
 @firesoft: better than Diamondback with Hook/Line/Sinker and Catch/Release

I guess Dback is angling for the hot mountain-biking-fisherman market...
  • 1 0
 why would someone acquire them? they have very limited customer base, or production facility or innovative design or whatever what is benefit of acquiring even for cheap ?
  • 1 0
 @blackfly: All bikes should have to pass the BC torture test before being brought to market.
  • 2 0
 @jmac1234: point of interest. Early on the Cove Bike Shop (when it still was in Deep Cove) sold Marin bikes (only hardtails at this point). 90% of Marin's worldwide warranty claims came from this one shop.....no one knew of gussets of course. Psycle Werks came out with a bike called the Screaming Demon that was heavily influenced by the Shore. Last iteration that I know about had a gusset halfway down the downtube. The Banshee Scream had a 10 year jumping encouraged warranty, but don't ask how much it weighed (we got one for a friend of mine at the time whom was "rough" and he never broke it). The 5th element shock on it however......
  • 1 0
 @blackfly: giving me flashbacks!
  • 2 0
 @dirtnapped Yeah, that name keeps resurfacing every few years. To me it doesn't matter who is running that outfit anything with Tony's name on it is sh*t. I want to know why someone is stupid enough to buy it......can't be for the name recognition because Tony burned that to the ground back in the early 2000's.
  • 1 0
 @nickmalysh: They're getting a ton of press. Otherwise they'd be just another shitty weird Aliexpress android bicycling accessory that nobody cares about.
  • 1 0
 I was referring to the ellsworth @office:
  • 103 0
 I'm not sure that putting Android Auto in the handlebars is what Ellsworth needs to rise from the ashes
  • 15 6
 Agreed but I do hope somehow Ellsworth somehow finds a way to survive and thrive. Though I've never personally had much interest in Ellsworth I can appreciate that they were a pretty important small brand at one point.
  • 14 0
 @grampa:

I always think of OG’s like Tyler Super T dropping cliffs on his.
  • 51 0
 Ellsworth meeting:
- Ok people, lots of people think our bikes are ugly, they just don't look good, so they won't buy them. What should we do?
- We could had a touch screen?
- Everybody heard the guy, go guys, we've got a plan
  • 35 0
 @Jo-rides: “Also, we have $49,000 to do this with so nothin fancy, guys.”
  • 8 0
 @WasatchEnduro: it was comical how many frames he & (dangerous) dan burned through back in the day. of course, everything was breaking back then, but these were something else.
  • 6 0
 @grampa: Alive yes, thriving, not even close.
  • 17 0
 Soon to be RIP designs...
  • 2 0
 @xy9ine: It was the Joker in particular. The Dare was a good bike; I had 2 and still miss them. But that was then.
  • 3 1
 @blackfly: yer, the joker swingarms were made of butter. i once watched t destroy a brand new swingarm within a handful of whistler laps. ellsworth sent them a box of spares, as they were burning through them so fast. the dare's rear ends fared better, but the front triangles cracked at the HT gussets on the regular. one of t's was so badly cracked that a piece of the gusset fell off (but was still being ridden). tony subsequently fabricobbled some bolt on gusset plates to reinforce / hide the carnage, rather than replace the frames. it was all so janky. free bikes tho?
  • 1 0
 Yeah, but it's 100% efficient Android Auto.
  • 65 0
 Mid December shimona.com starts accepting orders for SXL and Deora components
  • 7 0
 They have smokin deals on that site.
  • 47 0
 Ma ma ma my shimona
  • 16 0
 XRT and Siant as well.
  • 5 0
 I wish PB would release a silk shimona with a portrait of Levy on the back.
  • 30 0
 Deora the Explora
  • 4 0
 @sjma: new gravel groupo
  • 7 2
 They'll probably deliver faster than real Shimano.
  • 8 0
 Or buy your magic drivetrain on shamano.com
  • 2 0
 @browner: i literally fell of my chair...was about to ride the exact same sentence :-) had the song title instantly in my head ... all hail to that rock the casbah mixtape by dj spinbad
  • 6 0
 @browner: Now I must listen to that song - all I need now is bike that has Apple Play on the bars. Help, anyone?
  • 53 0
 Ellsworth, if you read this, go back to simple aluminum tubing, make your rear triangles look like triangles, give us modern geometry and good customer service. Oh, and modernize your logo. Keep it simple.
  • 9 0
 Seriously. I, like everyone else, forgot they were even in business, but seeing what they've been doing recently and what they're now planning isn't giving me any hope in their revival. Their frames are fugly, and have geometry from like 3 generations back. It looks like their designers/engineers can't stop "designing" with little useless curves and edges, and as a result they don't pay attention to the current state of mountain bike geometry. And now their tone-deafness extends to adding pointless electronics to their upcoming bikes. Half of the appeal of mountain biking is that you can disengage from the overwhelming encroachment of electronic, computerized, internet-connected everything, while traveling dynamically through nature.

I agree with everything you said. Keep it simple. They could be a really cool brand if they went back to basics, and just focused on good geometry, simple designs, and personable customer service. And hell, with the recent findings on the environmental impact of carbon fiber frame production vs alloy, they should just go back to metal too.
  • 3 0
 Ellsworth if you're still reading this, get back to your lifetime frame warrantys. I'm like terrified of riding my bike after hearing the warranty service was essentially non existent despite having proof purchase etc. Rider support is everything.
  • 5 0
 Tony Ellsworth, if you're reading this, don't be a dick.
  • 41 0
 Ellsworth deciding that bicycle component shortages aren't enough, and want their products to be tied up with the semiconductor shortages plaguing the PC and automotive markets too.
  • 1 0
 ahahhaha true
  • 10 0
 Makes no difference, every couple of years somebody buys Ellsworth, but nobody actually buys an Ellsworth bike. Buying the company doesn't count as a sale.
  • 5 0
 @Fix-the-Spade: The fact that a kickstarter brand with $49k to their name bought Ellsworth, and apparently has enough left over to deliver on their own ridiculous products should tell you what the brand is worth.
I'd guess the price of the company was about the retail price of a single frame, and they still paid too much.
  • 1 0
 @Fix-the-Spade: shit you not I saw one in the wild on a ferry out in WA once. Had to do a double take to be sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me
  • 41 0
 Tony still owes me for a warranty frame he never sent back to me in 1998.

$1800. wholesale, i'm still waiting!
  • 21 0
 Username checks out, hahahaha! But, yeah, $1800 would leave me more than bitter, I'd be straight up pissed!
  • 17 0
 That was the big problem with Ellsworth that nobody seems to remember. He gave lifetime warranties and then refused to honor them. He is a piece of crap, but appears no longer affiliated with the company that bears his name. I don’t know why anyone would pay to buy the company, the name has a negative value and they have no proprietary designs or tech.
  • 6 0
 I'm impressed you were even able to return the frame. Did it take a bounty hunter or something?
  • 9 0
 @carym: wasted time saying this exact thing ^ rider support from ellsworth is akin to someone spitting in your mouth then kicking you in the balls after pretending they were going for a hug.
  • 2 0
 I waited 6 months for a ellesworth that never even got stocked then was told by the shop i ordered it from I owed a $50 restock fee when I finally cancelled the order! True Story.....
  • 3 0
 @carym: That is the only thing anyone remembers about Ellsworth bikes
  • 10 0
 @carym: This is what baffles me every few years when a new entity buys Ellesworth, what are they actually buying and why? There can’t be much IP worth owning, so it’s just the name and reputation, which is less than worthless
  • 2 1
 @maxyedor: When Madison bought Saracen a lot of people said the same thing. Saracen was basically unknown outside the UK and in the UK it had become a byword for the nastiest of department store bikes. Madison's stated logic was that bad brand recognition was better than no recognition at all, they could turn the image around by releasing good bikes with a name people knew. They were right but I'm not sure these guys have the same kind of experience and financial clout to do what Madison did. But there's always hope.
  • 17 1
 The name 'Ellsworth' has such a bad reputation they could change the name to 'Hitler' and sales would go up. And yeah, 'Godwin's Law' is expedited here due to the subject matter.
  • 2 0
 I remember when he and people from his customer service team used to troll their own customers who complained about their CS on mtbr decades ago. I swore off ever buying an Ellsworth bike after that! Interestingly, I did see a new-ish looking Ellsworth on the trails this season and thought, "Huh, I wonder if their CS still sucks?" No idea the company wasn't owned by Tony anymore.
  • 2 0
 Tony started a ebike company. Guess he can rip off a different generation now.
  • 2 0
 @FabulousFreshies: Yeah, how he would blame the riders for stuff like the original ID rockers failing...due to a faulty design that was later fixed, but he didn't skip a beat to blame the user. He also edited bike reviews to say things and reach conclusions they didn't make and then pasted them on his website. When others and myself called him on it, he went to the website, changed it, then called us liars. The guy is a compulsive liar and there are many more examples of his psychopathic behavior.
  • 1 0
 @Fix-the-Spade: As I'm in the US, I have to ask: did Saracen's brand image actually improve? I've never seen one in the flesh, ever.
  • 1 0
 @LeDuke: It went up for a couple of brief periods of relavence when they were being raced under Manon, then Danny Hart, but only marginally. They went from Halfords cheap shit to rare as rocking horse shit. Not from an increased demand, just no-one carries them.
  • 1 0
 @LeDuke: They keep selling out every year, so somebody's buying them. I've seen a steady stream of them at events and races too.
  • 2 0
 Funny thing and sad, same deal here...took my cracked frame for inspection, never got a replacement or anything then they closed the doors. I am amazed anyone actually paid money for that brand name, its more tarnished then granny's silver spoon collection. F-Ellsworth, never buy anything with that name on it...ever.
  • 25 0
 Just what’s needed to make Ellsworth even less attractive, and that’s the Truth
  • 45 0
 Ellsworthless
  • 3 0
 Ok Joker.
  • 16 0
 I never personally owned an Ellsworth but in my 1990s formative years they were notorious for having all sorts of problems, and the company was notorious for being badly run. Is there really much value in the name at this point given that only old farts like me even remember them, and not fondly at that?

-W
  • 1 0
 Walt, you're not an old fart, you're still a youg'un. You do remember correctly that Ellsworth was known for being an dick as well as for his unreliable frames. Agreed that any ip they have wothless, but at least their brand name is negative.
  • 17 0
 Ellsworth is going to see web traffic explode today. Not because of interest but because everyone collectively remembered they make bikes still.
  • 14 0
 And in about 5 years, news of Ellsworth being sold will pop up again.
  • 15 0
 I remember my first FS bike was a Ellsworth Truth, I was excited! I took it to Moab and riding on the slick rock trail, the head tube sheared right off. Of course Tony was a total prick when it came to trying to get any help or service. Its no wonder the Ellsworth brand died off so quickly!
  • 9 0
 Duh, you abused it, by exceeding it’s intended design, which was to be built up, hung on the wall and never ridden.
  • 3 0
 I got a joker when I was maybe 14. Went off a 2, maybe 3 foot drop to flat and cracked the frame at the seat tube somehow.
  • 1 0
 @Strath-cona: Haha, ditto. Recieved the bike, took it out for a test ride in the neighborhood. Very first knee-high drop the downtube sheared off clean at the weld.

Second and third one broke at the vertical bar on the rear traingle.
  • 12 1
 I don't mind e-bikes, but please stop buying them for a while. Normal bikes need the parts that companies are allocating to e-bikes
  • 14 2
 It’s literally almost 2022 and I’m STILL waiting for a high-pivot hardtail… come on, guys!!!!
  • 1 0
 Go check out the Banshee Paradox!
  • 4 0
 Alpine Stars enters the chat
www.pinkbike.com/news/now-that-was-a-bike-alpinestars-ti-mega-2014.html
  • 10 0
 If there's such a thing as brand equity, would the name ellsworth not be the equivalent of brand cost, or even debt? Why resurrect that??
  • 1 1
 Regarding brand equity, here in Germany a Fox fork costs nearly twice of the rockshox equivalent. I'd say people there are plenty people who are willing pay a (hefty) premium for a certain brand/logo.
  • 1 0
 @Mr-Gilsch: But those two brands make some good products, haha. Ellsworth??
  • 1 0
 @jesse-effing-edwards: oh my bad, I didn't process your sentence as "brand equity for ellsworth" but rather a question of whether brand equity is valid as a concept... Totally different story then
  • 1 0
 @Mr-Gilsch: Ellsworth hasn't been a great story since the 90s hahah
  • 10 0
 Ellsworth enduro bike has steeper geo than new xc bikes
  • 5 0
 They could call it Apple bike play and Android Bike. Designed to ensure hikers don’t make it off the trail alive. It’s advised that you carry bike speaker on your bike or camalbak to spook horse out of the way. Can you quickly change your playlist before falling off a cliff head on crashing into another rider? Will trails forks come out with a compatible app? I’ve never understood folks with these big bike computers. Have fun crashing guy…
  • 9 0
 Ellsworth, play Dokken
  • 2 0
 Elmore,play Ratt
  • 7 0
 Apparently the accumulated hatred for Ellsworth overshadowed the hideousness of the Bianchi offering...
  • 2 0
 Someone else made the same ebike? Yawn.
  • 6 0
 So we'll have riders staring at a screen rather than paying attention. That will go along way for trail conflict.
  • 7 1
 Design company bought Ellsworth. Finally someone is sick of Ellsworth ugly bikes and decided to take over.
  • 2 0
 I thought he was the principle of a Design Company. I guess his talents lie ellswhere.
  • 6 0
 I loved the Ellsworth Dare ...back in the day. It looked "medieval", and Super T threw it off some crazy stuff.
  • 6 0
 I remember Josh Bender being among the first to race sea otter "dh" on a 29er, Ellsworth no less.
Am I hallucinating?
  • 10 1
 I don't know about Bender, but Alex Morgan raced the Mt. St. Anne world cup on a 29" wheel DH sled in like 2006 or so. That's the first serious race done by a pro on wagon wheels I know of, though I myself made some half-hearted attempts to race some minor CO races around the same time.

I don't know what Alex used for tires, but I contact cemented innertubes into some WTB 2.3s (biggest tire at the time) to make a "dual ply" casing, and then cut the excess tube out and set them up tubeless. Still flatted them in the first 45 seconds of both of the races I tried.

How times have changed!

-W
  • 3 0
 I agree that Ellsworth seems to be doing some non-sensical things. But I've had several of their bikes and they've all been good to me. Also, maybe it's just me but the bikes don't look much different than other brands bikes (the Dare was different in a good way) so I don't get all the ugly comments. But that's why we have choices.
  • 3 0
 Dare I say it? The Truth is these bikes absolutely suck. They were originally designed by a Joker. It will be an Epiphany of sadness the Moment the new designers realize they're stuck using an ugly Ellsworth logo even if the frame shapes Evolve into something nice.
  • 2 0
 I was perhaps one of those rare folk who owned an Ellsworth, I had one of the classic Dares with the tribal tattoo paint job. I remember it being an MBUK Superbike when i was young, and when i saw one for sale i just Had to have it! It was a really amazing pedalling bike actually!
  • 1 0
 The anodizing, lazer-etched design and funky frame shape is awesome on the Dare! I would love one...
  • 2 0
 I had an Ellsworth Truth back in the day. Right after I bought it Tony's wife called me to make sure I liked the bike, and was happy. I was impressed by that. It was actually a good bike for me, and I had it for years. But now? I could care less, and their bikes look horrible.
  • 6 0
 Is RP Designs public yet? Looking to short them.
  • 2 0
 I guess beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. I have always and still do love the design and ride quality of Ellsworth Bikes. They are works of art in my mind, with so much attention to detail and craftsmanship. I had a pink Id for years and loved it. I just got my sister a used Moment and it is awesome. I love the design of most of their bikes, especially the older bikes.
  • 6 5
 As shallow as it is, your bike can perform beautifully but if its an ugly POS you won't see sales and popularity skyrocket. there will be the niche, die hard followers and believers but it won't ever be mainstream. Ellsworth, Orange take note if you care about that. If you don't, you do you.
  • 23 0
 I wouldn't compare Orange and Ellsworth. To me, Orange seems like a no nonsense brand. Ellsworth, now that they think you need electronics inside the handlebar, seems all about nonsense.
  • 15 0
 Eww, I wouldn't equate Orange to Ellsworth on any level... Tracey Hannah and Steve Peat gave Orange proven racing credentials. Meanwhile Dangerous Dan and Super-T had to bring extra rear triangles just to get through a photo shoot.
  • 3 1
 @vinay: Fair enough....that was entirely based on them looking like a refurbed trashcan IMO. Regardless of how they performed.
  • 4 0
 Not sure I would be Orange and Ellsworth in the same category. Polarizing looks are about as far as it goes. Orange are at least a great company, legit riders/following, etc. Ellsworth, most of us are aware of their D-bag owner issues (not so much about new ownership) as well as them really not being a 'rider's' type of brand
  • 5 0
 And then there's the Bianchi frame.....ugh.
  • 1 0
 The virtual helmet testing is a big deal I think. If I understand, it enables manufacturers to skip the build/test process and virtually test hundreds or thousands of combinations and then build/test the few best. Same revolution happened with car safety - once you can test on a computer, you can iterate so much faster and find a better solution.
  • 1 0
 I had never heard of the Smart Cockpit so I looked it up. I have no idea what the benefit is even after reading what they claim the benefit is. It claims to let you operate your fitness tracker or music without taking your hands off the bars but its on the bars exactly where a garmin or something would be, you still need to take your hands off the bars to touch the centre of your bars. They also claim it will save you from having to attach things to your bars with "tape or bungee cords", what the hell are people attaching to their bars with tape that can be replaced with a touchscreen handlebar?
  • 1 0
 They blew so much on marketing back in the day. I was in the bike industry and handled print buying and production and remember on year they put out 3 different (DH, CX and one road or something)really nice perfect-bound catalogs....i ball-parked the whole print job at well north of $100k for just the printing (design and photography was good as well). I predicted that the next year we would not see much and sure enough i asked a guy at a tradeshow and he said they were going all online. That and signing B-Lopes for a season (if that) must've set'em back.
  • 3 0
 Ellsworth is a brand that we don’t need revived. Everyone I knew who bought one, regretted it soon after.
  • 3 0
 They still make bikes? Jeez, you'll be telling me Foes still make bikes next!!
  • 2 0
 Who would pay for the Ellsworth Brand? It has like negative value, you are better off starting a whole new brand that everyone doesnt already hate, haha
  • 1 0
 Will Ellsworth now have unreliable electronics to go with their unreliable frames?

Ellsworth have been crap since scrawny kids on the RockShox Devi team were snapping frames back in the early 1990’s.
  • 1 0
 Damn, I was a fan in the 1990’s with an Epiphany. O lokes tho logo! Long travel trail bike. Used it for a few multi day stage races in South Africa. Broke the rear suspension swingarm twice. I now use it on my trainer…
  • 3 0
 I started laughing the moment I saw "Ellsworth" in the article title. Comment section did not disappoint!
  • 2 0
 Membe back when Tony Ellsworth sued Dave Turner for using Dave's own suspension design? Tony Ellsworth. One class act piece of shit.
  • 1 0
 I'm pretty sure I may have stated my enthusiasm for the Grim Donut Tarot design before. However, that one deserves t-shirt/sticker status. Lastly, Ellsworth?!? Really?
  • 4 0
 TNT, Turner NOT Tony
  • 3 0
 David Spade is one of the owners of Ellesworth now?
  • 1 0
 Its a space turd
  • 1 0
 looks like theyre re-releasing the Truth vaporware that they showed at sea otter a couple years ago. wonder how that works out for them.
  • 1 0
 From selling shit ebikes with Ellsworth on them to selling the name (again) to make outdated MTBs again, when will Tony just give up...
  • 1 0
 Didn't bianchi at one point say they are stepping out of the mtb market and will stop making mtbs? Or is e-mtb a totally different market?
  • 2 0
 Ellsworth really lost its niche, bikes are looking like trash
  • 1 0
 That's not a new thing. They have never produced a good looking bike, and they are always 3 years behind the times. By the time 30.9 posts were old news, they were still on 27.2... Also, regarding Tony, I was taught if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all...
  • 2 0
 $3600 for an Ellsworth frame. Solid.
  • 1 0
 The RP Design logo is soooo similar to Production Privee, I would be surprised if no one from PP makes a comment.
  • 1 0
 Hopefully the new owners will bring the BB down from around the saddle to a normal height.
  • 1 1
 What with Walt works and notoutsideco and their custom posting signatures, and this outside+ crap, looks like vital mtb get alot more traffic onsite
  • 4 0
 What's my custom posting signature? Sounds sweet.
  • 1 1
 @waltworks: does sound sweet doesn't it.


-weebleswobbles
  • 5 0
 @weebleswobbles: Still no idea what you're talking about, but ok!
  • 2 0
 Where can I get one of those cool MIPS beanies?
  • 1 0
 I'll just leave this here:

theridebikes.com/products/radiant-carbon-electric-bike
  • 1 0
 "The Radiant Carbon comes with a 1-year manufacturer's warranty against all defects on all components.

Wear and tear or damage from usage are not covered."

ALL BIKES ARE FULLY-ASSEMBLED WITH CONCIERGE PERSONAL DELIVERY, ARRIVING WITH A TRAINED TECHNICIAN AT YOUR DOOR TO ENSURE YOU'RE READY TO RIDE.
  • 1 0
 Ellsworth bikes have always made me want to puke. The Joker was just about OK, but all the others are pure rats.
  • 1 0
 Wow, I thought Ellsworth was long gone? I haven't seen one on the trails in at least 10 yrs.
  • 1 0
 i rode an ellsworth last yr for a lap on the trail and it rode nice but its just fugly looking bike..
  • 1 0
 Anyone else remember pealing the Ellsworth sticker off the rear triangle of their Turner 5-Spot? I do.
  • 1 0
 @jamessmurthwaite wrong link at the i>Industry still struggles to grasp impact of e-bikes/i> teaser
  • 1 0
 BRING back mountain cycle I say. I'm ready to be grossly overcharged for a carbon or alloy shockwave 9.5 ebike frame.
  • 1 0
 Ellsworth has always been a grifter- I suspect this transaction was based on some valuation in the tens of dollars.
  • 2 1
 Bring back the Truth and Dare
  • 1 0
 electronics ... a new way to raise the price of bikes
  • 1 0
 2022 Ellsworth Cam McCaul model
  • 2 0
 100% efficient!
  • 1 0
 I don't always peruse the Ellsworth website, but when I do, eyebrows.
  • 1 0
 Ellsworth had better not make an E-bike.....
  • 1 0
 How much do you think he paid for all of Ellsworth?
  • 2 0
 20$
  • 1 0
 I immediately came to the comments once I saw Ellsworth news
  • 1 0
 I’d that Gretzky’s old JOFA?
  • 2 1
 Smart Cock Pit
  • 1 0
 stupid arm pit
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