blcpdx

In the Santa Cruz area, there are, essentially, no technical climbs(feel free to dispute) so something like this makes sense. But yeah probably not good for AZ or Moab or whatever.

Yeah, she’s gonna want to get a partnership with AAA to pair with it, because she’s gonna need a tow frequently.

If I were in their shoes, I would have tried to tack my name onto a bike brand’s integrated e-bike lights. After riding a commuter ebike with integrated lights, the thought of going back to separate lights is unappealing. I’m wondering if this is where a lot of their market share disappeared to. Also wonder how many buy-outs they turned down over the years. Anyway, central California is definitely a bad/worsening environment for hardgoods manufacturing. Cost of doing business, and living, is outrageous, and quality of life, excepting the scenery and the weather, is not commensurate with that cost. Unless you’re selling software, the profit margins don’t math out too well.

@lowkeyokeydokey: right on, it can definitely be fun(thus tempting) working for these brands, but the long term outlook is poor IMO. Do a ride from their showroom, take a tour of the factory, and then walk away from the casino smiling.

From what’s I’ve seen of engineers in the bike industry, they struggle with career stagnation, despite doing amazing work. The bike industry doesn’t always have as many layers to move up through, and isn’t working with the tools, systems, & scales of other industries. You’re going to have a boss who got an engineering degree in 1989, and has been doing bikes for 30 years. They can’t leave until retired/fired, and you’ll be teaching *them* about the new tools in your field. 5 years later you’ll look to move industries, and realize you’re way behind on tech, and also have no money because you’ve been making below average while living in a halo real estate market. I’d recommend getting a normal job, in a cool emerging area, then design & build an MTB in your garage. Just my two cents.