N+1 is the path of least resistance for industry leaders, but it insults the intelligence of cyclists and it is dissonant at a time when there clearly needs to be a serious change to how resources are used and managed to produce bicycles. Despite all the platitudes and “impact” reports, the bicycle industry knows only the dollar and will only change its ways once consumers change theirs. Earth Day is a good time to think about all of this and start making those changes.
The next time you notice the fresh air on a morning ride, the clear water on an afternoon swim or the impressive sight of an Osprey or a Bald Eagle, recognize that the activism of Earth Day is a big reason why you are enjoying those experiences.
My view is that making a small change to how I conduct business and run my life is better than doing nothing, and that if everyone tries to introduce small changes, these changes will take hold and make a difference, hopefully in time to prevent a dystopian future or one that is just not very comfortable. This is how I have arrived at doing what I can to make A-D Bikes a circular and sustainable bike company.
The last time I was around for the double loop in 2022, it was a balmy 40 degrees by the time the ride was underway. The Gatorade flowed freely. My feet and hands were warm. I wore a wind vest and arm warmers. It felt like early spring in Maine. If I had been asked to identify a single, simple, cycling-related and personal measure of how the climate has changed over the past twenty years, this would have been it.
Topview Sports does an excellent job of organizing and executing this event and Cornelia, Georgia, which is in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, is a very nice place to visit and race (it is also the name of our daughter which is really the reason I chose this event....I don't know anyone named Jackson).
John Burke (CEO of Trek Bicycle Corpoation) understands the Circular Economy better than he did when he was brainstorming on the white board. Mr. Burke is on the right track and he is ready to bring Trek and the entire bicycle industry kicking and screaming into the twenty-first century. If there ever was a time for a serious restructuring of the bicycle industry it is now.
What started out trying to be a reseller has evolved into something closer to LKQ Corporation. The only difference is that the deproduction operations of Frame and Wheel are integrated with a bicycle brand, A-D Bikes.
The pandemic ruthlessly exposed the bicycle industry’s dependency on the global supply chain and the weaknesses and vulnerabilities which are encapsulated by N+1 Thought.
The model year convention is the most explicit manifestation of N+1 Thought there is. What better way to sell another bicycle to someone who already has one than to use a date to signal that the latest model year is somehow better than the one the owner already has?
The retailer or brand is making a large investment in a range of models, colors, categories and sizes and hoping that the right person is going to walk in the door within the next twelve months and make a purchase.
The problem is that when the price point selection is broadened, the consumer is overwhelmed with too much choice. A good example of this is the Specialized Diverge gravel bike.
What drives the bicycle industry to repeatedly produce more bicycles and e-bikes each year than the market can absorb? Sunk costs. Economies of scale. Ride it out the door. A bike for every price. Model year.
N+1 is the path of least resistance for industry leaders, but it insults the intelligence of cyclists and it is dissonant at a time when there clearly needs to be a serious change to how resources are used and managed to produce bicycles. Despite all the platitudes and “impact” reports, the bicycle industry knows only the dollar and will only change its ways once consumers change theirs. Earth Day is a good time to think about all of this and start making those changes.
The next time you notice the fresh air on a morning ride, the clear water on an afternoon swim or the impressive sight of an Osprey or a Bald Eagle, recognize that the activism of Earth Day is a big reason why you are enjoying those experiences.
My view is that making a small change to how I conduct business and run my life is better than doing nothing, and that if everyone tries to introduce small changes, these changes will take hold and make a difference, hopefully in time to prevent a dystopian future or one that is just not very comfortable. This is how I have arrived at doing what I can to make A-D Bikes a circular and sustainable bike company.
The last time I was around for the double loop in 2022, it was a balmy 40 degrees by the time the ride was underway. The Gatorade flowed freely. My feet and hands were warm. I wore a wind vest and arm warmers. It felt like early spring in Maine. If I had been asked to identify a single, simple, cycling-related and personal measure of how the climate has changed over the past twenty years, this would have been it.
Topview Sports does an excellent job of organizing and executing this event and Cornelia, Georgia, which is in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, is a very nice place to visit and race (it is also the name of our daughter which is really the reason I chose this event....I don't know anyone named Jackson).
John Burke (CEO of Trek Bicycle Corpoation) understands the Circular Economy better than he did when he was brainstorming on the white board. Mr. Burke is on the right track and he is ready to bring Trek and the entire bicycle industry kicking and screaming into the twenty-first century. If there ever was a time for a serious restructuring of the bicycle industry it is now.
What started out trying to be a reseller has evolved into something closer to LKQ Corporation. The only difference is that the deproduction operations of Frame and Wheel are integrated with a bicycle brand, A-D Bikes.
The pandemic ruthlessly exposed the bicycle industry’s dependency on the global supply chain and the weaknesses and vulnerabilities which are encapsulated by N+1 Thought.
The model year convention is the most explicit manifestation of N+1 Thought there is. What better way to sell another bicycle to someone who already has one than to use a date to signal that the latest model year is somehow better than the one the owner already has?
The retailer or brand is making a large investment in a range of models, colors, categories and sizes and hoping that the right person is going to walk in the door within the next twelve months and make a purchase.
The problem is that when the price point selection is broadened, the consumer is overwhelmed with too much choice. A good example of this is the Specialized Diverge gravel bike.
What drives the bicycle industry to repeatedly produce more bicycles and e-bikes each year than the market can absorb? Sunk costs. Economies of scale. Ride it out the door. A bike for every price. Model year.
