Where do you feel left alone? What frustrates you? What would need to change to make modern biking feel simpler, better and more meaningful again?
Because the numbers from our latest rider survey are alarming: 54% of buyers received neither a proper explanation of their bike’s features, nor even a basic suspension setup when purchasing their bike. Even more shocking: 70% have never adjusted their rebound settings. 80% have never touched their compression damping. And that’s from people engaged enough to respond to a survey in a mountain bike magazine – the real number could be much worse.
That’s where the real problem begins.
As a scene, we obsess over new damper cartridges, tiny differences in motor tuning, or the last few percent of performance in technical terrain. And yes – that’s exciting. It’s part of our DNA and our fascination with the sport.
But if a huge percentage of riders never actually experience what their bike is capable of – and nobody helps them unlock that performance – then something is fundamentally going wrong. And the industry still wonders why so many people disconnect from cycling after the honeymoon period is over.
Nobody would ever hand a ski beginner a pair of €1,000 skis, send them alone onto the mountain, and simply hope they somehow figure it out. Yet that’s exactly what happens in the bike industry every single day.
People buy bikes for €5,000, €8,000 or even €10,000 – and are often left on their own afterwards. No proper setup. No real explanation. No guidance. No real understanding of what their bike is actually capable of, or how to fully experience its potential. For many riders, the biggest performance gain right now wouldn’t come from a new bike. It would come from finally understanding how to get the most out of the one they already own.
That’s frustrating and damaging for everyone involved – riders, retailers and manufacturers alike. And then we wonder why so many buyers never truly become part of the sport. Yet instead of truly addressing the issue, the industry and retail often push responsibility back and forth: “Not my job“. “Not my business model“.
Ok. But if the current business model leaves no room for a better experience, then the business model itself needs to be re-thought.
Because that’s exactly where one of the biggest opportunities for the future lie: finally positioning yourself beyond the technological arms race, and instead building real brand loyalty through emotional connection, trust and meaningful experiences.
At our latest 41 Leadership Summit in Leonberg, Mayor Tobias Degode spoke about public administration, responsibility, and how people develop trust in a system. And while he was talking about public life and administration, you could easily think: he’s actually talking about the bike industry.
Because whether it’s a city or a bike trail, citizens or cyclists – in the end, everything comes down to one simple question: Does it work?
Citizens ask:
Does the bus arrive on time? Is my request handled quickly? Can I get help when I need it?
Cyclists ask:
Am I actually experiencing the performance I paid for? Does my bike simply work – or does it constantly confront me with setup issues, problems, and unanswered questions? Do I get real help when something goes wrong, or do I have to figure everything out myself? Why is everyone talking about innovation, while barely anyone addresses the real problems riders face every day? And where – and how – can I actually use my bike (legally) today?
Nobody judges the strategy. Everybody judges the experience. And that’s where a massive gap currently exists between theoretical product performance, and what most riders actually experience in the real world. We call it the „Performance Gap“ . Most people don’t want a technically superior bike. They want a better experience.
This topic became one of the biggest discussions at our latest E-MOUNTAINBIKE Awards Night and 41 Leadership Summit, where industry leaders, product managers and riders openly debated the future of the bike world.
Read the full story from our 41 Leadership Summit here: We don’t need better bikes – we need a better bike industry.
The world’s most successful products don’t win because they have more features. They win because they reduce friction. They make things more simple, more accessible, and more intuitive to use. Need examples? Amazon. Netflix. The iPhone.
That’s exactly what the bike industry is often missing right now. As an industry, we still live inside a bubble of technical details, marginal gains, and isolated thinking. We talk about leverage curves, progression, and motor characteristics, while many riders are still struggling with the basics – not because they’re stupid, but because nobody ever truly guided them into the sport.
That famous “All the Gear, No Idea” mentality therefore isn’t the customer’s problem. It’s ours. Because we’re happy to sell features – but far too rarely capabilities. The industry strives to keep building better bikes, yet barely makes an effort to teach people how to unlock their potential.
And yes, core riders will probably roll their eyes at this point of criticism. But if we’re honest, that reaction also exposes the arrogance of a scene that loves to present itself as open and welcoming, while harboring attitudes far more elitist than it might like to admit. On top of that, brands, distributors, and retailers often operate in silos, constantly pushing responsibilities onto one another, to the detriment of the customer.
We started to ask ourselves: Is the bike industry actually turning us into better riders – or just into better consumers? That’s why we believe the next years won’t just be about building better products. They’ll be about making them more meaningful, and easier to experience. The last two percent of performance don’t matter that much. The first eighty percent are what really make the difference. That’s not a product discussion anymore: That’s a culture discussion.
Criticizing is easy. Actually changing things is much harder.
And that’s exactly what we’re working on right now – through events like the 41 Leadership Summit, but also through the major shift currently happening in our editorial work.
And that’s why we want to hear from you:
- Where did you feel left alone or disappointed during the purchase, setup, or service experience?
- When did a brand or retailer genuinely surprise you in a positive way, and why?
- Where are you unnecessarily losing time, energy, or nerves while biking, even though things should be simpler?
- When was the last time you thought: “I spent a lot of money on this bike, but nobody is actually helping me use it properly”?
Give us your opinion – send an email to robin@41publishing.com. We can’t promise we’ll respond to every message, but we will read every single one – and use them as an important foundation for our editorial work.
Simply making or selling good bikes is no longer enough.
As long as the Performance Gap remains this large, producing better bikes will not solve the problems most riders are facing. What we need to offer are better experiences, more responsibility, and systems that genuinely help people unlock the full potential of their bikes.
When that happens, it’s not just riding quality, riding time, confidence, safety, bike culture and community that grow. It also creates entirely new business models, stronger customer relationships, and new opportunities for brand positioning and loyalty.
The ones who will lose out are those who still believe the next technological leap alone will solve the problems of this industry.
The ones who will win are those who finally start building better experiences, instead of just better products. And the greatest winners? The riders. And with them, the entire cycling world.
The next evolution of bike brands starts now.
Did you enjoy this article? If so, we would be stoked if you decide to support us with a monthly contribution. By becoming a supporter of ENDURO, you will help secure a sustainable future for high-quality mountain bike journalism. Click here to learn more.
Words: Robin Schmitt Photos: Diverse