"Yeah, but..."
I am not so convinced that bikes were being designed with "wrong" geometry, as much as they were being designed within the context of the times. Having had a front row seat on both sides of the sausage making curtain, brands will often err on the side of conservatism when it comes to changing geometry because they are:
1, afraid of alienating core buyers who they suspect may not be ready to plunk down hard money on the "new thinking."
2, iterating their geometries within the above framework of caution while also trying to retain some sort of brand characteristic "secret sauce" that is a recipe derived from their own arc of design and development alongside what their internal rider feedback loop is suggesting.
3, not in possession of a crystal ball and therefore cannot see 10 years into the future with anywhere near the clarity that we are capable of looking 10 years into the past.
March 25, 2024, 10:23 a.m. - Mike Ferrentino
"Yeah, but..." I am not so convinced that bikes were being designed with "wrong" geometry, as much as they were being designed within the context of the times. Having had a front row seat on both sides of the sausage making curtain, brands will often err on the side of conservatism when it comes to changing geometry because they are: 1, afraid of alienating core buyers who they suspect may not be ready to plunk down hard money on the "new thinking." 2, iterating their geometries within the above framework of caution while also trying to retain some sort of brand characteristic "secret sauce" that is a recipe derived from their own arc of design and development alongside what their internal rider feedback loop is suggesting. 3, not in possession of a crystal ball and therefore cannot see 10 years into the future with anywhere near the clarity that we are capable of looking 10 years into the past.