Author Topic: Is Flatland Fuel Hurting ?  (Read 20626 times)

Offline DRIFT ROADSTER

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Is Flatland Fuel Hurting ?
« on: February 24, 2013, 08:19:27 PM »
I havent been on my bike in quite a while, and getting back into it i needed to get some parts. I got pretty much what i needed (ordered a few min ago) . But i could not help notice that they don't have nearly as much product as what i remember 5-6 years ago. I was just wondering if business is slow for Pat.

Offline locky

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Re: Is Flatland Fuel Hurting ?
« Reply #1 on: February 24, 2013, 09:40:45 PM »
Hes probly just waiting to clear out some old stock before getting some new stuff in.
According to there last email newsletter that is

Offline 2flat2furious

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Re: Is Flatland Fuel Hurting ?
« Reply #2 on: February 25, 2013, 03:54:27 AM »
There aren't as many people making flatland components too.

Offline DRIFT ROADSTER

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Re: Is Flatland Fuel Hurting ?
« Reply #3 on: February 25, 2013, 11:04:50 AM »
yeah these are good points, and i thought that myself. Bmx company's come and go. And trends change, probably why there are like two options for front brakes, i remeber having like 5+ front brakes to choose from.

Offline johnu773

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Re: Is Flatland Fuel Hurting ?
« Reply #4 on: February 25, 2013, 03:37:46 PM »
Ares (and I think Suelo too), no longer distribute in the USA. WTP and Colony, no longer do flat specific products so there's 4 companies right there off of Pat's shelves.  I also know that big companies(trek, giant, pacific cycles) get 1st dibs on production overseas.  Overall bmx is a small percentage of the market so they usually take back seat to these companies.  2013 bmx product has been slow to be produced. so slow that sidewall cancelled their st. martin order and fuel (i believe) got their 2013's direct from taiwan.
these factors could have something to do with it.
 
« Last Edit: February 25, 2013, 04:14:04 PM by johnu773 »

Offline TheLoyaltyGuy

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Re: Is Flatland Fuel Hurting ?
« Reply #5 on: February 25, 2013, 05:34:35 PM »
ya i cant help but notice that theres a continuing trend these days. convenience conquers all. it happened with redbox (streaming sites too) closing video rental stores. it happened with bestbuy contributing to the demise of some of their own stores (1000+ i think) in the last five years by offering computers with huge hard drives that can download half of their products off the net. now its happening with sites like globalflat and ebay competing with actual flatland sites like flatlandfuel. i have supported all 3 sites the last 6 years but i will be honest i have made my last 5 or 6 purchases right here on globalflat. lets face it why would you pay $1200 for a custom built complete when i have found similar builds on here for $600. or $400 for a frame when you might have just found that frame you wanted from 2 years ago for $170 shipped? solution? used parts on flatlandfuel. idk. proably not. thoughts??

Offline stuntnuts

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Re: Is Flatland Fuel Hurting ?
« Reply #6 on: February 25, 2013, 06:38:32 PM »
solution? used parts on flatlandfuel. idk. proably not. thoughts??

....and how do you propose that Pat acquires these used parts? Should he start taking trade-ins like car dealerships. Somehow I don't see this happening.

Offline faqe

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Re: Is Flatland Fuel Hurting ?
« Reply #7 on: February 25, 2013, 07:38:52 PM »
I had to agree with this. i used to shop @ FF. but since I got local flat specific shop in my country, I don't buy from FF anymore. I'm sure this happens to other country too that start having shops in their own country ( Asian country specifically)

Offline tsorpi

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Re: Is Flatland Fuel Hurting ?
« Reply #8 on: February 25, 2013, 10:36:06 PM »
Sometimes its the shipping cost that dont let me buy from ff.i live in greece

Offline Dion

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Re: Is Flatland Fuel Hurting ?
« Reply #9 on: February 26, 2013, 01:14:56 AM »
...and trends change.

I see a lot of positive growth happening right now among some manufacturers that is promising - mainly seeing these interesting double top-tube hybrid type frames like from Subrosa and Supercross BMX (the Extension frame). In fact, Supercross simply calls their frame a "freestyle" frame. S&M has their Intrikat... Fly has their Tierra... guys can rock flat on a Black Eye Killarado.

So, with trends going brakeless and hybrid'ish... do we really need super flat specific bikes still? Possibly, especially for the hard core flat-onloy riders, but I've seen this trend come and go in the 80's into the 90's - from very weird flatland specific bikes (like the Hutch Trickstar and the God awful Schwinn YO! bike) with platforms and pegs everywhere in the 80's kinda catering to flatland - to more subdued, very functional basic frames (like the Ozone).

I think S&M really had an influence on this function-over-form trend, making a basic-to-bones BMX frame that people loved and still love today.

So, what - if there is a "melting pot" trend happening - what does a flatland specific shop like FLF to do? Follow the trend? Re-position themselves in the market? Stick to their flat guns and don't "expand"? Who knows? This is only for Pat and his band of homies to answer.

Look what Mattias is riding now: a Haro SD V2 which is Dennis Enarson's signature frame. That's not a flat specific frame at all, that is until Mattias comes out with his signature frame through Haro. I predict his signature frame isn't going to be at all a flat-only frame, but more of a "freestyle" short'ish TT hybrid frame.

My future build will be definitely on a street frame, freestyle build - maybe it's just the old man in me that would go that way.

There aren't as many people making flatland components too.

This. The market is small and diminishing. Thanks to big companies and Odyssey and Haro sponsoring flat riders and keeping the dream alive.
« Last Edit: February 26, 2013, 01:20:16 AM by Dion »

Offline flatnatics

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Re: Is Flatland Fuel Hurting ?
« Reply #10 on: February 26, 2013, 02:48:30 AM »
Parts are boring these days. Nothing exciting for ages.
No Worries...

Offline DRIFT ROADSTER

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Re: Is Flatland Fuel Hurting ?
« Reply #11 on: February 26, 2013, 11:19:22 AM »

Parts are boring these days. Nothing exciting for ages.




Im a machinist, and have made custom parts for myself. Honestly there is only so much you can do. It doesnt pay to reinvent the wheel, especially when people don't want to pay for technology. How much lighter do we really need to go, the light craze has already sacrificed strength. The only thing next is Carbon Fiber. Road cyclist don't even blink and eye when they spend $10,000+ on a bike.

Offline flatnatics

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Re: Is Flatland Fuel Hurting ?
« Reply #12 on: February 26, 2013, 12:37:40 PM »
Hey I'm a cnc machinist too and there's stuff to invent. Lots of the parts are boring. Like just plain boring. The flatland magic in parts is disappearing. Carbon fibre won't work in flatland due to stress properties. Pir is one example of design innovation. St Martin has been doing well but is starting to lose some of its magic. Ares also is another company as well as others that has bought innovation in the last 2 years but now that s changing. Everything is going in the same direction which I call boring. Yeah I know its a trend but its a boring trend.
No Worries...

Offline bhuffman

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Re: Is Flatland Fuel Hurting ?
« Reply #13 on: February 26, 2013, 03:03:47 PM »
I'm tired of black bikes and black parts  ;D
You look like Marty McFly!

Offline rawchild

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Re: Is Flatland Fuel Hurting ?
« Reply #14 on: February 28, 2013, 03:07:22 AM »
You also have sick child and bizhouse.  They don't even sell their stuff on ff.
Well I guess you can get the gym grips though..
« Last Edit: March 03, 2013, 01:25:07 AM by rawchild »
Hey Meg...check this out.