no more moyer
no more jonny cycles
i wonder how older well established builders are doing
wait, no more moyer? since when!
Sounds like he at least found other work.
In general I can’t say I’m surprised. Around the second NAHBS it seemed a lot of the builders raised their prices by 20-25%, even some of the newer builders with less of a reputation. I think this shrunk the customer pool but no one cared because everyone had year+ waiting lists. After the initial frenzy demand probably cooled and there weren’t enough orders to keep the waiting lists growing outside of the big names. The recent economic downturn probably had many people thinking twice about putting down a deposit. Materials costs have also gone way up in the last couple years so they probably couldn’t bring their price back down at all.
On the other hand, the price metals has plummeted. Silver is selling for about $11/Oz compared to $21/Oz a year ago. Good news for those still in the biz.
sounds to me like he was at the point where he had to make the decision to get out and not have a large debt amass from an upcoming lease contract renewal.
he knows the economy is bad, plus his wait list shrunk and he was afraid he might not get enough new orders.
this was the best time for him to make the deicision as opposed to doing it a year into a 3 year lease or something…
he’s keeping all his equipment and he’s got a steady paycheck and insurance…so he’s got that going for him…
moyer had to sell his equipment so that he could refund deposits.
i wouldn’t call it quitting. he still has all his equipment and a small space…he’s just not doing it for a living so he can have free time and work at whatever pace he wants and do wahtever projects he wants.
Interesting. I still don’t understand how the keirin builders can produce a lugged steel frame + fork for $1000 - $1400 and like Teesdale can make a custom frame for under a grand , but so many of the noobs are charging $2k. I’m sure the moyer twisted stays and stuff are not easy to make, but it seems like the market for utilitarian non-ornate custom frames is one that no one seems able to tap into.
Keirin builders have a built-in market of people who… you know, need NJS certified frames. In the US there’s always going to be guys like Teesdale and Curtlo that can produce a great standard frame for around a grand, it’s the new builders who rode the ultra craftsman wave (polished everything, custom dropouts, etc) who will feel the pinch.
Market saturation.
This should surprise no one. Even the most utilitarian custom bike is hugely unnecessary and a giant expense. A car-free guy like myself can buy a handful of different types of bikes for the cost of a single custom frame, and they all fit me just as well.
fuck! i was seriously thinking about taking that job. seriously.
p.s. he is working for the shop owned by the “get a light” headlock victim.
^Ha! That’s awesome. The term “headlock victim” sounds soooooo pathetic.
why is mariposa’s website not working?
[quote=“tarckeemoon”]Mariposa makes some badass bikes.
[/quote]