Originally Posted by
Maelochs
This is my view. Nashbar is seen as a cheap outlet ... but they have always sold some very expensive bikes. Now possibly this view will spread ... or not. Either way, Lynskey gets its frames out to more potential customers.
I go to
https://lynskeyperformance.com/ and see that they are selling their own frames on their own website. I am sure Lynskey doesn’t see themselves as a retail outlet, but as a manufacturer, while Nashbar, which manufactures nothing, is a retail outlet.
I looked and their prices are all higher than those at the Nashbar site, the opposite of what you wrote. Which site do you think gets more hits?
Beyond that, please take it up with Nashbar and Lynskey. I did not write, edit or approve any of the advertising.
Your Chattanooga choo choo aside, if you're going to dive in you might want to test the waters before you jump.
As far as whether Lynskey is going broke or not, I have no information. I would assume, however, that they need cash or credit whether they are flush or deep in the red, and a deal with Nashbar seems like a good idea. If the company really is broke, than this might keep it alive.
I'll bet they, in particular, hope you're right.
Obviously, if Lynskey sells the name and starts marketing frames maid in Taiwan or China, it will lose market value ... or maybe it will gain value by massively increasing sales to people who don't know or care about the Lynskey name but want an affordable Ti bike. I hope not--I'd much prefer they stay small and semi-exclusive and USA-made. However, maybe the management is tired of going broke producing quality and want to stock up some funds for their retirements.
Al pure speculation. All I know for sure is that Lynskey just put its name in front of a lot more eyeballs.
Well yes, they will lose some status. But Performance doesn't care. Look, if you really want to support brand image you give it the best "opportunity" you can offer. That opportunity could have been under the Performance side of the business. (Retail locations are exceedingly expensive to maintain, especially in times of growth (modest growth?).) The fact that Performance is able to negotiate this exclusivity is a strong indication of just how bad things are at Lynsky. Again, I repeat emphatically, I am not pointing fingers. $... happens.