Race Face shutting down
03-11-11, 06:32 PM
#1
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Race Face shutting down
Sad news today: read from what I consider a reliable source that Race Face will be closing up shop as of Monday.
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03-11-11, 07:23 PM
#3
Still kicking.
Damn.
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03-11-11, 07:27 PM
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Chris Armstrong from Whistler tweeted it; I'm devastated.
Going to start looking now to line up potential chainring, crank, stem, and seatpost replacements -- my stuff is great right now, but won't last forever -- maybe Hope for the stem, (sigh)Truvativ for the crank/rings.........
Going to start looking now to line up potential chainring, crank, stem, and seatpost replacements -- my stuff is great right now, but won't last forever -- maybe Hope for the stem, (sigh)Truvativ for the crank/rings.........
03-12-11, 01:37 AM
#5
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This is horrible news, at least in part because I have a part out on warranty that they supposed to have sent to me within the next week. I'm going to miss their equipment. I have Deus XC post on all three of my road bikes. It's my favorite setback post.
03-12-11, 02:02 AM
#6
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Posted from John P (employe at race face)
from pink bike:
I wish the situation was as optimistic as Fraser paints it, but we've been told the company is going to be liquidated, and 90% of us are unemployed as of next week. They'll keep a few people on to assist with the liquidation.
My tenure with the company has been short, but it's been a fun ride. Thanks to all the great athletes, customers, and media folks I've had the opportunity to work with. Thanks also to the amazing group of coworkers I have out here. All of you make stuff like this hurt a lot less.
--JP
My tenure with the company has been short, but it's been a fun ride. Thanks to all the great athletes, customers, and media folks I've had the opportunity to work with. Thanks also to the amazing group of coworkers I have out here. All of you make stuff like this hurt a lot less.
--JP
Race Face Closes the Doors
by Julian Coffey
Mar 11, 2011
Race Face Performance Products, a global leader in the design, manufacturing, marketing and distribution of high performance cycling components and apparel, has shut down the machines after 18 years of business.
The impact this mid-size Canadian manufacturer has had on the mountain bike world is legendary. From the very first bombproof components designed and tested in the shadow of Vancouver's North Shore, to the myriad of world class athletes that have flown the RF flag, Race Face has been killing it from the start.
An innovative company from its inception, Race Face pushed the technology envelope with every product that went out the door. In addition to making some of the sweetest aluminum bits and pieces a CNC machine can produce, their proprietary carbon technology set the standard for lightweight yet durable composite components.
Race Face has been a consistent industry leader in mountain bike protection, setting the bar for what it means to have functional yet comfortable armour and pads. The same can be said for their technical and casual apparel. Race Face clothing has been at the forefront of an extremely competitive apparel market for a long time, and can be seen on some of our sports greatest riders.
It was my honour to have worked for Race Face for nearly 5 years. It seems almost a lifetime ago that I was scrimping and saving for my first pair of North Shore cranks. Years later, having spent many a late night in an office so chock full of the parts you could barely move, I can only imagine how Canadians and riders around the world will feel hearing the news.
What happens from here? A brand with so much equity and such a loyal following must surely carry on in some way. Stay tuned for more updates as they become available.
From all of us at Pinkbike, we wish the people behind the Race Face name the best in the future. Have a fond or favourite memory or just a shout out for the folks over at RF? Let's hear it...
by Julian Coffey
Mar 11, 2011
Race Face Performance Products, a global leader in the design, manufacturing, marketing and distribution of high performance cycling components and apparel, has shut down the machines after 18 years of business.
The impact this mid-size Canadian manufacturer has had on the mountain bike world is legendary. From the very first bombproof components designed and tested in the shadow of Vancouver's North Shore, to the myriad of world class athletes that have flown the RF flag, Race Face has been killing it from the start.
An innovative company from its inception, Race Face pushed the technology envelope with every product that went out the door. In addition to making some of the sweetest aluminum bits and pieces a CNC machine can produce, their proprietary carbon technology set the standard for lightweight yet durable composite components.
Race Face has been a consistent industry leader in mountain bike protection, setting the bar for what it means to have functional yet comfortable armour and pads. The same can be said for their technical and casual apparel. Race Face clothing has been at the forefront of an extremely competitive apparel market for a long time, and can be seen on some of our sports greatest riders.
It was my honour to have worked for Race Face for nearly 5 years. It seems almost a lifetime ago that I was scrimping and saving for my first pair of North Shore cranks. Years later, having spent many a late night in an office so chock full of the parts you could barely move, I can only imagine how Canadians and riders around the world will feel hearing the news.
What happens from here? A brand with so much equity and such a loyal following must surely carry on in some way. Stay tuned for more updates as they become available.
From all of us at Pinkbike, we wish the people behind the Race Face name the best in the future. Have a fond or favourite memory or just a shout out for the folks over at RF? Let's hear it...
Last edited by 96_xj; 03-12-11 at 02:12 AM.
03-12-11, 02:17 AM
#7
GONE~
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As a big supporter of Race Face, I am quite sad to hear so...
They are local to me as well.
Their set-back seatposts are also my favourite, so damn adjustable!
They are local to me as well.
Their set-back seatposts are also my favourite, so damn adjustable!
03-12-11, 03:12 AM
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GONE~
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Originally Posted by Race Face Employee
It's not MEC, it's not the fault of all manufacturing in North America going to Asia, it's not whatever else you've heard. It's complicated, it's not just one thing, and it happened for different reasons depending on who in the company you talk to.
Last edited by Squirrelli; 03-12-11 at 03:50 AM.
03-12-11, 09:02 AM
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Reason? I wonder if it's b/c they're not "increasing" profit. People are so afraid to break even these days. Holy crap...what if they actually came in a couple bucks behind last year? The world will come to an end!! Companies go into panic mode if they don't see their 4 percent increase...they can't stand to be happy with the fact that they're doing exactly what they did the year before...except they're employing people and providing a useful service or product. How bad could it be? 1/2 the bikes on the trail are RF equipped. Why not down size instead of getting scared and dumping it all? Okay...so you will lose 1/2 of the employees. That sucks for sure. At least you don't send 100% of them packing. Not to mention that you leave so many fans hanging. Stop trying to compete with Shimano. Produce things in smaller quantities that are a slam dunk. Keep the company alive in a small way until you feel you need to go big again.
Heck man...I'm pissed. I don't have alot of RF gear, but I do like what I have and corporate greed is going to take that away from me.
Stock market's fault? Who knows. Stock holders?
Heck man...I'm pissed. I don't have alot of RF gear, but I do like what I have and corporate greed is going to take that away from me.
Stock market's fault? Who knows. Stock holders?
03-12-11, 11:01 AM
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Don't really have a bike.
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Dang, bummer. I have raceface ride risers and they are wonderful, when I had some spare money i was going to get more of the ride line. Good luck to the guys finding new jobs.
03-12-11, 11:34 AM
#13
Moar cowbell
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Aside from the real tragedy of many good people losing their jobs at a place they loved, for me, personally this is an ironic turn of events. From when I got into mountain bikes, I was smitten by RF cranks. I always viewed them as the bejeweled-yet-burly unobtainable in bike bling. Out of my pay-grade. Then I finally get a chance to build my 'ultimate' bike exactly as I want to with no compromises and I finally put a RF crankset on a bike. And this happens. . . .
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Originally Posted by Mark Twain
"Don't argue with stupid people; they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience."
Last edited by dminor; 03-12-11 at 02:09 PM.
03-12-11, 02:21 PM
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Reason? I wonder if it's b/c they're not "increasing" profit. People are so afraid to break even these days. Holy crap...what if they actually came in a couple bucks behind last year? The world will come to an end!! Companies go into panic mode if they don't see their 4 percent increase...they can't stand to be happy with the fact that they're doing exactly what they did the year before...except they're employing people and providing a useful service or product. How bad could it be? 1/2 the bikes on the trail are RF equipped. Why not down size instead of getting scared and dumping it all? Okay...so you will lose 1/2 of the employees. That sucks for sure. At least you don't send 100% of them packing. Not to mention that you leave so many fans hanging. Stop trying to compete with Shimano. Produce things in smaller quantities that are a slam dunk. Keep the company alive in a small way until you feel you need to go big again.
Heck man...I'm pissed. I don't have alot of RF gear, but I do like what I have and corporate greed is going to take that away from me.
Stock market's fault? Who knows. Stock holders?
Heck man...I'm pissed. I don't have alot of RF gear, but I do like what I have and corporate greed is going to take that away from me.
Stock market's fault? Who knows. Stock holders?
I don't think it could have been said better.
03-12-11, 03:50 PM
#16
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I could have. Without knowing the facts (which it sounds like could be a long time coming), it's silly and a bit irresponsible to speculate on what actually did them in. There are a lot of 'cool' companies that have not survived the latest global economic meltdown, often for reasons not at all of their making. There are major global economic and marketplace forces at work that I certainly don't fully understand that are taking their toll on the best of North American companies.
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Originally Posted by Mark Twain
"Don't argue with stupid people; they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience."
03-12-11, 04:54 PM
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I prefer my cynical, uneducated blanket statement that vents on one cool company spawned from some unrelated...well...
...I guess my world view is pretty screwed up right now.
...I guess my world view is pretty screwed up right now.
03-12-11, 07:06 PM
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Yea, its hard for us to know because we don't know what the P&L really looks like. I have seen a lot of good companies with a ton of potential mis managed into the ground and the reasons are endless. You can bet one thing. If they have the potential to restructured into a profitable company, someone in the industry will pick them up. If no one does its a safe bet they over extend themselves in more than one area. Not sure how Canada bankruptcy laws work, but in the US they can sit back let the company fail and pick up the company and debt for penny's on the dollar. I hope we see them back in business at some point.
03-12-11, 10:19 PM
#20
Senior Member
Damn! I was hoping to get the new RF Turbine seatpost to match my Turbine stem. Their new 2x10 cranks looked like a great alternative to the SRAM stuff. A couple of my bikes are shod with RF cranks and other bits. Really good stuff. Race Face will be missed from the cycling scene.
03-13-11, 05:31 AM
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Not to kick anybody while they're down or anything... But will there be closeout deals popping up anywhere?
03-13-11, 01:11 PM
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bikesdirect.com will buy the name and turn around and offering raceface schwag on bike mama's site sans the Canadian CNC
