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See also: this $2,000 "Viathon" mountain bike -- a Walmart brand. Expensive for people who just want a bike to ride, but competitive with bikes that cost twice

See also: this $2,000 "Viathon" mountain bike -- a Walmart brand. Expensive for people who just want a bike to ride, but competitive with bikes that cost twice as much. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb-AJc3QL-Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb-AJc3QL-Q It's an interesting strategy. The high-end of a lot of hobbies are inflated beyond reason, and I think it's cool that they're taking a stab at that.

vocram 6y ago
The people buying high end do care about the brand and reputation. They accept to pay inflated prices for a well known brand, but would not buy at a discounted price a retail store brand. Brand and reputation communicates quality.
- barko 6y ago
  I'm guessing that's more true for people buying high-end fashion than it is for those buying high-end hobbyist gear, as the latter are more likely to research products and put significant weight on performance rather than blindly trust a brand name.
- ddrt 6y ago
  I don’t get this. Is it ego or something? If you’re on a trail the brand name won’t keep you from cracking your skull any less than another.
  - ta17711771 6y ago
    No, but if they see that brand protecting the head of all the people they see eat shit in GoPro videos, or on heads in the Winter Olympics, then they don't (feel they) have to do the research to see if it's a trustworthy brand. Obviously, this implied value gets taken too far on both sides.
  - tjohns 6y ago
    It's the history behind the brand that's important. Does that company have a history of building quality products? Do they support them when something breaks? What kind of reputation do they have? When you buy a brand name product, you generally have a better idea what you're buying. (Not to say there aren't some high quality generic products out there, but it takes a lot more time and research to find them. And sometimes it's just a gamble.)
  - danboarder 6y ago
    Yes, it is ego. I was recently on a backpacking trip with a few of the most 'geared up' people I've ever met, sporting all top of the line gear and very proud of it - every single item was intentional and brand names and the long technical details of every item of clothing or gear was always mentioned. It's like almost any hobby or sport - some people will geek out and get very into the 'scene'. Walmart will provide a way for new people to dip a toe into the world of backcountry gear and some of those people will move up to the specialty brands.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
- surfpel 6y ago
  The last thing I want many hours away from civilization is my gear to fail on me. Additionally, expensive outdoors brands come with much better warranties. Discounted retail store brands are often a false economy option.
Blackthorn 6y ago
It's the Harbor Freight strategy. Though I'm not sure Walmart can build the sort of positive reputation that Harbor Freight enjoys.
- econcon 6y ago
  What's the Harbor Freight strategy?
  - lifeisstillgood 6y ago
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbor_Freight_Tools https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbor_Freight_Tools From their logo "Quality tools and ridiculously low prices" Seems they began selling on tools bought from bankrupt companies, and now act as a secondary channel for many "real" high end brands. (Ie they can sell overstock through this company without polluting their main market / brand) I am going to guess they do more than just tools now.
    - Blackthorn 6y ago
      They don't sell overstock anymore. They sell their own stuff. It's mostly Chinese import. But you always know what you're getting and quality ranges from alright to excellent.
      - lifeisstillgood 6y ago
        thank you
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
- ta17711771 6y ago
  Anecdotally, I've witnessed a wide range of quality signals from buyers of Walmart and Harbor Freight. Like Amazon and fakes/harmful products, you only have to get it right over x% of the time (is it half?) or more, in order to profit, at their scale.
nl 6y ago
They do gravel bikes too: https://cyclingtips.com/2020/04/viathon-g-1-grx-600-gravel-bike-review/ https://cyclingtips.com/2020/04/viathon-g-1-grx-600-gravel-b... It's not really true that they are "competitive" with bikes costing twice as much (unless you mean you can ride pretty much as fast and have as much fun). On the gravel bikes, the Viathon is $2298 for a carbon frame and GRX 600 groupset. Specialised make the Diverge Comp E5 for $2100 with a (lesser) aluminium frame and a mixed GRX 600/800 groupset (better)[1], or you can upgrade to a carbon framed Diverge (with a Sram group set, so not directly comparable) for $2500. [1] https://www.specialized.com/us/en/diverge-comp-e5/p/175289 https://www.specialized.com/us/en/diverge-comp-e5/p/175289

vocram 6y ago

The people buying high end do care about the brand and reputation. They accept to pay inflated prices for a well known brand, but would not buy at a discounted price a retail store brand. Brand and reputation communicates quality.

barko 6y ago
I'm guessing that's more true for people buying high-end fashion than it is for those buying high-end hobbyist gear, as the latter are more likely to research products and put significant weight on performance rather than blindly trust a brand name.
ddrt 6y ago
I don’t get this. Is it ego or something? If you’re on a trail the brand name won’t keep you from cracking your skull any less than another.
- ta17711771 6y ago
  No, but if they see that brand protecting the head of all the people they see eat shit in GoPro videos, or on heads in the Winter Olympics, then they don't (feel they) have to do the research to see if it's a trustworthy brand. Obviously, this implied value gets taken too far on both sides.
- tjohns 6y ago
  It's the history behind the brand that's important. Does that company have a history of building quality products? Do they support them when something breaks? What kind of reputation do they have? When you buy a brand name product, you generally have a better idea what you're buying. (Not to say there aren't some high quality generic products out there, but it takes a lot more time and research to find them. And sometimes it's just a gamble.)
- danboarder 6y ago
  Yes, it is ego. I was recently on a backpacking trip with a few of the most 'geared up' people I've ever met, sporting all top of the line gear and very proud of it - every single item was intentional and brand names and the long technical details of every item of clothing or gear was always mentioned. It's like almost any hobby or sport - some people will geek out and get very into the 'scene'. Walmart will provide a way for new people to dip a toe into the world of backcountry gear and some of those people will move up to the specialty brands.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
surfpel 6y ago
The last thing I want many hours away from civilization is my gear to fail on me. Additionally, expensive outdoors brands come with much better warranties. Discounted retail store brands are often a false economy option.

Blackthorn 6y ago

It's the Harbor Freight strategy. Though I'm not sure Walmart can build the sort of positive reputation that Harbor Freight enjoys.

econcon 6y ago
What's the Harbor Freight strategy?
- lifeisstillgood 6y ago
  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbor_Freight_Tools https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbor_Freight_Tools From their logo "Quality tools and ridiculously low prices" Seems they began selling on tools bought from bankrupt companies, and now act as a secondary channel for many "real" high end brands. (Ie they can sell overstock through this company without polluting their main market / brand) I am going to guess they do more than just tools now.
  - Blackthorn 6y ago
    They don't sell overstock anymore. They sell their own stuff. It's mostly Chinese import. But you always know what you're getting and quality ranges from alright to excellent.
    - lifeisstillgood 6y ago
      thank you
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
ta17711771 6y ago
Anecdotally, I've witnessed a wide range of quality signals from buyers of Walmart and Harbor Freight. Like Amazon and fakes/harmful products, you only have to get it right over x% of the time (is it half?) or more, in order to profit, at their scale.

nl 6y ago

They do gravel bikes too: https://cyclingtips.com/2020/04/viathon-g-1-grx-600-gravel-bike-review/ https://cyclingtips.com/2020/04/viathon-g-1-grx-600-gravel-b... It's not really true that they are "competitive" with bikes costing twice as much (unless you mean you can ride pretty much as fast and have as much fun). On the gravel bikes, the Viathon is $2298 for a carbon frame and GRX 600 groupset. Specialised make the Diverge Comp E5 for $2100 with a (lesser) aluminium frame and a mixed GRX 600/800 groupset (better)[1], or you can upgrade to a carbon framed Diverge (with a Sram group set, so not directly comparable) for $2500. [1] https://www.specialized.com/us/en/diverge-comp-e5/p/175289 https://www.specialized.com/us/en/diverge-comp-e5/p/175289