Amazon Pick: Up to 20% Viathon Bicycles Products and Competing Brands at Amazon.com. Thats a challenge. Further build quality issues included the GRX brakes being over-filled with fluid, something that resulted in an uncomfortably short lever throw. The savings come from consumers completing the final assembly and cutting out local retailers' costs, but at the expense of their expertise, service . Statins: experience training and racing on them, Swimming-Related Injuries: A literature review and injury risk screening, New Tacx Neo Smart vs Wahoo Kickr trainers, school me on finding correct pressures with tubeless. Reports of a top-end race build with a $6,000 price tag cast a cognitive dissonance across the office. A First Look at Viathon, Walmart's new Mountain Bike The quick and dirty synopsis? Nowadays, a search for Viathon bikes on the Walmart website (see here, here and here) returns a notice that the item is no longer available; the image from the final link (also shown above) displays another brand and model entirely. Well, unfortunately, we had numerous issues with the build quality and were not sure if this is an issue of the actual bike, or simply an attack of the photo sample. And other direct-to-consumer brands like Canyon have a big head start on Viathon in terms of reputation. But what was remarkable about Viathon was the identity of the brand's owner: Walmart. Please enter your public display name and a secure password. Without the curiousness of the Walmart link, I wouldnt even be writing about Viathon. And, its certainly not the Evil Chamois Hagar. Theyve taken notes about the shoes, style of jeans, shirt design, right down to the style of watch. $6,000 Walmart Bike: Box Store Launches Premium 'Viathon' Cycles Buy Viathon G1, Rival, 56cm, Disc, 700C, Matte Black/Silver at Walmart.com . 2 - You can't buy these bikes at a Walmart. "We're trying to build a culture, building an education," Jordan said at the introduction. The answer? Viathon Is Walmart's New High-End Bike Brand - Outside Online A few months later in June, we got to take the M1 hardtail for a spin in Idaho. Best MTB Gear | A Viathon representative told me that Walmart simply wanted the story to be more about the bikes than the company behind them. A. Support us! Company Review: Viathon G.1 Carbon Gravel Bike - cxmagazine.com He explained, It has less setup and maintenance than a downhill bike, and as an entry point into the industry, this makes an ideal start for us to grow on.. Viathons product manager, Zach Spinhirne-Martin, openly admits to taking close inspiration from a race-inspired bike like the Santa Cruz Stigmata. The Shimano Dura Ace build with hydraulic disc brakes costs $5,850, and the Ultegra disc brake model is $3,575. Performance or race-ready bikes are not a part of the stock in most Walmart stores or online. Theyre quality products, but neither really belong on this bike. And every single article, including this one, focuses on the Walmart ownership. Racers? The cable routing itself was fairly basic, too. Viathon is a direct-to-consumer bike brand owned by Walmart. I asked how it was all going and how many bikes have been sold. Were not trying to undercut the industry; were offering our bike line at a solid price, not a ridiculously low price, said Spinhirne-Martin. As mentioned, this is the lowest-cost complete bike in Viathons G.1 range, but that doesnt mean the parts are low-cost. Why Ultralight People Need to Chill Already, Kershaw Iridium Review: A Great Flipping Knife Under $100. Equally, I found the Selle Italia Novus Boost saddle and unpadded Fizik bar tape odd choices. And failing. In many ways, this is exactly what a good bike store would do for you when buying a bike. Could use a few tweaks: If youd like to enjoy the climb up, swap that stock saddle ASAP. The RockShox SID RLC 120mm fork was a great choice, and I appreciated that Viathon opted for more travel in comparison to the S-Works Epics 100m fork. Theres a low 69mm of bottom bracket drop, making for increased stability and cornering, and a 74 seat tube angle and a 71.5 head tube angle. But heres the kicker. In reality, thats probably enough to realise any manufacturer defects, and Viathon does also offer a crash replacement policy, but its something to consider nonetheless. Dont take this Bad Boy to the Bike Park: Viathons website proudly claims that few bikes carve up singletrack as effortlessly as the M.1. This carbon bike is set up for dirt road adventures but doesn't mind how much pavement you mix in. At the GearJunkie office, we cut zip ties and packing tape. By July, barely 90 days from its glitzy premiere, Viathon had announced via direct mail and on its website that it was dropping prices on all models by as much as $1,000 per bike, to as low as $1,998. Like Remot, Viathon debuts with three offerings: one frame each in road, gravel, and mountain, with three levels of build kit. Passers-by wont be able to spot the difference between the two, but those that own the high-end stuff will know. The handlebars could have been wider, with a shallower drop, and an extra helping of bar tape would have also been welcome. But the collaboration shouldnt come as a surprise. He designed Turner and Cube bikes, the first Pivots, and Diamondbacks for 5 years. Viathon M.1 XX1 Carbon Eagle Mountain Bike, Medium, Copper - Walmart Like books, we cannot judge a bicycle solely on its coverin this case the graphics and business connection. I like my bikes to jump when I stand up and crank down on the pedals. The Best Black Friday Deals for Cyclists - Bicycling All throughout the ride, I found the Rockshox Reverb Stealth pretty slow to react, which is, unfortunately, a notorious problem for this dropper (the most current version promises to fix this). Online, Viathon has three offerings to choose from: hardtail, gravel, and a road bike. Brand manager Spinhirne-Martin said a search of similar Trek, Specialized, or Canyon bikes will net a conclusion that they are all significantly more expensive for a similarly specced product., Spinhirne-Martin came to Walmart after 10 years working in the industry at Competitive Cyclist. Its noon on Michigans Upper Peninsula, where I came to ride Copper Harbor and the IMBA-ordained network in and near Marquette. Walmart thinks so, and the retail juggernaut is betting its customers think so too. Viathon's brand manager is Zach Spinhirne-Martin out of San Bruno, California. Walmart isnt currently targeting the kind of customer who wants the latest carbon layup or the greatest new geometry, nor is it targeting customers who self-identify as cyclists. 2023 All rights reserved. For now, no. shaping their hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas into a mountain biking haven. Crickets. This is a workhorse groupset that simply adds better ergonomics and a more suitable gearing range to what was the most popular road groupset on the market. I loved how this bike rides, said Spinhirne-Martin about the previous generation Stigmata. Personally, given the sporty nature of this ride, Id have preferred to see the larger 48-31T chainring combo used. To be fair, that latter element is fairly common on a number of high-end bikes and isnt much of an issue, but it does point to a simpler frame construction. Look for Viathon bikes online at ViathonBicycles.com in mid-May, and soon after at Walmart.com. Teton Gravity Research All Viathon bikes come with a 2-year warranty. "The negativity starts in-store with reports of forks installed backward. The G.1 RED eTap AXS that is the subject of this review is Viathon's newest gravel model and will be available sometime in September. At the beginning of the pandemic, governments and mountain bike organizations made it clear to all of us that we should be sticking close to home, and refraining from unnecessary risks. I am a professional mechanic, and have a hand built over 175 custom frames from steel or Ti. Viathon's goals seem to be crystal clear with the R.1: Build a race-ready road bike for a high-end audience without the high-end price tag. Its certainly not severe, and despite riding the G.1 in some rocky, tight, and twisty terrain, it rarely presented itself as an issue. $200 Off. The hardtail mountain bike is ideal for the days you want to do a long climb. Some cyclists are extremely brand-loyal, willing to pay a premium for pride in heritage brands like Bianchi or Pinarello. This bike has character, like all bikes do. From SRAM drivetrains to Stans wheels, it has the look of a proper bike. Theyve played a monumental role in TGR Staff Writer and photographer. Viathon Bikes launched to surprise, confusion and intrigue back in April, offering high-end carbon XC hardtails despite links to Walmart. My final complaint is the comment about the 70mm stem feeling twitchy and switching it out to a short stem. We wanted to create a non-intimidating platform, said Spinhirne-Martin. All this went down in April and May of this year. Plan to post in the forums? And the bikes look good! . Viathon Bikes Walmart's proprietary bicycle line offers high-quality road, mountain, and gravel bikes that have totally negated the cheap "Walmart Bike" stigma. Turner Bikes - Titanium Mountain & Gravel Bikes But rather than going out and buying the exact same flashy and high-end items, theyve sourced out the look-a-likes. So were considering lateral stiffness, vertical compliance, weight, ride feel, cornering stability, and even the finish. The R.1 feels like a high-end bike, except for one minor nitpick: While most high-end race bikes have taken great efforts to hide all cables, the R.1 has all four cables exposed around the cockpit. Enter your email for the top stories in mountain biking, plus product picks and deals delivered to your inbox each week. Viathon's prices include shipping within the United States. Viathon "believes that great bikes make riding more fun. The Viathon G.1 Family. I normally would not take the time to write this stuff, but I was really interested in a review of this bike. I have a few issue with this review. The mastermind behind the frame designer is Kevin Quan who drew from his previous experience with Diamondback, Cervelo, and Parlee bikes. The Viathon G.1? With the tire clearance limited to a 40c wide tire though, the G1 reminds me again that its intentions rest on dirt roads. And in this case, all of these added up to make the bike feel like it was a size or two larger than expected. The cables rub the head tube (BYO protective frame stickers! The M1 carbon hardtail, with a SRAM GX Ealge driveterain comes in at a bargain price of $2,200, with the top-level SRAM AXS electronic drivetrain equipped model hitting $6,500. Change your default forum handle here! The 1019mm wheelbase keeps the handling snappy. With a network of green-rated trails down the street from my house, the G1 came into my hands at the right time. Thats one of the wonderful things about this bike: You get reliable bike with a great build for less money. Add up the component costs, frame, and build, and budgeting that kind of money might make sense for the committed rider. The GRX 600 is a 211, with a 50/34T up front, and an 11-34T cassette Viathon offers the GRX 800, SRAM Force, and AXS builds in a 1x configuration. But that lack of local shop support is a risk of buying a bike through direct channels. Heading out the door? For anyone familiar with the beer industry, this is like Anheuser-Busch creating Shocktop, not Anheuser-Busch buying Goose Island or Elysian. Managing editor Dean Yobbi told the story in BRAIN's May dead-trees issue and online as well. I will start by saying I am a long time bike industry employee. Okay, aside from that, yes, youre riding a high-end race bike, so you generally know what to expect. Now the town is sharing a decade's worth of inspiration. Competitor Discount Codes: Get Up To $200 Off With These Viathon Bicycles Competitor Coupons for Bicycle Components (March 2023) See Competitor Codes. Certainly, Walmart has the resources to overcome that, if it chooses, and it also has a reach like few other companiesWalmart sells more bicycles in North America than any other retailer, according to industry analyst Jay Townley. And really, we suspect a 700 x 45 mm will squeeze in if youre less fussed about mud clearance. At this writing, the various models are listed at "Summer Sale" prices on the Viathon website. Tire clearance is on the narrower side, but its wide enough for 700x40c tires, or 2.1 width tires with a 650B diameter. | Best Bike Trails | Photo by Josh Patterson . Internal cable routing keeps the frame clean and streamlined. And its partnering with shops, mobile shops, and more, as well as creating an online fit calculator. 1X drivetrains feel great, if youre riding your gravel bike exclusively on the trails. In fact, the only example I can think of where a large outside brand has achieved even modest success is Dorel Industries, with its serial purchases of Pacific, Cannondale, Schwinn, GT and related brands. The only thing that caught my eye was the cable routing gathered around the head tube, which looks a little messy. But the company would not release sales data. Industry watchers may remember the last time Walmart tried to get into the carbon bike game, which as I recall was about ten years ago. Also the statement of light as a feather.is that compared to your Enduro bike? Its worth mentioning that I myself am an enduro-style focused mountain biker, and Id be lying if I didnt say that it influenced my overall impression of the bike. Preventing Iliac Artery Endofibrosis - Cycling Overuse Injuries. Viathon says it wants to bridge Walmart's current low-price offerings to the bike-enthusiast business. That said, if carbon is your jam, you want a solid groupset, and dont spend a lot of time gravel biking on trail, or in real bumpy terrain, the G1 delivers. It's been just about four months since a line of consumer-direct carbon road, gravel and mountain bikes premiered from a new brand called Viathon, emerging out of the bright Sea Otter sunshine like the goddess Athena springing full-formed from the forehead of Zeus. This doesnt sound like much, and in reality it isnt, but its just enough to make the G.1 feel a little more jittery in how it tips into corners, while the Stigmata felt that little more planted something the ride quality certainly factors into, too. Viathon offers customers choices when it comes to fit. It borrows heavily from both BMC's Teamelite cross country race bike and the Roadmachine to create a.
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