As usual I'm confused

[Simon]

Can someone tell me does Ironhorse now have the rights to the K2 brand  
If so does anyone have any info or idea of the consequences, I'd be interested,
also as Ironhorse is now coming to the UK does this mean we'll be seeing K2's UK bound.
Simon.

[shovelon]

Hey Simon,

Well I did see something about K2 liscensing thier line to some mass marketer. If  the mass marketer handles Iron horse, then you may see some cross branding going on.

So will we see the K2 line watered down in search of quick profits? Probably.

I have said it before. K2 killed proflex, and is skewering thier own bike reputation. What has K2 brought us? The completion of Bob Girvin's work and that's it. The smart shocks were'nt so smart. Then they brought in the Turner design and named it the Razorback. Even that is long gone. I believe that the relationship with easton is long gone too. SHOW ME THE CARBON!

So the writing is on the wall. K2 gave up. Yep the 2006 line looks like Iron Horse or others cross branded. Maybe sometimes you need to lose a limb to save a life.

Sorry for the rant, I like to believe that BG lives in every one of my bikes.
Terry

[Simon]

Yep Terry have to agree,
I was always a Proflex man even my Carbon was a 98
model which was decaled Proflex with K2 taking  minor credit,loved them all,the first Offroad bike I saw in the shop window,the s/hand 853 that started it all for me,my first new Proflex (856 that I built up from a frameset) my wife now uses,the carbon my son now has and my 856 project thats my current ride,
to be honest nothing K2 have produced since the carbon models haven't really done much for me,
the Razorbacks were interesting but just a Turner design so not anything origional.
I've always hoped that a new Proflex would emerge
that I would lust over just like I did with the 856 and the carbon,sound like a link up with Ironhorse means this will probabaly never happen  
unfortunatly it had to happen but I'm lusting elsewhere these days.
Simon.

[Frankd3000]

Nothing to be confused about, Simon. It's really quite simple when you look at the trend.

Bike co. A opens up and buys Bike co. B. Co. A has no original design as simply uses the current line-up that co. B was using. They make sales and then use the money to..... buy the rights to another design.

Repeat untill closure/selling.

Sad, but true.

There's very few companies that REALLY create something unique and/or original nowadays. I had always hoped to see K2 buy something with a Horst patent on it in hopes of "upping" their line-up (not saying it's the ultimate design, but it has proven itself). As much as I HATE to say it companies like Specialized have a specific niche. They also have laughable ads with propoganda galore, but that's not what this is about.

Bottom line - K2 took ProFlex, worked the lines for profit, now they're not making the money they were a few years ago and they're letting it go.

Our bikes will always be classics. It was THE design that started a revolution thanks to Bob Girvin. We DO have that much to be thankfull for.

K2 has already demonstrated the consequences, so no need to re-hash what they dropped.

[Simon]

:  

I think you've hit the nail on the head for me why I'm
so taken with Whyte bikes,Jon Whyte is I suppose abit of a maverick (no pun intended as he uses Maverick forks now),
maybe he reminds me abit, no ALOT of Bob Girvin,there designs between them may not always be pleasing on the eye for everyone (for others its lust worthy)
but its normally well thought out and engineered,different and works, and tends to split opinions on those who love them others who hate them,there never seems to be an in between opinion,I know which side I'm on.
Simon.

[Carbon_Angus]

k2 messed up by:

Not putting any (well VERY little) $$$ in R&D with Noleen and thier prorietary world cup frame (carbon included)

Moving the HQ from RI to Vachon Island just when the Noleen shock fiasco was "blooming"

Having an odd ball i2i length shock, because they bought Noleen (just maybe rights) as well.

Waiting for~ever to put their rebuild kits and spare parts on the web. I can see where they wanted the customer to go to the LBS, but not very many LBS's were/are happy with k2....and those never stocked the parts anyway. Maybe place a wee bit o'blame on the LBS's for not having spare parts on hand.

They didn't manage their R&D well at all for their bike division.....their retail bikes shops or customers as a whole very well.

Not hiring Simon, Callum, Dennis and a few others!! [smiley=laughing.gif]

I may be way off base, but that is MHO and rant.

[smiley=beer.gif]

[Sprucey]

As long as K2 are made in China and existing European anti dumping legsilation exists we wil not see new K2 bikes marketed in Europe - they cannot compete on price the high duty tarriffs imposed see to that.

The Horst link is great when used in some designs but it is not the be all and end all. It is only one way to control axle path and most of us ride single pivot Proflex rear ends where it is irrelevant anyway.
To reinforce this, Turner are now dumping the Horst link on their rear ends for 2006 - the benefits were no longer worth the cost of the licence.

HOWEVER, we do ride classic bikes froma classic design stable and that is why I do it. Increasingly, they are looking different to the mass produced and always talking points on the trail. They also ride damn well - what more could we ask for?

Sprucey

[Frankd3000]

HOWEVER, we do ride classic bikes froma classic design stable and that is why I do it. Increasingly, they are looking different to the mass produced and always talking points on the trail. They also ride damn well - what more could we ask for?

Sprucey

I gotta yap again.

Versatility - how many other bikes out there can you alter to get anywhere between 3-8" or travel? I know I can. [smiley=nod.gif]

[rapiddescent]

K2 didn't kill proflex.  Girvin mountain Sports was owned by Anthony Industries (also known as K2 Corporation) since the 856 era.  They only renamed it K2 in 1998 to align the brands.  I think the big problem was:

1: the massive number of warranty claims on the 1997 noleen shocks

2: large amount of warranty claims on the 855 world cup frame

3: an office move from RI to VI, losing key staff in the process.

4: full suspension after 1999 became defacto standard for the big guys like cannondale, specialized and trek/marin - k2/proflex was no longer niche.  before 2000, k2/proflex was the only company to carry a range of only full suspension bikes.

one of the main reasons why k2 will succeed, financially, is that it holds a lot of the patents for full suspension mountain bikes and everyone else has to pay royalties.

shame about the bike business.  the oz and razorback are great bikes that are still valid today.

callum

[Wankel]

I agree with Callum. It's unfortunate - but true. K2 will live on, but they will live on only in name (kind of like Schwinn, IMO) - making NO real jumps ahead in technology, farming out their building of their parts to China (and other low cost, mass producing countries), just collecting money from the past. It's a shame!, but was going to happen  [smiley=disbelief.gif].

-Chad

K2 didn't kill proflex.  Girvin mountain Sports was owned by Anthony Industries (also known as K2 Corporation) since the 856 era.  They only renamed it K2 in 1998 to align the brands.  I think the big problem was:



1: the massive number of warranty claims on the 1997 noleen shocks



2: large amount of warranty claims on the 855 world cup frame



3: an office move from RI to VI, losing key staff in the process.



4: full suspension after 1999 became defacto standard for the big guys like cannondale, specialized and trek/marin - k2/proflex was no longer niche.  before 2000, k2/proflex was the only company to carry a range of only full suspension bikes.



one of the main reasons why k2 will succeed, financially, is that it holds a lot of the patents for full suspension mountain bikes and everyone else has to pay royalties.



shame about the bike business.  the oz and razorback are great bikes that are still valid today.



callum

[Sprucey]

Hey guys,

similar tack but who skis on K2 planks?

I am a Saloman man myself - they make skis that suit my style. I currently use a pair fo old Saloman Super Mountains - big wide off piste skis but I'd be interested if the "word" is still pro K2 for skis?

Sprucey

[Matno]

I love my K2 Classic 4's. They're a bit outdated now, but work fantastically well for an all around ski. Not as big a curve as a lot of the newer shaped skis, but not straight like the old school stuff. Perfect for what I like (which is moguls). A couple of my brother's in law have K2 snowboards. I think they really like them, but I have a hard time talking to snowboarders without being disgusted by them...  

[Sprucey]

Snowboarders - "gays on trays"

[Matno]

Snowboarders - "gays on trays"

Nice. I do occasionally have pangs of conscience though when I think that I used to intentionally knock them over when I was a teenager... Snowboarding was still pretty new back then, but they already had the attitude. Fortunately for me, I was good at making it seem like an accident. (Plus, they couldn't catch me if they wanted to...)

[rapiddescent]

I've got atomics and rossies.  Think I'll try and get some new K2's for this season though.  lots on ebay at the moment.

callum
rds