And I suspect Viathon isnt relying on a deep tech story to market its bikes for a simple reason: the frames dont seem to offer clear innovation in design or materials. Thats not to say this bike is cheap. I have been swapping parts around and will finally get to ride it today. Except none of that happened. Viathon bikes use carbon frames and are high . Thankfully, like so many of the gravel bikes we tested in Sedona, there is scope to add more seated comfort through a more flexible 27.2 mm seatpost. Although Viathon has dropped the seatstays for a more compliant-feeling ride, the ride dynamics still feel harsh in the rear, and especially so up front. Walmart.com, of course, is an internet behemoth with hundreds of millions of visitor sessions each month with peak holiday traffic topping half a billion, according to analyses by industry research firms SimilarWeb and Statista. Going uphill, the shifting is buttery smooth. Teton Gravity Research Now on to the final word on this carbon fiber crushed rock roller. The weird stem length, set-back seatpost and bar width dont matter. Viathon says it wants to bridge Walmart's current low-price offerings to the bike-enthusiast business. The Rival G1 is spec'ed with a 111 Rival drive train, Mercury G3 wheels, and Zipp Service Course cockpit. MTB Podcast | The 70mm stem felt a bit squirrely, and any minor movement was transferred into the handlebars going downhill. This stood out on the mostly black bike and feels like one of those small details that wouldnt be overlooked by more established brands. Walmart isnt a brand most turn to for upgrading their bike, but Viathon could change that perception. Because all XC bikes are light compared to enduro. . This carbon bike is set up for dirt road adventures but doesn't mind how much pavement you mix in. Theyre numbers that are ideal for tackling a variety of terrain and doing it all efficiently, and overall, the G.1 behaves like it wants to be the only drop-bar bike in your garage. By signing up for email newsletters, you agree to GearJunkie's, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window). Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! For starters, despite its slim tube shape and dropped seat stays, the R.1 is definitely less compliant than expected. 20% Off. The handlebars could have been wider, with a shallower drop, and an extra helping of bar tape would have also been welcome. They seem to offer a solid value for a full carbon bike. Adult Mountain Bike, 21 Speed Shimano Drivetrain, 26 Inch Wheels, Aluminum Frame, Lock-Out . I normally would not take the time to write this stuff, but I was really interested in a review of this bike. [, Re: Did Wal Mart pull the plug on Viathon? 'Box-store bike' takes on a whole new meaning as Walmart launches Viathonn, a private high-end cycling brand. Viathons 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. Get access to more than 30 brands, premium video, exclusive content, events, mapping, and more. Others are concerned about how this will undercut bike shops. Speaking of rocks, the Viathons ride quality is certainly on the stiffer end of things, and those thin seatstays werent able to tame as much as the Salsa Warbird or even the Stigmata. And 2 years ago, the company hired Zach Spinhirne-Martin, a senior buyer at CompetitiveCyclist.com. Walmart is also the largest grocer in America and possibly the world. Here are some features to keep in mind as you shop. Viathon G1, Rival, 56cm, Disc, 700C, Matte Black/Silver - Walmart Viathon Bikes Drop Prices & Become Available Through Walmart Should brick-and-mortar or other online retailers worry? "Of course, there was some backlash with the Walmart connection,'' said Mark Jordan, whose CrankTank marketing group staged the Viathon launch and was quoted in Yobbi's original article. Walmarts top-of-the-line M.1 hardtail mountain bike has 120mm travel with RockShox components, Stans wheels, Level Ultimate brakes, and Continental tires. Photo by Josh Patterson . The new brand is launching with carbon road, mountain and gravel bikes. Some of the editors at GearJunkie wondered why Viathon launched with a 29er hardtail as its flagship mountain bike. And then theres the fact that the established brands the Giants, Treks, Specializeds and Cannondales of this world typically supply the bikes with components that are already damn close to being right for each respective size to begin with. You could, of course, upgrade your cockpit to achieve that svelte, hidden-cable look, but you wont get it with the stock model. Whats it like to be an American cyclist living in France? Viathon G.1 GRX 800 review Call it a 'Walmart' bike if you must. My 54cm test bike has 382.8mm of reach, coupled with a 110mm stem. Review: Viathon R.1 Road Bike - VeloNews.com So far, Viathon isnt saying much about what makes its bikes different, nor is it telling much of a brand story. I pitched the idea to my management as a way to more quickly enter the market and change our perception, he said. It lacks some of that impossible-to-define character that makes a climbing bike inspirational, especially when youre toiling away on a tough climb. Not recovering IT Band Friction Syndrome!! Its a private brand being managed within the e-commerce merchandising team based in San Bruno, California. Viathon Bikes Walmart's proprietary bicycle line offers high-quality road, mountain, and gravel bikes that have totally negated the cheap "Walmart Bike" stigma. Not a whole lot. One, the fact the writer states that his review is skewed because he is an enduro rider. In that sense, Viathon hit the nail on the head. Many of their arguments I can support, like lower costs and lighter frames, but claiming that full-suspension is often just overkill is a bit bold. Privacy Policy I have a few issue with this review. Why Ultralight People Need to Chill Already, Kershaw Iridium Review: A Great Flipping Knife Under $100. The same, except a 2 mm shorter offset fork (50 vs 48 mm) results in an ever-so-slightly-slower 68 mm trail figure. At its inception, Kevin Quan Studios assisted in designing frames. 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. Viathon was created to shift consumers thinking. If nothing else, we've been surviving in this business for decades and we know the "easiest way to make a small fortune" in it a lesson which even the best-heeled outsiders have yet to learn. The Viathon G1 is a bike that is a high performance machine with a good set of components out of the box. Viathon Photo. All rights reserved, an opinion column about Viathon's unique formation, REI Co-op to Open in Prescott, Arizona in Fall 2023, Declining bike-product demand contributes to Thule's Q1 net sales decrease, NBDA and the League of American Bicyclists Partner to Help Build a Bicycle Friendly America for Everyone, Rad Power Bikes has a 4th round of layoffs. He proposed a private-label project, and hes bringing it to fruition. Thats one of the wonderful things about this bike: You get reliable bike with a great build for less money. In an interview last week at Sea Otter, a bicycling industry gathering in Monterey, Calif. I came to Walmart to grow the bike industry. Walmart is hoping to entice customers to Viathon with a no-questions-asked return policy. The result is a bike covered in proven, quality, big-name components at a price thats approximately a third less than its more established competition, and really, not much more expensive than a bare frame. MAYBE pick a test person that is more XC based, as it is an XC bike. Online, Viathon has three offerings to choose from: hardtail, gravel, and a road bike. Its wise to see if that character fits with yours. That's a lot to love. Now the town is sharing a decade's worth of inspiration. Walmart Says Its High-End Viathon Bikes Will Grow Cycling By signing up for email newsletters, you agree to GearJunkie's, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window). In many ways, this is exactly what a good bike store would do for you when buying a bike. Walmart thinks so, and the retail juggernaut is betting its customers do too. Its also not the Bike Utility Vehicle that you get out of a Salsa or even the Santa Cruz Stigmata, with their functional braze-ons intended to extend time away from home base. If you think the pricing for the big mainstream brands is out of control, you'll be happy to hear that the Viathon's direct-to-consumer business model means an R.1 with all the fixings. For now, they only offer a hardtail, but Spinhirne-Martin isnt opposed to someday expanding their line to include a full-suspension bike. When spending upwards of $5,000 on a bike, a decision matrix includes variables from aesthetics to brand affinity. Were partnering with the bike industry to deliver so we dont mess it up, said Spinhirne-Martin. For the last update and a link to the introductions, Click Here. Walmart are best known for their $300-$500 bikes that. Buyers have 60 days from purchase to return the bike, and it can be new or used. by Rick Vosper. Its marketed as one of the lightest, fastest mountain race machines that money can buy, and that claim seemed hard to dispute by the end of my first week. but no links to product pages. 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. Bike shops could benefit from more riders on more bikes. Are Your Trails Ready to Ride for the Season. . Some cyclists are extremely brand-loyal, willing to pay a premium for pride in heritage brands like Bianchi or Pinarello. Its a bike that uses the exact same full-carbon frame as the more expensive Viathon G.1s in the range theres no tweak to the carbon lay-up, or cheapening of the fork for the various price points. But the company would not release sales data. Sign up to receive GearJunkie content direct to your inbox. For the M.1 XX1 Eagle, Viathon dropped its original $6,000 price recently to $4,998. The bike thats getting the most attention is Viathons new hardtail mountain bike, though Walmart is also launching with road and gravel options. 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.. I want to figure out how to use that customer base to grow the bike industry.. 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. Viathon is wholly owned by Walmart. [Eroc43] I weighed the M.1 later with a handheld scale. My time was limited to two hours, so this isnt an exhaustive review. Currently, the bikes are not available in other markets. Thus, I gave the Viathon a more thorough riding test. I also grabbed a G1. Viathon M.1 GX Eagle Mountain Bike Review - YouTube It turns out that Walmart bike buyers, as much as theyre dismissed or even ridiculed, include some passionate fans. Viathons product manager, Zach Spinhirne-Martin, openly admits to taking close inspiration from a race-inspired bike like the Santa Cruz Stigmata. 1 - Walmart didn't buy Viathon. And when you have fun, you ride more." Everyone knows that Black Friday is this week, but Walmart and Viathon can't wait until then to. If theres a model for how to build a mountain bike community from next to nothing, Bentonville is it. He noted, Ive ridden and owned basically everything they sell over that time: Yeti, Santa Cruz, Ibis, Ventana, Pivot, Open, Pinarello, Wilier, Cervelo, Ridley.. Join Outside+ to get complete access to exclusive content on VeloNews, training plans for road and gravel, and more. The history of the bicycle business is, in one sense, a history of powerful outsiders coming in to teach us dumb yokels how things are done in the Big Leagues. With that in mind, it seems appropriate that Walmart is finally sinking its teeth into producing a line of proper bikes. I followed with an opinion column about Viathon's unique formation, business model and value proposition. And while the bikes may be sold on Walmarts website at some point, theres no mention ofselling in stores, which would put the bikes in front of a broader audience. The company cited industry data. In that sense, Viathon hit the nail on the head.. So Viathon designed & engineered three bikes - the R.1, G.1 & M.1 - each new carbon frames unique to the brand (designs owned by Viathon, ie. It confidently climbed over gravel, roots, and rocks. These are just my opinions. 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. The geometry, however, told a different story than what Viathon portrayed as the M1s intent, and it felt much more like an XC race bike, than an everyday trail bike. The Best Black Friday Deals for Cyclists - Bicycling I just got a G1 1x Rival a few weeks ago, and really enjoyed on the the two rides I got in before the 12+ inches of snow last night and today. Turner Bikes - Titanium Mountain & Gravel Bikes Born To Perform Turner Bikes COME SEE US AT THE 2023 SEA OTTER CLASSIC, APRIL 20th - 23rd at Booth B15 & Meet our newest bike - The Scrub! Mountain - M.1. Its for someone who wants to ride the whole mountain, up, down, and everything in between., The new face of a Walmart bike? For bikes, Walmart has historically been an opening price point mass vendor, as Spinhirne-Martin put it. We have incredible traffic on our site. That fits the narrative of this bike overall: It may lack the personality of a racing bicycle that costs twice as much, but it shows up for work and does its job reliably. A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine [natethomas] The cables just felt like they were being dragged through molasses, and the full-length housing runs meant there was a fair bit of compression leading to a mushy feel at the lever. All rights reserved. Review: Viathon G.1 Carbon Gravel Bike - cxmagazine.com Support Us | Widgets, Explore So I have plenty of experience with frame geo and mechanics. Viathon G1 Bike: Getting Rolling - Riding Gravel But given youd be in person with the bike store, theyd most likely have a better chance in getting the specifics absolutely dialled. We are not focusing on the connection but not hiding it either, Spinhirne-Martin said. Viathon M.1 GX Eagle Mountain Bike Review | SRAM GX EagleI was amazed how light this bike was and how well it climbed!Viathon was kind enough to send me over. And while its far from a silky-smooth ride (Ill come back to this), frame compliance was a design factor. And yep, the frame can be setup with either 1x or 2x gearing. The Viathon G1 comes in five sizes ranging from 52cm to 60cm in 2cm increments. For many consumers, budget concerns are only part of the equation. Question: When Will Viathon Bikes Go On Sale - BikeHike Where the Viathon differs from the Stigmata is in its bottom bracket height, with the G.1 sitting some 3 mm higher in the air. Sign up to receive GearJunkie content direct to your inbox. 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. Walmart will sell bikes under this brand soon with price tags up to $6,000. Its noon on Michigans Upper Peninsula, where I came to ride Copper Harbor and the IMBA-ordained network in and near Marquette. Had Viathon hit the market five years ago with this narrative, it would have owned the high-end-value space. Viathon aims to find out, and its got a good product to perform that experiment. And just like any other reality, outsiders ignore ours at their peril. 2 - You can't buy these bikes at a Walmart. Viathon is for riders who appreciate uncontrived quality, demand craftsmanship but recognize value, who pedal for health yet savor the ride. The new BMC URS is one of the most innovative and progressive gravel bikes on the market. go tubeless they said it will be fun they said. Crickets. Internal cable routing keeps the frame clean and streamlined. Spinhirne-Martin tells me to look around the Laguna Seca Raceway, which is teeming with fans, baggy shorts-wearing bros, and Lycra-clad racers with rippling muscles. So were considering lateral stiffness, vertical compliance, weight, ride feel, cornering stability, and even the finish. It bordered on jarring on frost-heaved pavement, especially in the front end. Launched earlier this year, its line blows the image of a "Walmart bike" out of the water. Of all the GRX bikes on test, this one shifted with the worst lever feel. Its also important to note whats not in the current lineup: womens bikes, utility bikes, and e-bikes. Its one of the biggest online merchants in the world, No. The bikes graphics are understated, which is fitting to the overall narrative of this bike. In some cases the customers know exactly what they want, but if they dont then the service agent can help determine whats best by running through a few questions about the rider and desired riding position..

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