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My email to Cycle Gear CEO was ANSWERED

I think I'd shop at Cycle Gear more if they'd do price matching for online retailers. As it stands, there's no real reason for me to spend ~$20 in gas to head over to the nearest Cycle Gear to try on clothing when I can go through Revzilla and order a few sizes of some jackets I was thinking of getting and ship the ones I don't want back-- and all for free.

I'd also like to see Cycle Gear stock ultra high end gear for test fitting and do direct ordering to your door. I feel ultra expensive gear is a profit sector that B&M stores still have an advantage they aren't tapping into. Most people will window shop at B&M stores and order online because it will be cheaper and likely not handled by lots of other people. If you combined the price matching stated above with shipping the product, inspected and unmolested, from the warehouse to your door as fast as the online retailers did, I'm sure more people looking for higher end gear would be inclined to shop there.

Built is good entry level stuff for people looking to have some kind of safety, but I wonder what moon magic and wizardry goes into the marketing department where enough people actually ride motorcycles and scooters to purchase entry gear at a B&M store with a shitton of employees working at any given time to keep the store in the black. I'm surprised Cycle Gear doesn't market Sedici and Built to places like Wal*Mart, Sports Authority, Autozone, Pep Boys, and Big 5, really.
 
"what diz da BiLT-a?" Imma busy shopping at the Dianese store and Scuderia, where GearChic tells me what to buy!

:teeth
 
It's interesting for me to read this thread as I rode back in a day when if you didn't have a ABC, Bates or Vanson suit or a couple local leather tailors, you were buying cheap foreign stuff and the suit was going to fall off of you when you hit the ground. Fast forward 30 years and not much has changed except the brands we were leery of are the elite manufacturers now. fwiw :laughing

I for one have enjoyed my experiences with Cycle Gear stores in the Bay Area and go to the stores when I need what they have for my motorcycling experience. And the staff at every store has been friendly, professional and a motorcycle enthusiast. :thumbup
 
I just got an anonymous hot tip from an unnamed source. All the Cycle Gear big wigs will be at the Pacheco Cycle Gear store tomorrow, Monday the 11th. Unfortunately, no time is known but if anyone is going to be making a Cycle Gear run tomorrow, if you see the Cycle Gear big wigs, SPEAK UP!
 
I liked CG better when they had all that Icon crap instead..! :p

Other then that. CG is only good now for tyres, bike cleaning products and lubricants...! :eboy

Go to the Dainese store in SF for some real gear. Or, save up all your money and go down to Laguna Seca in July for all the gear in the world that money can buy, they'll even have better deals with zero taxes if you pay cash..! :party
 
I like my Street and Steel textile jacket. Not a thing wrong with it. Lots of things right with it. I'm not sure any mfr. makes textile jackets anywhere else besides China or the Third World. I ordered a Joe Rocket tex online and the thing didn't fit even though the specs told me it should. That was a week of wasted time. I saw no Significant qualitative difference between the S&S and Joe Rocket, Tourmaster, or Fieldsheer. Thanks to CG I was able to try the damn thing on and walk out of there with a jacket that I knew fit me right. I owned a brick and mortar business. Your overhead is a killer compared to the online competitor who opens up in an industrial park in CheapestTaxesSmallestTargetFor Govt.ExtortiveTaxesandRegs, USA. Can it truly be that some motorcyclists are blind to the fact that Walmartization is the new fact of retail life in America, thanks in no small part to the online wolves who are putting everyone else out of business? Be glad CG is there so you can try on that Shoei helmet for size and then order it from HelmetMania.com.
 
Phenom said:
I just got an anonymous hot tip from an unnamed source. All the Cycle Gear big wigs will be at the Pacheco Cycle Gear store tomorrow, Monday the 11th. Unfortunately, no time is known but if anyone is going to be making a Cycle Gear run tomorrow, if you see the Cycle Gear big wigs, SPEAK UP!
Click to expand...

UPDATE: CEO, CFO, etc etc will be at Pacheco CG around 2 - 2:30. My unnamed source is requesting face to face feedback if anyone is in that area and wants to go.
 
I used to really like going into CG. They used to have a good selection of good stuff there and the staff was always really cool and very helpful. They still are, but there is just nothing there I want now. Outside of the stuff that Joe mentioned, I don't bother. Every so often they will have a visor I need for my Shoei etc, and I've bought some nice luggace items there. But gear that goes on the body? Not any more. I've tried some of this Sedicci stuff to see what it was about. It's garbage. It all got returned.

I did hear they were going to start carrying the Rev'it brand. This is good news. But are they actually going to have enough in the store to make it worth my while to go there and see? I hope so. I like to see it, touch it, try it on and walk out with it. If I have to go there and then friggin order everything, I won't bother; I'll just go through the channels I have been forced to go to now.
 
Anyone met the CEO??? Got your questions asnwered?
CG sells 95% in store low quality Crap.
 
NoTraffic said:
Just my .02 cents,

Congrats to the CEO replying to you. He values customer input and feedback. CG is there to make profits, how many riders do we see being squidly with no protection or gear on while riding? Quite a few! CG is out to get not only the entry level rider but also the economical rider.

Since CG is a national brand and NOT a local establishment, they are using their chain of stores to service the entire rider market, not specialty high end items that your local establishment specializes in and values. It works because it is the ONLY store where you can get the cheapest gear. Think about that. It is a breeding ground to expose more "possible" riders to think that getting into motorcycles does not have to be that expensive. Where else can you buy a $200 "leather" motorcycle jacket in-person?

Onwards, these riders who first shopped there will then go to higher-end specialty products. Of course, when you look at the market curve, your entry-level market will always be the highest, especially in the motorcycle space.

Can't blame CG for what they are doing to stay afloat.
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Yes...and then, because CG took care of you as a new rider, you'll go back for tires, lube, oil and the other commodities like so many others have mentioned. Funny how people talk down about CG's business practices, but don't bitch when they need oil/tires/tools/whatever on a Sunday or Monday...

I love it. "They suck...except when I need this or that and it's just so darned convenient to go to a store that I know will be open more than bankers' hours..." Buncha whiny hypocrites.

Honestly, how often do you people buy new, high-end gear anyway? The money is in the turns - they aren't going to stock the shelves, tying up hundreds of thousands of dollars in inventory, waiting for you to come around every two years to maybe buy something if the colors and logos are right.

lokest18 said:
Anyone met the CEO??? Got your questions asnwered?
CG sells 95% in store low quality Crap.
Click to expand...

Yes, I have, and he's one of the most stand-up guys you could ever want to meet. You know anyone else who literally employs 500+ motorcyclists?
 
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FoolishMortal said:
Yes...and then, because CG took care of you as a new rider, you'll go back for tires, lube, oil and the other commodities.

Honestly, how often do you people buy new, high-end gear anyway? The money is in the turns - they aren't going to stock the shelves, tying up hundreds of thousands of dollars in inventory, waiting for you to come around every two years to maybe buy something if the colors and logos are right.



Yes, I have, and he's one of the most stand-up guys you could ever want to meet. You know anyone else who literally employs 500+ motorcyclists?
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Well said. CG is a *for profit* business so if they are making a profit with whatever method now, they will continue to let it ride as with most of other businesses. The method will not be altered unless there's a need to. Can't see anything wrong with being able to make profit and keep people employ.
 
Their three house brands have been a direct developement from Frank Thomas going under. The facts are, these brands are price point purchases that allow CG to have product no one else has and therefor can get their desired margin from these products without competition from online sellers. Most motorcyclists do not put more than a couple thousand miles on their bikes in a year and, like most consumers in this economy, are searching for the almighty "bang for their buck" and perceived value. Cycle Gear, while you may consider them to be a Super Store, are still a local business. A local based business that employs over 650 motorcyclists. We, as motorcyclists, can have an informed opinion and purchase the gear we choose. But, if selling these house brands is what keeps a local business thriving and employing so many of us, then I say more power to them. I worked for the Gear for 6 years and am a competitor of theirs to this day. It used to be when they opened a new store, they blew everyones mind. There was a huge selection of Arai, Shoei, ALpinestar, Dainese, Fox etc. By using so much of their inventory to promote their own brands and offer price concious products to the "masses", they have opened up the market place for others to compete with them by carrying more of the name products that many savvy riders look for. Having said that, there is a reason TourMaster and Cortech and HJC are the number one sellers for any motorcycle dealerhip/shop. Because they are price point purchases for consumers. Eventually there will be a swing back to a 60/40 split between house brands and known brands. But at this point in time, the house brands, their turns and their profit margins are what is keeping the largest retailer of motorbike goods thriving. You have the choice to buy what you want. But I can't see a reason to flame them for doing what it takes to stay successful
 
I agree with Foolish Mortal's comments above. CG is great for what it is. It's not a D-Store. It's not a KTM parts depot. But when I needed a Husaberg oil filter, the little RWC store had it in stock. When I needed a certain kind of chain lube or Water Wetter, ditto. Tie downs, check. I don't live near Scuderia or Road Rider or any other BARF-popular biz, and I like being able to support a store that's not in another state. Finally, the employees at the RWC location, while young and perhaps not knowledgeable about *everything*, have always been helpful and enthusiastic. (And, I should note, I've seen them working with new riders on helmet fit and they seemed to know what they were doing!).
 
First: Props for writing the letter, and props for the CEO responding with something more than a template email...

I just read this whole thread....(slow day at work), and realized several things...Many people on Barf promote ATTGATT....So, is it better to be wrapped in "Bilt Crap" or in a windbreaker, work gloves and jeans? Also, there are people that CAN afford the $700 jacket, and the $450 pants, or the $2000 custom suit or the $1900 off the rack, but what about the people that can't? Do they ride without "proper" gear until they can afford the top of the line stuff? Yes, I realize that there are more options...but when I started riding, my local dealers had probably 90% top end gear and helmets, with 10% of the brands like HJC and KBC.

Though, I do not own bilt or sedici gear, I have heard the same things that everyone has said about this stuff apply to Frank Thomas, Scorpion, and Icon. Hell, I remember seeing Scorpion and Icon helmets at some races many years back, and they were $75 and $50 bucks.

Granted, I don't know enough about the quality of that gear first hand....So, it may be genuinely crap...But as in another thread, Price point doesn't ALWAYS make a difference of quality (for better or worse).

So, It doesn't matter if it is CG, Walmart, Target, Sears, Helimot, or RoadRider, if you don't like it, don't shop there. For me, I think it is more important that rider have the accessibility to gear, than to not, even if it is a one crash jacket or suit. At least, they had something besides jeans and a windbreaker.

Yes, CG is not the same as it used to be...So what! Times change, stores change, and for better or worse, that is the way it goes. I think CG is doing a great job with providing gear for a long ignored sector....but as far as the higher end stuff.....I am sure that none of us have a problem with knowing where to go to find it....and by the sounds of it....It maybe an hour and a half away to the Sac CG....
 
Selling more BILT is about bigger margins.

Its obvious that CG is pushing more BILT crap because they are making it for next to nothing in China. The profit margin is probably 2x or 3x what they can make off the quality name brands. With the economy suffering and more low income folks turning to two wheels this strategy makes sense to a profit seeking CEO. They're simply trying to increase profits in a market where they have to compete against internet discounts and sell to increasingly broke riders. However, it does suck for the more discerning riders. I stopped shopping in Pleasanton once I noticed the huge volume of Bilt gear. In my mind, a store that's trying to sell so much worthless crap has nothing to offer me because they no longer have any credibility. In the long term the brick and motar side of CG will eventually disappear as folks begin to realize what it lacks. I see no reason to stop and shop anymore.
 
I might be wrong, but I like to think that if it weren't for the low-priced Bilt/Sedici gear, many more people would be riding without gear.

I'd also like to mention that they make plus-sized women's gear, which is almost impossible to find.

I have a pair of Bilt summer meshy pants (with armor). Yes, the quality is nowhere near that of my Olympia pants, but they fit me perfectly.
 
1%_Spawn said:
Its obvious that CG is pushing more BILT crap because they are making it for next to nothing in China. The profit margin is probably 2x or 3x what they can make off the quality name brands. With the economy suffering and more low income folks turning to two wheels this strategy makes sense to a profit seeking CEO. They're simply trying to increase profits in a market where they have to compete against internet discounts and sell to increasingly broke riders. However, it does suck for the more discerning riders. I stopped shopping in Pleasanton once I noticed the huge volume of Bilt gear. In my mind, a store that's trying to sell so much worthless crap has nothing to offer me because they no longer have any credibility. In the long term the brick and motar side of CG will eventually disappear as folks begin to realize what it lacks. I see no reason to stop and shop anymore.
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:laughing

It's awesome (and amazing) that you have such a view into DB's thought process! However, there's a little detail that you seem to have missed, which is that manufacturing costs can be greatly reduced when you're factory direct rather than paying the mark-ups of two, three or even four distributors (middle-men).

Reasonable quality at a great price for an under-served market is the name of the game here. Affordable gear for entry-level riders and/or the t-shirt/jeans crowd is a win-win. :cool

Oh, and yes, businesses are in business to make money. It's what they do, it's the American Dream. "The business of America is business", remember? No profit = no business, so don't back a business that fills a niche and makes money in the process. Capitalism is how we roll and CG has been in business for 35+ years by making good decisions, and I don't see how that should change now because you bitch about a particular line of gear.
 
FoolishMortal said:
:laughing

It's awesome (and amazing) that you have such a view into DB's thought process! However, there's a little detail that you seem to have missed, which is that manufacturing costs can be greatly reduced when you're factory direct rather than paying the mark-ups of two, three or even four distributors (middle-men).

Reasonable quality at a great price for an under-served market is the name of the game here. Affordable gear for entry-level riders and/or the t-shirt/jeans crowd is a win-win. :cool

Oh, and yes, businesses are in business to make money. It's what they do, it's the American Dream. "The business of America is business", remember? No profit = no business, so don't back a business that fills a niche and makes money in the process. Capitalism is how we roll and CG has been in business for 35+ years by making good decisions, and I don't see how that should change now because you bitch about a particular line of gear.
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I didn't miss a thing. I'm a Supplier Quality Engineer with 20 years of manufacturing and engineering experience. I've been to China and all over Asia working in various types of factories. I'm all in for capitalism and cutting out the middle men, but some of the Bilt gear has very poor workmanship and the materials are of the lowest standards. That's just a fact. I simply choose to take my business elsewhere which is how capitalism works. You must own or manage a CG store because you drank the coolaid big time.

A Google search tells me that you have a history of defending this brand. Your motives are very transparent. Your spin on the factory direct aspect was amusing. Take your noise somewhere else.
 
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