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Sign of the Times?
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 2016-02-20 10:48 AM |
Regular  156  |  Subject: Sign of the Times?A couple of weeks ago I received an email announcing the closing of a local triathlon shop. Final Kick of Virginia Beach was closing its doors after many years serving the multi-sport community.There were no specifics given though I suppose a little digging may have revealed the reason(s). They were a Cervelo dealer and sold running shoes, wetsuits and various triathlon accoutrements. They sponsored a tri club and some local races as well. I bought my first wetsuit from them. My initial inclination is that the closing is a direct result of what I see as a decline or at least cyclical downturn in the sport's populatiry. The decrease in traffic on this website and disappearance of many longtime posters bolsters this belief. I have posted myself about my journey in the sport and chronicled my everchanging perspective. An initial attraction for me was the fact that it seemed to be somewhat of a fringe sport. It seems to have reached somewhat of a saturation point. In some respects I too have moved on. I still very much enjoy SBR and the occasional race but some of the passion has ebbed. Okay, obvious stated and dead horse beaten. The end. |
| 2016-02-20 11:17 AM in reply to: CBess |
319 Sarasota, Florida | Subject: RE: Sign of the Times? I have had a hard time trying to recruit people because I always get these excuses in order of popularity: "I suck at swimming", "I get ear infections in water", "I hate running", "I thought I'd like it until I did my first brick". Obstacle course racing and crossfit seem to be all the rage around here, tempted to do one of those while wearing a tri shirt. but right now triathlon is still my dominate hobby. |
| 2016-02-20 11:30 AM in reply to: runtim23 |
538 Brooklyn, New York | Subject: RE: Sign of the Times? I got into this year and a half ago. I am still fairly new, but the appeal of it is the all-consuming challenge. 3 disciplines, constant work and time and effort put in. I don't have kids and I don't care how much I spend on this. If I did, as others do, I could see it knocking off a lot of people in the long haul, as it's got to take a lot more to push it all with kids and financial constraints, and the constancy of the work to get better. This, from still a relative newbies POV |
| 2016-02-20 12:45 PM in reply to: 0 |
Extreme Veteran 5722 | Subject: RE: Sign of the Times? Originally posted by CBess A couple of weeks ago I received an email announcing the closing of a local triathlon shop. Final Kick of Virginia Beach was closing its doors after many years serving the multi-sport community.There were no specifics given though I suppose a little digging may have revealed the reason(s). They were a Cervelo dealer and sold running shoes, wetsuits and various triathlon accoutrements. They sponsored a tri club and some local races as well. I bought my first wetsuit from them. My initial inclination is that the closing is a direct result of what I see as a decline or at least cyclical downturn in the sport's populatiry. The decrease in traffic on this website and disappearance of many longtime posters bolsters this belief. I have posted myself about my journey in the sport and chronicled my everchanging perspective. An initial attraction for me was the fact that it seemed to be somewhat of a fringe sport. It seems to have reached somewhat of a saturation point. In some respects I too have moved on. I still very much enjoy SBR and the occasional race but some of the passion has ebbed. Okay, obvious stated and dead horse beaten. The end. IMO, ya, kinda, but no, not completely :-) it's getting harder and harder for brick and mortar stores to survive. I worked in an industry that helped all the major retailers across the world adjust to the new reality. It's not just about "having a website" anymore. It is very hard for the small guy to compete and it's fact it will be harder and harder. Think about it. I can go get a Retul fit, order a bike online and have it setup to my exact dimensions and then use Velofix to come to my door to service it. Way more convenient, way cheaper. I ordered parts from the UK. I had them at my doorstep 2 days later, 40% cheaper than I could get locally. As for traffic, there are other websites that are not seeing declines. Many longtime posters are simply "elsewhere". And you can definitely hear the tone of "those were the good ol'days on BT" in their comments For the sport, my gut tells me things are flat in terms of growth, but I'm not sure there is rapid decline (yet). Edited by marcag 2016-02-20 12:46 PM |
| 2016-02-20 1:22 PM in reply to: CBess |
| 39 Temperance, Michigan | Subject: RE: Sign of the Times? Online seems to be killing these type of stores. However I think you are right the number of people joining the sport has dropped drastically. It is an expensive sport not just the gear but the entry fees can really add up which I think deters some folks from dong triathlons all together . |
| 2016-02-20 2:30 PM in reply to: Bocrunning |
| 319 Sarasota, Florida | Subject: RE: Sign of the Times? Floridians are lucky in that respect. We have the ocean and heat so no need for a pool. I'm doing it with a mtb and tri shorts. I haven't spent too much on the sport mostly because my disposable income has dropped drastically from 2 years ago due to new commitments. I have a lot of hobbies that have potential to get really expensive but there are approaches to it but I still buy my gear from local shops. Not sure my minimal contribution helps much but I do recognize the challenge of cyber competition. I think a niche certainly helps in that respect unless you have a fundamental strategy to change the cyber environment. |
| 2016-02-20 3:33 PM in reply to: marcag |
1300 | Subject: RE: Sign of the Times? Originally posted by marcag x 2I don't think there's a tri store within a 2'hr drive and I live just outside a big city. Surrounded by a pretty active multi sport community. Most any we'll run race in my neck of the woods is still going pretty strong. Yes things here have slowed way down. But not everyone agrees whyOriginally posted by CBessA couple of weeks ago I received an email announcing the closing of a local triathlon shop. Final Kick of Virginia Beach was closing its doors after many years serving the multi-sport community.There were no specifics given though I suppose a little digging may have revealed the reason(s). They were a Cervelo dealer and sold running shoes, wetsuits and various triathlon accoutrements. They sponsored a tri club and some local races as well. I bought my first wetsuit from them. My initial inclination is that the closing is a direct result of what I see as a decline or at least cyclical downturn in the sport's populatiry. The decrease in traffic on this website and disappearance of many longtime posters bolsters this belief. I have posted myself about my journey in the sport and chronicled my everchanging perspective. An initial attraction for me was the fact that it seemed to be somewhat of a fringe sport. It seems to have reached somewhat of a saturation point. In some respects I too have moved on. I still very much enjoy SBR and the occasional race but some of the passion has ebbed. Okay, obvious stated and dead horse beaten. The end. IMO, ya, kinda, but no, not completely :-)it's getting harder and harder for brick and mortar stores to survive. I worked in an industry that helped all the major retailers across the world adjust to the new reality. It's not just about "having a website" anymore. It is very hard for the small guy to compete and it's fact it will be harder and harder. Think about it. I can go get a Retul fit, order a bike online and have it setup to my exact dimensions and then use Velofix to come to my door to service it. Way more convenient, way cheaper.I ordered parts from the UK. I had them at my doorstep 2 days later, 40% cheaper than I could get locally.As for traffic, there are other websites that are not seeing declines. Many longtime posters are simply "elsewhere". And you can definitely hear the tone of "those were the good ol'days on BT" in their commentsFor the sport, my gut tells me things are flat in terms of growth, but I'm not sure there is rapid decline (yet). |
| 2016-02-20 3:42 PM in reply to: 0 |
| 108 | Subject: RE: Sign of the Times? if you bought your first gear from them while tri was a fringe sport, and now tri has reached saturation, it would seem to me that the lack of triathletes was not the reason for doors closing. I agree that it is increased competition, not lack of buyers. Edited by Dutchcrush 2016-02-20 3:44 PM |
| 2016-02-22 4:14 AM in reply to: Goggles Pizzano |
| Subject: RE: Sign of the Times? I also have a couple hour drive to a Tri store, or even a larger bike store. The locals ones are more geared towards the urban bikes, like for park paths. I try to make the drive to buy, but nothihg opens until 10am, then shopping time and driving home. This is really hard on a 3rd shifter like myself. I do always hit the local shops on vacation, just to see what I can buy. Joe |
| 2016-02-22 9:03 AM in reply to: CBess |
| 261 | Subject: RE: Sign of the Times? In regards to the retail store... that's the harsh reality we live in. As others have said, I can order just about anything online for substantially less than I can buy in-store. I try to shop locally whenever possible, but when you are talking $500+ in savings, it makes it difficult to justify. In regards the this site... I started triathlon a little over a year and a half ago and initially spent quite a bit of time on this site. As I learned more about S/B/R I found myself gravitating towards another well known multisport site as the conversations were more in-depth and technical in nature whereas they seem to be basic and repetitive here. Just my two cents |
| 2016-02-22 9:38 AM in reply to: CBess |
Extreme Veteran 909 Westchester, NY | Subject: RE: Sign of the Times? Tri specific stores are fairly nonexistent in my market. The running stores offer other tri related stuff, but it's not their thrust. The bike shops barely cater to tri peeps because, let's just say it, tri is a small community. The websites ? They do what they do. As to the drop in BT posters ? This is Beginner Triathlete. Those that have moved on are looking for more than this site now offers. |
| 2016-02-22 3:13 PM in reply to: CBess |
Veteran 301 Smithfield, VA | Subject: RE: Sign of the Times? I bought my bike at Final Kick, so I was sad to see them close. I've been doing tri's for about 6 years now, or so. I'm not as passionate about them at the moment as I was when I first started, but I find my interest in most of my hobbies comes and goes. Primarily, my kids are now at an age where they have a ton of activities throughout the week, and they still want me there with them. I know that'll change, so I'm enjoying it while it lasts. I still do a couple sprints/oly's every year, mainly so the wife doesn't get on me to sell my gear.  In a few more years, I'll definitely give the long courses another go. Lot's of new options out there. |
| 2016-02-22 3:21 PM in reply to: 0 |
| 928 | Subject: RE: Sign of the Times? Triathlon is growing, not declining. But as others have said there is more competition, especially from online retailers. Physical stores generally have to charge higher prices in order to do well. It's a niche market and some people will like having the personal service, but not enough. We have a few triathlon stores here in town that tend to specialize in bike and swim gear (since there are so many running stores). They seem to do well, but they are small and there aren't many. Online forums have dropped in popularity in general, but that doesn't reflect a drop in participation in the sport. People are using social media sites more than forums, especially newcomers to the sport. Edited by jennifer_runs 2016-02-22 3:23 PM |
| 2016-02-22 7:52 PM in reply to: jennifer_runs |
Veteran 186 Virginia Beach | Subject: RE: Sign of the Times? I also bought my bike at Final Kick... road it through two IMs, broke my collarbone on it, they fixed her up and road it again to several more tri finishes. Sad to hear the news... however, my passion as also waned and I have mostly moved on to kids, work, etc. But is has been a great journey and I still enjoy hanging on and logging workouts here and looking back at what I've done since 2008. To those new to BT and Tris... enjoy the swim, bike, run. |
| 2016-02-23 9:15 AM in reply to: 0 |
Champion 10668 Tacoma, Washington | Subject: RE: Sign of the Times? I just saw an announcement on FB that Speedy Reedy in Seattle is closing. Thank you and farewell……. To Our Customers: We want to thank you for the last 16 years –it has been a great ride. However, we are announcing we will be closing down Speedy Reedy. Many of you have watched our business and our family grow and evolve over the years. It is now time for us to evolve again. This business is no longer a good fit for our family’s changing needs, and it is time to move on. Over the course of the next 8 weeks, we will be selling our inventory and wrapping up the business. The start of the sale is effective immediately with all inventory at least 25% off. Each week the discounts will increase. An updated bike list and sale schedule will be available at speedyreedy.com later today. We thank you for the many years of patronage, support, and friendship. We will miss the commraderie, the race reports, and the friendly faces. Finally, we want to thank all the staff we have had over the years. Your contributions both personally and professionally cannot be quantified—from the bottom of our hearts we thank you. This business has taught us many lessons over the years, and we are so grateful for the experience and the people we have come to know along the way. It was always you, the people, who made it all worth it. Best Wishes, Edited by briderdt 2016-02-23 9:16 AM |
| 2016-02-23 5:35 PM in reply to: briderdt |
Extreme Veteran 1332 | Subject: RE: Sign of the Times? In my local market, there is no pure triathlon shop. We do however have a shop called "Fresh Air Experience, that expanded a few years ago opening up a "Fresh Air Concept". The concept store seemed to be partly because specialized wanted a concept store in our area. Fresh air is a full-on bike shop, a running shop, triathlon shop, ski/snowboard shop etc. I think this is the healthiest way for a tri shop to exist, as triathlon in of itself is so limiting, but having everything that a full bike shop, running shop in addition to triathlon specifics, and the winter sports for the colder market brings in a LOT more customers. I ride for a different Bike Shop in town, but I will go there for my running and tri specific needs. They've also done a phenomenal job at integrating their brand with local races, getting people out there in their kits etc. As for popularity of triathlon, we've seen a plateau in the growth locally, but sure haven't seen a decline at all. At least not yet. |
| 2016-02-24 10:10 AM in reply to: jennifer_runs |
Member 1083 | Subject: RE: Sign of the Times? Without a doubt social media is taking the place of forums. Also some of this is seasonal - even in Florida where we can race all year long January and February are sort of off season / also known as marathon season here in Miami. |
| 2016-02-24 1:32 PM in reply to: 0 |
Alpharetta, Georgia Bronze member | Subject: RE: Sign of the Times? I think a lot of it has to do with triathlon being a heavy "pay to get started" type of activity - which is where a lot of these stores probably had their initial successes. But once you have all of the big-ticket items (bike, helmet, shoes, wetsuit, etc.) - you're set. I've been doing triathlons for 10 years and the only purchases I need to make anymore are running shoes every ~year, tubes and nutrition. A stand-alone brick and mortar store isn't going to survive off of selling c02 and gels to seasoned athletes. It doesn't mean people aren't doing tris as much, it's just that a lot of us already have everything we need. Edited by lisac957 2016-02-24 1:32 PM |
| 2016-02-24 2:28 PM in reply to: lisac957 |
Pro 15655 | Subject: RE: Sign of the Times? Originally posted by lisac957 I think a lot of it has to do with triathlon being a heavy "pay to get started" type of activity - which is where a lot of these stores probably had their initial successes. But once you have all of the big-ticket items (bike, helmet, shoes, wetsuit, etc.) - you're set. I've been doing triathlons for 10 years and the only purchases I need to make anymore are running shoes every ~year, tubes and nutrition. A stand-alone brick and mortar store isn't going to survive off of selling c02 and gels to seasoned athletes. It doesn't mean people aren't doing tris as much, it's just that a lot of us already have everything we need. I don't know.....you, with 10 years experience just bought a new bike a couple of years ago if I remember right.. Experienced triathletes buy new wetsuits, bikes, shoes, power meters, blah,blah, blah. I'm talking about people who race 10-20 times per year....their junk gets broke and worn. Very simply.....tri specific stores can't compete with online stores. It's just too much of a niche market to carry every item made by every manufacturer.......all of your money ends up tied up in inventory that gets replaced by the latest thing every year or two. It's just unsustainable for a local shop. Triathlon is just fine.....and growing. But brick and mortar stores can't compete.....that's all. |
| 2016-02-26 7:07 AM in reply to: CBess |
Extreme Veteran 5722 | Subject: RE: Sign of the Times? Good interview on Babitville radio with a member of Triathlon Business international on the topic. Key points : - Things are flat. Previous 5-10% growth no longer there. Still healthy numbers but no growth - Problem demographic is 20-35 y.o. - Cost of equipment is the biggest barrier - Spartan races, colos runs...are the biggest competitor and taking away from the younger crowd. Organization is much simpler with no road closures, cost of equipment...starting later in the morning.... - Ironman has become the overwhelming dominant force - Hopeful than the US women's Olympic team may create a wave of excitement - Canada and US showing the same patterns |
| 2016-02-26 7:53 AM in reply to: marcag |
| 37 ROTHESAY, New Brunswick | Subject: RE: Sign of the Times? This is an interesting thread. I was big into triathlon in the late '90's early 2000's. It was a booming sport. Ironman Canada would sell out in hours, and you had to be in Penticton to register, forget about getting in online. Lake Placid would sell out in a matter of days. There were not a lot of Ironman races to choose from in North America at the time. I have been out of the tri scene pretty much since 2003, kids, moving around the country, life, other interests got in the way. This year I came back to the sport I loved. Things have changed. Ironman Canada has moved to Whistler, which shocked the hell out of me, and there are just more events. I was surprised to see a lot of Ironman races were not sold out, even in February. I thought the sport must be on the decline a bit. Then I noticed that not only are there more Ironman races to choose from, they are allowing more athletes to compete, 2500 athletes per race, up from 1800. I think the 70.3 series races are more popular than the full IM races now. As far as retail stores go, online sales are killing the brick and mortar shops. Doesn't matter what sport it is. I can sit in front of my computer, and with a few clicks of the mouse order everything I need to compete in a tri, and have it delivered to my door in 2 days. If I go to my local bike shop, chances are most of the gear I want, they'll have to order in anyway, and for some reason when a retailer orders something, it takes a week. One poster mentioned the decline in forum participation on BT, and blamed social media, I totally agree. Younger people in the sport are all about Instagram, Snapchat, etc, maybe Facebook. Social media takes up a lot of time for some people, add in training for this sport, working for a living and there is no time to come here to BT for a chat. Despite all the changes, triathlon remains the same, we all have to swim, bike and run. Pure and simple. |
| 2016-02-26 8:10 AM in reply to: 0 |
Extreme Veteran 1986 Cypress, TX | Subject: RE: Sign of the Times? Originally posted by marcag Good interview on Babitville radio with a member of Triathlon Business international on the topic. Key points : - Things are flat. Previous 5-10% growth no longer there. Still healthy numbers but no growth - Problem demographic is 20-35 y.o. - Cost of equipment is the biggest barrier - Spartan races, colos runs...are the biggest competitor and taking away from the younger crowd. Organization is much simpler with no road closures, cost of equipment...starting later in the morning.... - Ironman has become the overwhelming dominant force - Hopeful than the US women's Olympic team may create a wave of excitement - Canada and US showing the same patterns I think most other numbers show stagnant participation. I think USAT numbers support that as well. The reason a lot of people see a "decline" is due to the number of races that have died the last 3-5 years. That was just natural retraction of the industry. There were too many races that popped up in the '08-'12 time frame, and most of them were not very well run. I think by and large local and regional races have seen a decline. Ironman has been the obvious exception. They just keep growing and adding races. They are... good, bad, and/or indifferent... triathlon in North America right now. Forget 400 or 800 lb. gorilla status. Ironman is a 2,000 lb. gorilla on the industry. Their global reach is about to be insane with their new ownership. Challenge won't exist in a few years. Whenever I say that on ST people go nuts but I'm going to be correct on that. I predicted Challenge would fail miserably in North America and would be gone in five years because of their nonsensical business model and people jumped all over me. Guess who was right? I agree with the view of the 20-34 year olds. I think youth triathlon is on the rise and of course us 40-somethings kind of dominant the AG world and industry. But those millennials are a concern. You need those 25-25 year olds to turn into 40 year olds with more money that are still into triathlon. Brick and mortar stores cannot compete with the internet and/or the direct sales method that some bike manufacturers use or others are moving to. That's just for bikes. Forget equipment, accessories, and smaller items where a local shop can in no way compete with an internet site. The future, if there is one, for brick and mortar shops is in service (maintenance, fittings, etc.) and not in selling equipment. Even then we are seeing companies that pop up that will come to you and fix your bike or fit you on your bike. Edited by GMAN 19030 2016-02-26 8:18 AM |
| 2016-02-26 10:42 AM in reply to: GMAN 19030 |
| 1508 Cypress, Texas | Subject: RE: Sign of the Times? I have only read the few few post on this forum (but will read the rest later) but am surprised that there is a decline in the popularity of Triathlon. If the Triathlon isn't popular anymore what are people going to? Cyclocross? Mud/Warrior Runs? Martial Arts? Cross Fit? Marathons? Other?
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| 2016-02-26 12:27 PM in reply to: BlueBoy26 |
Pro 15655 | Subject: RE: Sign of the Times? Youth triathlon clubs are exploding.....Youth/Jr. elite events sell out in a matter of hours (yes, only 300 athletes total) with loooong waiting lists. A youth series like Rip Roar is instantly viable. College teams are on the rise and women's triathlon is now an NCAA sport. There are a few private colleges that even offer scholarships to male triathletes...and the number grows each year. USAT continues to up their support of elite Jrs. and has started to travel them around the world to compete in Jr. Elite races and continental cup races. The 20-30 year old demographic has always been light in triathlon.....that will change now that we have a generation of kids moving up through the ranks through Youth and Jr. programs. The one thing about the 40-60 year olds......they ALWAYS think the sky is falling and their time was the best time....nothing new there. Triathlon is fine.....and growing worldwide. |
| 2016-02-26 6:25 PM in reply to: #5168185 |
Expert 2373 Floriduh | Subject: RE: Sign of the Times? I agree, the races I have been to have not shown any diminishment in competitors. My interpretation is that brick and mortar has a tough time competing with the WWW |
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