Slow down on the rider owned rant
- Thread starter J dub
- Start date
Collin.
Member
Seriously, just because the owner isn't like pro, doesn't mean they don't listen to the riders to make the best parts for the riders. Honestly, most of the rider owned companies, are good and all, but lag on getting parts out and are making every part, Like phoenix. Because phoenix actually has someone to spend the time on the business, not riding everyday. I hate when people make a huge deal about companies having to be "rider owned." In the bike or skate world, how many legit companies are owned by actual riders? It doesn't matter. I completely agree with Tom on this one.
you guys are saying tsi is rider owned, well if your going to talk shit about phoenix you may as well talk shit about tsi because both owners are 40+ year old business men. no thom cat does not ride everyday.
[InMyOpinion]TSI, PROTO, Tilt, RAD, Addict, and WEE is where its at. They have given this sport a better image and reputation rather than crappy parts, and mass production. They truly care about the sports future more than the money.[/InMyOpinion]
J dub
Bronze member
Yep and props for being one of the innovators to jumpstart the scoot industry as we know it
I respect a company based on what they've made and the quality they produce. Pheonix IMO is rider owned AND produce top quality. Tom may not ride scooters on the daily but he deffinetly understands the riding environment and the abuse his parts will be put through. He's ridden bmx well before Razor scooters were ever an idea, as well as other sports he's listed. That is more than enough experience to understand what people will be putting phoenix parts through. Not to mention the rider feedback he receives from his team.
On the other hand he also has years of engineering/manufacturing experience and resources to make it happen.
Now i know you all consider RAD as a rider owned company but look at how little I've been able to do in comparison. I make bars. And it has taken ALOT of time and money just to get to the point i am now. I sold T bars for a few years before i even had the money to buy a TIG welder<(to keep up with quality of other companies) and tube bender just so i could make CrowBars. which were an idea years before i was able to make them, it just cost me a lot to get setup in making them myself. And it will take another decade or two before my garage shop has the same capabilities that most big companies in this sport already have.
Just cause it is rider owned doesn't mean it is going to be successful. Obviously rad is less successful than most other companies. But at least were original.
what pisses me off is that after all the time and money i put into being able to make crowbars myself, companies who already start with full manufacturing facilities come in and copy the designs we made popular and offer nothing in return. These companies I do not respect in our sport because they are hurting my company and any other company they steal designs from. MADD copies... lucky pry bars?.. at least karma got lucky in the form of vertX lol how un-lucky..
I think situations like this are what causes the whole rider owned debate in the first place.
If they came in and worked with the originals instead of stealing from them i think both the small rider based companies AND the big oem factories would profit more.
Thing is these companies are manufacturing companies who found some easy money in our sport. They are already setup with advanced machine tools.. most are scooter kids dads who happen to own or work in a shop. Or big china OEM factories.
Companies like RAD TSI and PROTO however started in garages at home and have had to try to build up their own manufacturing facilities which sucks up literally ALL profits. Or they decide to outsource their products to other fabrication shops.
On the other hand he also has years of engineering/manufacturing experience and resources to make it happen.
Now i know you all consider RAD as a rider owned company but look at how little I've been able to do in comparison. I make bars. And it has taken ALOT of time and money just to get to the point i am now. I sold T bars for a few years before i even had the money to buy a TIG welder<(to keep up with quality of other companies) and tube bender just so i could make CrowBars. which were an idea years before i was able to make them, it just cost me a lot to get setup in making them myself. And it will take another decade or two before my garage shop has the same capabilities that most big companies in this sport already have.
Just cause it is rider owned doesn't mean it is going to be successful. Obviously rad is less successful than most other companies. But at least were original.
what pisses me off is that after all the time and money i put into being able to make crowbars myself, companies who already start with full manufacturing facilities come in and copy the designs we made popular and offer nothing in return. These companies I do not respect in our sport because they are hurting my company and any other company they steal designs from. MADD copies... lucky pry bars?.. at least karma got lucky in the form of vertX lol how un-lucky..
I think situations like this are what causes the whole rider owned debate in the first place.
If they came in and worked with the originals instead of stealing from them i think both the small rider based companies AND the big oem factories would profit more.
Thing is these companies are manufacturing companies who found some easy money in our sport. They are already setup with advanced machine tools.. most are scooter kids dads who happen to own or work in a shop. Or big china OEM factories.
Companies like RAD TSI and PROTO however started in garages at home and have had to try to build up their own manufacturing facilities which sucks up literally ALL profits. Or they decide to outsource their products to other fabrication shops.
Robert
Tr0ll
thats like saying phoenix is rider owned because they sponsor riders and every other company that sponsors people
bumpppp
Yeah, I'm bringing the argument back up.
The reason I don't support non-rider owned companies, is because, it just doesn't feel right.
I ride my scooter, I fucking love riding my scooter, so much I can't even describe it, and I want the people behind my parts to be riders too. I don't want just any scooter rider behind my parts, oh no, I want someone who loves the fuck out of this sport, someone who rides every chance they get. I ride my scooter whenever I can, and I will ride until I literally cannot walk, I will destroy myself, all day trying a trick, and still love standing on my scooter. I will go to the skatepark sunday morning, hungover, puddles everywhere, its cold and shitty out, and theres not a chance of anyone else showing up, knock the water off my shoes and just ride. I try as hard as I can when I'm riding, even when theres no cameras there, nobody to see that cool trick I've been trying for hours, no scooter kids to comment on my video on youtube, but just for the love of it, and thats the kind of person I want behind the parts I ride, and it just doesn't feel right any other way.
/rant
Yeah, I'm bringing the argument back up.
The reason I don't support non-rider owned companies, is because, it just doesn't feel right.
I ride my scooter, I fucking love riding my scooter, so much I can't even describe it, and I want the people behind my parts to be riders too. I don't want just any scooter rider behind my parts, oh no, I want someone who loves the fuck out of this sport, someone who rides every chance they get. I ride my scooter whenever I can, and I will ride until I literally cannot walk, I will destroy myself, all day trying a trick, and still love standing on my scooter. I will go to the skatepark sunday morning, hungover, puddles everywhere, its cold and shitty out, and theres not a chance of anyone else showing up, knock the water off my shoes and just ride. I try as hard as I can when I'm riding, even when theres no cameras there, nobody to see that cool trick I've been trying for hours, no scooter kids to comment on my video on youtube, but just for the love of it, and thats the kind of person I want behind the parts I ride, and it just doesn't feel right any other way.
/rant
Jamie Gantz
Steel Member
cool comment.
Dom Marconi
Silver Member
Keenan Still
Steel Member
everyone doesnt love there scooter that much, but honestly i dont give a shit if a rider owns a company, its hard for an everyday scooter rider like me and all of you, to own a fucking company successfully and produce good parts, not everyone can do it. I dont give a shit if a soccer mom owns it. I just care about riders designing the parts. I think the best company would be a rider finding someone to invest a good amount of money in their company, so if they had good ideas, they could produce good quality parts.
KyrinBingaman
Silver Member
I get where Parrish is coming from. I don't want some owner that just rides a scooter once or twice a year just to make his company look good. Its great to see someone that truly loves the sport for the sport, not for the money they make.
Derek Seay
Member
The honest truth is, Rider-owned companies are going to struggle 10x more then the non-rider owned companies. It's just how it is. Most of the revenues to any company come straight from the little kids or our sport, and they will buy what "Looks cool". Most rider owned companies don't make their parts to look cool, they are made to be strong. therefore, the non-rider owned companies will be raking in the profits due to kids liking the image of their merchandise. Take MGP for example, they make so much money because of the amount of contests, advertisements, etc. Small companies such as TSI don't have the money to produce these advertisements, or set up contests. So kids won't know about them. I get asked all the time as to who or what TSI is. I have never once found a kid who doesn't know what MGP or Phoenix is. That's just my "two cents" on the matter.
