With 11 out of the 12 bikes tested at Field Test having some iteration of GRX on it, youll know by now that it just works. Spinhirne-Martin says yes, and reiterated that he wants to grow the bike industry, not put other brands or bike shops out of business. The Shimano Dura Ace build with hydraulic disc brakes costs $5,850, and the Ultegra disc brake model is $3,575. And yep, the frame can be setup with either 1x or 2x gearing. Sure, its no Evil Chamois Hagar, and its perhaps even a tad smoother than the Cervelo Aspero, but only just, and certainly not through the front end. JRA with the Angry Asian: How much does 'soul' matter for bike brands Question: When Will Viathon Bikes Go On Sale - BikeHike In Marquette, a trail network overlays the infrastructure of a mining town, with outsize pipes and brick walls crumbling in the trees. Walmart will sell bikes under this brand soon with price tags up to $6,000. For sure we are also undergoing huge changes; times are tough now and likely to get tougher before they get better. go tubeless they said it will be fun they said. Hip Labrum Repair - How long did yours last? We are not focusing on the [Walmart] connection but not hiding it either, Spinhirne-Martin said.Spinhirne-Martin said he came up with this bike while living in Park City, Utah, between 2011 and 2017: The bench-cut trails with tons of climbing lent themselves to a light, efficient climber with a bit more up front to smooth out the fast downhills.. 3 for online traffic after Google and Amazon. Its for someone who wants to ride the whole mountain, up, down, and everything in between., The new face of a Walmart bike? And other direct-to-consumer brands like Canyon have a big head start on Viathon in terms of reputation. Nov 01, 2020 There is no denying that gravel bikes have taken the cycling world by . The 70mm stem felt a bit squirrely, and any minor movement was transferred into the handlebars going downhill. Viathon is wholly owned by Walmart. While thats a noble notion, is the Viathon bike really that groundbreaking? That's a lot to love. The Viathon G.1 is the gravel rig of the bunch. I want to figure out how to use that customer base to grow the bike industry.. But Viathon is a Walmart corporatenot Waltonproject, intended to expand Walmarts current bike offerings to the specialty market. Read more. While so many of the established brands offer anything from a five-year to lifetime warranty on their frames, Viathons come with just two years of coverage. Aint nothing wrong with that! GearJunkie Copyright 2013 2023. For now, they only offer a hardtail, but Spinhirne-Martin isnt opposed to someday expanding their line to include a full-suspension bike. All of these issues, perhaps barring the selected gear cables, are things that Viathon will likely now correct before it becomes your problem. But if Viathon is going to have any real impact, its the next set of new bikes that will matter most. "We're trying to build a culture, building an education," Jordan said at the introduction. I also wanted all of my bikes to perform when pushed hard, said Spinhirne-Martin of the frames stiffness. At the end of the day, we bike people live and work in a quirky, parochial and, more than occasionally, incestuous little industry, one with its own set of business realities. & All rights reserved. Some bikes immediately bear their souls to its rider. 20% Off. Adult Mountain Bike, 21 Speed Shimano Drivetrain, 26 Inch Wheels, Aluminum Frame, Lock-Out . We tested the brands top-end M.1 Mountain Bike for 6 weeks to gain an understanding and some first-person perspective on singletrack trails. It's been just about four months since a line of consumer-direct carbon road, gravel and mountain bikes premiered from a new brand called Viathon, emerging out of the bright Sea Otter sunshine like the goddess Athena springing full-formed from the forehead of Zeus. Last April, when we saw them at Sea Otter, they dropped the G1, R1, and M1 all at once, dipping their toes into the gravel, road, and mountain bike pool. Walmarts top-of-the-line M.1 hardtail mountain bike has 120mm travel with RockShox components, Stans wheels, Level Ultimate brakes, and Continental tires. I was excited to try out the G1 to get a better taste of what Viathon as a whole has to offer. 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. Brand manager Spinhirne-Martin said a search of similar Trek, Specialized, or Canyon bikes will net a conclusion that they are all significantly more expensive for a similarly specced product., Spinhirne-Martin came to Walmart after 10 years working in the industry at Competitive Cyclist. Without the curiousness of the Walmart link, I wouldnt even be writing about Viathon. Garmin Garmin Edge 1030 Bundle. Viathon says it wants to bridge Walmarts current low-price offerings to the bike-enthusiastbusiness. Company Complete builds start at $2,300, and top out at $3,500 for the gravel models and around $6,000 for the road and mountain bikes. Read more. That also translates to some good pep when youre climbing out of the saddle. Viathon takes pride that every model indeed, every finished bicycle is at the top of its class for weight, technology, and quality. The M.1 is among a small 2019 line that includes road and gravel models, as well as two additional high-end mountain bike builds specced lower and with prices starting at $1,998. Considering the great components you get in comparison to its rival, the S-Works Epic, this bike is a really great deal. Viathon states that a 54 cm painted frame tips the scales at 1 kg, with the matching fork an equally respectable 380 g. The result is an 8.9 kg complete bike that simply needs some pedals before its ready to have a race number attached. When assessing the new Viathon R.1 road bike, I first chose to judge the proverbial book by its cover. Viathon R.1 Road Bike For speed demons, Viathon's high-end R.1 Dura Ace road bike runs $5,850. Seriously, this is an impressive wheelset for a bike of this price. The stiffness of the Viathon G1 is where the bike feels like its ready to be more competitive as a gravel race bike, rather than something for adventure. That frame (which is also sold separately at US$1,498) is no open-mould cookie-cutter thing either. Viathon is a direct-to-consumer bike brand owned by Walmart. Further build quality issues included the GRX brakes being over-filled with fluid, something that resulted in an uncomfortably short lever throw. Viathon again drives a hard bargain with the G1. Thats according to brand manager Zach Spinhirne-Martin, who wrote a white paper and a business case in 2017 to bring Viathon to life. The bikes will be available to order within weeks. Theres a complete Shimano GRX 600 211 group on this bike, right down to the Ultegra-level Center Lock brake rotors and Shimano threaded bottom bracket. This stood out on the mostly black bike and feels like one of those small details that wouldnt be overlooked by more established brands. With that in mind, it seems appropriate that Walmart is finally sinking its teeth into producing a line of proper bikes. The Rival G1 is spec'ed with a 111 Rival drive train, Mercury G3 wheels, and Zipp Service Course cockpit. All throughout the ride, I found the Rockshox Reverb Stealth pretty slow to react, which is, unfortunately, a notorious problem for this dropper (the most current version promises to fix this). Its certainly no Huffy, but heres what stood out to me: Light as a feather:This thing is nimble. The hardtail mountain bike is ideal for the days you want to do a long climb. 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. 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. For the M.1, its the generalist MTB enthusiast, Spinhirne-Martin said. 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. Still others are simply doing their best to sort through the marketing-speak to make a performance-to-value calculation on the best tool to get on the roador into the woods. The answer? The bike has a bit of a disjointed ride feel due to the stout front fork which is stiff in contrast to the forgiveness exhibited by the rear stays. Statins: experience training and racing on them, Swimming-Related Injuries: A literature review and injury risk screening, New Tacx Neo Smart vs Wahoo Kickr trainers, school me on finding correct pressures with tubeless. Passers-by wont be able to spot the difference between the two, but those that own the high-end stuff will know. I ride over ladder bridges and into dense trees. Fast as a road racer, rugged as a mountain bike, and priced beyond compare.. The Viathon would make for a great training steed, long-distance gravel grinder, or your next ultralightbike packing rig. Viathon's brand manager is Zach Spinhirne-Martin out of San Bruno, California. This carbon bike is set up for dirt road adventures but doesn't mind how much pavement you mix in. GearJunkie may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Viathon G.1 Gravel Bike | Viathon Bikes by Walmart Per my more enduro-focused background, Id also opt for a shorter stem. I only wished it had a bit more tire clearance, [and more] bottle and rack capability.. I am a professional mechanic, and have a hand built over 175 custom frames from steel or Ti. Now it has a toe in the high-end market and the chance to show that itscapable of making quality stuff. CyclingTips global tech editor James Huang and I ended up testing, and enjoying, the bike with a 90 mm stem fitted, and would have preferred a straight seatpost, too. Calf muscle pull or tear? Here are some features to keep in mind as you shop. For now, no. 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. Singletracks Merch | It picks up speed quickly like road bike quick and feels very responsive to cornering and rider input. Basically, just a gravel bike. America's low price leader served up a single no-name (and possibly open-mold) model with full mechanical Ultegra group, complete with wheelset, at a very low price point. Its wise to see if that character fits with yours. Our sample had no foam liner to silence it, but again, Viathon assured us production bikes do. Something like these Spank Vibrocore gravel bars we tested would certainly take the edge off. I weighed the M.1 later with a handheld scale. I lifted the bike from its box, the staff leaning in for a first look. Mountain - M.1. Releasing some fluid from the system remedied this, but we can only hope production bikes dont need the same treatment. Terms of Use Walmart thinks so, and the retail juggernaut is betting its customers do too. Brothers Tom and Steuart Walton are passionate cyclists, and the Walton Family Foundation has helped build the Bentonville area into a world-class destination for mountain biking. Are modern bicycles the end of DIY maintenance. And if you did want a different saddle or bartape, then they could probably arrange that, too (at a cost). Is swimming safe? The savings come from consumers completing the final assembly and cutting out local retailers' costs, but at the expense of their expertise, service . The GRX 600 build also has Mercury G3 wheels, with a 25mm internal width, and IRC Boken 700x40c tires, for a setup that should provide a wide footprint. "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. Industry watchers may remember the last time Walmart tried to get into the carbon bike game, which as I recall was about ten years ago. Viathon Bicycles | Find Your Way However, like the Stigmata, it too lacks Bento bag mounts on the top tube. Vosper: House of carbon cards, chapter two: Viathon revisited Are bike shopsscary, elitist, and unwelcoming? Teton Gravity Research Walmart is hoping to entice customers to Viathon with a no-questions-asked return policy. Thats a challenge. Illiac Artery Endofibrosis - I've got it. Their $18 million investment went a long way for the areas trail infrastructure, making it an unsuspecting cycling mecca nestled into the Ozark Mountains. 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 in this case, all of these added up to make the bike feel like it was a size or two larger than expected. And, its certainly not the Evil Chamois Hagar. But given youd be in person with the bike store, theyd most likely have a better chance in getting the specifics absolutely dialled. Members get 15+ publications right in your pocket. The Viathon G.1 Family. 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. Kudos to them, but that story stretches back some 15 years and is still far from over. 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). Viathon's G.1 carbon gravel bike is Walmart's attempt to capture some of the high-end, direct-to-consumer bicycle market. Viathon's G.1 carbon gravel bike is Walmart's attempt to capture some of the high-end, direct-to-consumer bicycle market. Viathon G1 Bike: Getting Rolling - Riding Gravel The Fizik Tundra M3 saddle was not comfortable in the slightestespecially on longer climbs. Viathon is jumping out of the gate with three model families to start. For the M.1 XX1 Eagle, Viathon dropped its original $6,000 price recently to $4,998. While everyone seems to be hung up about the Walmart partnership, its a bit of a superficial distraction to the companys larger goal. Noting the stiffness, and feathery weight of the G1 again, its an excellent climber, and the Shimano GRX 600 worked flawlessly for me. Its noon on Michigans Upper Peninsula, where I came to ride Copper Harbor and the IMBA-ordained network in and near Marquette. Who makes Viathon frames? Viathon offers so much for the money, but there are obvious trade-offs. How long to recover from a calf heart attack. A couple weeks ago it seemed like they were blowing out all the bikes on the website, last week they all showed sold out, and today I noticed the Viathon site is gone (does not even show up on google if you search for it) They still have a landing page on Walmart site. Viathon Bikes launched to surprise, confusion and intrigue back in April, offering high-end carbon XC hardtails despite links to Walmart. On its own, Viathon strikes me as a modestly interesting enthusiast brand with some solid, value-oriented bikes that feature industry-standard design and technology. In the meantime, Viathon offers the . The R.1 does feel responsive and supportive when you stand up to sprint. I set up the G1 with a quick home fit, and away I went. Thats exactly what we sought to answer with the high-value Viathon G.1, a carbon gravel bike thats backed by the biggest of big retailers Walmart. Its also important to note whats not in the current lineup: womens bikes, utility bikes, and e-bikes. And just like any other reality, outsiders ignore ours at their peril. Please enter your public display name and a secure password. 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. Partner of USATODAY Lifestyle/Action Sports, A First Look at Viathon, Walmarts new Mountain Bike, shaping their hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas into a mountain biking haven. Nope: while the bikes its offering look to be good quality and competitively priced, the reason that Viathons entry turned heads is whos behind it: Walmart. It's a full carbon gravel bike with modern geometry, an understated look, and a price that's refreshingly affordable. As mentioned, this is the lowest-cost complete bike in Viathons G.1 range, but that doesnt mean the parts are low-cost. Viathons product manager, Zach Spinhirne-Martin, openly admits to taking close inspiration from a race-inspired bike like the Santa Cruz Stigmata. With the tire clearance limited to a 40c wide tire though, the G1 reminds me again that its intentions rest on dirt roads. Before being tasked with launching Viathon, Spinhirne-Martin was responsible for all online bike sales on Walmart's e-commerce platforms, which include Walmart.com, Jet.com, Moosejaw.com, and Hayneedle.com. There are few retailers in the world with the buying power and sway that Walmart holds. There are rack and fender mounts on the G1 frame, internal routing, and mounts for up to three water bottles, so it is possible to get pretty far from base camp on the G1, and theres frame clearance for bags and all that. None of the standard specs were an issue for me in terms of fit, and even the Selle Italia saddle wasnt problematic for me at any point. Equally, I found the Selle Italia Novus Boost saddle and unpadded Fizik bar tape odd choices. The Viathon G1 is a bike that is a high performance machine with a good set of components out of the box. Why was one of the worlds most budget-driven companies focusing on the upper echelon of the bike world? Filter bikes by year, weight, components, price, and performance. Pretty, pretty, good . 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). They seem to offer a solid value for a full carbon bike. 2 - You can't buy these bikes at a Walmart. 68mm threaded bottom bracket. Because all XC bikes are light compared to enduro. 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. Some cyclists are extremely brand-loyal, willing to pay a premium for pride in heritage brands like Bianchi or Pinarello. Im not mad, just disappointed. A year later, the bikes closed out for about $1,000 apiece, and I read at the time on various online consumer groups that sharp-eyed cyclists were snapping them up as preassembled build kits and flogging the framesets online for maybe a hundred bucks a copy. Its possible that was done on purpose to appeal more to a wider swath of riders namely, non-racers. Also what is the complete weight? I loved how this bike rides, said Spinhirne-Martin about the previous generation Stigmata. MAYBE pick a test person that is more XC based, as it is an XC bike. Any Canadians with/had a hip labral tear here? At the beginning of the pandemic, governments and mountain bike organizations made it clear to all of us that we should be sticking close to home, and refraining from unnecessary risks. Shop Nitrous Shop Cyclosys QUALITY WITHOUT COMPROMISE Since 1994 these are the words that continue to resonate within us. 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. Andy reports that the bike has razor sharp handling and when one puts the pressure on the . Look for Viathon bikes online at ViathonBicycles.com in mid-May, and soon after at Walmart.com. Performance, comfort, speed, agility, and other characteristics require in-person evaluation, which is tough to prove for a brand like Viathon, which is available only online. And then to be a little petty, our sample came with silver stainless steel bolts covering the various bidon, fender, and rack mounts. In this case, carbon doesnt work entirely to its benefit, and the G1 is a little overly stiff, and calls at least for a more compliant set of handlebars. Im guessing thatwithout the connection to the largest retailer in the world, Viathon wouldnt be getting nearly this level of attention. Its a bike that in so many ways aligns closely to what the premium Santa Cruz Stigmata is, however, the Viathon adds a little more versatility through additional mounting options. A few months later in June, we got to take the M1 hardtail for a spin in Idaho. Im in GearJunkies Minneapolis office, a small blade in hand, ready to unbox a bike. For $2,300 (at Walmart.com), the G1 has a new Shimano GRX 600 groupset, an entry-level, gravel-specific drivetrain, with a hydraulic brake set. The R.1s trail figure measures 59.7mm, which is quite long for an all-around bike. Will people buy them? Mountain Bike Deals, Copyright 2023 Blue Spruce Ventures LLC | To be fair, that latter element is fairly common on a number of high-end bikes and isnt much of an issue, but it does point to a simpler frame construction. 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. [trail] Many see this as an exciting window of opportunity - by tapping into Walmarts extensive consumer base, the sport might have a chance to grow as a whole. A few things are apparent with Viathon. So were considering lateral stiffness, vertical compliance, weight, ride feel, cornering stability, and even the finish. Walmart Black Friday Deals 2019 | Deals for Cyclists - Bicycling But it gets the job done. 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. The head tube feels firmly connected to the bottom bracket, and that to the rear axle. 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.. All rights reserved. Slowtwitch approved IT Band rehab? During Sun Valleys Outerbike event I had the chance to pick Viathon founder Zach Spinhirne-Martins brain about the genesis of the brand. Managing editor Dean Yobbi told the story in BRAIN's May dead . Viathon Bikes On Sale | Best Walmart Bikes Viathon says it wants to bridge Walmart's current low-price offerings to the bike-enthusiast business. But does it have enough soul and personality to compete with more established brands offering quality bikes at a similarly low price?". Ok Fishes, here is the interview we were all waiting for!! However, theres also an element of simplicity we quite like. but no links to product pages. [, Re: Did Wal Mart pull the plug on Viathon? Walmart thinks so, and the retail juggernaut is betting its customers think so too. Geometry is almost identical to a specialized crux. Viathon furthers those purchasing efficiencies by only producing the frame in a somewhat limited range of five sizes, and in many cases, even the rather simple two-tone paint is unchanged between the models. Buy Viathon G1, Rival, 56cm, Disc, 700C, Matte Black/Silver at Walmart.com . Is Viathon's new mountain bike the real deal? Launched earlier this year, its line blows the image of a "Walmart bike" out of the water. 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. Lets look at the numbers. IMBA Epics | But when people saw these bikes here, it was like, 'Hey, these are real bikes! . Kev has 43,000 subscribers. by Rick Vosper. Viathon Launches New Direct-to-Consumer G1 Carbon Gravel Bike Specialized's highest-end hardtailthe S-Works Epiccomes in at a whopping $8,520, whereas Viathon's most expensive model starts at $6,000. Like books, we cannot judge a bicycle solely on its coverin this case the graphics and business connection. Hardtail race XC bikes seem to be going away in favor of short-travel, full-suspension options. But the company has connections to the industry, including the support of trail networks notably, the network around Bentonville, Arkansas, near Walmart headquarters. Download the app. Amazon Pick: Up to 20% Viathon Bicycles Products and Competing Brands at Amazon.com. Shoppers will have four build choices per model. 1999-2023 Slowtwitch, Inc., and Slowtwitch.comReproduction of material from any Slowtwitch.com pagewithout written permission is strictly prohibited. Viathon Bicycles made waves at its launch earlier this year as a premium bike brand incubated under an unlikely source. Crickets. MSRP on the G1 with SRAM Rival 1 is $2498.00 USD. All Viathon bikes come with a 2-year warranty. I have been swapping parts around and will finally get to ride it today. According to the designer and engineer, Kevin Quan of Kevin Quan Studios, Viathon manufactures frames at the factory, making the best bikes you can think of.. Tire clearance is on the narrower side, but its wide enough for 700x40c tires, or 2.1 width tires with a 650B diameter. Viathon G.1 GRX 800 review Call it a 'Walmart' bike if you must. You can bet that when the product managers behind Viathon called manufacturers and name-dropped Walmart, the pencil was sharpened to a dangerously pokey point. Walmart isnt currently targeting the kind of customer who wants the latest carbon layup or the greatest new geometry, nor is it targeting customers who self-identify as cyclists. We decided to give it a test at Outerbike to find out. So, at a quick glance, the Viathon seems like a steal. A similarly specced Specialized Epic S-Works hardtail goes for about $3,000 more. The bike reviewed here, the new G.1 GRX 600, provides a perfect example of those economies of scale. Viathon aims to find out, and its got a good product to perform that experiment. It will be an uphill battle for a brand that could use a bit more personality. Had Viathon hit the market five years ago with this narrative, it would have owned the high-end-value space. A famous trail, Eh Line, swooped on dirt banks and over gaps. Why Ultralight People Need to Chill Already, Kershaw Iridium Review: A Great Flipping Knife Under $100. It turns out that Walmart bike buyers, as much as theyre dismissed or even ridiculed, include some passionate fans. If youre after more stability and prefer a bit of forgiveness in your handling, youll be comfortable here. 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.