SpeedX's new Kickstarter campaign reaches almost $1 mill

LukeTC

So it looks like the SpeedX Unicorn has proven pretty popular with the backers on Kickstarter, I was in the market for a bike right around the time they were doing the campaign for the SpeedX Leopard and having now read some of the reviews for it I'm rather glad I didn't go for it.

They have 18 days left on this campaign and are about $20k away from hitting the 1 million mark so it it's definitely going to be moving forward, this time they've apparently put a crank based power meter on it and an integrated android based bike computer (although this time round you can remove it unlike the Leopard) the seat tube has also been designed to flex up to 15mm to improve comfort and the frame by all accounts comes with a lifetime replacement guarantee.

Looks like there's 3 versions, the cheapest on Ultegra Di2 and the more expensive ones on eTap, all of them are disc brake only from the looks of things. Looks like the Di2 ones are due to go into production in April.

What do you lot think? In my opinion I think it's trying to solve problems that didn't exist and they should have tried to perfect their existing product which seemed to generally be disappointing, before trying to move onto the next thing.

Link here if you want to have a nose (if you haven't already):
Kickstarter

bendertherobot

See, it sounds good, and it is. But even Le Col hace just raised £1 million on crowdcube.

Garry H

There's nothing new there. Won't last and you'll be left with integrated proprietary tech with no product support.

It will go the same way as this earlier example from the 80s

http://www.thebikecomesfirst.com/the-raleigh-vektar/

fenix

Weird. The first bike wasn't well received. I'd not be investing,

burnthesheep

First bike reviewed over on Road.cc did not fare well in the review.

The issue with physical integration from the frame maker is obsolescence. Imagine buying one for $3k and having the frame make it to 10 years. You like the bike still but replacing electronics becomes a nightmare.

I think the "integrated" approach should be left to components manufacturers. Components manufacturers already do it with electronic shifting paired to your GPS which is paired to your rear-radar light paired to your power meter.

If you want a "cleaner bike" but keeping the tech, just bone up and buy the expensive heads up sun glasses. It'll pair to your power meter and radar-light.

I think SpeedX knew that a majority of folks would see through the muck and not buy in but was targeting a very specific subset of people. The world is big enough now that $1 million on a startup is nothing.

priory

some people like to ride their bike and some like to collect expensive equipment. There is a big overlap but I do not think you need to be both to be a good rider. You do need to ride a lot.

courtmed

I was also in the market for a new bike around that time, and paid a fair bit of attention to the Unicorn. Feel like I dodged a bullet with that one after reading reviews!

sopworth

A guy who I work with ordered one of the Speed X bikes - the first one they went with, an aero effort I believe. I asked him a few weeks ago what it was like and he still hasn't received it. I think it's something like 8 months over due and not expected until the summer now. I linked him in with a few reviews to read and it's safe to say he is hardly waiting with excitement about its arrival.

bernithebiker

Just to be clear.....'I'm out!'

dannbodge

There was a guy at last years Revolve 24 with one.
Looked like a nice bike, but not too sure on how well it performs

Hinaultscrapcousin

Mechanic on a facebook group I'm in has worked on one of the original ones. He was not at all impressed.

smoggysteve

If my power meter breaks I take if off and get a new one
If my Garmin breaks I take it off and get a new one

In neither case do I have to hand my bike over for the process. This is the issue with integrated tech. Same as a friend who had a problem with his Treks built in speed/cadence sensor which became pretty much obsolete the day he bought a set of Garmin magnet free sensors instead. Ones which he happily swaps between bikes . Same as you can with a Garmin or power meter etc. If you have all this tech tighedto the frame and own a second bike for wet weather / winter you have to buy twice. Pointless imo

chris_bass

Sorry to revive a very old thread but DC rainmaker posted this on twitter and it's a long but interesting read

https://cyclingtips.com/2019/06/what-ha ... to-speedx/

bendertherobot

It's long but a fantastic piece of journalism

Midlands Grimpeur

Very good read.

I won't name the company but I did back a kickstarter cycling related project a couple of years ago. Nowhere near the financial scale of this but nearly went as badly (product delays, founder left, company taken over, products then appeared for sale on the company website but weren't being shipped out to original backers etc.) Fortunately I did get the item in the end but over a year later than planned. I think when you back a product that does not actually exist you need to go in with the mindset that it may never materialise and decide whether that level of risk is accetable to you personally. As I only stumped up £100, I thought it was worth a punt, but that's what it is I guess in a lot of cases, a punt!