SALT LAKE CITY (BRAIN) — Fat bike sales appear to be alive and well with Louis Garneau planning to introduce two new models into the U.S. market this April. And the company has a sample model on display at Outdoor Retailer where, it appears, the outdoor industry is embracing the fat.
But Eric Sakalowsky, global marketing director for the Canadian company, said a warm and wet start to the winter in the Upper Midwest and Northeast appears to have temporarily slowed sales. And recently Specialized, QBP and others have been discounting fat bikes to clear out end-of-year inventory.
Nonetheless, Louis Garneau has sold through its inventory in Canada. The bikes have been so popular this season that the company can't supply its own employees with fat bikes as it awaits a new shipment from China, Sakalowsky said. But fat bikes are a category that's evolving a sales and distribution pattern that's unusual for the industry. And they are being rented, sold and used in areas outside of the industry's typical markets.
Sakalowsky pointed out that more and more ski resorts, Nordic ski areas, rental operations, and city, state and regional parks are making room for fatties. "For some cyclists adding another bike to their quiver doesn't make sense, but they can go to a rental shop if they want to ride at a park or somewhere. Sometimes it's just hard to justify the cost of another bike," Sakalowsky said.
In Canada some cities are encouraging use of fat bikes in city parks, and in Vermont and other Northeastern states local areas are setting aside trails for skate skiers, Nordic skiers, snowshoers and fat bikes, he said. "Quebec is grooming parks and Vermont has totally embraced them," Sakalowsky said. And, he pointed out, it's often too cold to ride a road bike in Canada, so cyclists are turning to fat bikes to get their miles in.
Louis Garneau has been selling fatties in Canada for a year and will enter the U.S. market with its Gros 4 (4-inch tires) and Gros 5 (5-inch tires) this spring. (Gros is French for fat.) Both are spec'd with Shimano double-chainring drivetrains and are priced to reach a broad market. The Gros 4 will retail for $1,099, and the Gros 5 for $1,399.
