MadFiber, Serotta and Blue Now Owned by Divine Cycling

Questions about bike hire abroad and everything light bike related. No off-topic chat please

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mdeth1313
Posts: 2069
Joined: Sat Apr 22, 2006 12:38 am
Location: Dutchess County, NY

by mdeth1313

carbonLORD wrote:Why on Earth is anyone even remotely interested in this wheel? I wouldn't ride this wheel if it was given to me.

I remember a few years ago when a long time shop owner and friend showed them to me and my response was "They didn't learn from Spinergy?"

Now I'm reading about multiple delaminated wheels, ignored warranty claims, comments immediately removed from their FaceBook page but no one answering the phone or responding to emails, web site says Coming Summer 2013 and its almost winter and the list goes on.

With companies like Zipp being around for 2 decades and ENVE rolling strong I have to ask anyone considering this wheel, what are you thinking!?!?

Narrow wheel, less aero, cannot be trued, 2 major updates (including a new spoke pattern killing the price of the original version) before shutting down, selling the company followed by moving production to Taiwan ... Layers of potential issues in a short time frame.

Even if they were still in business, owned by their founders I fail to see how a narrow, dated, unserviceable wheel is interesting, plus they are just ugly.



Kind of like when people ask "Why on earth would anyone be interested in ____________________ product? One only need look at the multitude of products that appear on this website.
Speedplay is the devil!

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carbonLORD
in the industry
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by carbonLORD

Given all the points I just made above I cannot fathom how someone would be excited about dropping even $1500 when you could get new 2012 Zipp 404's for that price and have a wheel that can be serviced, is wide and still made by the same company that started it.
carbonLORD.com

by Weenie


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53x12
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Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 6:02 am
Location: On the bike

by 53x12

What you guys said. I wonder if that is why MF went out of business. The demand just isn't there. If you are spending that $$$ on wheels and you want an American company there are plenty (Enve, Zipp, Hed, Reynolds...etc.) not to mention the European brands. MF was a cool idea, just think they tried a little too little to late.
"Marginal gains are the only gains when all that's left to gain is in the margins."

ingmar
Posts: 26
Joined: Fri Jun 05, 2009 6:51 pm

by ingmar

Does anyone know how you can get the left bolt out of the back hub? i can only get the bolt of the freehub/body site off.

thanks ingmar

OwenJames
Posts: 166
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2011 3:16 pm

by OwenJames

Hmm, I had a play with a mates MF tubular the other day. They were fairly new, but already out of true. And impossible to get back into true, unless I am mistaken(?)

Causidicus
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by Causidicus

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Last edited by Causidicus on Tue Jun 17, 2014 11:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.

OwenJames
Posts: 166
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2011 3:16 pm

by OwenJames

Good info.

Yeah, they didn't really strike me as something I could use whilst dropping the hammer, powering out the watts. Which I would have hoped they would have been for the price.

Weird that these kind of wheels can even exist, really, and sell in any quantity; they are expensive, untrue-able, and can't be hammered, yet people still want them.

RichTheRoadie
Tinker, Taylor, Tart
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Location: Sydney, Aus.

by RichTheRoadie

Of course they can be hammered - and why would they need truing? Their structure is more similar to a bike frame than a normal wheel.

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ergott
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by ergott

Except it isn't. Mad Fiber wheels use tensioned carbon spokes. Frames aren't built with tension in the system.


You can't argue with the post above explaining why and actual users having wheels go out of true.

odin99
Posts: 157
Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2011 7:46 pm

by odin99

madfiber wheels are no longer in the house. they are shut down and may be headed for bankruptcy...
http://www.bicycleretailer.com/north-am ... nKttySGHSd


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HammerTime2
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Location: Wherever there's a mountain beckoning to be climbed

by HammerTime2

Mad Fiber 2009-2013. RIP.
In http://www.wheelfanatyk.com/blog/onward-upward/, Mad Fiber co-founder Ric Hjertberg wrote:October 20, 2013

Onward and Upward

I co-founded Mad Fiber in 2009 and left in August 2013 as the business began choking on a series of decisions in which I was not involved. I’m told what is left will go to bankruptcy shortly.

I am immensely proud of the engineering and manufacturing team at Mad Fiber. A group of this caliber is rare in any industry. I am also grateful to vendors, partners, and thousands of customers; incredibly generous early adopters, sharing the vision, making a dream possible.

I am proud the first model performed under gifted riders like Freddie Rodriguez, Ivan Dominguez, David Richter, Todd Heriot, Rich Roll, and Joanna Lawn. It was ridden to World, US National, and multiple State Road Championships; Ironman, Ultraman, and RAAM titles and placings; and set some absolute strength-to-weight records. I am only sorry no one will see what we were capable of. We barely got the launch product sorted, and planned much more to come.

While this affair may become clearer in the future, I must confess my inability to understand why it had to happen. Mostly I hope the episode does not deter other innovators beginning or considering creating positive technical change. Cycling needs you. May you have lucky breaks and tailwinds.

Comments:
tommy says:
October 26, 2013 at 11:33 am

I am very sorry to hear about this! Can you please let me know if Mad Fiber will still honor any warranty issues with the wheels?
Reply

Ric says:
October 27, 2013 at 8:30 pm

You know all I do. All Mad Fiber staff was dismissed. There are no employees. The owners, DCG (http://www.divinecycles.com/) have not discussed their intentions. In a best-case, they or a new owner will move forward with the technology and embrace current users. Write to them; listen for news; that’s all I know.
I wonder what will become of Intellectual Property and production assets acquired out of bankruptcy. Also, where do users get suitable brake pads, as the supplied pads were proprietary.

NealH
Posts: 548
Joined: Sat May 12, 2007 3:40 am
Location: Ormond Be, FL

by NealH

Remember, MF already courted some private investors and they apparently didn't think much of their IP, otherwise they probably would have invested and/or owned the company. DVC was kind of a last resort....I think. With regards to production equipment, I don't think there was anything proprietary. Just standard heat and mold presses.

Causidicus
Posts: 320
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2012 11:20 am

by Causidicus

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Last edited by Causidicus on Tue Jun 17, 2014 11:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.

fireball05
Posts: 32
Joined: Thu Apr 22, 2010 8:28 pm
Location: York, PA

by fireball05

So does this mean my MF wheels will become collectors items, or worthless since there will be no further product support?

Sad to see this happen.

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



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