Author Topic: Catalog Cycles (completes)  (Read 220 times)

Catalog Cycles (completes)
« on: April 02, 2025, 01:54:30 AM »
Hey Guys,

Bit of a backstory to start. I recently did a bike packing trip across Europe and found myself listening to a lot of the Nero Show. Jesse's Tavelo Arow build inspired me to start a store that sells complete builds using a mix of asian and western parts.

I'm a 22 year old who just finished my engineering degree and just really love building and racing bikes.
I would love any feedback you guys have on the site, prices and the specs of the bikes.
This is just the start but I plan to add a heap more builds at different price points so it is more accessible.
At the moment I'm just serving Australia, but once I get the ball rolling will definitely look at marketing in the US and Europe.

Anyway, looking forward to the feedback.

You can find the site here:
https://www.catalogcycles.cc/

or just google catalog cycles :)
« Last Edit: April 02, 2025, 03:12:43 AM by matt@catalogcycles.cc »



SillyMochi

Re: Catalog Cycles (completes)
« Reply #1 on: April 02, 2025, 02:57:20 AM »
Appreciate you are looking into kickstarting your own business; kudos!

I am not sure about the pricing though. I know AUD prices tend to be a bit higher than US/EU. But at 11k AUD why am I not just spending that with a major brand that gives me tried processes, warranty, and some assurance they might still be around in a year or two?
Slow on the climb. And everywhere else.

Re: Catalog Cycles (completes)
« Reply #2 on: April 02, 2025, 03:30:53 AM »
Thanks for the fast feedback, I really appreciate it.
Totally hear you on the price. It is in the same ballpark as the big brands, and they do offer a lot in terms of warranty and support. Many riders can end up swapping out those stock components though—especially things like the crankset, wheels, and cockpit—for stuff that performs better or fits their body.
With these builds, I’m trying to shortcut that whole upgrade process by starting with the parts riders actually end up with. That way it's more economical in the long term and easier for people who don’t want to tackle the upgrades.
I know trust takes time though, so at the moment I’m just trying to be transparent, and engaged with the community.

raisinberry777

Re: Catalog Cycles (completes)
« Reply #3 on: April 02, 2025, 04:32:42 AM »
The transparency is appreciated. Some initial pointers.

1) I think you'll struggle at the price point. The Wheeltop groups will definitely hold you back - I doubt there's a single person in Australia willing to drop $12k on a bike with a Wheeltop groupset. I can walk into a 99 Bikes shop in my town and buy a Merida Reacto with Dura Ace Di2 for $10,500 - and that's a name brand WorldTour bike with a top-tier groupset and a power meter (yes - an absolute dog of a power meter, but anyway). For a cheaper brand, I could buy a Polygon Helios with Dura Ace Di2 for $7,000. If you're aiming at that price end of the market, you really have to able to supply Shimano or SRAM.

2) I can see that you're trying to go low volume, low risk (because you're building to order, so not taking any risk of stock on hand) but that means you can't make the profits at low margins that make cheaper Chinese products so appealing. It's hard to see this as anything more than buying a bunch of parts at retail prices and then assembling them - so what's the value proposition here? Why wouldn't I go to PandaPodium and order all these parts separately from a well-established and trusted business?

3) Make sure you fill out the template stuff on your website (e.g. terms of service) - when there's placeholders in there it leaves big red flags as to legitimacy. There's also no address listed - also a big red flag.

4) You've listened to the Nero Show so ask yourself this - would Chris or Jessie buy these products? Remember how long the L-Twoo eRX on his Tavelo lasted. There's some odd listings in the specs - the climbing bike specs a 10-51t MTB cassette (??), and 21mm internal width rims (come on, this is 2025!). The gravel bike (Tavelo Wild) also lists a 21mm internal width rim - way narrower than anyone wants in this day and age. Lastly - and sadly, a giveaway that you haven't had your hands on it, is that you're speccing 2.1" tyres when the frame spec is listed at 50mm clearance.

5) No power meter options seems silly given the great options available from China (Sigeyi Easton spider to pair with the Cybrei cranks).

6) Inconsistencies / typos in spec sheet. For example, looking at Tavelo Arow, description talks about a waxed KMC chain, specs mention a Shimano chain. The gravel bike lists a Dura Ace cassette when the render shows an XTR.

7) Lastly, you're probably preaching to the wrong audience here - while you as a business have to make sure that you're doing everything properly with tax on importing, GST etc., a regular punter doesn't. I can import all of my products without having to attract GST/duty (because the sellers will mark them as low value) - this means that I can build a bike for myself much cheaper than I can as a business without volume. That's obviously not your fault, but that's something you have to contend with.

It's a tough space to play in - the best way to make a small fortune in the bike industry is to start with a big one. Best of luck and it's good to be ambitious. Just keep asking yourself "what value am I adding here?" and let that be a guiding principle.
« Last Edit: April 02, 2025, 08:08:23 AM by raisinberry777 »

Re: Catalog Cycles (completes)
« Reply #4 on: April 02, 2025, 05:17:05 AM »
Thanks raisinberry777 thats super valuable feedback. I'm trying to make the purchasing process as simple as possible for people who are interested in this space but don't know where to start parts wise. And offer a ready to ride bike with a direct contact if anything goes wrong. After hearing your feedback, I'm definitely going to add Sram and Shimano groupset options as well as a Sigeyi power meter. I know L-Twoo had some issues but the wheeltop has had a lot better reviews. And i'll definitely look at better rim options for the climbing and gravel bike with wider internal widths. I get that most people on here are happy to buy parts and build their own spec but this help in invaluable as I really want to provide a solid polished product.