This is how it ended

[ihateu]

I figured it was the right time to post this thread. First off, let it be known what I am about to say in this post is 100% true and can be backed up by articles released in many bicycle magazines as well as hands on experience. So I will also state that what I am saying here is not made up and I am leaving out many thing more things that would have you as a person and a rider disgusted .

Ironhorse is done. 100% . For those here who know who I am know this is true and I have not exaggerated this information at all. I kind of wish it was not true.

I was there on the last day at IH. The inventory was all sold. The parts, frames, and pivot kits were sold to a liquidater. I was there, I helped pack up the trucks. All the hard work that many of us put in to this company to succeed by purchasing pivot kits, links, frames, decals etc etc all sold for a measley amount. With the help of others, I had helped provide enough frames and parts for more than five years after the DW link license expired. All sold and the online retailer has NOTHING. Ironhorse was ruined by an incompetent owner as well as shady business deals where the company as a whole lost money but the greedy ones made money.

While at IH, I worked with up to 35 people to have each week people be let go for unnamed reasons. I had my health insurance contribution cut dramatically out of nowhere and it was not during an enrollment peroid. It was so someone could pocket more cash.. I wish IH went down because of the economy but it didn't. Yes of course there is cuts at any business during times but I would be OK with that as long as peoples family members were not on the payroll that never worked for us. I would be OK with that if inventory was not transferred to an online company at no cost. but it wasn't. My only thing was IH and the online retailer are owned by the same owners. The things I saw how bikes were being credited that were never paid for.

I am a bicycle mechanic as well and i work for an IBD. I support IBD's not online retailers that don't care about the sport only to capitalize by illegal gains. The online retailer claims to have 100% customers service but in reality it was IH customer service who sent out all the parts. Any little complaint by an online customer putting pedals on the wrong way was covered by IH not the online retailer. As many claims that were put down b/c they are not valid, they were still shipped. We would be charged by the online retailer for shipping damage not UPS. When I saw a post here that " we hope to be your online retailer for bicycles" I was sick. I do understand getting a good price, how could you complain but when IH had IBD's and the online retailer was selling bikes for less than IH was paying for them you see my reaction. You should understand that these small IBD's are the bike industry not online. How about this one. I am an IBD I pay $1400 from IH at my costt price and then the online retailer has it for $1000. How could that be. Its b/c when product is free, you can sell it at any cost.

Also, IH has there recall issues that are not known about b/c each time i tried to have a recall issued. I was ignored, almost lost my job. Here are some of the recalls that should be know about:

IH Maverick Full Suspension frames from 2006-2008 will all break b/c of a weak brace.

IH MKIII 2007 rear swingarms will all crack due to incorrect welding at the factory.

Please help and call the CPSC if you had this issue. http://www.cpsc.gov/about/contact.html


There is no Iron horse warranty on your bikes anymore. The online retailer may be able to break down some bikes to cover this up for a while but they have no pivots kits. They cannot order any frames from the factory anymore.

I read in Outdoor magazine that working at bicycle company was the 4th most enjoying job except at IH.

We had good people, we were bringing the brand back but greedy people did this to IH. From my understanding IH is bankrupt, they have no money, no nothing. There is no office. I had set it up to support DW bikes after the license was over but someone needed money and from what i know about the price of what it was sold for, it was chump change .

I am not an angry employee but a person who believes this needs to be brought up to others to see how it is. I have a job that pays me better than IH so let that me known as well as I enjoy my job way more.

There are so many things I could write but let me end off on this, I cannot be sued for this since it is 100% true. I have documentation to back up all of my claims.

Cliff W. is the reason IH is not here anymore as well as the online retailer that has the "great deals". I am sure that will be over as well. There is no support for you and I apologize. All in All working at IH has helped me meet some really great people like Ska todd and some of you. I had my good times and working at a company like this has shown me who to work for and who not to.

I just figured you guys should know the truth and for those who know me please contact me by PM and leave my name off of this thread.

I am willing to answer any questions you have but if you have a warranty issue I recommend contacting that online retailer and see what speech they have for you already.

The Poster: Wolvesinwolvesclothing was a 100% right in all his post that were removed.

Its a shame someone wants to threaten lawsuits over the truth. Just remember if you want to sue, you have to go on the stand as well. I guess like father like son.

Sell your horse or ride till its dead but from my stand point, I gave my bikes away as well as anything that had to do with IH. I am fine with my direction in life but I am sad for others like an employee who worked for that man for 26 years and got nothing, no appreciation. At one point years ago IH took there pension plan and spent it without the employers knowing it.

Good luck and I hope this clears things up. I know the online retailer sponsors this thread and MTBR and moderators please contact me for confirmation of everything i have written. I can confirm everything and back it up. If this thread is removed, it is because MTBR wants to keep getting paid by a fraud online retailor. I hope this stays but if it doesn't I recommend getting a new bike as well as going to another forum due to the conflict of interests.

[pancitpalabok]

That's probably why I don't get any help the last 6 times I called. That's just sad. I really love my bike. It's time to to leave.

[ihateu]

Originally Posted by pancitpalabok

That's probably why I don't get any help the last 6 times I called. That's just sad. I really love my bike. It's time to to leave.

I would love to help but as you see all the work we did was sold for nothing. All of us were just trying to be that Niche brand but since they went online to that retailer. It was only for themselves to make more money while honestly destroying others peoples lives. . I do feel bad for the riders as well as IH put alot of IBD's in bad situations some shops had to shut down b/c of this.

The worst part was working for the company from Jan 08 till closing till Jan 09. IH officially shut down on Jan 31st and there was no relocation at all. with the economy going down and NY hit the worst with people losing jobs we had no choice but to look for jobs everyday until the day came.

[2000cx]

So if "someone" bought up all the pivot kits...what are their plans with them? I mean I cant see them just tossing the kits out...do these people plan to sell them somewhere else other than the "online retailer" or did they buy them to just bury the whole lot in a field somewhere to truly kill the company? I have a brand new 6 Point and I seriously don't see anything happening to it anytime soon, but hell if I had a chance to buy a pivot kit I obviously would.

[byrdwyngs]

That's a question I'd like to know the answer to as well. I've also got a new 6point6 and wouldn't mind stocking up on some spares. If that online retailer didn't get the frames and parts then where are they? Maybe they'll start showing up on eBay soon?

Sounds like the whole situation was pretty bad. Not all of ihateu's story makes sense or agree's completely with other things i've read and heard, but real life is like that sometimes.

[BaeckerX1]

Damn. Just damn. How do you take a successful brand and run it into the ground? I guess I'll ride my bike till it breaks and then invest in a new frame. My bike is less than a half a year old too.

No wonder RS Cycle's website says "With news of a 10% to 20% increase in manufacturing costs for 2009 we urge our customers to take advantage of our lowest prices ever on 2007 and 2008 bikes while supplies last." Ha. Shady shady.

Thanks for the information and I'm glad you found another job so soon. You still in the bike industry? Best of luck to you in the future.

[rufusdesign]

I still don't get how any of you bought into RS cycles scheme anyways? Sure you could get a bit of a deal but you had to know that something VERY fishy was going on.
Thankfully it is out in the open though as my tongue is killing me from biting it so hard.
Good riddance IH and RS cycles

[ihateu]

I am not sure who exactly purchased them but with all the low end stuff they had received as well as a bunch of stuff. They may not even know what they have and for them to figure out what they are may be hard.

I hope that something comes out of this and you guys are helped out . I figured with all the rumors I would clear this up for you guys.

I apologize and pm me if you have any questions.

[dascro]

What a shame. However, good riddance to RS, something always seemed "off" about that company

[saturnine]

meh. i bought my frame on ebay and i'll probably do it again. when it's time for a new frame, i'll most likely buy a giant.

[gnarboots11]

Canceled my two IH Warrior 4.0 FS's today from RS. I will look towards comparable Ibex, Motobecane, or Mongoose from the Ibex, Bikesdirect, or Performance websites. Thanks for the information, this is why I came to this forum in the first place.

[Supple1]

Thanks for posting this. I really hope this thread does not get pulled, if companies are acting in this manner I feel the public deserves to know!

[KiwiJohn]

Out of interest, where will a Mk III frame crack?
Thanks.

[outfaced]

ok ... it is not the first company with good products ruined by a bad management.

So or so ... IH was gone without DW.
Or anybody of you planed to stick with it even when they make completely other bikes.

Lucky us, who got a nice and cheap bikes in the last few months ... hopefully there not gone to take apart soon An even then ... you still can by bearings or weld a broken frame. Just with the links is a little bit complex ... till we get the drawings for them somehow
will be very happy, if anybody can share the technical documentation for the frames and links

[tailwaters]

Wow! Very interesting in deed. Friend of mine bought a 5.0 last summer and I almost bought one for me son but opted for the GT from Performance. All in all anyone that bought in the last few months still got one heck of a deal so don't get to hung up on IH going out. It's sad but these days an all to common event. It will be inter sting to see if someone buys the rights to the frames and simply re-label them under a different brand?

[dascro]

Originally Posted by tailwaters

Wow! Very interesting in deed. Friend of mine bought a 5.0 last summer and I almost bought one for me son but opted for the GT from Performance. All in all anyone that bought in the last few months still got one heck of a deal so don't get to hung up on IH going out. It's sad but these days an all to common event. It will be inter sting to see if someone buys the rights to the frames and simply re-label them under a different brand?

I doubt that anyone will buy the rights and rebrand them because they really no longer have anything unique. They lost the DW-link and since then really haven't had a line-up worth noting.

[sxr-racer]

who is RS?

[tremor]

Damn, I just bought MKIII a couple of months back. Wish I knew who bought the pivot. I would love to get my hands one one just in case.

Hope whoever still sells them ships them to Singapore.

Its a real pity, the MKIII with DW-Link is really a fantastic bike.

[CaliforniaNicco]

****, I just bought my 7POINT, and I was loving it...To know that IH has gone out of business troubles me....What am I going to do about bearings? Frame maintenance?

Nothing...Cuz I can't do ****....

So, I'm gonna ride it till it breaks, and keep it in a glass case till is rots, cuz IH is beast...and thats how they roll....

MODS, KEEP THIS FORUM UP!!!

--CaliforniaNicco

[Jerk_Chicken]

So what's the story with the Ellsworth license deal?

[dascro]

Everyone who is in a panic about bearings needs to remember that enduroforkseals.com still makes them and if I recall correctly, they were the OE supplier as well.

[SylentK]

RS = Randall Scott. You don't get their spam?

You can still get bearings through Enduro Bearings.

Folks, if this is surprising to you, ya shoulda seen the writing on the wall. "Who Moved My Cheese?" Anyone? Time to start saving for something else when the Horse dies...myself included...Can't wait!

[cooljw]

And did IH only go out or all of WWCS? WWCS also makes the K2, Columbia, and Jeep bikes.

[Ktse]

So in other words... it would be a bad idea to order a MKIII from that certain retailer as they do not have any in stock? Damn...

[Prettym1k3]

$10 says RS Cycle doesn't even post up about this.

They're already carrying Mongoose brand bikes which, while stepping up their game with the new Pinn'r bikes, RS Cycle will probably run Mongoose into the ground, too.

Sad, but I've been calling this for over 6 months.

Nepotism shut this company down. Family members hooking family members up, and then not keeping the business steady. Screw them for wrecking a good company, and for wrecking people's dreams of having their own bike shop, and for wrecking people's lives by taking away their livelihood, their income, and their happiness.

ihateu, thank you so much for all of your Iron Horse support last year when I needed links, pivot bolts, stickers, etc. You ARE THE man, and whatever company you work for now, I will highly recommend people use you as their go-to guy. You are awesome!

[slcrockymountainrider]

For what it's worth, here's today's skinny from Dirt Magazine. I wouldn't get your panties in a wad just yet. Seperating Iron Horse from Jeep and K2 brands is a good move IMO. Hopefully some passionate people, maybe RSCycles, who knows, will pick them up and revive the brand like the folks at Yeti.

IRON HORSE: WHAT’S THE STORY
Posted on February 27, 2009 @ 4:28 PM

The internet forums have been ablaze today with news of the demise of Iron Horse bikes, but there has been nothing official from the company itself. So we've done a bit of ringing around and this is what we have learnt. It appears that Iron Horse's parent company World Wide Cycle Supplies (a group that also includes Columbia bikes, Jeep bikes and K2 bikes) has gone bust. And it seems that those three companies, Columbia, Jeep and K2, have been sold to a new company possibly made up of former employees. Now Iron Horse itself seems to be in a bit of limbo. It is not sold as yet, but could be bought soon, maybe as early as next week. As we said, none of this information is official or confirmed, so things may change.

We would also like to make it clear that for UK Iron Horse distributor, Jim Walker, it is business as usual, no need to panic.

Late Edit: Before someone freaks out about my selling my Sunday, it's been up for sale long before any of this and is purely a financial move. Check the MKIII photo thread page 5 and you can see my latest purchase. It's too bad about IH as they really put out some great bikes the past few years. Even while losing the DW Link, I think they have enough of a following to recover and make a strong comeback once the economy stabilizes a bit.

[BaeckerX1]

Originally Posted by Prettym1k3

ihateu, thank you so much for all of your Iron Horse support last year when I needed links, pivot bolts, stickers, etc. You ARE THE man, and whatever company you work for now, I will highly recommend people use you as their go-to guy. You are awesome!

Damn Mike. Did you really need all this stuff for your bike? How long did you have it? I'm hoping mine will last a long time before I need to upgrade, and I'm hoping I don't have to replace this stuff on my 08 MKIII anytime soon or I'm screwed. I can live with having to change the bearings one day, cause those are at least still available (for now), but I hope that's it. How long do you think it will be before I have to replace the bearings or anything else?

[F1000Dale]

"The forums have been buzzing all day with rumours about the demise of mountain bike brand Iron Horse. We spoke to UK brand manager Martin Astley to get the truth.

He told us that Iron Horse's parent company has gone bust, but assured us that the brand looks set to be sold to a new owner.

Martin insisted that, contrary to internet gossip, warranties would be honoured and people with Iron Horse bikes would still be able to get replacement parts.

He told us: "The truth is that World Wide Cycle Supply, the company that owns the Iron Horse brand, along with K2, Columbia Sportswear and Jeep Bikes, has gone bust. K2, Columbia and Jeep have been sold to a new company formed by Worldwide employees called East Coast Cycle Supply.

"The Iron Horse brand will be sold to somebody – the deal is being done at the moment – so although people are saying Iron Horse has 'gone under' that's not the case at all. Iron Horse will continue, it'll just have a different owner. We don't know who it is yet, but we should know next week."

Martin insisted Iron Horse owners had nothing to worry about, saying: "We (Iron Horse's UK importers Jim Walker) will continue to do warranties in the UK and we are planning to continue forward with Iron Horse. Whoever buys Iron Horse, we will continue to work with them.

"We don't want Iron Horse customers to panic. We will continue to service their bikes and we still have parts. A lot of the stuff that's been said on forums isn't accurate. Hopefully we'll be able to make some kind of announcement next week."

[slcrockymountainrider]

Originally Posted by BaeckerX1

Damn Mike. Did you really need all this stuff for your bike? How long did you have it? I'm hoping mine will last a long time before I need to upgrade, and I'm hoping I don't have to replace this stuff on my 08 MKIII anytime soon or I'm screwed. I can live with having to change the bearings one day, cause those are at least still available (for now), but I hope that's it. How long do you think it will be before I have to replace the bearings or anything else?

I wouldn't worry about bearings for any Iron Horse (or most brands for that matter). For $39 you can get a full kit from Enduro bearings: http://www.enduroforkseals.com/id55.html

There's also a company online that sells after market hangers relatively cheap and they stock most newer IH hangers. Don't have the link handy, but Google it and you'll be golden.

[dascro]

Originally Posted by Prettym1k3

$10 says RS Cycle doesn't even post up about this.

They're already carrying Mongoose brand bikes which, while stepping up their game with the new Pinn'r bikes, RS Cycle will probably run Mongoose into the ground, too.

I'm sure you already knew this. But the problem was IH and RS were owned by family members and this allowed RS to get the bikes at a discounted rate. Leading to RS undercutting anyone else who was trying to sell Iron Horse bikes.

As long as Mongoose doesn't get into any type of deal like that with RS they will be fine. From what I've seen, the Mongoose bikes there are priced similar to what they are everywhere else. Ideally, I'd like to see Mongoose stop being sold at RS. RS is a company I would like to see fail. To say they are dishonest is an understatement.

I hope Mongoose gets out of there in good shape. I have been impressed with that company and their bikes in general. I have been really enjoying my Khyber and I got it at a great (but fair) price! And it wasn't from an offer that is perpetually ending tomorrow

[sanjuro]

Originally Posted by F1000Dale

"The forums have been buzzing all day with rumours about the demise of mountain bike brand Iron Horse. We spoke to UK brand manager Martin Astley to get the truth.

He told us that Iron Horse's parent company has gone bust, but assured us that the brand looks set to be sold to a new owner.

Martin insisted that, contrary to internet gossip, warranties would be honoured and people with Iron Horse bikes would still be able to get replacement parts.

He told us: "The truth is that World Wide Cycle Supply, the company that owns the Iron Horse brand, along with K2, Columbia Sportswear and Jeep Bikes, has gone bust. K2, Columbia and Jeep have been sold to a new company formed by Worldwide employees called East Coast Cycle Supply.

"The Iron Horse brand will be sold to somebody – the deal is being done at the moment – so although people are saying Iron Horse has 'gone under' that's not the case at all. Iron Horse will continue, it'll just have a different owner. We don't know who it is yet, but we should know next week."

Martin insisted Iron Horse owners had nothing to worry about, saying: "We (Iron Horse's UK importers Jim Walker) will continue to do warranties in the UK and we are planning to continue forward with Iron Horse. Whoever buys Iron Horse, we will continue to work with them.

"We don't want Iron Horse customers to panic. We will continue to service their bikes and we still have parts. A lot of the stuff that's been said on forums isn't accurate. Hopefully we'll be able to make some kind of announcement next week."

Spin Cycle dudes.

The bottom line is the bottom line. Interested in buying in a business which will lose money for the next 5 years before it might be profitable?

[Prettym1k3]

Originally Posted by BaeckerX1

Damn Mike. Did you really need all this stuff for your bike? How long did you have it? I'm hoping mine will last a long time before I need to upgrade, and I'm hoping I don't have to replace this stuff on my 08 MKIII anytime soon or I'm screwed. I can live with having to change the bearings one day, cause those are at least still available (for now), but I hope that's it. How long do you think it will be before I have to replace the bearings or anything else?

ihateyou helped me get parts for my 7point. Derailleur hangers, a pivot kit, head badges, stickers, the updated rear thru-axle, and the upper rocker links. I've been riding my MkIII hard for over 18 months now without any build quality issues. I haven't had any pivot issues, linkage issues, and I haven't even replaced the headset.

And I beat the crap out of my MkIII.

[7PointMe]

Iron Horse branded Ellsworths? Just speculation...

[SCUBAPRO]

Buyer sought for Iron Horse as parent company "goes bust"

By James Costley-White


The forums have been buzzing all day with rumours about the demise of mountain bike brand Iron Horse. We spoke to UK brand manager Martin Astley to get the truth.
He told us that Iron Horse's parent company has gone bust, but assured us that the brand looks set to be sold to a new owner.

Martin insisted that, contrary to internet gossip, warranties would be honoured and people with Iron Horse bikes would still be able to get replacement parts.

He told us: "The truth is that World Wide Cycle Supply, the company that owns the Iron Horse brand, along with K2, Columbia Sportswear and Jeep Bikes, has gone bust. K2, Columbia and Jeep have been sold to a new company formed by Worldwide employees called East Coast Cycle Supply.

"The Iron Horse brand will be sold to somebody – the deal is being done at the moment – so although people are saying Iron Horse has 'gone under' that's not the case at all. Iron Horse will continue, it'll just have a different owner. We don't know who it is yet, but we should know next week."

Martin insisted Iron Horse owners had nothing to worry about, saying: "We (Iron Horse's UK importers Jim Walker) will continue to do warranties in the UK and we are planning to continue forward with Iron Horse. Whoever buys Iron Horse, we will continue to work with them.

"We don't want Iron Horse customers to panic. We will continue to service their bikes and we still have parts. A lot of the stuff that's been said on forums isn't accurate. Hopefully we'll be able to make some kind of announcement next week."

[MTBYKN]

Link from bike Radar. About Iron Horse status

[kanai]

gee, i wonder which thread the 434 people in this forum are reading?

i bought my mkIII when CarlE and skatodd were regulars in this forum. honestly, their support for IH's customers led me to purchase an IH (albeit from RS). its truly disappointing to see where we're at now. a lesson learned, for myself and hopefully for RS.

[neanderthaler]

i originally contacted rs regarding a mongoose pinn'r to check stock, and later decided to go with the ih 6.6. can't beat the spec. on an '08 for that price from rs. i read the thread here on mtbr regarding ih closing its doors so i called rs to see if i was about to order an "obsolete" bike. i know it's still a great bike, and the components couldn't be better, but the thought of spending a lot of $$$ on a bike that may never get a possible warranty issue sorted was too much. the cust. service rep. at rs whose name begins with N said no, they just moved offices and that a couple people have odd warranty issues that are almost resolved. sounded weak, so i called the contact # on the ih website. they had an automated operator that never mentioned iron horse, worlwide or any business name, just a directory. i pressed some random # to get anyone. some guy answered who sounded real sketchy. i asked if this was iron horse and he said yes, but told me that i had to use their website for any questions. i know it is subjective, but he sounded "weirded out." i decided right then and there that i would look elsewhere. quite a shame because that bike had a dream build for $2k. well, my giant reign x is on the way to help me get over my sorrow.

[FoxRider77]

I have a yakuza that CarlE helped me out with and absolutely love it. My dad has a MKIII and we've always liked Ironhorse for their quality builds and competitive pricing. Shame to see such a great company killed by greedy higher ups. Hopefully IH returns stronger and owned by people who really get what mountain biking is about.

[Jerk_Chicken]

I knew a couple of their guys over the years that got caught up in the mix. Sorry to see it all gone.

[coachjon]

what is sam hill going to ride now?

edit: nm, Demo 8 for specialized...can you say unbeatable?

[Slyp Dawg]

I haven't been really following anything relating to IH recently, so this is a HUGE shock to me. it does raise the question, however, perhaps Sam Hill read the writing on the wall and decided to hop over to Specialized because of it? I can't say I'd be surprised either way, since even if you're doing good, a change of pace now and then is always a good idea, but if he made the switch because of this I wouldn't be too terribly shocked either

[Slyp Dawg]

unbeatable, possibly, but I can't say with any degree of accuracy that many people are concerned with how world cup riders are going to be at the moment. not with this kind of stuff happening

[sikkfreerider]

well i still have faith in iron horse! change the management! make a new line up of bikes with the ict suspension design! good people,good products,good customer service, and a demand for the product i see a come back in late 2009 early 2010!

lets say they put out the brand new bikes in 2010 and there sikk! people are going to buy and the iron horse we all know and love with live on and be stronger than ever!

[Bob Loblaw]

well i can honestly say my switch to evil has nothing to do with this, merely i want to ride a revolt and todds been a great dude over the years so im gonna support them where i can

[mrjoshuanyc]

Well I have and 06 mkiii and an 07 yakuza r and I beat the living daylights out of them. Both were pretty good buys and I feel I got my value out of them and I will ride them until they are toast! I have recently picked up a Titus el guapo to fill the void in the stable and I feel even better that I did that. I felt good about supporting my LBS when I bought my mkii but they have made more money on me in service than on the bike so I don't feel as bad about losing ironhorse. Iron horse really took a big dump on there vendors and they deserve to be gone for good! I rode my mkiii today and I had a blast and I will continue to ride it as a back up bike to the guapo. Hopefully parts will remain somewhat available, thats my only concern. Oh well, pay double for a Ibis mojo or a pivot to have the DW link magic!

[amirh1]

Wow, very sad to be reading all this. A couple of friends bought 7 Point at really great prices from RS but I personally didn't suspect anything. Guess the prices did not include warranty (but possibly still good deals - depending on if the frames break or not).

For everyone waiting for someone to pick up the brand and the obligations - dudes, wake up! Where were you in 2008? Nobody will do business anymore on shaky ground, and you don't have to be a bike mechanic to know that this is a losing business. Stock up on some bearings, ride your bike to extinction, and enjoy it!!

I personally don't own an IH but the value for money is hard to beat.

This just goes to show how important it is to support the local bike shop. I sometimes forget that when I find a pair of gloves that are $10 cheaper online, but I'll try to remember in the future. Besides, since I don't even know how to bleed brakes the LBS is still making good money on me. I hope none in my area were too dependent on the IH business (doesn't sound like they were making much money on it anyway).

[slcrockymountainrider]

It's been a bit amusing reading all of this, and a bit sad at the same time. Kind of sucks about ihateu's situation and it seems like there were some decent people at Iron Horse who cared about the brand and their customers which is saying a lot these days.

I keep seeing Mongoose being dragged into this discussion, both in this thread and a couple others. Not quite certain the correlation other than RSCycles now carries them online. Just like JensonUSA and a few others have for well over a year prior to RSCycles picking them up. Keep in mind, the Mongoose brand was and may still be sold in department stores so they're being picked up by every online dealer out there should really be no surprise. And in my opinion, comparing the Mongoose brand to Iron Horse doesn't make much sense.

Anyway, I've purchased a couple of Iron Horse's from RSCycles over the past several months. The latest being a small MKIII for my girlfriend two weeks ago. Like with any online dealer you have to expect certain things. Or more matter-o-factly, not expect certain things when it comes to warranties, etc. If you go and purchase anything online, you shouldn't expect much other than you'll need to do a fair amount of footwork yourself should you run into an issue.

I've spoken to a couple of guys at RSCycles and have to say I was a bit shocked at how knowlegeable they were. This wasn't one of those shops who hire some kids right out of high school who can barely change a tube, let alone discuss geometry, spec's, etc. The last guy I spoke with during the MKIII purchase was even familiar and participated in my state's race series.

I'm not here to say anything about their business practices as far as the acquisition of Iron Horse is concerned, but on a purely customer level, they have been spot on and up front with everything. No surprise, the people on this site who have a complaint are those who never purchased anything from them and probably never had any intention to do so anyway whether it be an Iron Horse or a Mongoose.

I haven't found any off the wall, grandiose claims on RSCycles website other than they're selling great DW Link bikes at almost half off retail. If your bearings go out, buy a set off of Enduro's website for $40. If you bend your hanger, use the free spare hanger RSCycles sends along with the bike and if you bend that one, get on derailleurhangers.com and buy a new one for $10. If your frame breaks, try to warranty it through them and if that's not possible try a certified, high-end machine shop who can TIG weld and see what they can do. It'll probably be cheaper in the long run and you'll get your bike back in a couple days, rather than several weeks or months.

Anyone complaining about a complete 5in travel DW Link bike spec'd with X9 or XT components under $2K is high.

[dascro]

Originally Posted by slcrockymountainrider

It's been a bit amusing reading all of this, and a bit sad at the same time. Kind of sucks about ihateu's situation and it seems like there were some decent people at Iron Horse who cared about the brand and their customers which is saying a lot these days.

I keep seeing Mongoose being dragged into this discussion, both in this thread and a couple others. Not quite certain the correlation other than RSCycles now carries them online. Just like JensonUSA and a few others have for well over a year prior to RSCycles picking them up. Keep in mind, the Mongoose brand was and may still be sold in department stores so they're being picked up by every online dealer out there should really be no surprise. And in my opinion, comparing the Mongoose brand to Iron Horse doesn't make much sense.

Anyway, I've purchased a couple of Iron Horse's from RSCycles over the past several months. The latest being a small MKIII for my girlfriend two weeks ago. Like with any online dealer you have to expect certain things. Or more matter-o-factly, not expect certain things when it comes to warranties, etc. If you go and purchase anything online, you shouldn't expect much other than you'll need to do a fair amount of footwork yourself should you run into an issue.

I've spoken to a couple of guys at RSCycles and have to say I was a bit shocked at how knowlegeable they were. This wasn't one of those shops who hire some kids right out of high school who can barely change a tube, let alone discuss geometry, spec's, etc. The last guy I spoke with during the MKIII purchase was even familiar and participated in my state's race series.

I'm not here to say anything about their business practices as far as the acquisition of Iron Horse is concerned, but on a purely customer level, they have been spot on and up front with everything. No surprise, the people on this site who have a complaint are those who never purchased anything from them and probably never had any intention to do so anyway whether it be an Iron Horse or a Mongoose.

I haven't found any off the wall, grandiose claims on RSCycles website other than they're selling great DW Link bikes at almost half off retail. If your bearings go out, buy a set off of Enduro's website for $40. If you bend your hanger, use the free spare hanger RSCycles sends along with the bike and if you bend that one, get on derailleurhangers.com and buy a new one for $10. If your frame breaks, try to warranty it through them and if that's not possible try a certified, high-end machine shop who can TIG weld and see what they can do. It'll probably be cheaper in the long run and you'll get your bike back in a couple days, rather than several weeks or months.

Anyone complaining about a complete 5in travel DW Link bike spec'd with X9 or XT components under $2K is high.

Well mongoose is now owned by the same company that owns GT and cannondale and there are two distinct lines. A wal-mart and dept store line and a Pro line that is a vailable either in a LBS or Online bike store. I own both and the quality is simliar, maybe slightly better in Mongoose. All IH brought the party was Dw-link IMO, otherwise they are sub par. Not sure how any of thats related though....

Glad you had a good experience with RS. I don't know much about the employees, but I'm willing to bet they are good people just trying to earn a living who are biking enthusiasts, just like you'd find at a local bike store. I have no problem with that at all. My problem is the owner and the shady business deals. I don't need to go over them, they are all over this site and you can read about them.

I can't speak to there after sale service, but I don't think that is the issue either, again the shady business deals....

As to warranties for online sales in general. I've had several issues with other online sales and many of them are as painless as a warranty issue at the LBS some even more so. I expect the same now for all online sales. So if I found out RS was making it a hassle, I would not buy from them. Again i have no experience with that though...

The whole problem is that RS is selling those bikes at an unfair price due to a shady business deal. I'm not "high" and complaining about a xt bike for under 2 grand. I am complaining about an xt bike under 2 grand for sale because of a dishonest practice. One that hurt many LBS. If you are ok with that then thats a personal decision that you will have to make. I, personally, am not ok with it and decided to buy my bike used, rather than from them. I see it similar to buying a bike that is obviously stolen because you can get a great deal on it.

[knutso]

Big THANKS to ihateu, wolfnsheepsclothing and to CarlE
Your honesty exemplifies what life and these simple forums are all about .. TRUTH
THANKS for posting

[saturnine]

if iron horse, and subsequently, world wide cycle supply had a deal in place with ellsworth for ICT-equipped bikes, would that deal transfer over to new ownership? or was that all just to fool us into thinking they were doing ok in terms of losing dw-link?

also, nice sig knutso.