Internet and Bicycles

Bicycle shops are sprawled through out cities andoffers a full suspension mountain bike that has specs
neighborhoods of America. In fact most of usthat are very similar to the Woodstock 707 full
remember being taken to a bike shop when wesuspension bike. The leading company has a sticker
were of age to get our first bicycle.price for their model of $1399 and it is only available
But things have changed, thanks to the innovation ofat a bicycle shop. Woodstock Bikes offers the 707
the Internet. These days, anyone can get on themodel and it sells for about $899 directly from their
Internet from their home, office and even at thewebsite. That's a $500 savings!
local coffee shop to buy music, clothes and gatherWould the fact that Woodstock Bike's only store
information for a school report.front is their web address be enough to allow
The Internet has also influenced the bicycle business.someone to save $500 per bike? Perhaps this is the
More bicycle companies are selling directly to thekey to the formula of selling new bicycles.
consumer via the Internet. Take for exampleWoodstock Bikes some how figured out they could
Woodstock Bikes of Woodstock, Georgia. They don'toffer the same level of bicycle as the big bike
have a brick and mortal store front, which enablescompanies by offering their product directly to the
them to pass on the savings directly to theconsumer via the Internet.
customer. With that in mind, Woodstock Bikes areWith that said, it makes me wonder why the big
able to offer the same level bikes as big brandbicycle companies haven't gone the route of selling
companies such as Specialized, Cannondale and manytheir brands via Internet alone. But then again, I'm
more, for a fraction of the price.sure Woodstock Bikes would want to keep things
One of the largest bicycle companies in the USjust the way they are.