Big news in tubular tires

https://cyclingindustry.news/a-dugas...t-by-vittoria/
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Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at 5:46:43 AM UTC-7, AMuzi wrote:
https://cyclingindustry.news/a-dugas...t-by-vittoria/
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Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971
This is sort of odd since it seems like the peloton is moving further and further away from tubulars.

On Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at 8:36:23 AM UTC-5, wrote:
On Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at 5:46:43 AM UTC-7, AMuzi wrote:
https://cyclingindustry.news/a-dugas...t-by-vittoria/
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971
This is sort of odd since it seems like the peloton is moving further and further away from tubulars.

Hate, hate, hate to agree with anything Tom utters, but I have to admit he may not be lying here. Dugast is tubular tires only. Road, Cyclo, Track, and MTB. (MTB tubular tires????) All tubulars. I suspect there will always be a demand for tubular tires from the pro peloton and other niches like track. But Dugast and Vittoria do not make their earnings from giving tubulars to pros. They earn money by selling to the public. And use of tubulars by the public is fractions of fractions of less than one percent. No market, demand to exploit. And as mentioned by Tom, even some pro teams are switching from tubular tires. Mainly the ones paid, sponsored by Specialized which is marketing its own tire brand.

Expanding, gaining market share of the tubular world is kind of like a car company announcing they have just made the bestest, greatest carburetor. Or a car tire company announcing the latest and greatest bias ply tires for your car. I'm sure carburetors and bias ply tires are still needed in the world, but their time has passed.

On Thursday, May 6, 2021 at 1:40:53 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at 8:36:23 AM UTC-5, wrote:
On Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at 5:46:43 AM UTC-7, AMuzi wrote:
https://cyclingindustry.news/a-dugas...t-by-vittoria/
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971
This is sort of odd since it seems like the peloton is moving further and further away from tubulars.
Hate, hate, hate to agree with anything Tom utters, but I have to admit he may not be lying here. Dugast is tubular tires only. Road, Cyclo, Track, and MTB. (MTB tubular tires????) All tubulars. I suspect there will always be a demand for tubular tires from the pro peloton and other niches like track. But Dugast and Vittoria do not make their earnings from giving tubulars to pros. They earn money by selling to the public. And use of tubulars by the public is fractions of fractions of less than one percent. No market, demand to exploit. And as mentioned by Tom, even some pro teams are switching from tubular tires. Mainly the ones paid, sponsored by Specialized which is marketing its own tire brand.

Expanding, gaining market share of the tubular world is kind of like a car company announcing they have just made the bestest, greatest carburetor. Or a car tire company announcing the latest and greatest bias ply tires for your car. I'm sure carburetors and bias ply tires are still needed in the world, but their time has passed.


I should add we know nothing about why Vittoria bought out Dugast. Other than the public announcements. Which are likely made up nonsense. If Dugast literally paid Vittoria to take them as a subsidiary and the price was too good to pass up for Vittoria, then fine. Or if Vittoria needs more tire making capacity and the Dugast factory is the cheapest and easiest way to increase production potential, then fine. Vittora can probably bring in new tire making equipment (clincher) quickly, easily, cheaply and have a new factory going very soon. These reasons make economic and logical sense.

Vittoria getting more or better tubular tire abilities by adding Dugast does not make economic sense.