“As of today, 07.07.2020, Lauf bikes will only be sold directly online by the people who make them, without intermediaries. When we entered the cycling industry, we had no ambitions becoming a wholesaler. We want to be a part of the cycling community. Not just a part of a supply chain. We want to connect directly to cyclists. Connect Direct To You.”
“Of course, it doesn’t hurt that this way you’ll get the best possible price on our bikes!”
“Going Direct To You also means that you will get the best possible information flow on product updates, stock levels and shipping dates. Without information getting lost along the way. We aim for the smoothest possible path for a Lauf bike from our factory floor into your hands. The bike you get delivered is almost entirely assembled. You just need to attach the handlebar, seat post and front wheel. If you have ever bought anything from IKEA, you are probably overqualified.”
“Our website comes in three flavors: USD, EUR and GBP. Customer service is provided from the HQ in Iceland, through video meetings when applicable. In addition, Lauf has a service center conveniently located in the central US.”
“If you have bought a Lauf bike from us in the past 30 days at a higher price, contact us and we will give you store credit for the difference.”
“From the day Lauf was founded, the ultimate goal has been improving high-level cycling. Giving passionate cyclists better equipment to better enjoy riding. Riding faster and riding farther. We want to get superior bikes to as many cyclists as we can. Starting with gravel cyclists.”
“Lauf rocked the boat aggressively when its suspension forks debuted back in 2014. At first, most were skeptical towards our creation. Fast forward a few years and our patented suspension forks have become the benchmark for gravel bike suspension. Last year, our suspension forks were the most popular rider choice at the world’s largest gravel race.”
“We are extremely thankful for how well you have received our True Grit gravel bikes and Anywhere road/gravel bikes. The exceptional feedback motivates us to keep pushing harder. We always aim to make better bikes tomorrow than we did yesterday. Our current bike lineup now benefits from size tuned spring stiffness for the Grit SL suspension forks to match different rider weight and the latest and greatest SRAM AXS 12-speed wide-range drivetrains.”
Video – Direct to You
“There is more to a bike than just the bike itself. An exceptional bike should come with exceptional service. We want to take our Direct To You philosophy as far as possible. Servicing you as well as we possibly can. We aim to cover most things effectively through our website. But at the same time, we do realize that sometimes your questions or needs might be more specific.”
“To kickstart our Direct To You connection, we want to invite you personally for a Video call. If you are thinking about getting a Lauf bike, you can go to our website and book an appointment. There we will try to answer your bike questions face to face. No question is too silly. The silliest questions are those left un-asked.”
“We are committed to making the best gravel bikes on the planet. And now we are pairing that with the direct service of the people who designed them, at unparalleled pricing. “
“We are giving you Lauf, unfiltered. Lauf Direct To YOU.” – Lauf Cycling
Can I still get a true grit in Sunny D yellow?
You need to ask Lauf.
I did a bit of math on this new arrangement compared to the old arrangement and the bottom line is that consumers see a 1/3rd drop in price, Lauf sees about a 40% increase in gross margin and the wholesaler and the bike shop see a 100% reduction in their cut. Lauf will have to add cost to handle direct to consumer transaction costs and customer service so their increase in gross margin will not all fall to the bottom line, but it makes sense from a financial perspective. The big risk they are taking is whether the price reduction to the consumer is enough to maintain or grow sales volume. I think that the Canyon experience suggests that consumers are ready to participate.