C*H*U*D
No idea what I'm doing
I think I finally realize why this thread interests me so much because I have seen it before.
I got into Mountain Biking while it was still in it's infancy (yes I am that old), which is why I can relate to those that think crawling is going in a direction they are not comfortable with. Crawling today and Mountain Biking of 25 years ago seem to be in very similar situations.
When I started riding there was no suspension, no disc brakes and very little Mountain specific components....many components were borrowed from the road bikes of the day, they weren't very durable and you had to know how to work on bikes if you intended to ride.........sounds a bit like crawling today.
There were many "noobs" that jumped onto the Mountain Bike bandwagon, and it seemed that many manufacturers were eager to build mass-produced, cheap (as in crappy) bikes just to get them sold for a buck. They were heavy, unreliable and handled like crap (sounds like an RTR of today). But those noobs didn't ruin Mountain Biking......actually they made it better because by buying these bikes, manufacturers put money into research and the bikes got better.
Today you can buy a bare bicycle frame and build it with the components of your choice..... but imagine if that was your only option? Modern Mountain Bike technology wouldn't exist because there would be very few riders. That's how some people (myself included) feel when they walk into a Hobby Store to buy a kit....."What radio do I need", "Which motor", "which ESC"????? I think that's why RTR's are so popular.....walk in, pay for your box and go home to crawl.
Like bicycles, maybe RTR's need more than one price point. You can buy a $500 mountain bike, ride it and have fun but don't expect the performance to blow your socks off. Maybe if a company offered two or three RTR's, each with different levels of performance and with different price points, it would show buyers right up front that there is a difference in how well a truck can work.....you just have to be willing to pay. Everyone says don't buy the Axial RTR, get the ARTR instead. Why didn't Axial offer the upgraded parts of the ARTR with everything else the RTR had for an upgraded price? Offer both and see what people buy.
I know that many will say "Just learn to work on your own stuff". I actually prefer that, but many others don't.
Like mountain biking, RC Crawling will evolve.....it's inevitable. 20 years from now, it will have a very storied history, and I'm sure some of the biggest names in that history haven't even heard of crawling yet. When they show up, many will call them "Noobs", make fun of their ideas and dismiss them as serious players........until they start to change the sport....... Ever hear of two guys named Paul Turner and Steve Simons?? (Hint.....they started Rock Shox).
I got into Mountain Biking while it was still in it's infancy (yes I am that old), which is why I can relate to those that think crawling is going in a direction they are not comfortable with. Crawling today and Mountain Biking of 25 years ago seem to be in very similar situations.
When I started riding there was no suspension, no disc brakes and very little Mountain specific components....many components were borrowed from the road bikes of the day, they weren't very durable and you had to know how to work on bikes if you intended to ride.........sounds a bit like crawling today.
There were many "noobs" that jumped onto the Mountain Bike bandwagon, and it seemed that many manufacturers were eager to build mass-produced, cheap (as in crappy) bikes just to get them sold for a buck. They were heavy, unreliable and handled like crap (sounds like an RTR of today). But those noobs didn't ruin Mountain Biking......actually they made it better because by buying these bikes, manufacturers put money into research and the bikes got better.
Today you can buy a bare bicycle frame and build it with the components of your choice..... but imagine if that was your only option? Modern Mountain Bike technology wouldn't exist because there would be very few riders. That's how some people (myself included) feel when they walk into a Hobby Store to buy a kit....."What radio do I need", "Which motor", "which ESC"????? I think that's why RTR's are so popular.....walk in, pay for your box and go home to crawl.
Like bicycles, maybe RTR's need more than one price point. You can buy a $500 mountain bike, ride it and have fun but don't expect the performance to blow your socks off. Maybe if a company offered two or three RTR's, each with different levels of performance and with different price points, it would show buyers right up front that there is a difference in how well a truck can work.....you just have to be willing to pay. Everyone says don't buy the Axial RTR, get the ARTR instead. Why didn't Axial offer the upgraded parts of the ARTR with everything else the RTR had for an upgraded price? Offer both and see what people buy.
I know that many will say "Just learn to work on your own stuff". I actually prefer that, but many others don't.
Like mountain biking, RC Crawling will evolve.....it's inevitable. 20 years from now, it will have a very storied history, and I'm sure some of the biggest names in that history haven't even heard of crawling yet. When they show up, many will call them "Noobs", make fun of their ideas and dismiss them as serious players........until they start to change the sport....... Ever hear of two guys named Paul Turner and Steve Simons?? (Hint.....they started Rock Shox).
