What happened to Burley? No more Piccolo, no more tandem child stokerkit, and worsened trailers.

[SMS]

I was disappointed to see that Burley no longer offers the Piccolo, the
only really good tag-along bicycle sold in the U.S.. Then I noticed that
the tandem child stoker kit is gone from their web site as well. The
venerable Burley d'Lite trailer has been decontented and lost the
wrap-around frame that supported the wheels on both sides, and that
increased the safety. Now the Schwinn Mark III
("http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11072207") seems to
be the best choice for a trailer with the wrap-around frame.

Too bad, I was heavily invested in Burley products, and have been
selling them off as my children outgrew them.

 

[Just A User]

SMS wrote:
> I was disappointed to see that Burley no longer offers the Piccolo, the
> only really good tag-along bicycle sold in the U.S.. Then I noticed that
> the tandem child stoker kit is gone from their web site as well. The
> venerable Burley d'Lite trailer has been decontented and lost the
> wrap-around frame that supported the wheels on both sides, and that
> increased the safety. Now the Schwinn Mark III
> ("http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11072207") seems to
> be the best choice for a trailer with the wrap-around frame.
>
> Too bad, I was heavily invested in Burley products, and have been
> selling them off as my children outgrew them.
Well several months ago they discontinued production of their recumbent
bikes too. So I am guessing they did / are doing away with all cycles
and just going with trailers.

 

[[email protected]]

Just A User <[email protected]> wrote:
> SMS wrote:
> > I was disappointed to see that Burley no longer offers the Piccolo, the
> > only really good tag-along bicycle sold in the U.S.. Then I noticed that
> > the tandem child stoker kit is gone from their web site as well. The
> > venerable Burley d'Lite trailer has been decontented and lost the
> > wrap-around frame that supported the wheels on both sides, and that
> > increased the safety. Now the Schwinn Mark III
> > ("http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11072207") seems to
> > be the best choice for a trailer with the wrap-around frame.
> >
> > Too bad, I was heavily invested in Burley products, and have been
> > selling them off as my children outgrew them.
> Well several months ago they discontinued production of their recumbent
> bikes too. So I am guessing they did / are doing away with all cycles
> and just going with trailers.

According to Wikipedia, Burley is no longer employee-owned, but went
public, and a single investor bought controlling interest in it IIRC.
The article adds that they have d/c'd all their bicycles, and intend to
concentrate solely on trailers.
Having once owned a d'Lite (which got stolen, and the reward for info
leading to its return is still offered), I too prefered it in many ways to
the Nomad I now have. I wrote a letter to Burley, and posted most of it
on this group, detailing why. I guess we'll see if the new management
listens.


Bill

__o | What is objectionable, and what is dangerous about extremists
_`\(,_ | is not that they are extreme, but that they are intolerant.
(_)/ (_) | --Robert F. Kennedy

 

[SMS]

[email protected] wrote:

> According to Wikipedia, Burley is no longer employee-owned, but went
> public, and a single investor bought controlling interest in it IIRC.
> The article adds that they have d/c'd all their bicycles, and intend to
> concentrate solely on trailers.
> Having once owned a d'Lite (which got stolen, and the reward for info
> leading to its return is still offered), I too prefered it in many ways to
> the Nomad I now have. I wrote a letter to Burley, and posted most of it
> on this group, detailing why. I guess we'll see if the new management
> listens.

Too bad they couldn't make it. I've had three of their products, d'Lite,
Piccolo, and child stoker kit, and all were unparalleled in their design.

Alas, the new d'Lite is significantly worse than the ones they offered
up until the 2006 model. I guess they had to cut costs, but it's too bad
about the design changes they made. I guess I'd get the Schwinn from
Costco, as it's most like the older d'Lite model with the frame that
goes around the wheels, but from what I've heard, the hitch isn't as
good as Burley's.

My relative has the d'Lite now. Maybe I'll get it back when her kid is
too old for it. I still see it when we go on rides together. I'm really
sorry now that I sold my Piccolo. There is no equivalent to it sold in
the U.S.. The child stoker kit on the tandem is even more of a unique item.

It reminds me of the quote that used to be on Rivendell's site:
"If you find something you really, really like, buy a lifetime supply;
because it'll either be changed for the worse or go out of production."

 

[Dennis P. Harris]

On Thu, 23 Aug 2007 19:17:57 -0700 in rec.bicycles.misc, SMS
<[email protected]> wrote:

> It reminds me of the quote that used to be on Rivendell's site:
> "If you find something you really, really like, buy a lifetime supply;
> because it'll either be changed for the worse or go out of production."

sorry to see burley is no longer a co-op. i suspect that now the
products will turn to chinese made **** and the spaced out
service will improve. i had to call and remind them 3 times
before they sent the helmet rain cover i had ordered.

after 10 years of rain country(tm) service, my burley rain suit
is still almost as good as new --- i've always had to seam seal
it every year, not surprising given how much stretching the seams
get.