Where to Find the Best Deals on Hoka Shoes

Meaning “to fly” in Maori, Hoka was founded in 2009 so that anyone spending long hours on their feet could get the ultimate experience with optimum cushioning and stability. Less than 15 years after its founding, Hoka is bringing in revenues topping a billion dollars a year, so it’s clear that people are loving this brand. But with quality comes high prices, and Hoka is no doubt in the high end price-wise. Thanks to Brad's Deals, we found the best prices on Hoka.

Here are the top 8 stores where you can find great deals on Hoka.

I’m going to talk about if there is a one bike solution. I’m also going to talk about the current state of the industry and where I think it’s headed.

Also, based on some inquiries, I’m now offering Bike Consultations, you can find more information about it here.

Is there a one bike solution?

If you listen to the industry marketing, there are a lot of amazing, this bike does everything perfectly, bikes out there. Is that really true? Is there a one bike solution out there? Like a lot of the questions I ask, this one has a “it depends” answer.

I have been fortunate enough over they years to own a lot of different bike. I also can’t remember the last time I only had one mountain bike, but that doesn’t mean I don’t think about what that bike would be if I ever had to choose.

Unless there is some unicorn bike out there that I am not aware of, I don’t know of a bike that does everything well. The shorter travel lighter bike will climb well, but it will leave you wanting more on the rowdy descents. A long travel enduro bike will gobble up the downhills, but you will suffer a bit on the climbs. All of this said, there are a number of very capable shorter travel bikes out there now. There are tons of bikes in the 120-130mm category that lean more towards a shorter travel trail bike rather than a cross country bike.

A trail bike does seem to the compromise here. I am currently testing this out with a long term demo on a 150/145 Stumpjumper 15 Pro. This bike is a pretty much a mix of both of my full suspension bikes. It’s right in between the two as far a weight and travel.

My plan with this bike is to ride it everywhere. It will be my go to bike for the next 4-6 weeks even if it’s not the “right” bike for the trails I am riding that day. By the numbers, this bike is a bit more than what’s idea for most of my local trails. It will be right at home in one of my favorite places to ride that is about an hour from home. This bike checks a lot of boxes for me. It’s reasonably light considering the travel. It pedals well, and it is very comfortable going down hill.

Will it be the right combo of travel and efficiency in one package? Time will tell. I have only done one ride on so far on my more local smoother trails. I am still getting used to the bike, and I am working in dialing in the suspension. I think getting the suspension setup right will be the key. So far I like the way it rides. It’s a little slow going up, and it feels great going down as expected. It did feel like it was too much bike in most situations, but that didn’t take away from the fun too much. I am looking forward to getting more rides in on everything my local area has to offer.

Bike I’m Eyeing: Starling Cycles - Beady Little Eye

What is the state of the industry, and where is it going?

Since the start of the pandemic the bike industry has been a pretty wild place. There was massive growth, lack of product, huge new product orders, and massive discounting. Early in 2020 no one knew what was going to happen. Santa Cruz was dumping bikes for 35-40% off in March of 2020 which I am sure they regretted a few months later. People were either at stuck at home, and with no money being spent on vacations, restaurants, nice clothes etc. people had money to spend on toys. Bikes blew up in popularity, and manufacturers followed up with huge orders. The lead time at factories went from around 90-120 days to 18 months in the span of about 30 days since so many orders were coming in.

During the boom, bike shops were able to sell whatever they could get for top dollar. People were lining up outside of shops, and buying whatever they could get. Eventually all the warehouses were basically empty because they current stock was sold, and the new stock wasn’t there yet. This was true for everything from bikes to brake pads and everything in between. Everything was really hard to find, and anything that did make it to physical stores or online was snapped up quickly. The used market was bonkers then too. Bikes were going quickly and for top dollar. Then it all changed.

All the sudden bikes and parts were available. Lots of them. All the panic ordering of the few years prior were starting to hit the warehouses in 2022. At first it was great because everything was readily available once again. Bikes and parts that people orders months or in some cases years prior were finally coming in. 2023 was a good year for the bike shops and online retailers. Shops were busy, but not crazy. Bikes, parts, labor etc was being sold for full price, and then more pandemic orders started flooding the warehouses as we ended 2023.

2024 became the year of discounting. All major brands were discounting bikes and parts by up to 50-60% in some cases. Companies that were basically printing money a year prior were startling to lose money. We saw a numbers of brands either close up shop all together or reorganize in an attempt to stay afloat. This also caused the companies that survived to reduce the numbers of SKU’s they have. Some of the larger guys had 10 different trims on a single frame, and once you add in multiple colors and sizes it was getting out of control. Fewer options here is a good thing. Most brands are starting to focus more on generation rather than model year which is another good thing. For example, the Specialized Epic is in it’s 8 generation. Until the model 9 is announced all the Epics sold no matter of the year are gen 8 with different parts and paint.

I think we are nearing the end of the pandemic whiplash effect, but it will take most of 2025 to finally work itself out. Stock numbers in the warehouses are starting to come down to reasonable numbers. Most of the bikes being sold at a major discount are previous year or previous generation models. Once the dust settles I think we will see more brands close and a smaller number of options available. In the end I think this will be good for the manufacturers and local shops supporting these brands.

Did you miss some of the previous issues? Here are some of the most popular ones:

• Should you wrap your bike?

• Buying a bike: Online vs. LBS

• Trail Etiquette and SRAM Transmission Review

What am I reading?

My favorite stuff:

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Video of the week

OneUp Squamish Downhill Race Highlights

They make something that is very difficult look really easy.

Thank you for being a reader. To show my appreciation, I’ve created a referral program. So if you were thinking about investing in a consultation with me, you can also get it when you refer 10 people to MTBSend.