This week, as I don't have some inspiring resolutions to flex on (yet, lol), I was compelled to share Rei Inamoto's Patterns and Predictions for 2025:
- 🔚 The end of marketing as we know it: Hyberbole? Maybe but I agree with Rei's prediction that strategies will bias, for better or worse, for "a more raw, more frequent, more personal approach" to build what he calls Trusted Differentiation.
- 🤓 Revenge of the uncool: Rei cites Duolingo's success & I think in cycling, this could be nerdy & utilitarian things like cargo bikes and/or (like Matt Wragg writes about below) purchasing a forever bike & not always aspiring for the newest & lightest.
- 👴 The Great Pivot of the middle-aged: ok, this is just about technology adoption. Gen-X'ers & older Millenials can't be luddites like the proverbial Boomers and recede into white-collar oblivion. Always be learning, or like Rei says: pivot!
- ⚖️ The 90-10 rule of the new economy: hmm, not sold on this example (especially as I worked in translation years ago), but like example 3 suggests, more access to tools & technology will force innovation up & some prices down but I'd wager the real skills to pay the bills will be more valuable than ever!
- 🗣️ Voice as interface: haha, oh god. Unironically, I've never been a fan of this, but I do see the trend, and there will be less keyboard tapping & more voice command yapping. Great.... 🤦♂️
Nice predictions, Rei! As always, thank you all for reading!
And like my friend Jens said and inspired me to say, I wish you a beautiful New Year full of compassion, clarity, health, and rad times with family and friends,
Jon
p.s.
If you'll be at Velofollies, say hello!
🗓️
Upcoming Events
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The Mechanics of Joy will be LIVE on Echobox Jan 30th, 2pm CET
Bikes
VIA Chapter I - a story of a race through Europe
SILCA x Chris McNally Artist Edition HX-One Kits
Moustache's J.On: Bright.nl's E-Bike of The Year
Ideas
Ride With GPS Launched Beta Community Points of Interest Map Layer
Definitely an homage to komoot's core Highlights feature and will make RIDEWGPS even more valuable to riders around the world. The teaser doesn't embed in the email so you'll have to click for more details.
Editor’s Dozen: Lucas’s Favorite Gear & More of '24
Keeping The Spark Alive
Friends
PBP Stories: Fergus Liam - AKA TheFergDog - Paris Brest Paris 2023
Staffan from Ass Savers on New 'Surrender Talks' Podcast
The new Allygn M.U.D. Fork
Radness
Hanif Abdurraqib's 123 Favorite Albums Of 2024
Thank you very much for reading!
And here's to keeping the spark alive this year!