What Happened to Turner?

[Tony S]

When I first started riding a bike again in 2002 or 2003, after a 20 year hiatus, I found myself on a mountain bike for the first time. At the time, one of the premium mountain bike companies was Turner. Within a year or two I managed to score a Turner Burner. (The newer flagship 5-Spot model was outside my budget.) It was a great bike that I rode for a long time. Here on the east coast, where Turners were rare, were always like, "Ooooh. Nice bike!" They continued doing their manufacturing here in the US much longer than many mfrs. You could call them up and talk to Dave Turner about your pivot bushings - excuse me, "journal bearings" - or whatever. I just liked their style, and lots of others did too.

Now Turner seems to have fallen off the map. I just visited their website, which seems to have more non-functional links than ones that actually work. And no one ever seems to mention them. What happened?

 

[scott43]

Hard to compete against the big boys. Maybe just too much work for not much profit. Probably would be happier designing and not trying to do all the manufacturing stuff..

 

[EricG]

@Tony S - They have been having financial issues for some years.Throw in manufacturing struggles and Dave is SOL. He was a good designer, but dependent on others for Manufacturing. Dave still have some parts around and I have his email if you need something. If someone wants to purchase the business’s IP, he will likely stay on to design.

 

[markojp]

... no Serotta road bikes anymore either, so there you go.

 

[Tom K.]

I rode Turners forever, and even helped develop his first carbon race bike, the awesome Czar. I ended up needing a new Czar frame for racing right when DT was in the process of switching frame manufacturers -- after being absolutely hosed by the first company -- and we've lost touch since.

He was a master of being the Amazing Little Guy against the giants for so long. I miss him in the sport. I know he still rides and races cyclocross a lot. I think he'll always be at least a bit of a racer at heart.

If you can wade through the nonsense, you can learn a bit of what is and is not going on with Turner Bikes here: https://forums.mtbr.com/turner/

 

[DoryBreaux]

I remember the DHR was one of those bikes that everyone wanted. I've often thought about doing a "throwback build" with one if ever I had the extra cash to do something like that.

 

[cantunamunch]

Maybe a week? ago a 25somethingish kid drops out of a side trail directly in front of me. I was mildly irked and proved it with disc squeal. He proceeded to prove that he had reasonable fitness but zero trail experience/manners. On his third blind corner pass he got caught out - yes there was someone coming the other way, and fast - and overcorrected. Overcorrected once, twice (in the grass far side now, rear wheel skidding) and even three times before he banged his shin on the pedal in the near side grass.

I would have said "First day on a 26er?" but he was on a Turner, so I refrained out of respect. OFC, there is no way he was old enough to have bought it new. The modern super-wide bars were a fashion statement - he certainly didn't know where to have his body in a turn.