????蓋茨公司深知DIY達人們的重要角色。該公司營銷與商業服務高級副總裁格雷格?維吉爾表示，市場上有兩類消費者：“首先是自行車發燒友，專業博客上的內容他們全都會看，等他們走進商店的時候，他們已經知道自己想要什么。其次是非發燒友，他們直接走進自行車商店，說他們想要一輛城市自行車。所以我們的目標是接觸自行車商店的員工，讓他們為我們服務，把碳傳動帶介紹給消費者。”蓋茨公司還與一個名叫Urban Assault Rider的巡回自行車活動進行了合作。此外公司也會把樣品帶到國際自行車展等大型展會上，只是我們還不清楚這樣做如何能接觸到普通的自行車消費者。塞爾頓表示：“我們的信息很簡單，就是‘騎上它’。一旦人們真的騎上了這輛自行車，他們就會說：‘哇，真的管用。我不用再擔心機油的問題了，而且它騎上感覺很好，超級安靜。’”值得注意的是，蓋茨公司并沒有在廣告上花多少錢，一是由于成本，二是由于市面上的傳動帶還很有限。

????2011年共有140個自行車品牌在美國市場上銷售。然而它們使用的零件卻相當集中。幾乎市場上的所有自行車都使用了兩大全球性品牌禧馬諾（Shimano）和SRAM的零件。（禧馬諾的總收入有三分之二以上來自自行車零件銷售業務。而且全球有一半以上的自行車都使用了禧馬諾的零件。）雖然禧馬諾和SRAM都有能夠與蓋茨公司的傳動帶搭配使用的零件，不過SRAM的一位發言人表示：“我們可以說，傳動帶與鏈條的銷量差距是非常明顯的。”銷售人員們也認為，碳驅動系統不大可能取代齒輪變速系統。比如湯利指出：“我們沒有看到美國市場現在有很多人采用傳動帶。目前來說，它的市場主要在亞洲和歐洲，而且在那邊做得很大的電動自行車，目前也沒有獲得美國消費者的接受。”簡而言之，蓋茨公司的產品雖然是非常誘人的創新，但未來卻還有一段艱難的路要走。

????不過美國市場在重重烏云中仍然為蓋茨公司透出了一線曙光。在波特蘭、舊金山和紐約等地，自行車文化正在蓬勃發展。盡管2008年自行車產業也像大多數其它行業一樣遭受了致命的打擊（麥克柯爾指出：“人們從車庫里推出自己的舊自行車，而不是買新的。”），但是這些地區有一批思想前衛的商店和車迷，因此也是一個日益增長的市場。湯利稱：“有些思想超前的自行車商店樂于銷售驅動帶，也樂于向消費者介紹這種產品。而且在高端的通勤上班族市場，也有些顧客愿意花1,000美元買一輛自行車。他們愿意花錢買一些代表創新的東西。”

????譯者：樸成奎

????Gates knows the crucial role of the shop rats. Greg Vigil, VP of marketing and commercial services for Gates, says there are two consumer categories: "There are bike people, who read everything on the blogs, come in and know what they want. Then there are non-enthusiasts who walk into a bike shop and say they want an urban bike. So our target is reaching the bike shop employees and getting them on board so they mention it to that consumer." Gates has also partnered with Urban Assault Ride, a roving marketing event that targets urban-minded riders. Gates brings samples to the big trade shows like Interbike, though it's unclear how that would reach the casual consumer. "Our messaging," says Sellden, "is just 'get on it' because once people actually get on the bike, they say 'Wow, this makes sense. I don't have to worry about grease, it engages so nicely, it's super quiet.'" Notably, what Gates is not doing is putting much money into advertising, mostly due to the cost and limited availability.

????In 2011, there were 140 different bike brands sold in the U.S. But in contrast, there is major consolidation in componentry: two major global brands, Shimano and SRAM, combined provide the components for virtually all bikes on the market. (Sales of bike parts make up more than two-thirds of Shimano's revenues, and Shimano parts are in more than half of all bikes globally.) Although Shimano and SRAM both offer parts that can pair with the Gates belt, according to a SRAM spokesman, "We can say that the difference between [sales of] chain and belt is very significant." Sellers say that Carbon Drive is unlikely to replace the derailleur system. "We are not seeing a lot of adoption right now of the belt drive in the U.S. market," says Townley. "For now, it's chiefly in Asian and European markets. And e-bikes, which are big there, don't have market acceptance yet here." In short, the company's product, sexy innovation though it is, has a tough road ahead.

????There is a silver lining for Gates: burgeoning bicycle cultures in cities like Portland, San Francisco and New York. Despite 2008 bringing, as it did for most industries, a brutal fall for bike sales (McCorkell says, "people pulled old bikes out of their garage, they weren't buying new"), those areas boast growing marketplaces with forward-thinking stores and owners. "There are progressive bike shops that are happy to sell a belt drive, happy to tell customers about that option," says Townley. "And in the high-end commuter market, there are customers who are happy to pay $1,000 for a bike. They like the idea of paying for something that signals innovation."