big_guy_g

Hi all, Just a fast intro. I am Grant and I work for Raleigh SA/Emotion Cycling Very sorry to hear about all the inconvenience and lack of communication that you guys have highlighted. I will try and shed a little light on the subject from my side. Regarding the info email issue. This is the first that it has been brought to my attention. I have spoken to our Web designer and these mails will be forwarded to me in future. If you have any queries in the meantime, please don't hesitate to drop me a mail and I will be more than happy to help. Grant@emotioncycling.co.za Eugene, 100% correct. Raleigh Nomad will not exist in the Raleigh range going forward. We will be stocking the international range. Big Ben, thanks for the heads up! Sadly, we are still waiting for our stock to arrive. We were supposed to have had our initial batch of bikes by now, but we have experienced a number of production delays in China. We are expecting stock arrivals early next year. Please, feel free to contact me with your queries though!! Looking forward to hearing from you all! Grant

What sealant are you using?

I am a mountain biker... Road bikes aren't really my thing, but DAMN that is pretty!! Honestly, post as many threads on it as you like!

Mine is going bezerk!!! Multiple attacks??? Freaking hundreds!!! Good luck guys!!!

i did post that originally' date=' but it was apparently inaccurate. it was also wrong of me to do so because it contained personal info of some people. [/quote']Just because you have nothing to hide, evident in your avatar. doesnt mean you can go round doing the same to others. sis on you holy. you should know better,Now go put some pants on. admit it, you can't stop looking at it I know I can't!!! ha ha ha!!! No really. dress it up dude!! ;-)

Oops!! My bad!! Very silly of me to have thought that possible!! ;-) I'm pretty much done and made my point!! But you go nuts!! ;-)

GoLefty!! I can't go into a detail, don't feel that would be right. What I can do though is tell you that you would not be paying more for what you wish to purchase, just because the shops felt like lining their pockets. (At least that is how it was explained to me anyway!! I wasn't there to experience it first hand!!). How about we all quit speculating and wait for the outcome from the competition board. Then we can publish that on a thread and we will all know the truth behind it all!! That way we can all stop arguing in the meantime and ramble on about our weekend rides and not get worked up about it!!

Would be iteresting to see the guest list!!

***deleted, due to not wanting to offend anyone who has made a very valid point and is arguing a VERY similar point to my own*** Funny how that may offend people...big_guy_g2009-03-16 07:24:47

TNT1 I can't answer your queries regarding motorbikes... Sorry... But I have been a part of the cycling industry for the last 5 1/2 years, retail AND wholesale. I know how it all works. The only reason I am currently NOT in the cycling industry, is because I was retrenched a week ago, because the cycling side of the company I was with has taken SUCH a HUGE dip in the last year!! I have seen dollar COSTS soar in that period!!! So quit having a dig at the bike shops and local distributors for having ridiculous prices. They are only making their regular mark ups!! A great example is a certain bike model that I used to sell. 2008, was retailing at R9 000 (roughly), no change in mark up from local importer or retailer... BANG R13 999 for the 2009 model. Quit blaming everything on "price fixing", as far as I am aware, nothing was ever even implemented!! I am not making a bunch of unfounded claims OR airing my assumptions like a LOT of other people are doing... I am telling you what I know.

With low margin, you have to turn big volume!! If I were a big shot in a company turning the volumes they have to turn in order to make the business viable... I would also be driving a Porsche. Belive me when I say, the margins that are made relative to the outlay involved in even setting up a small shop are k@k!! As an investor, I can almost assure you, you wouldn't invest in a bike shop!! Hats off to the guys who do, they are the people who keep the sport alive. They are the guys who keep fancy "porn" on their shop floors for us to drool over! They are the guys who keep us interested!!

Oh look!!! A cycle lab ad!! ha ha!!

Prices on the whole have gone up... Bare in mind that the international distributors increase their prices AT LEAST annually (manufacture costs and material costs) and at teh same time, the rand has been shot to hell... I agree, the prices are getting REALLY crazy, BUT you can't blame the "price fixing" issue on that !!! Nothing that was discussed was even implemented!!! Take you head out the ground!! Do a little research!!

Just out of interest... How much research have you put into that post??? There was a massive outburst over it last year already! How much research was done into that?? I have pretty close ties with the industry at a supplier lever and at a retail level... I was clearly not involved with the meeting, but the way I understand it is that the minutes you all read on the hub last year... were very misleading and one could be forgiven for making the assumptions that were made. It really made Fritz and Andrew look bad! And as I understand, they were NOT out to make us (the consumers) pay more, but rather to protect their market! Retailers don't make massive margins at all and I don't blame them in the least for wanting to protect their margins. But please tell me what you all know about price fixing??? Is it not all rigged from the supplier side of things?! Eg. Tigerbrands story. How do you suppose the retailer is going to fix price??? Stand with a gun to his oppositions head and TELL him that he MUST sell a tube at R50 so that he can do the same?? Please man! I am sure that ALL the info I have got my hands on and ALL I have heard is not all 100% true and some of my opinions may be influenced by that. I want to see what comes of this whole case still and if my views on it are incorrect I will accept that. But before making comments like "why weren't any customers invited?" Think about it a little bit. Am I allowed to know what your company's margins are if I am your customer??? I doubt it!! There is an element of secrecy regarding pricing in any industry, not only cycling!! Also, how would this meeting have helped us, the consumers??? Quite simple... If stores aren't making ends meet, there is no prospect for investment in the stores and they close. Do yourselves the favour... Go have a look at The Lab and at Fritz's stores... They don't even sell the same stock!!! A tool that serves the same function from 2 different manufacturers cost different amounts. A dual suspension MTB from 2 different brands cost different amounts!!! So before everyone slings mud in the direction of the guys who are only here to provide us with a service and make a living, let's see what the competition board decides... and let's all quit speculating. I believe the competition board is a little more qualified to make judgement on this case than any one of us is!!

If you are sending one poor bugger to keep you a spot on Friday night... That counts as a yes vote!!!

Ha ha ha!!! Champion!! I'll see you on Saturday morning!! You want coffee from Wild Bean then?!

Beer glorious beer!!!!! Some of my best races have been when I wake up and I'm still plastered!!! Not going to try that logic for 24 hour this weekend though!!!

Let's see how necessary it is to camp at NF on Friday night... Bare in mind : There will be NO security There will be NO ablutions... You may just need to go have a bossie!!!

Sweat and Gears... Saturday afternoon... Usually a 30-something km ride. Leave the shop around 2 ish. Sunday morning. Leave at 7... Usually around 50km. Not too race-faced... A nice mixed bunch or riders!!! Give Pieter a shout at S&G... 011 425 1152

3 1 x Fisher Paragon 29er Hardtail 1 x Paragon converted to Single Speed... RIGID!!! ;-) 1 x Trek 5.2 Madone And a whole bunch of bits and pieces lying in my shed... Sure there is a complete bike in there somewhere too!!

Check with the handlebar manufacturer... Some you can cut, some you can't... Eg, Bontrager Race X Lite (full carbon) you can cut. Race XXX Lite (full carbon too) it is recommended that you don't. CHECK BEFORE YOU CUT!!! You don't want to destroy a R2000 bar!!!

I reckon Garmin needs to get involved too... If enough people put pressue on them, I'm sure they will notice and at least give a good reason why they don't do it!! However, Polar has a great marketing pitch over Garmin in this case... "Here, buy a Polar and get Vitality points", as a Discovery Vitality member... That's going to mean something to you!! Will be cool to see where this topic goes!!

If it is monthly, I am in!! Have a bunch of other guys who will also be keen to join in!!

Nice work dude!!!

I'm bummed I missed it... I stuffed my times up... I went and drank all the beer I could find before the ride last night... DAMMIT!!! I'll get it right next time for sure!!! Sounds like you all had a good time!!!! See you next time!!!