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Buy a new car and something fails and covered under warranty it is fixed by dealer who covers labour too.Should be same for bikes.
Has used name of Paul McDonald.FB is Andrew McDonald.Profile pics are of a much younger man.His voice is soft spoken and I would guess he is in late 50s.Comes across as quite hesitant.Has found a 'niche' in 'selling' goods up to about R5k knowing that his 'victims' probably wont try and find him and the police wont be interested in a petty matter.
I have dealt with Evobikes for years and their service has always been top class. Yesterday I blew a tire -beyond fixing, near Meerendal. I had a long walk ahead with only about R50 in my pocket but was picked up by Mathias Weinmann after walking about 800m. Evo Bikes replaced my tire and I was good to go in about 30 minutes.Trusted me to do an EFT once I got home.
Thanks Chelsea, Tanya and Janos for helping me and Mathias for giving me a lift up that hill. You all know EvoBikes but this kind of service is what sets them apart. Mathias is the MD of GPM Sports -they import customised saddles, grips and other equipment( www. gpm-sports.co.za)
Before signing an asset finance contract make sure that you have been told what the repayments, interest rates etc are. Most finance companies have calculators on their websites-test these before you buy. They should also have a FAQ section on the website covering things like early settlement scenarios, deposits, defaults etc. Most finance companies are registered credit providers -this should also reflect on their documentation
I am changing to 32 oval front and 11-46 cassette.XT 8000 medium derailleur.I have a new 116 link Shimano 901HG XTR chain.Would I need more links and how is this calculated?With Mtb always extra costs:)
My post 2 days back-parcel finally reached me in CT yesterday after despatch by CRC on 18 Jan (via Parcelfreight who link into SA Post Office once here). Seems there is a problem at SA Customs-maybe volumes are increasing due to improved exchange rate 
. Next time will use DHL option. CRC service excellent and I am happy with order
Bit of advice to would be buyers intending to use CRC etc(may have been mentioned before). If you can, then choose the courier option . SA Post Office is really slow-took 3 days to get from CRC to JHB Hub and 9 days to get from JHB to CT where it has been for a further 5 days. Small parcel with 3 items. Not sure of why there is a holdup but still no indication of when i will get it. 'It is being processed' is the stock answer from SA Post Office. Could be because they are working out duties etc. Long and short of it is that I get the sense that SA Post Office don't work to rigid deadlines and turnaround times like the private companies do so delivery times depends on the weakest links in the chain. Sometimes you are lucky sometimes not! Last time I bought a groupset and had it sent via DHL. 4 days until it reached me. Same supplier.....
Got to wonder where the real issue is here. If local agents are moaning about having to honour or do warranty repairs for grey goods is the problem really the small consumer who use overseas bike shops to import stuff? We buy things such as chains, cassettes, pedals and groupsets-kit that generally do not break. Finnicky really expensive things like shocks, forks, dropper posts etc are generally bought locally so that one can have recourse to LSB and agent/distributor. But is the real problem not on warranties where the big importers buy containers full of bikes (with SRAM components already fitted)? Where there are fails warranty and repair claims go to the local SA agent who has to honour them? Far more bikes imported with SRAM stuff than what we buy through CRC. So my conspiracy theory is that SRAM in the USA is just keeping the local distributor happy by putting heat on the online shop in Europe but ignoring the elephant in the room of thousands of bikes coming into SA where the components were not bought via local distributor. SRAM USA care not less where their goods are sold-to OEM, online bike shops or to a local distributor and that's the bottom line.
If you have access to the info, then let us know when the are forced to buy this larger consignment, so i can start to NOT buy, and let them sweat their decisions.
It happens with most industries where distributors are involved. Car industry a perfect example. If you want to own a new car agency then you need to hold x stock and buy from manufacturer in quantities, models and colours they determine . Works the same as food franchise-you 'will' buy x many rolls, hamburger patties etc from our chain. Of course I do not have access to the cycling info but I know how distribution agreements work. If sales are reduced by blocking the online access they have to be made up elsewhere and so the heat WILL come down on local distributors to pick up the slack.Bike industry is battling right now so a model that does not increase sales to manufacture will soon be revisited.
SRAM are defending their distributors by blocking sales from online stores to us. So what it means to SRAM is less supply to the online stores( because we and the cyclists in Aussie, NZ etc can't buy) and to compensate for the reduction in supply the didtributors in these countries will have to buy more from SRAM.SRAM certainly wont be prepared to lose sales just to protect the distributor. I would think that when distributor contracts are renegotiated the minimum order quantity requirements would be increased to compensate for the reduction in online sales.So more pressure on the distributor to beef up stock holdings. Now if cyclists wont pay the high prices then a strategy rethink will be needed. Online shopping is here to stay and ultimately the SRAM bean counters will have to work out the benefits of supporting an online model versus distributors-many bike brands are selling online now( Giant and Trek for example) and SRAM's exclusionary stance could be short lived if the numbers don't make sense. So maybe the vaseline will be needed by the distributors in the not to distant future. If warranties are the issue( which I suspect are #2 reason behind losing sales to online shops) then SRAM should work out a deal with local distributors that is reasonable but corporate bean counters don't think like this. The % of warranty claims must be minute vs sales losses so no guessing what I would do if it were my business. Keep the client happy. On the local front how will Chris Willemse handle this? Will SRAM force him to buy from Cape Cycle Systems? Especially that Willemse is now owned by a large corporate with their own muscle and lawyers/accountants? Interesting times!!
Pic above says it all:)
The sad reality of SA unfortunately. One would expect to be safe in an organised event because of the numbers of people riding but I guess the criminal waited until he saw a potential victim on her own and struck. Organisors took reasonable precautions but again this is SA and nobody is safe. Crime happens under the noses of police and security guards in every suburb . Criminals are running this country but before I get too political let me sign off.
Glad that the lady is safe and sound.
Any other South Africans in Tour? Impey?
Labour on warranty replacement
in Bike Shops & Services
Posted · Edited by Rust Never Sleeps
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