Why no Test Bikes to test before you Buy?

[Starry nights]

Wait for the next "Ride Before you Buy" at groenies and elswhere?

 

http://www.bicycling.co.za/articles/ride-before-you-buy

Edited May 4, 2011 by Aonyx

[Guest Iron]

You should ask your pal Eldron for a decent ride on his spare 29er ;-)

 

My Pal is selling his and dont want to mess with his sale

[Ratty]

I think when a first shipment comes in there should always be a demo bike or two which can't be sold until they have been used for a certain amount of time. Same as with a demo car at a dealer,those get sold when they have done x amount of km. It gets my goat that we are asked to pay so much more for bikes locally than overseas (this applies to the brands I have looked at, can't speak for all), but have to accept that we can't test the material before we buy. If you buy and the bike is not the right fit (it probably takes about 4-5 rides of an hour or more to get used to a bike) the dealer is not likely to give you your money back. How about a demo weekend? If an agent gets a minimum or 4-5 inquiries for a bike in a week (via the shops), he sets up a ride on the weekend where bikes can be tested in a controlled environment.How much effort would that take? It won't be done, because the local agents probably work out how many bikes they need to sell in a year to cover their Camps Bay Bond, Private Schools and Mommie's Prado. This keeps demand high and guarantees orders for the following year's models.

 

Do you honestly think the agents make that much money that they can afford to live in Camps Bay? Maybe you should do some research before coming on here and making comments like that.

 

There are demo days i.e. the "Ride before you buy". They have done one at Tokai and Contermans. Different brands come with a range of bikes that people can try out. Strangely though the last one wasn't that well attended.

[Chain-L]

I hear what you are saying, but if you want to demo an Audi R8 or a merc SLS, you will have some problems doing that at many merc and Audi Dealers. It does not make financial sense to have all the bikes they can sell available as demos, especially the top end stuff.

 

The solution will be for the suppliers to have some demo stock that gets moved through the country and visit the bike shops they supply on certain dates. They inform their clients, and the bike gets booked out for that customer for that time.

 

Just as an example, you cant expect your LBS to have demo stock of a Spec epic 29er, a tallboy, a Cannondale Scalpel 29er (when they come) etc etc. You can not compare our market with the UK and US. They sell 1000's of those bikes compared to our 100's.

 

 

that is also why they have the try before you buy days, because they do not expect LBSs to carry all the demo stock.

 

just my 2c.

[kandui]

Do you honestly think the agents make that much money that they can afford to live in Camps Bay? Maybe you should do some research before coming on here and making comments like that.

 

There are demo days i.e. the "Ride before you buy". They have done one at Tokai and Contermans. Different brands come with a range of bikes that people can try out. Strangely though the last one wasn't that well attended.

No offence Ratty, but I won't make a flippant statement. From what I hear from guys in the industry that I know, agents are not shy with their margins.I do my research before risking a comment on the Hub. For example. There is no import duty on bike spares, only the Vat on the invoice value. Bikes can be imported in a broken downs state and declared as spares too, nothing devious about that.Spares are imported all the time and if the Rand is so strong, why have prices not come down? Bikes get sent from various factories in the East to the destination countries, not to the Company Headquarters first. So logistics costs can't be blamed. Prices are simply higher here than overseas, why else does Chain Reaction Cycles do such a roaring trade in SA. Chris Willemse imports directly and has good prices and the agents on his case. He has overheads too, but cuts his margins and still makes a decent profit.

[Slowbee]

Do Bulls bike make a dualie ? I cannot seem to see one on their webpage.

[Eddy Gordo]

No offence Ratty, but I won't make a flippant statement. From what I hear from guys in the industry that I know, agents are not shy with their margins.I do my research before risking a comment on the Hub. For example. There is no import duty on bike spares, only the Vat on the invoice value. Bikes can be imported in a broken downs state and declared as spares too, nothing devious about that.Spares are imported all the time and if the Rand is so strong, why have prices not come down? Bikes get sent from various factories in the East to the destination countries, not to the Company Headquarters first. So logistics costs can't be blamed. Prices are simply higher here than overseas, why else does Chain Reaction Cycles do such a roaring trade in SA. Chris Willemse imports directly and has good prices and the agents on his case. He has overheads too, but cuts his margins and still makes a decent profit.

 

I agree here, I do alot of buying and have noticed over the lets say last year the rand has become stronger and in that prices on goods have come down. I am in the habit of keeping a 50% margin just that, so that a customer can enjoy cheaper goods, however in many industries prices have not changed!!!!!!!!

[kandui]

Sure it's difficult,hence my suggestion to offer a service where you can book a test ride for a Brand and once there are enough guys, you go out on a Saturday morning for 1-2 hours. Do it on a monthly basis then, you can't wait for a year to test a bike, buying decisions go on all the time.

[kandui]

Rotwild are huge in Germany.Every second bike in the Black forest is a Rotwild.

 

Good price and good spec.

 

I am going to import 3 bikes, one for myself and 2 for sale. Probably for R24k with the XT spec.Will bring in 1 medium and hopefully another Large, otherwise 2 medium.