SA Pricing - flogging a dead horse

[Cacey]

Here in SA you have "Agents" which 90% of the time have zero stock and when they do have stock the shops eventually get it...

The agents add cost and no value.

 

Im one of the pissed off few that dont like the fact we cant buy Shimano from CRC anymore.

 

I wanna save myself the frustration in asking them if they have any of these XTR crank bolts for me:

 

Need them for my M-970 crankset as I have one cap thats stripped:

 

 

DO I even bother.....

I might have a set lying around.

 

Will check and let you know then we can negotiate 

[Hairy]

I might have a set lying around.

 

Will check and let you know then we can negotiate 

[Cacey]

ONLY !!! Will make special price just for him!

[Pieter1]

It is getting closer to the point where my MTB will be run as a Single Speed .... just like my commuter bike!

This is why the Inbred entered my life.

[Whatsup!]

From (my limited) experience, the cycling market in SA is tiny. Go visit Eurobike to see just the number of brands most South Africans have never even heard of (of coarse not the Hubbers !) and the number bikes and products at the lower level and commuting market that will not likely ever even arrive on our shores. 

Yes, we are relatively large in terms high end product, but it is an inverted pyramid, compared to the other larger markets (e.g. more XT components than all the lower versions, where it should be less than 5 % etc).

Other markets have the lower end commuting market as their bread and butter, with the high end bikes and components as the cream. Have a look at all the commuting bikes in the Netherlands to see the level of bikes and components (It is not S-Works and XTR). The bread and butter allows shops and agents to cover the high end spares etc, that are costly to carry. 

Yes, some of the bigger agents do make good money, but most of the smaller guys don't, and more often then not they don''t survive, let alone drive expensive cars .

[Hairy]

some of us are really trying to get the number of commuters up, really

 

 

From (my limited) experience, the cycling market in SA is tiny. Go visit Eurobike to see just the number of brands most South Africans have never even heard of (of coarse not the Hubbers !) and the number bikes and products at the lower level and commuting market that will not likely ever even arrive on our shores. 

Yes, we are relatively large in terms high end product, but it is an inverted pyramid, compared to the other larger markets (e.g. more XT components than all the lower versions, where it should be less than 5 % etc).

Other markets have the lower end commuting market as their bread and butter, with the high end bikes and components as the cream. Have a look at all the commuting bikes in the Netherlands to see the level of bikes and components (It is not S-Works and XTR). The bread and butter allows shops and agents to cover the high end spares etc, that are costly to carry. 

Yes, some of the bigger agents do make good money, but most of the smaller guys don't, and more often then not they don''t survive, let alone drive expensive cars .

 

[Stevief]

All I can say on this is that if I was looking to start a business NOT A FKCU would I be getting into the bike game.

 

Most of your customer base is busy planning on emigrating

Those that remain's buying power is being eroded by the minute

Theres a new player "taking the market by storm" every 5 minutes

And... Your customers think the word warranty actually means unlimited no questions asked forever guarantee.

 

#notgonnafuckinhappen

Thats before the BEE / Workers Comp/ CCMA/ Theft / Labour issues etc etc etc even start

[DarrenV]

This is a topic for a whole different thread but there is just no way you have to spend that kind of money to have a decent mtb ride. If you spend 100k to start up only to realise mtb'ing is not for you then you have more money than common sense.

 

The reason we see 60K as average has more to do with how mamils choose to spend their money than what we actually need.

 

Completely agree.  I don't know where this idea of a "decent bike" costing 60k comes from?  Just as much capability and fun to be had from a 10k hardtail.  

[Hairy]

ah, I used to have one of those!

 

 

This is why the Inbred entered my life.

 

[MORNE]

Completely agree.  I don't know where this idea of a "decent bike" costing 60k comes from?  Just as much capability and fun to be had from a 10k hardtail.  

 

marketing and and the need for social acceptance/conformity. The same as the guys and gals starting gym in Jan each of year all kitted out in every high end sports brand, fitness watches and gear. "it will make me look like I fit in better and detract from the fact that i have no idea what i am actually doing" or "buying this expensive stuff will motivate me to put more effort in"

[Stevief]

Completely agree.  I don't know where this idea of a "decent bike" costing 60k comes from?  Just as much capability and fun to be had from a 10k hardtail.  

Humans tend to buy things we dont really need to impess people we dont really like.

[Whatsup!]

Thats before the BEE / Workers Comp/ CCMA/ Theft / Labour issues etc etc etc even start

 

Then add consignment stock, shops that don't pay invoices, bikes been used as a spares bin while on consignment ....... 

[Headshot]

ah, I used to have one of those!

Shame bru! 

[Bonus]

Jaws put me off going into the sea unless there's some other sucker in there first and James Bond put me off going into a pool unless there's some other sucker in there first. I'm not even joking.

[Hairy]

It's ok Bra, I now have one of these

 

 

Shame bru! 

 

[Whatsup!]

some of us are really trying to get the number of commuters up, really

 

Still some work to do