>R1000 ANT+ dongles in the classifieds?!

[Schmorglebot]

Are people seriously trying to price gouge the ANT+ indoor training market? That's low

[Vetplant]

The local distributors are certainly ripping us on these dongles, daylight robbery if you look at what you can buy them for from China. But most people don't want to go through the courier admin or Customs.

 

I can vouch for the Chinese dongles, they work fine.

 

I've had a few bad apples, but the supplier reimbursed immediately.

 

Try CESDEALS...

[Grease_Monkey]

You cannot call the competition commission on 2nd hand sales. Willing buyer, willing seller. If they are priced too high they simply won't sell.

 

I have seen them new on a few local sites for around R600.

[T-Bob]

Look peeps are trying to make a buck and there are very few buck to be made at the moment. If you don't like the price don't buy them. The price will soon drop if someone has a box of them on their desk as a paper weight rather than moving stock.

I'm not in favour of ripping people off ever but I'm a small business owner who has had all income slaughtered by Covid lockdown while still having staff (and their families) / running costs to pay for and no real sign of getting income in the next 3 months (even if the general lockdown is lifted tomorrow). I am going to start selling off things just to pay my staff and put food on the table and if I had 3 of those dongles in a box on the shelf I'd be selling them for all I could and for what people would pay. 

 

Fact is everyone has rushed out and bought expensive trainers for the lockdown and now need extras. People with the extras are just playing the market here. 

 

If distributors are gouging the system then that is a different matter. Make a bulk order and sell them at cost but that is gong to take forever because we're in lockdown and that is exactly why people are buying trainers and need the dongles... 

[Schmorglebot]

My tongue was firmly in my cheek for this one!

[MDJ]

Gladly paid R1,035.00 to buy a Wahoo one for a friend who couldn't afford it. Combined with speed sensor and they had a giant dumb trainer. They are on zwift with us now, loving it, mental sanity. Making a plan for another one with Bluetooth and a stages PM I've take. From my spare bike. Transactions conducted via postbox, alcohol wipe downs.

[Christian van Zyl]

Exchange rate fell +- 30% against the dollar... On 1'st of May we are forced to implement price increases. 

So most things you see now is on a form of sale anyway. 

On the dongle side, it is a free market and if you can get them imported from many places.. As distributors you have to register them with ICASA, support the product etc. 

From a decade of selling these dongles, not all of them are equal... branded goods should have proper support and work effortlessly. 

R1035 is quite steep for a dongle, they should sell at R899 incl VAT and there is fair margin built into that price. With that said, pricing will start changing in the next month. 

Cheers! 

Your local Wahooligan 



 

[Vetplant]

https://www.cesdeals.com/product/mini-ant%2B-usb-stick-adapter-dongle-ant-usb-stick-adapter-portable-for-garmin-zwift-wahoo-bkool-bike-computer-245189

 

$11 each

 

It gets even more affordable if you bring a couple of extra in for friends as they do give you discounts and their expedited shipping is well worth the extra cost.

 

Yes I have used them and know allot of other folk that use them.

 

Worth the risk IMHO.

 

(They also stock some interesting other bits and bobs. I don't know when international shipments will be arriving in SA though)

[ChrisF]

Exchange rate fell +- 30% against the dollar... On 1'st of May we are forced to implement price increases. 

 

So most things you see now is on a form of sale anyway. 

 

..... SNIP ....

 

Cheers! 

 

Your local Wahooligan 

 

 

 

 

 

We are worried about the price of imported goods for many of our projects ... Let's hope this is just a spike, and that the exchange rate settles back, as it has often done in the past ....

 

 

 

Also, LOTS of goods will only start shipping after lock-downs have lifted in various ports .... we may see stock shortages of LOTS of goods .... going to be interesting trying to try and finish some projects ....

[bullet77]

Now I know how lucky I got today, got 1 2nd hand for R150 from someone close by.

[kosmonooit]

Nothing wrong with the generic Chinese Ant+ dongles, been selling them for almost 3 years, yet to have one back.

 

Just sold my last one I had in stock for my list price, R345.

[Mamil]

Is ant plus a better method of connection than bluetooth? Or are they comparable?

[Grease_Monkey]

Nothing wrong with the generic Chinese Ant+ dongles, been selling them for almost 3 years, yet to have one back.

 

Just sold my last one I had in stock for my list price, R345.

Please let me know when you have stock again (one day). Would love to take one off your hands. I'm in no rush.

[Andrew_Smith]

Crazy.

 

I used my ANT+ from my Garmin 310XT and worked like a bomb.

 

After I sold my Kickr Core, I gave it away for my friend who wanted to get into indoor training.

[sirmoun10goat]

Is ant plus a better method of connection than bluetooth? Or are they comparable?

It’s complex, if you read DC Rainmaker reviews you will get a picture as to why. Bluetooth is a communication channel, but how data is transmitted can be varied, and although these methods are being standardized, it may not always be so. When using Ant+, the methods are almost al standard. This mean almost all trainers work with almost devices (as in life, there are always exceptions). You can also send as many signals through Ant+ as you want, and Ant+ is probably more stable too.

 

DC Rainmaker says recommends Ant+ if it is possible. I think the issue is many people don’t have Bluetooth/dual devices, so the cheapest option is just a Ant+ dongle

[bullet77]

Is ant plus a better method of connection than bluetooth? Or are they comparable?

In my case both are required to run Zwift on a dumb trainer idt, ant+ for speed/cadence and bluetooth for the HR, at least that is what I think is happening.