My wife felt her tyres........

[porky]

I suspect that something has changed in the compound of the Gatorskin tyres' date=' and it aint good. I have always used Gatorskins without hassle, but recently I started experiencing a crazy amount of punctures on my road bike. On inspection, I noticed that the side walls were kinda rotting with all threads coming outta them - and they were not even that old or that worn. Anyway, i changed the tyres (this time to Bontrager), and have not had a puncture on my road bike since.

 

BUT last week, i had 2 punctures on my hybrid, which have .......(yeah u guessed it....Gatorskins, and also they aiont really that worn cos I use this bike mainly on the idt.

 

I would like to know if anyone else has experienced this syndrome.

 

Anyway, Porky, you will be proud of me cos I have exercised my consumer rights and bitched like to the LBS, who promised to take this up with Coninental. Thus far though they have done f..... all about it.

 

Lastly. Sending the wife to buy tyres (whether for car or bike) is kinda like sending me to buy tampons. Its no wonder she got ripped off!

[/quote']

 

The same happened to a set I had sometime ago, chucked em out and put on Michelins and they have been great.

 

Yah, I guess, but I am rather proud of you Harryn, exercising your rights and all, I mean!

 

Feels good eh!

   

 

[porky]

................were looking a bit worn on the weekends ride and been a woman and impatient took herself off this morning to get two new ones.

 

Calling me from the car' date=' she said she had bought two new "Gatorskins" cos the guy in the shop said they were ideal for her - sounds fine I said, how much were they by the way........................??

 

R800.00 bucks for two, she said.!!!!!!!!!!!

 

"WHAT".................................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Now I dont know prices, I seldom walk into cycle shops, but is this average?

 

Personally I cant think so I have this sneaky feeling she was "skinned".

 

But before I kick up a stink about predatory shops taking advantage of unknowing consumers,(and I will if need be), I need to ask...................................What is average price,?? - just ball park, give or take, approximate, plus / minus - I want to know, "all welcome to answer".

  

 

 

[/quote']

I purchased 2 in March from Cajees @ R 740, and 2 from Westdene in April for R 640

At least she did not buy crap, but it was at a slight premium.

 

 

 

Thats seems a far more appropriate price Trubie, I had a set about a year ago and they were around R250.00 odd then so R320.00 seems a fair margin for the devaluation of the currancy etc.

 

R800.00 is certainly at a premium, if they wanted an investor, they could have just rather asked, far more honest in my book. Surprised Cajees was more though, usually they are fairly competitive arnt they.?

 

[Danger Dassie]

Many may laugh, but I often check out places like Makro and Value Centre for consumables like tyres. You'd be surprised....

 

Bought myself two pairs of tyres at R160 a pair, well made, good tread designs and lightweight.

In fact the one set is lighter than many marquee brands.

 

[Wobbles]

I just bought two Vredestein Ricorso's for R170 each. Dragged me up and down Durban just as fine as my bud's Bontrager's. I see lots of glass and crap' date=' living in an industrial town, so nope, I will definitely not justify R400-500 a tyre.

 

[/quote']

 

Where did you buy these DLC? I picked up 4 punctures on my Conti GP 4000S during the Tour Durban and I was advised to get Vredestein's or Bontragers.

[intern]

Hey fancy that last time I bought road bike tyres I got ricorsos as well. Although I do have a preference for Michelins expensive tho'!

[intern]

Wobbles, for puncture resistance nothing beats Michelins, the kinda 'spensive ones though, krylion carbon....(ya now they even making flippen tyres out of the stuff)

[Tumbleweed]

................were looking a bit worn on the weekends ride and been a woman and impatient took herself off this morning to get two new ones.

 

?

 

Calling me from the car' date=' she said she had bought two new "Gatorskins" cos the guy in the shop said they were ideal for her - sounds?fine I said, how much were they by the way........................??

 

?

 

R800.00 bucks for two, she said.!!!!!!!!!!!

 

?

 

"WHAT".................................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

?

 

Now I dont know prices, I seldom walk into cycle shops, but is this average?

 

?

 

Personally I cant think so I have this sneaky feeling she was "skinned".

 

?

 

But before I kick up a stink about predatory shops taking advantage of unknowing consumers,(and I will if need be), I need to ask...................................What is average price,?? -?just ball park, give or take, approximate, plus / minus - I want to know, "all welcome to answer".

 

??

 

?

 

?

[/quote']

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I purchased?2 in March from Cajees @ R 740, and 2 from Westdene in April for R 640

 

At least she did not buy crap, but it was at a slight premium.

 

?

 

?

 

?

 

Thats seems a far more appropriate price Trubie, I had a set about a year ago and they were around R250.00 odd then so R320.00 seems a fair margin for the devaluation of the currancy etc.

 

?

 

R800.00 is certainly?at a premium, if they wanted an investor, they could have just rather asked, far more honest in my book. Surprised Cajees was more though, usually they are fairly competitive arnt they.?

 

?

 

 

 

porky, i have seen the cost on contis, and it often goes up with every shipment. supply is kinda erratic too.

[porky]

[quote=porky

 

OTE]

 

 

porky' date=' i have seen the cost on contis, and it often goes up with every shipment. supply is kinda erratic too.[/quote']

 

Oh, wouldnt surprise me HR. See my post on the other thread here about Importing from the UK.

 

See if you agree.?

 

What would you sell Gatorskins for over the shelf, no specials, everybody price bud? - I think I read you do some work in a shop,? if I am wrong just ignore it, I have a screaming headache so I cant think too straight.!  

 

porky2009-05-06 10:33:30

[Tumbleweed]

[quote=porky

 

?

 

 

 

 

OTE]

 

?

 

?

porky' date=' i have seen the cost on contis, and it often goes up with every shipment. supply is kinda erratic too.[/quote']

 

?

 

Oh, wouldnt surprise me HR. See my post on the other thread here about Importing from the UK.

 

?

 

See if you agree.?

 

?

 

What would you sell Gatorskins for over the shelf, no specials, everybody price?bud? - I think I read you do some work in a shop,? if I am wrong just ignore it, I have a screaming headache so I cant think too straight.!??

 

?

 

i know the shop i help out at would sell them for about R360 a tyre.

 

just read your post. i agree and disagree. you're right about the dealers just trying to make a buck and business is slow, and the supply chain is not great. the sa market is kinda handcuffed cos agents often have to hedge on overseas orders. buying online certainly benefits the customer.

[porky]

Yah, R360.00 seems average.

 

I have no issues with a shop making a fair profit, and if R360.00 is average, so be it, of course shops can charge what they like and its "buyer beware" which is another reason I think it would be good to have the manufacturer here on this board (or elsewhere) to say - Suggested retail is RXYZ.00 then we are all in the loop, shops,customers everybody, we know the max suggested price and can feel good about the purchase if we get a discount.

 

Right now I feel skinned, and it just re-enforces the notion of importing myself and cutting out the shop.

 

Thats not a healthy retail scenario.

 

[AndreZA]

RRP are dumb. It takes making good business disisions (how the hell do you spell that word?)out of the picture. Nothing stops a shop from charging more the RRP anyway.

[porky]

RRP are dumb. It takes making good business disisions (how the hell do you spell that word?)out of the picture. Nothing stops a shop from charging more the RRP anyway.

 

Nothing indeed, but you are looking at it from a reailers point of view,now look at it from a consumers and possible "overall" market view.

 

You are right, the fact is (RRP) makes No differance to the shop at all, they can choose to ignore it - however it makes a big differance to the consumer, in that they have a ball park figure of what they will pay, anywhere in the country from an Authorised dealer.

 

In a tiny,tiny, market like cycling its even more important, if I know a Gatorskin has a RRP of R360.00, perhaps I will be more inclined to just drive down to the local shop and buy a set, I am a proactive shopper, so I would look before hand and say, Okay, its fair, Ill support Joes bike shop, BUT, as it stands I dont know the "average" price and I got fleeced, so now I am "once bitten, twice shy" and will import my future requirements, removing my money from local shops.

 

Is this what we need, I dont know maybe.?

 

 

 

porky2009-05-07 03:36:08

[Slave]

Hmrph..........so she got "semi skinned" R80.00 bucks on R800.00 - 10% give or take' date='!

 

Unbelievable, I put tyres on my delivery Bakkie (Dunlops so even a name brand) the other day, R375.00 each including balancing at Tiger, probably not even the cheapest around.!!

 

Its no wonder cycling here is in the doldrums, Bakkie tyre R375.00 approx 60.000 kms per tyre, - bicycle tyre R400.00 and about 5000 kms per tyre.!!

 

 

[/quote']

 

Ah, so someone else has finally cottoned onto this pricing thing that I cannot get my head into.

 

Where is the logic of the suppliers / manufatureres and how can they justify this sort of costing?

 

BTW Porky, Dunlop may be "Name Brand" but IMHO they are not the best tyres around. Even so, it is just illogical that a tiny, skinny little 700 c tyre can cost more than a car tyre.

 

Someone is taking all of us for a "ride".

[porky]

 

 

Ah' date=' so someone else has finally cottoned onto this pricing thing that I cannot get my head into.

 

Where is the logic of the suppliers / manufatureres and how can they justify this sort of costing?

 

BTW Porky, Dunlop may be "Name Brand" but IMHO they are not the best tyres around. Even so, it is just illogical that a tiny, skinny little 700 c tyre can cost more than a car tyre.

 

Someone is taking all of us for a "ride".

[/quote']

 

My point was that its a name brand as opposed to the general Tiger Wheel generic brand "Velocity" or something, which by the way were even cheaper.

 

Just re-enforces my point above, we need the manufacturers appointed distributor to come on here and say, Okay guys this is the suggested price, this is the reason we are so expensive / cheap whatever he thinks etc.

 

Bike tyres are not heavy and they are not volumetric, they can be airfreighted in overnight or at least in general consolodations on a weekly or bi-weekly basis which negates the movement of the rand, so they cant use this excuse.

 

Anyway as the rand has now strengthened, can we expect the price to come down??

 

Lots of questions. 

 

As you say, we are been fleeced and the sad part is nobody seems to care, they see us as suckers until they go out of business, and then they cry and wail and blame "us suckers" for importing his own tyres and their consequent woes.

 

 

 

 

[bak2basiks]

Just got my 2 x Maxxis Crossmark from CRC for.....hmmmm..let me see....R226.......saw my tyre in the bike shop today for....hmmm...waitfor it....R595....I made sure it was the same tyre........

 

I do support the local bike shop....to the detriment of my relationship.....but I've seen the light....CRC....

 

[Tumbleweed]

Yah' date=' R360.00 seems average.

 

?

 

I have no issues with a shop making a fair?profit, and if R360.00 is average, so be it, of course shops can charge what they like and its "buyer beware" which is another reason I think it would be good to have the manufacturer here on this board (or elsewhere) to say -?Suggested retail is RXYZ.00 then we are all?in the loop, shops,customers everybody, we know the max suggested price and can feel good about the purchase if we get a discount.

 

?

 

Right now I feel skinned, and it just re-enforces the notion of importing myself and cutting out the shop.

 

?

 

Thats not a healthy retail scenario.

 

?

[/quote']

 

 

 

rrp is a guideline for retailers. it is also a handy thing to print in magazines, but, like mampara says, there is nothing stopping a shop selling way above it, just as there nothing stopping them selling below it.

 

 

 

i think the point that has to be made is that huge online retailers like evans and crc buy direct from the big companies. in smaller markets, the shops buy from an agent who imports from the big company. there is a chance in the future, as the sport grows here, that certain brands may start opening their own shops. it's been mooted before.

 

 

 

the market is in flux, and still finding a way to deal with the changes. it's not the healthiest - and definitely not the easiest - of markets as most shop owners will tell you. it'd be wrong to suggest that the bike shops are coining it. even those who are focussing on the service aspect are struggling because the consumer balks at the price a shop will ask for maintaining their bikes. the south african customer, in my experience, always wants something for nothing.