'Bicycle prices fixed'

[splat]

I must have heard a different one to you then, 5:30 this morning he say "does not surprise me, cyclist are all cheaters anyway, why should their shops be any different"

 

LOL

 

Doh! I only heard the 7:00 news.

Typical comment from him!

[AndreZA]

Ok so a shop does a R200000 turnover with an average mark-up 0f 35% that gives them a profit of R70 000. They then still have to pay salaries, say its R25000(for four employees)which is ridiculous. Rental for 200 square metre shop at R160 per square works out to R32000.00 again below market. Add operational costs to that for water, lights, telephone,internet, insurance etc. +- R5000. So that leaves R8000 profit or salary for the owner to survive on. For an average bicycle shop with start up costs of R1 000 000 its really a bad return on investment with allot of risks.

 

It all comes down to volume. Look at Westdene cycles and Cajees. They sell alot more then any other shop at reduced mark-up. I still say why sell 10 items with a markup of R10 each when you can sell 20 at a R7.50 markup.

[Johan Bornman]

Johan

 

Why on earth would you want to modify your frame?

Don't you think that if a frame needs modification the manufacturers would have included it into their design or in the next available models?

 

Sorry but you won’t get my sympathy on this one.

 

Why? I thought I explained but let me try again.

 

1) Most frames are nowadays shipped without drainage holes in the BB shell. Water goes in at the seatpost clamp, travels down the seat tube and pools in the BB. This destroys the BB bearings. A simple drainage hole that does no structural damage, solves the problem.

 

2) Some people want to change the colour of their frames. Why not? Some people want to rejuvenate scuffed frames. Why not?

 

3) Continuous cable housing is the single best upgrade one can make to a mountain bike destined for stage races. Stage races are extremely popular (Sabie, Epic, Pioneer etc etc) and cleaning cables every night is hardly high on a tired rider's priority list. Continuous housing solves all the problems and brings no new ones with them. There's a thread about it high-up in the Tech Q&A section. Read it. I'm sure it will make sense to most people.

 

If these companies are worried that idiots will do the conversions, well then they should offer the service through authorised, trained centres.

 

There's three reasons. Please point out the invalid ones.

[Caerus]

We need to get Carte Blanche onto this,Im sure Dereck Watts and his team could solve this. Seriously speaking now, nothing will happen. Its the same for everything in this country, the consumer gets screwed over. I refuse to support my LBS as they are all rip off merchants when it comes too bikes. I still use my LBS in the UK for all my parts, and I have an independent mechanic. Its the only way to go. I wonder what the Bike shops and distributers that have been implicated have to say, will they now go under from no support?

[Mats]

 

 

You are missing the point im trying to make.

If you think it is such a good idea-why is it not manufactured that way; and

Why dont you sell your services/ideas to the manufactures.

 

"Clever ideas ussually get a lot of publicty" /*If you need some friends*/

They must have good reasons why they do things the way they do it.

 

PS. If you dont like a product or its design dont buy it and then complain about it!

[AndreZA]

Why? I thought I explained but let me try again.

 

1) Most frames are nowadays shipped without drainage holes in the BB shell. Water goes in at the seatpost clamp, travels down the seat tube and pools in the BB. This destroys the BB bearings. A simple drainage hole that does no structural damage, solves the problem.

 

2) Some people want to change the colour of their frames. Why not? Some people want to rejuvenate scuffed frames. Why not?

 

3) Continuous cable housing is the single best upgrade one can make to a mountain bike destined for stage races. Stage races are extremely popular (Sabie, Epic, Pioneer etc etc) and cleaning cables every night is hardly high on a tired rider's priority list. Continuous housing solves all the problems and brings no new ones with them. There's a thread about it high-up in the Tech Q&A section. Read it. I'm sure it will make sense to most people.

 

If these companies are worried that idiots will do the conversions, well then they should offer the service through authorised, trained centres.

 

There's three reasons. Please point out the invalid ones.

 

JB, I find it quit interesting that facing the BB shell and head tube does not fall under frame modifications. I think that is alot more dramatic then drilling a hole in the BB. If it was up to me then I would face the top of the seat tube aswell and clean the inside of the tube with a scouring bottle brush.

[lost frog]

Dear hubbers,

I have the opportunity to travel to Europe quite often and I am currently checking the bike prices.

Here are a few prices: price in european LBS / price in RSA LBS, % difference between price in RSA LBS and European LBS (based on 9.5 rands to the euro)

MERIDA 96 HFS 3000-D: 2595 euros / R24800 : +1% w.r.t price in Europe

SCOTT Spark 30: 3200 euros / R30000 : -1% w.r.t price in Europe

GT sensor 1.0: 2699 euros / R22995 : -10% w.r.t price in Europe

giant anthem x1: 3299 euros / R32595 : +4% w.r.t price in Europe

 

So basically, you can buy these bike/brands in your LBS at the same price as in the LBS in Europe.

 

Now prices on other brands:

gary fisher Hi-fi deluxe 29: 2500 euros / R34000 : +43% w.r.t price in Europe

cannondale RZ one twenty3: 2000 euros / R27500 : +45% w.r.t price in Europe

trek fuel ex9: 3000 euros / R36500 : +28% w.r.t price in Europe

specialized stumpjumper FSR expert: 3000 euros / R35100 : +23% w.r.t price in Europe

 

So do not tell me about how costly it is to run a LBS in South Africa and other bull**** as the costs are WAAAAAAY lower as those in Europe.

Obviously, some wholesalers/importers/retailers team up to bring nice bikes at decent prices to you customers. Other just don't...or don't want. Or maybe I'm missing something?

I hope it's gonna change soon.

[_im_from_earth]

Dear hubbers,

I have the opportunity to travel to Europe quite often and I am currently checking the bike prices.

Here are a few prices: price in european LBS / price in RSA LBS, % difference between price in RSA LBS and European LBS (based on 9.5 rands to the euro).....

 

You're comparing to the wrong region. The Euro is SERIOUSLY under valued at the moment and as a result items in Europe are taking a serious hiding as most of the items are based on US$ procing. If you compare prices locally to those in the US you will see a VERY different picture! Not saying all of our items are over-priced but yes, a large amount are. We work on a weekly basis to ensure the prices of our products come down accordingly and keeping up with the sinking Euro has been a hard task... I think our Formula brake prices need to come down again!!!

[Nettie R]

Ok so a shop does a R200000 turnover with an average mark-up...

 

R200,000! I saw a credit card deposit slip of one of these shops on a Sat, over R85000 on cards for that day alone...

[Wazza]

Ok so a shop does a R200000 turnover with an average mark-up 0f 35% that gives them a profit of R70 000. They then still have to pay salaries, say its R25000(for four employees)which is ridiculous. Rental for 200 square metre shop at R160 per square works out to R32000.00 again below market. Add operational costs to that for water, lights, telephone,internet, insurance etc. +- R5000. So that leaves R8000 profit or salary for the owner to survive on. For an average bicycle shop with start up costs of R1 000 000 its really a bad return on investment with allot of risks.

 

Sharkie - We aren't talking about the honest LBS's making an honest living,and I have sympathy with those guys. It's when you start driving Porche's as a bike shop owner - that's when eyebrows start raising.

[Sharkie 2]

R200,000! I saw a credit card deposit slip of one of these shops on a Sat, over R85000 on cards for that day alone...

 

I can guarantee you that was one big sale that went through, no ways a bicycle shop will do sales like that everyday.

80/20 principle my friend

[Johan Bornman]

You are missing the point im trying to make.

If you think it is such a good idea-why is it not manufactured that way; and

Why dont you sell your services/ideas to the manufactures.

 

"Clever ideas ussually get a lot of publicty" /*If you need some friends*/

They must have good reasons why they do things the way they do it.

 

PS. If you dont like a product or its design dont buy it and then complain about it!

 

If you have been working with frames long enough, you'll know that drainage holes in the BB used to be the norm. I don't know why they don't do it anynore. However, the reason why it should be done hasn't gone away, there is still a need for it.

 

I doubt anyone will pay me for ideas that are in the public domain.

 

You clearly don't understand how consumer pressure shapes product development.

 

You also don't seem ride in the type of conditions where cable problems bother you. On the J to C race several people developed tendinitis in their their thubs from sticky shifters. Ask them if they'd like easier shifting or not.

 

We are privileged to have a top-class frame company represented here, so lets ask him. Morewoodkid, why don't you build your frames with continuous cable housing routing and holes in the BB for drainage?

[Bat-ass]

i'v noticed shimano cassetes and chains etc. have come right down in price these last few months. New ultegra cassette is cheaper than 105 last year????

[onetrackmind]

Sharkie - We aren't talking about the honest LBS's making an honest living,and I have sympathy with those guys. It's when you start driving Porche's as a bike shop owner - that's when eyebrows start raising.

So you want your bike shop to survive, but only just. So that you can work hard, earn "honest" money and get your toys at prices you deem fair, to the exclusion of the owner of the shop being able to reward himself with toys?

[Lucky Luke.]

okay now you are just talking k@k.

 

Thanks for that, care to explain why? Thousands of people are ordering from CRC, including some of the small bike shops. Diverting CRC shoppers via your own brick and mortar shop by helping them to make the purchase they're already making... how is this a bad idea? They're going to buy there regardless. Too original for you?

[Flowta]

From my side, I was able to get custom chainrings made in Italy and in whatever colour I like, including postage for cheaper (or at least the same) as it costs to get standard chainrings here.