Have you placed your last online order for Shimano stuff & if so, what did you buy?
 

With Shimano finally getting around to enforcing their ban on online stores selling Shimano gear, I had to have a long hard think about what stuff did Shimano make that I might need over the next few years, that I didn't want to pay a massive mark up on, from an LBS, compared to the online prices I have been use to.

BTW, Bike24 and Bike-components.de(with 10% off all Shimano items by using the code "Shimano10" at the checkout) will take orders on Shimano products until 1 June 2019, so think long and hard about it. :thumb:

If you have a Shimano road crank double, I'm sure you won't have difficulty finding new chain rings at your LBS in the future, but as I have just recently purchased a 3x Trekking crank by Shimano(T781), I noticed that I couldn't find a store in Australia selling replacement chain rings for this crankset, so I have ordered some replacements for it in my last order.

The main thing that I purchased that I didn't think there was a suitable substitute for, was a set of 4 piston XT disc brakes, so I ordered Shimano XT BR-M8020 Disc Brake Set

I figured I might try to build up a wheelset at some point and if Shimano parts were out of the picture, I'd end up paying a lot more for DT Swiss hubs, especially their rear one, which is about 3 times the cost of a XT hub and this XT hub comes with 36 holes.

So I also purchased the following :

Shimano XT HB-M8000 Disc Center Lock front Hub for Quick Releases

&

Shimano XT FH-M8000 Disc Center Lock Rear Hub for Quick Releases

So what Shimano goodies did other people get as part of their last online order of Shimano gear?

Sounds more like a reason to give 'em the finger and explore other options rather than buy a bunch of their stuff. Whatever the case, I can't imagine this ban continuing indefinitely; in today's world if you're not selling online you're basically dead.

Maybe they're overestimating the power of the dark side....

I don't know what this "ban" is really all about, other than enforcing manufacturers suggested pricing to keep off shore products from under pricing the locals.

I only have one bike with Shimano (Deore), and I can still get anything I need from Amazon. If you have a Sram equipped bike, this is nothing new.

Now, having said that, if I have a hard time getting my blue spd-sl cleats from Amazon, my opinion will change quickly.

I don't think Shimano stopped selling online entirely, I think they just stopped selling across regions online. Both of the above vendors are European, they just stopped selling in the US. You will be able to buy Shimano stuff from domestic online sellers. The reason for the ban is Shimano wants to price control by region. Shimano lowered their US pricing by 20-40% in 2016 in anticipation of this change.

I use Ultegra groupsets as a comparison. A full 8000 groupset undiscounted from Merlin in the UK costs about $720 shipped, compared to about $850 undiscounted from a domestic seller. That's a hefty premium in the US no matter how you paint it. At least a shop will now likely be able to sell you Shimano for similar prices now. Also, Ebay is still out there.

Note that SRAM has always set MSPs online.

I just now ordered an HG-71 8-speed chain from Amazon. Maybe I should order another 2 or 3. 8-speed components are getting harder and harder to find.

Domestic online sellers in Australia are pretty woeful and not very price competitive.

I suspect things may not be as dire in the USA or UK.

How is it that Shimano prices can be so different for European countries versus the US? And why, if as Hiro11 claims Shimano has dropped prices by 20-40% in the US, do they need to block me the consumer from buying wherever I want? In my US market experience, product selection remains poor and pricing high. Explore the options for Shimano dyno hubs in the US market versus the German market and tell me how I'm being treated fairly as a consumer. Is this even legal (from a consumer protection standpoint) in the US market?

Shimano is making a mistake here but I doubt they'll realize it any time soon.


-Kedosto

I've since been able to find alternate suppliers of brake pads and rotors and avoiding their chains are easy with KMC.


But I couldn't find another product with anything like the same value for money in respect of their disc brake sets and rear hubs.

No I haven't placed my last online order of Shimano stuff.

If I did, then I would have to go to Campy, SRAM, or Microshift.
Campy is a non starter due to it being so limited in availability, it costing more than I want, and seeming old in my mind.
SRAM is a non starter because I just don't care to figure out new stuff.
Microshift would be fine if there were more options and a wider range of drivetrain components.

Of the 3, I really would be good with microshift as i like their road shifters up to 10sp. The 11sp groups use a thumb button though. Why the design change?...odd. if their 11sp shifters used the same dedicated 2 paddle design as the lower groups, I would be game. Exposed shift cables is also lame, given how long others have tucked then under the tape.


I'll just buy shimano stuff where I can for the lowest price I can. It'll most likely be ebay.


What I won't do is spend much time bemoaning the situation. I find it interesting from a global supply and trade perspective and like learning about it because I'm a nerd, but I really can't see myself getting worked up over it.

The changes will increase the cost of building a built by $200 or so. That's nothing to ignore, but it's also not insurmountable.

Are shimano complete groupsets even their own SKU in the US? Finding individual parts is seemingly doable with a struggle, finding a 105/Tiagra/Sora etc groupset from a US e-tailer.. pretty darn near impossible. It's not really just the money, but can you even find this stuff to buy?

googling yields that Aliexpress may be the go-to place. Was this the outcome Shimano hoped for?

For Shimano....You can find Ultegra and above easily online...and 105 if you know where to look. All the lower tier stuff no one stocks (as a group set) or lists online. There simply aren't enough sales to justify the overhead. Some e-tailers list via groupset (Colorado Cyclist, CompetitiveCyclist, TexasCycleSport to name a few), otherwise you're looking for indiv part numbers.

Damn, wish would have had that code when I placed my bike 24 order. Well, still saved a lot. And US prices sure will go up once the competition is gone.....

Got a set of Deore brakes, XT shifter with SLX derailleur, 203mm adapter, a rotor and pads from Shimano. Plus some non-Shimano stuff.

For example, the Deore set was $87. Jenson sells a single Deore for $66 or so. Similar price advantage for the rest.

I had planned to buy that stuff in winter for an upgrade, but moved this up. Not planning for years ahead. Who knows what bike I build in 2 years. With new hubstandard. 13 speed and son maybe coming it doesn't save me money to to pre-purchase.

For what I ordered there is just not a quality alternative. No other shifter has instant release and double shift. No other reasonably priced brakes with mineral oil and easy to service.

Pads, rotors, cassettes, chains I can get from others.

TBH, I will just upgrade less.

Your story mirrors mine almost exactly. :p


In addition to the brakes and hubs I bought, I also bought a Shimano 203mm and 180mm adapter from IS2000 to Post-Mount and I had previously bought a 11 speed XT shifter set(for a build I changed my mind on), so that stays in its box for now. :)

I'm not hedge investing in Shimano components.


-Tim-

I don't just "claim" it, here's proof:
https://www.bicycleretailer.com/nort...g#.XO0zr25OlPA

Prior to 2016, Shimano used to be absurdly overpriced in the US when compared to Europe. It's still higher but not the ~40% premium we used to pay buying domestically. Prior to 2016, the pricing was so comparatively low in Europe that QBP's wholesale prices to US bike shops for Shimano gear were actually higher than just going online and buying from Wiggle or whoever. My bike shop would just tell me to go online for Shimano stuff. Shimano was trying to fix this issue and part of this is clearly Shimano throwing a bone to their dealers.

Note that SRAM has, if anything, even more restrictive pricing practices.

There are legitimate reasons why companies set different prices regionally: higher distribution costs, higher import duties, higher regulatory overhead etc. I'm not defending Shimano here, just saying that this is hardly "illegal". This happens in every industry, in fact the US is generally cheaper than everywhere else usually. Ever see what British people pay for cars, electronics and clothing? Yikes.

Thanks for the link. Looks like dealers were left holding the bag on then current inventory. And Shimano’s “we don’t talk about pricing” attitude doesn’t help dealers feel very warm and fuzzy either. The whole thing is a mess. My only consolation is that I don’t have much need anymore for new, retail purchase items. I liked Shimano’s cheaper dyno hubs for wheel building across the fleet. If I can’t get what I want domestically I’ll just go with Shutter Precision. The one I have now is working well and the difference in price isn’t enough to derail future builds.

-Kedosto

The last Shimano items I bought were an HB-5800 silver 105 hubset in 36 hole for a second wheelset and a set of silver Tiagra 4600 sidepulls to replace a damaged set (QR levers had broken and parts are not available to repair) of Sora silver sidepulls on my wife's older Bianchi. Both came from a US source and the Tiagra sidepulls were crazy cheap at $29.00 a pair. Both were purchased early last fall.

My main beef is Shimano "upgrades" their levels often and then you are faced with lack of spare or repair parts as it is 'too new' or 'too old.' This is not limited to bike components. They are notorious for lacking common spares for fishing reels also.

I have a source of older take-off bike parts, so I cherry pick the Shimano items for spares.

I do not do overseas purchases for the most part except in rare instances, and they are not bicycle related.

I think part of the reason prices are lower in Europe is Shimano making allowances for the fact that our sales tax here is generally very high. Typically VAT is 20% here. I believe you pay much less in the US. And you should see what we pay for petrol (gas) where we pay VAT on the duty, which strikes me as rubbing salt in the wound. Thank goodness I do more miles on my bike that in the car!

I didn't have any problems with ordering one from Jensen, just the opposite. Now that Performance brick and mortar stores are closed I had to go elsewhere and was surprised to find there were so many choices of Sram 8 speed chains. Shimano was the only choice for brake pads too if I didn't want Kool stops.

I know SRAM chains will work with Shimano components, but I'm picky about keeping my drive components kosher. I've always used Shimano chains and I'll keep using them until I can't find them any more. Besides, I bought a package of 30 8-speed Hyperglide pins about 20 years ago, and I still have a lot of them.

I upgraded our road tandem from a 3x8 to 3x10 here a couple of months ago. The shifters were certainly pricier than they were in the past. My road bike with 105 shifters is starting to give me some fits so I am also looking at another painful purchase.

I suppose "yes". I run SRAM (and some Campy) :)

re: pins- attaway to clutch to that dead tech!

I know the mentality well.

When is the ban coming to EU?

The ban for what?