Shimano deals from UK almost gone!
12-22-18, 04:39 AM
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Shimano deals from UK almost gone!
Wiggle just announced same as Chain Reaction, would expect Merlin to follow although not yet.
12-22-18, 07:54 AM
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12-22-18, 09:17 AM
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Screw em, they can just price themselves out of the market for me then. Plenty of used parts around to keep my vintage stuff going.
I mean let's be real, U.S. prices for new bike parts are insane. The stuff ain't made out of gold.
I mean let's be real, U.S. prices for new bike parts are insane. The stuff ain't made out of gold.
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12-22-18, 09:26 AM
#6
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Fortunately, donor bikes continue to drop in price!
12-22-18, 11:44 AM
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They wanted a "niche" market and they were successful in Europe with that model.
They were late to the game with discs and electronics.
They never gave a sustained hoot about off-road and that didn't help matters.
The new market is flat as a pancake and the only bikes selling in real numbers are gravel and mtb models.
That and relatively inexpensive Chinese/Taiwanese produced city bikes.
Club racing, along with juniors is dominated with Shimano and SRAM atm.
Yes, this would really dig them into a deeper whole.
12-22-18, 11:48 AM
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True.
I just picked up another MB-1 in northern Wisconsin for a pittance.
It's mostly stock, so I'll likely just freshen it up with consumables, pedals and a saddle for very little money.
Heck, it still had nubs on the tires.
I just picked up another MB-1 in northern Wisconsin for a pittance.
It's mostly stock, so I'll likely just freshen it up with consumables, pedals and a saddle for very little money.
Heck, it still had nubs on the tires.
12-25-18, 10:12 PM
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Sort of an excuse, sort of not. Brexit plays a role, but no one is talking about the weaker pound.
As a consumer, I'm after the best price for the best stuff. Period.
How manufacturers and internet sellers and brick and mortar shops position themselves to sell to me is simply not what I look at or concern myself with.
If something costs too much, I don't buy it. I don't need a bike to put a roof over my head, put food on the table, etc, so it's discretionary spending, and price affects that.
I'm sorry if Merlin is/was selling R8000 groups for $600, and that was not fair to shops. My guess, from looking at pricing locally, is that shops could easily buy the same group for $600 from Merlin if they wanted to, and likely re-sell it for a 25% markup.
I mean, I bought an RD for a custom build, from Performance, for $190. It was shipped directly from Shimano. Before I even had the bike built, I see it for $135 at Merlin (DA9000). Compare that to an R8000 group for $600, and if I'd known, I'd have likely bought the R8000 group instead of piecemealing DA9000 for a good chunk more.
No one I know is looking for a real bargain at a bike shop. If shops/Shimano/etc think the public is fine with spending a bunch more, that's a gamble I'm not sure they should make. I don't make the rules. It's not up to me to pull hundreds of shops out of the red. Almost all the bikes in Performance shops run on Shimano. You raise the price of those bikes more, and they can kiss recovery goodbye, too.
Maybe that's why 3 of my last 5 bike buys were complete. Someone else's headache. Would be interesting to see how Shimano's fishing stuff changes, if at all.
As a consumer, I'm after the best price for the best stuff. Period.
How manufacturers and internet sellers and brick and mortar shops position themselves to sell to me is simply not what I look at or concern myself with.
If something costs too much, I don't buy it. I don't need a bike to put a roof over my head, put food on the table, etc, so it's discretionary spending, and price affects that.
I'm sorry if Merlin is/was selling R8000 groups for $600, and that was not fair to shops. My guess, from looking at pricing locally, is that shops could easily buy the same group for $600 from Merlin if they wanted to, and likely re-sell it for a 25% markup.
I mean, I bought an RD for a custom build, from Performance, for $190. It was shipped directly from Shimano. Before I even had the bike built, I see it for $135 at Merlin (DA9000). Compare that to an R8000 group for $600, and if I'd known, I'd have likely bought the R8000 group instead of piecemealing DA9000 for a good chunk more.
No one I know is looking for a real bargain at a bike shop. If shops/Shimano/etc think the public is fine with spending a bunch more, that's a gamble I'm not sure they should make. I don't make the rules. It's not up to me to pull hundreds of shops out of the red. Almost all the bikes in Performance shops run on Shimano. You raise the price of those bikes more, and they can kiss recovery goodbye, too.
Maybe that's why 3 of my last 5 bike buys were complete. Someone else's headache. Would be interesting to see how Shimano's fishing stuff changes, if at all.
12-25-18, 10:43 PM
#10
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This new policy is unfortunate however, it doesn't really effect me. I don't think that I have ever bought any new major components. The only things that I have purchased new is bar tape, tires, brake/shift cables/housing, chains and brake pads. All my bikes are vintage (except my plastic Look 585) so I have built them up with vintage parts.
Last edited by rjhammett; 12-26-18 at 10:47 AM.
12-26-18, 07:58 AM
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Sort of an excuse, sort of not. Brexit plays a role, but no one is talking about the weaker pound.
As a consumer, I'm after the best price for the best stuff. Period.
How manufacturers and internet sellers and brick and mortar shops position themselves to sell to me is simply not what I look at or concern myself with.
If something costs too much, I don't buy it. I don't need a bike to put a roof over my head, put food on the table, etc, so it's discretionary spending, and price affects that.
I'm sorry if Merlin is/was selling R8000 groups for $600, and that was not fair to shops. My guess, from looking at pricing locally, is that shops could easily buy the same group for $600 from Merlin if they wanted to, and likely re-sell it for a 25% markup.
I mean, I bought an RD for a custom build, from Performance, for $190. It was shipped directly from Shimano. Before I even had the bike built, I see it for $135 at Merlin (DA9000). Compare that to an R8000 group for $600, and if I'd known, I'd have likely bought the R8000 group instead of piecemealing DA9000 for a good chunk more.
No one I know is looking for a real bargain at a bike shop. If shops/Shimano/etc think the public is fine with spending a bunch more, that's a gamble I'm not sure they should make. I don't make the rules. It's not up to me to pull hundreds of shops out of the red. Almost all the bikes in Performance shops run on Shimano. You raise the price of those bikes more, and they can kiss recovery goodbye, too.
Maybe that's why 3 of my last 5 bike buys were complete. Someone else's headache. Would be interesting to see how Shimano's fishing stuff changes, if at all.
As a consumer, I'm after the best price for the best stuff. Period.
How manufacturers and internet sellers and brick and mortar shops position themselves to sell to me is simply not what I look at or concern myself with.
If something costs too much, I don't buy it. I don't need a bike to put a roof over my head, put food on the table, etc, so it's discretionary spending, and price affects that.
I'm sorry if Merlin is/was selling R8000 groups for $600, and that was not fair to shops. My guess, from looking at pricing locally, is that shops could easily buy the same group for $600 from Merlin if they wanted to, and likely re-sell it for a 25% markup.
I mean, I bought an RD for a custom build, from Performance, for $190. It was shipped directly from Shimano. Before I even had the bike built, I see it for $135 at Merlin (DA9000). Compare that to an R8000 group for $600, and if I'd known, I'd have likely bought the R8000 group instead of piecemealing DA9000 for a good chunk more.
No one I know is looking for a real bargain at a bike shop. If shops/Shimano/etc think the public is fine with spending a bunch more, that's a gamble I'm not sure they should make. I don't make the rules. It's not up to me to pull hundreds of shops out of the red. Almost all the bikes in Performance shops run on Shimano. You raise the price of those bikes more, and they can kiss recovery goodbye, too.
Maybe that's why 3 of my last 5 bike buys were complete. Someone else's headache. Would be interesting to see how Shimano's fishing stuff changes, if at all.
__________________
Steel is real...and comfy.
Steel is real...and comfy.
12-26-18, 11:46 AM
#12
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Many here work on their own bikes, so they arent affected. Also, many here ride older tech, so they arent affected.
shops stateside havent been able to even buy the products at the same price overseas retailers sell to the customer for. That places shops at a huge disadvantage and Shimano hasnt cared up to now.
SRAM did this a few years ago and Shimano is finally following suit...though who knows if itll be fully enforced.
What really needs to happen is Shimano USA ensures components are priced domestically the way theybare priced overseas.
instead of keeping the prices high and cutting off access to lower priced goods, price the local goods similar to the overseas goods.
...but that won't happen because- business.
anyways- shops are closing, everyone has heard it for years, and not supporting shops only speeds the process along. Again, many here may not care because they do their own wrenching and see shops as less knowledgeable than themselves. Cool.
but less shops will, in my view, negatively affect cycling as a whole. Many(most?) Cyclists dont wrench. They don't build 30 and 40 year old bikes. And they rely on shops.
but really- the biggest issue to me is gray market products, of which I have purchased a lot.
this is components that are OEM, but still new and not in retail packaging. The retailer gets it for a massive discount and sells it direct to consumer even though that isnt supposed to happen per sales agreements.
its the products that say 'new, but not in retail packaging'.
domestic shops are hardly making bank and their prices arent aending anyone to early retirement. Its a broken model that forces shops to price high due to too much price increases further upstream.
shops stateside havent been able to even buy the products at the same price overseas retailers sell to the customer for. That places shops at a huge disadvantage and Shimano hasnt cared up to now.
SRAM did this a few years ago and Shimano is finally following suit...though who knows if itll be fully enforced.
What really needs to happen is Shimano USA ensures components are priced domestically the way theybare priced overseas.
instead of keeping the prices high and cutting off access to lower priced goods, price the local goods similar to the overseas goods.
...but that won't happen because- business.
anyways- shops are closing, everyone has heard it for years, and not supporting shops only speeds the process along. Again, many here may not care because they do their own wrenching and see shops as less knowledgeable than themselves. Cool.
but less shops will, in my view, negatively affect cycling as a whole. Many(most?) Cyclists dont wrench. They don't build 30 and 40 year old bikes. And they rely on shops.
but really- the biggest issue to me is gray market products, of which I have purchased a lot.
this is components that are OEM, but still new and not in retail packaging. The retailer gets it for a massive discount and sells it direct to consumer even though that isnt supposed to happen per sales agreements.
its the products that say 'new, but not in retail packaging'.
domestic shops are hardly making bank and their prices arent aending anyone to early retirement. Its a broken model that forces shops to price high due to too much price increases further upstream.
12-27-18, 01:03 PM
#14
Senior Member
It’s that grey area that got me a new 2002 XT Deore front derailleur(7.99$) for my CX bike.
