I knew inflation was happening but DAYUM
 

https://mygoods.com/wilier-stemma-stem-100-ramato/

1 BILLION USD for this stem.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6faa2e0978.png
The actual street price of this stem seems to be around $550 which is a positive STEAL :D

Wilier's bar-stems seem to be a joke too, at around $1500 for a unit. I'm usually not one to price-shame (glass houses and all) but anyone buying this stuff has gotta be a grade-A chump.

Anyone willing to argue that?

Whats also funny is that 90mm and 110mm length stems are *only* $571.

If I can get a billion dollar stem for $500, that's such a good deal I can't afford to get just one. Quick, does anybody have the link to go fund me??

Inflation isn't to blame. Clearly we're seeing Big Bike's disc brakes and tubeless tires endgame come to fruition. If only we had listened to those who took a stand against Big Bike...:50:

Sure looks like a nice stem tho

In all seriousness, pricing is f%^&ing ridiculous right now. There are many examples, but i'll pick just one:

Specialized wants $4,200 for the new Crux Comp:
https://www.specialized.com/us/en/cr...=322104-199962

This is a bike with:
1. Rival 1 mechanical with, get this: a Sunrace cassette... on a $4,200 bike.
2. Cheapo OEM DT-Swiss G540 wheels, worth maybe $300
3. House brand aluminum everything else. (Specialized house brand stuff is good, but still...)

That kind of build was ~$2,700 two years ago. Trek and Cannondale have similarly gone equally insane with their pricing. Even Giant is creeping up steadily. I CAN'T WAIT for this bubble to pop, these brands needs to face a backlash.

Easy. Don't buy their stuff.

I had one in my cart, then found out they don't offer free shipping. Oh well.

It's that way in all products. Read the supply chain issue threads. I have a wholesale/retail business. Products that cost me $15-$20 2 years ago now cost in the $40s. The freight on an individual container at the first of this year was $1500-$2000. Now it's $15,000-$20,000 per container. I had an item that went on backorder in March. When it came in a couple of weeks ago, the price increase was 53% They couldn't even quote a new price until the product got to the dock. Materials costs have went up. Not just an imported product problem either. The USA manufacturer I buy from has had 3 15% and 1 10% price increases since the first of the year. They can't get materials either. It's 1-2 months from the placement of order until it's shipped from them as well.

Wasn't planning on it, but thanks.

Yeah, get all that. But a 50%+ increase in 1.5-2 years? Yeah, no.

So if say Jeff Bezos decides to spend "chump" change on a $500 stem does that make him a grade-A chump? Probably not.
But if someone has to take out finance to buy one then yes, they are a grade-A chump.

I'm more than happy to pay $1,005,650,901 for a stem, but $1,005,650,901.68 is just too much. Where am I supposed to come up with the extra 68 cents. I'm not made of money.

It would make him a poser. Or better phrased, it would further confirm that.

Marginal gains.

I was going to mention container shipping costs. Heard those figures on the news the other morning. My jaw dropped.

The brakes can be tapped a bit on Pacific shipping rates. Dont pump the brakes, but certainly tap em.
It is bad, but like most things that are reported on- news reports at a lag and so there comes a point when whats being reported is both overblown and inaccurate.

Ocean freight rates are still super high. And domestic transportation rates are still high.
But much of the issue with container rates was due to hoarding by manufacturers and speculators.
A lot of freight has been moving for less than what is reported, but it isnt eye catching to report on that. Also, some of the news I have read would attribute rates to the East Coast to the West Coast which makes for inflated numbers.

Last week, 40' containers moved for just over $8000 from Shanghai to multiple West Coast ports. Yes, that is still really expensive. Prior to the pandemic it was around $1500.
Whats being reported now is partly accurate and partly old news that takes time to work its way out of the minds of late adapters who are just hearing about this.

Well you can also be a chump due to opportunity cost. Why is a wilier stem worth so much more than any of their competitors? Even enve, one of the most snobbish brands (at least, they used to be) charges "only" $300 for their stem.

the answer, of course, is that you want your stem to match your bike. But then I'd just ask, why is this wilier bike so much better than its specialized or cervelo competitors? If the answer is something along the lines of "italian heritage", I am comfortable saying that customers of wilier have to be grade-A chumps.

but I am open to better justifications.

Free markets. Gotta love 'em. Would we be happier with a government that controlled prices? No, except when it suits me personally. Car leases - great 'till they're not. Your contract ends and a massive supply shortage forces a very ugly replacement cost. Well, didn't want to be an owner three years ago, now you're wishing to be an owner, sitting it out for another two years with no need to act. In this crazy bond market (my real life) we talk about nothing but interest rates: you might be paying, you might be receiving, sometimes you want to be fixed, sometimes you want to be floating. Either way, wrong is expensive. But it will change - so I can be wrong again.

You could also be a chump judging what other people buy.

The thread is mostly tongue in cheek. Like I said, I'm in a glass house here. I'm a huge chump. But paying $1500 for a bar/stem that doesn't offer anything special seems a bit chumpier somehow. :shrug:

Like is this bar/stem especially stiff, light, aero or whatever? Available in custom sizing? Made in italy? Not that I can tell.

Oh I agree. It's nuts. But it's like trying to justify some pointless cosmetic trim option when ordering a new car. I mean you can easily get charged a couple of grand for just a different colour. What you are really paying for here is exclusivity. I wouldn't do it, but if I was a massive Willier fan and was building up my dream super-bike then I might think differently. I certainly wouldn't be fitting some generic cheap bar and stem combo on such a bike.

Ah, I see what you did there. Very clever.

Don’t be fooled, that webstore is a front for Dr. Evil, hence the price of one BILLION dollars. The insignificant additional figures, including the 68 cents is just a thinly veiled attempt to hide his presence.

Otto