Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:
> Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman wrote:
> > Qui si parla Campagnolo aka Peter Chisholm wrote:
> > > Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman wrote:
> > > > Qui si parla Campagnolo aka Peter Chisholm wrote:
> > > > > Ozark Bicycle wrote:
> > > > > > D'ohBoy wrote:
> > > > > > > OB wrote:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Make no mistake, Shimano does understand bicycles and, more
> > > > > > > > importantly, the bicycle *market*. To the uninitiated, indexed front
> > > > > > > > shifting can seem "magical". And most of these folks neither know nor
> > > > > > > > care about the limitations imposed by indexed front shifting.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Harumph. These are limits imposed by Shimano's implementation, not
> > > > > > > specific to indexed front shifting.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Some, perhaps, are due to Shimano's implementation. Others, such as
> > > > > > being fussy about the design of the FD seem to be inherent in indexed
> > > > > > front shifting (just a indexed rear shifting is fussy about the design
> > > > > > of the RD).
> > > > > >
> > > > > > FWIW, IMO, indexed front shifting is a case of a solution in search of
> > > > > > a problem (especially on doubles).
> > > > >
> > > > > I can only imagine how nasty this thread is going to get but...this
> > > > > thread is the problem that I have with shimano. They are gigantic, they
> > > > > create 'standards' and their size dictates the market. Their arrogance
> > > > > means they see the market as theirs to manipulate, and they don't
> > > > > really care if the gear they design and produce is the best for the
> > > > > cyclist or not. They view their ideas the 'best', and anything else is
> > > > > inferior, regardless if it works or not. Double only STI, octalink,
> > > > > SPD-R, cart HS that were a bigger stack height than ball
> > > > > bearing(rendering a whole bunch of forks obsolete), 7400 DA that was
> > > > > compatible only with itself, hyperglide, not compatible with uniglide,
> > > > > now 10s only onto 7800 hubs and wheels...etc.
> > > >
> > > > Yeah, what company was responsible for all the new road bikes having an
> > > > unnecessary 10th gear in the back anyhow?
> > > >
> > > > If Shimano is so bad, what did they come to dominate the market? Pro
> > > > Japanese, anti European prejudice?
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > Tom Sherman - Here, not there.
> > >
> > > Tell ya what Tom, first, don't put words in my mouth..I didn't say
> > > shimano was 'bad', nor did I mention any kind of pro this or anti
> > > that(altho I did live in Japan for 3 years,and have spent a lot of time
> > > in Europe-you?)
> >
> > Well Peter, your post was a negative rant towards Shimano (or as you
> > often write, "shimaNo"). If that was not your intention, we obviously
> > interpret the English language differently.
> >
> > > Second, if you wish to slam everything I say, because
> > > of our disagreement on 'bents, I will return the favor.
> >
> > Completely unrelated. I just observe much snobbery towards certain
> > products because they are European, and predujice towards others
> > because they are Japanese.
> >
> > > Ya know, Toyota/Seiko/Nikon/[H]onda dominates as well, but I wouldn't buy
> > > one.
> >
> > If you wish to avoid the better product at the lower price, this is
> > your choice.
> >
> > > now, be a nice boy get on your shimano equipped 'be[n]t and go ride.....
> >
> > If I eliminate the ones with Phil Wood hubs and/or SRAM chains,
> > shifters, brakes and derailers [1], I have nothing left to ride except
> > my all Shimano Trek 6000 ATB.
> >
> > To get back to the point - is Shimano designing components for easier
> > factory assembly, and therefore lower prices to the complete bicycle
> > purchasers (for a given quality) a bad thing?
>
> shimano and it's gigantic market in the very low end, something I have
> little to do with, does not translate to the $195 DA 10s cogset, the
> $450 STI set or the $500 new XTR crank.
> >
> > If Campagnolo had made a similar effort to meet the needs of the
> > largest consumer of bicycle components, the bicycle manufacturers,
> > would they have lost so much market share to Shimano? (Not to mention
> > Shimano's much greater commitment to the ATB market, whose dominance of
> > new bicycle sales will run to the better part of two decades)?
>
> Campagnolo, like many manufacturers, choose their market. Campagnolo
> has chosen to be road and higher end, not the everything to everybike
> that shimano is. They are NOT Toyota, don't want to be. They are NOT
> Seiko, they are Rolex/Tudor. As for 'better product at lower price', I
> say Centaur is a much better product at a lower price than Ultegra,
> Chorus is a much better product at a lower price than DA....BUT so much
> goes into buying decisions, I'll bet you have a non-Mac computer too.
>
> OBTW-look for the DA FD compatibility thread...along with ohhh so many
> shimano takes the low road thread...like the cart HS, with a larger
> stack height...
And let's not forget the "standards" that Shimano has created and later
abandoned, leaving their customers high and dry; Dyna-Drive cranks and
pedals come quickly to mind, and we're seeing the process in action
with Octalink. And, as the icing on the cake, these new standards were
almost always a "solution in search of a problem".