Rumors

What would cause a price hike to happen? I doubt that this
is likely. Bikes are expensive enough and bike shops would
never deal with it. The margin that they make on high-end
bikes is so small already that I don't they would stand for
it. I know that I would raise a stink!

Thomps said:

To those of you in the know, or even those who enjoy
speculating:

Why do I keep hearing/reading about imminent price hikes
on bikes and/or components? Are they true? I'd like to buy
new, and am wondering whether to wait until this winter,
or if I'd be wiser to act sooner.

Thanks all,

Thomps

On Sun, 27 Jun 2004 21:18:46 -0500, "Thomps" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

To those of you in the know, or even those who enjoy
speculating:

Why do I keep hearing/reading about imminent price hikes on
bikes and/or components?

Many possibilities exist; the rumors could be advance
leakage of price change information, or they could be idle
speculation, or hype by a salescritter who thinks that
such rumors will help to close a sale. Other possibilities
exist as well.

Quoted message said:

Are they true?

You would have to examine each rumor and cross-check it with
information from reliable sources to determine this. There
is no global answer.

Quoted message said:

I'd like to buy new, and am wondering whether to wait until
this winter, or if I'd be wiser to act sooner.

I guess that depends on whether you can get a good deal now,
and whether the item you want will still be in production
later, and a number of other things. If the folks at your
LBS were half as good at predicting the future as their
local weather forecasters, I suspect that they'd get stuck
with fewer obsolete, out-of-fashion and/or overpriced items
that sit unsold in the showroom.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug. Some gardening required to
reply via email. Surrealism is a pectinated ranzel.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Thomps
To those of you in the know, or even those who enjoy speculating:

Why do I keep hearing/reading about imminent price hikes on
bikes and/or components? Are they true? I'd like to buy new,
and am wondering whether to wait until this winter, or if
I'd be wiser to act sooner.

Thanks all,

Thomps

The real problem is the price fixing with both Shi... and Cam... engaged in online price fixing through their North American distribution channels. I don't know if wholesale OEM sales are affected.

RE: Imminent Price hikes for Campy & Shimangolo

www.campyonly.com reports that Campy is on its way to "its
best year ever". www.cyclingplus.co.uk - in this month's
issue of the paper magazine - carlton reid reports that
raw materials prices in asia have gone up so much that
price hikes of 20% - 30% are very likely throughout the
industry, because materials shortages have developed
everywhere. The article suggests that Shimano grouppos
have a 240 day lead time.

Has anyone been affected by the supposed "Shimano parts
shortage" ?? Have you ordered an unusual grouppo and been
told that it will take 9 months ?? I tend to think that this
sounds like something that an 800 lbs gorilla would just
make up, only 12 months after it had monopolized its parts
distribution system in the USA.

I would think that "shortages of raw materials an
acceptable price" are likely for bike parts because the
margins are slim.

In the mail 1 week ago, I got a flyer, "Cycling your way
through the energy shortage". When there is a sustained hike
in gasoline prices, and there is good weather, a cycling
boom is likely to occur, just like it did the last time,
from 1973-1975.

- Don Gillies San Diego, CA

Muskie said:

What would cause a price hike to happen? I doubt that this
is likely. Bikes are expensive enough and bike shops would
never deal with it. The margin that they make on high-end
bikes is so small already that I don't they would stand for
it. I know that I would raise a stink!

Actually, today's bikes are pretty cheap. A $450 dollar bike-
shop bike today would be only $100 in 1972, the last time
there was a bike boom. In 1974, for $100, I think you could
buy 35 lbs 5-speed schwinn "Collegiate", maybe. that was
your entire selection at that price range.

Imho bikes have never been cheaper than today. Well,
maybe in 2000 they were cheaper, but they're still pretty
darned cheap.

- Don Gillies

in season = high price , out of season = low price

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

To those of you in the know, or even those who enjoy
speculating: Why do I keep hearing/reading about imminent
price hikes on bikes and/or components? Are they true? I'd
like to buy new, and am wondering whether to wait until
this winter, or if I'd be wiser to act sooner.

Shimano is supposed to be enforcing a new price fixing
scheme. So chances are the price of parts is going to go up.
Only time will tell if it works.
-------------
Alex

Thomps said:

To those of you in the know, or even those who enjoy
speculating:

Why do I keep hearing/reading about imminent price hikes
on bikes and/or components? Are they true? I'd like to buy
new, and am wondering whether to wait until this winter,
or if I'd be wiser to act sooner.

Depending upon which country you live in, many frames and
most components will be imported. Thus, prices may change
with exchange rate fluctuations.

--
Tom Sherman – Quad City Area

adr-<< Shimano is supposed to be enforcing a new price
fixing scheme. So chances are the price of parts is going to
go up. Only time will tell if it works.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

<BR><BR>

Heaven forbide I would defend shimano but you have it
backwards. They are stopping OEM resale, at ridiculously
low prices and making all who sell and distribute their
stuff to have the same price. They are closing a loophole,
not 'price fixing'.

Their 'problem' was the prices charged to OEM, they were
artifically low, and those parts found their way to MO. That
is closed, MO is whining.

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 vecchios.comvecchios.comOpen ↗ "Ruote convenzionali
costruite eccezionalmente bene"

"Qui si parla Campagnolo " <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]

[...]

Quoted message said:

Heaven forbide I would defend shimano but you have it
backwards. They are stopping OEM resale, at ridiculously
low prices and making all who sell and distribute their
stuff to have the same price.

Fortunately for consumers, that's illegal here.

Quoted message said:

They are closing a loophole, not 'price fixing'.

They are doing exactly that under our law. Here they can set
a recommended retail price (RRP) but they cannot force any
vendor to adhere to their recommendation.

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"DRS" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Qui si parla Campagnolo " <[email hidden]> wrote in
message "]news:[email hidden]

[...]

Quoted message said:

Heaven forbide I would defend shimano but you have it
backwards. They are stopping OEM resale, at ridiculously
low prices and making all who sell and distribute their
stuff to have the same price.

Fortunately for consumers, that's illegal here.

Quoted message said:

They are closing a loophole, not 'price fixing'.

They are doing exactly that under our law. Here they
can set a

recommended

Quoted message said:

retail price (RRP) but they cannot force any vendor to
adhere to their recommendation.

In effect they can price fix by not selling parts to those
who don't adhere to their retail price "recommendations". I
don't believe any law requires them to sell to everyone; a
business can choose who they want to have business
relationships with.

I personally don't like it, but I don't believe it's
illegal.

On 28 Jun 2004 09:28:35 -0700, [email hidden] (Evan Evans)

Quoted message said:

in season = high price , out of season = low price

Only if it's in stock. If the lbs has to order it, the
chances are that it'll be at MSRP.

Of course, for the catalog and online merchants, "in season"
includes the period from about mid-March through December
25. This does not keep them from having specials on stuff,
though. (I often wonder how many tires Nashbar actually
sells at "full price".)
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug. Some gardening required to
reply via email. Surrealism is a pectinated ranzel.

Qui si parla Campagnolo said:

Heaven forbide I would defend shimano...

We feel your pain, Peter. 😉

--
Tom Sherman – Quad City Area

I have been looking into upgrading my bike with Campy
Centaur. I try to support my LBS since I used to work in
one, but every time I talk about this with them, they
always say how EXPENSIVE that will be because of the Euro.
Problem is, I have been hearing that for several months
now, and online Campy prices have been stable. They have
not even returned my request for quote on their price for
the group. The only real cost to rumors like these can be
lost buisness.

bigsky

Thomps said:

To those of you in the know, or even those who enjoy
speculating:

Why do I keep hearing/reading about imminent price hikes
on bikes and/or components? Are they true? I'd like to buy
new, and am wondering whether to wait until this winter,
or if I'd be wiser to act sooner.

Thanks all,

Thomps

"rosco" <reverse-the-following"ocsor_g"@hotmail.com> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]

Quoted message said:

"DRS" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Qui si parla Campagnolo " <[email hidden]> wrote in
message "]news:[email hidden]

[...]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

They are closing a loophole, not 'price fixing'.

They are doing exactly that under our law. Here they can
set a recommended retail price (RRP) but they cannot
force any vendor to adhere to their recommendation.

In effect they can price fix by not selling parts to those
who don't adhere to their retail price "recommendations".
I don't believe any law requires them to sell to everyone;
a business can choose who they want to have business
relationships with.

They can try if they're silly enough. You think that hasn't
been tried before? We're lucky we have a law with teeth
(Trade Practices Act) and a consumer watchdog who's prepared
to go after the big players without fear or favour (the
ACCC). They know about those sort of games. If you've been a
Shimano dealer here for years and suddenly get dropped for a
spurious reason that just happens to coincide with your
refusal to adhere to Shimano's illegal pricing policy you've
got a powerful friend in court.

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Quoted message said:

I personally don't like it, but I don't believe it's
illegal.

"Qui si parla Campagnolo " <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]

Quoted message said:

drs-<< Fortunately for consumers, that's illegal here.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

<BR><BR>

shimano and many others MSRP policy has been POURED over
by legions of lawyers and it has always been found to be
quite legal. If YOU think it's illegal, get a lawyer and
fight it.

I said *here* and *under our law*. Free clue: I'm not in
your country.

Quoted message said:

BUY a shimano group, sell it at any price you wish, as a
retailer. Sell it for $1 over your cost BUT don't be
surprised that you cannot order another batch of
components.

It's been tried before. Our authorities are a wake up to it.

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"Qui si parla Campagnolo " <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]

Quoted message said:

DRS-<< I said *here* and *under our law*. Free clue: I'm
not in your country.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

<BR><BR>

geee, is THAT what AU means???

Duh, shimano has looked at the laws at ALL countrys it
sells in, I am sure, even the place called Australia.

Don't expect shimano stuff to suddenly be a lot cheaper
beacause it sells in AU.

We'll see if DA/XTR go down in price. What is the retail
price of
DA/XTR right now in AU? Convert to US$ please.

You're choosing to miss the point. Retailers can just as
easily choose to sell at the RRP as below it. I confidently
predict there'll still be discounting going on here just as
there always has been. I also expect the very cheap ebay
deals on new Shimano components - which are almost
exclusively from US dealers - to virtually disappear. A Dura
Ace 10-speed group retails at Cecil Walker's (a well known
Melbourne bike shop) for AUD2,150 today, a 2003 XTR V Brake
Group Set for AUD2,523. For USD multiply by .69 although
it's pointless if you're after a long term view because of
the inevitable exchange rate fluctuations.

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"Qui si parla Campagnolo " <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]

Quoted message said:

drs-<< You're choosing to miss the point. Retailers can
just as easily choose to sell at the RRP as below it.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

<BR><BR>

yep, they can sell at a margin that will keep them in
business or way below and hope that volume will take care
of the low margin. BUT, as i said, discounters or shimano
will do so until they try to buy from the distributor and
then they will see that they cannot buy it. If the
distributor supplies a discounter, then shimano JP will
cease selling to them.

That implies Shimano JP would dump an entire market for the
sake of thumbing its nose at the law. I don't think so.
Shimano Oz would get sued into the Dark Ages if they tried
that sort of [censored]. You have this amazingly arrogant
assumption that the American way is the only way. It isn't.

Quoted message said:

Any manufacturer can choose who they sell to. There is no
'right' to buy anything, even in Australia.

There's no right to break the law of the land either even if
it does involve making a profit.

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"Qui si parla Campagnolo " <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]

Quoted message said:

DRS-<< That implies Shimano JP would dump an entire market
for the sake of thumbing its nose at the law >><BR><BR>

They have done exactly that when they limited in the US
who could sell shimano MO or via the internet.

They have not done "exactly that". They have done something
substantially different. The one thing Shimano absolutely
positively has not done is dump the US market.

[...]

Quoted message said:

DRS- << You have this amazingly arrogant assumption that
the American way is the only way. It isn't.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

<BR><BR>

Congratulations!! You have choosen to imply some sort of
BS to me for our previous 'exchange'.

No, I said it because your entire argument is so naive in
that characteristically unthinking American libertarian way.
Every country has its own laws and ways of going about
things and far from dumping these markets the reality is
that companies like Shimano simply adapt to them no matter
how they might grumble. If Shimano tries price fixing in
Australia they'll get done because it's illegal and they
know it, even if you don't want to know.

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