Why are freewheels cheaper than cassettes?

Glenn Ammons said:

Why are freewheels cheaper than cassettes? For example, Harris
Cyclery's cheapest cassette is $29.95 for a 7-speed cassette; their
cheapest 7-speed freewheel is $19.95. Both are from Shimano. I'm not
picking on Harris---more bucks for cassettes seems to be a Universal
Truth.

Don't you get less when you buy a cassette?

Confused.
--glenn

IMO, supply/demand. LBSs usually sell freewheels as part of repairs of
low-end bikes. People usually upgrade to cassettes and freehub systems.
--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

Glenn Ammons said:

Why are freewheels cheaper than cassettes? For example, Harris
Cyclery's cheapest cassette is $29.95 for a 7-speed cassette; their
cheapest 7-speed freewheel is $19.95. Both are from Shimano. I'm not
picking on Harris---more bucks for cassettes seems to be a Universal
Truth.

Don't you get less when you buy a cassette?

Confused.
--glenn

Bikes and parts are subject to the bikini rule.
The tinyer and skimpier and lighter they are the more you pay.

Marty

You are very confused!

Glenn Ammons said:

Why are freewheels cheaper than cassettes? For example, Harris
Cyclery's cheapest cassette is $29.95 for a 7-speed cassette; their
cheapest 7-speed freewheel is $19.95. Both are from Shimano. I'm not
picking on Harris---more bucks for cassettes seems to be a Universal
Truth.

Possibly the freewheels you are looking at are of lower quality. I know
this is true for the Shimano 7 speed. Since freewheels are no longer
mainstream, they'll mostly be fitted to older and cheaper bikes, so I
guess the demand is for cheaper bits.

Quoted message said:

Confused.
--glenn

Rob

Glenn Ammons said:

Why are freewheels cheaper than cassettes? For example, Harris
Cyclery's cheapest cassette is $29.95 for a 7-speed cassette; their
cheapest 7-speed freewheel is $19.95. Both are from Shimano. I'm not
picking on Harris---more bucks for cassettes seems to be a Universal
Truth.

Don't you get less when you buy a cassette?

Confused.
--glenn

When was the last time you priced a Dura-Ace 7 speed thread on? If I
can find them thay are usually priced higher than 9 speed cassettes..

Apples and Oranges you say? Well I agree.
Same can be said at the other end..

A lot has to do with the fact that there are still a lot of POS bottom
of the bottom end thread on wheels being made.. at that low quality the
super cheap freewheel has a market..

Quoted message said:

Glenn Ammons said:

Why are freewheels cheaper than cassettes? For example, Harris
Cyclery's cheapest cassette is $29.95 for a 7-speed cassette; their
cheapest 7-speed freewheel is $19.95. Both are from Shimano. I'm not
picking on Harris---more bucks for cassettes seems to be a Universal
Truth.

Don't you get less when you buy a cassette?

Confused.
--glenn

When was the last time you priced a Dura-Ace 7 speed thread on? If I
can find them thay are usually priced higher than 9 speed cassettes..

The last time I checked, a NOS DA 7sp FW will set you back about $150.

Quoted message said:

Apples and Oranges you say? Well I agree.
Same can be said at the other end..

A lot has to do with the fact that there are still a lot of POS bottom
of the bottom end thread on wheels being made.. at that low quality the
super cheap freewheel has a market..

Robin Hubert

On Mon, 24 Oct 2005 22:19:55 -0500, Glenn Ammons <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Why are freewheels cheaper than cassettes? For example, Harris
Cyclery's cheapest cassette is $29.95 for a 7-speed cassette; their
cheapest 7-speed freewheel is $19.95. Both are from Shimano. I'm not
picking on Harris---more bucks for cassettes seems to be a Universal
Truth.

Don't you get less when you buy a cassette?

This is just speculation based on observations, but...

First, the cost of the tooling and development to make freewheels was
amortized decades ago, and the production has never ceased. To make
more, they just run the existing production line a little longer; the
cost basis is therefore incremental, which helps to keep the price
down.

Second, the freewheels probably have no promotional and advertising
cost load added to the basis; they're just a commodity-level item, not
a product that gets advertised.

Third, some sellers are buying them as bulk unboxed goods, which
further helps to reduce the cost. I don't know if that's the case
with Harris or not.

Fourth, as hinted elsewhere, freewheels are Old Tech. There's no sex
appeal, there's no new-toy-goodness, there's no bling, and they're not
found on expensive bikes. Thus there's no "we can make you pay more
just because we know you Want It" factor.

Fifth, believe it or not, far more freewheels than cassettes are made
each year, even today. That's entirely due to the fact that the vast
majority of bikes sold are low-end units which use a freewheel. (This
is, of course, not true at bike-specialty shops, but (at least in the
US) most bikes are sold by big-box-store chains like Wal-Mart where
the price is the driving factor in product selection.

Thus, freewheels derive from the cheap-goods system, while cassettes
derive primarily from the lower-production boutique lines...and are
priced accordingly.

Eventually, when the cassette has made as much money for the folks at
Shimano and Sachs as they want to extract, it will move downmarket
into the Roadmaster-class units, and the cassettes themselves will get
cheaper...but I don't expect that to happen for another three or four
years, at least. As this shift takes place, look for the price of
replacement freewheels to rise.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

In article <[email hidden]>,

Glenn Ammons said:

Why are freewheels cheaper than cassettes?

Because the lower prices allow the people making and selling them to move more
units for a total profit higher than they'd have by charging more for each
freewheel.

Quoted message said:

For example, Harris
Cyclery's cheapest cassette is $29.95 for a 7-speed cassette; their
cheapest 7-speed freewheel is $19.95. Both are from Shimano. I'm not
picking on Harris---more bucks for cassettes seems to be a Universal
Truth.

Don't you get less when you buy a cassette?

People are willing to spend less money on parts for inexpensive new and highly
depreciated old bicycles.
--
<a href="http://www.poohsticks.org/drew/">Home Page</a>
In 1913 the inflation adjusted (in 2003 dollars) exemption for single people
was $54,567, married couples' exemption $72,756, the next $363,783 was taxed
at 1%, and earnings over $9,094,578 were taxed at the top rate of 7%.

Quoted message said:

You are very confused!

Who is? About what?

You're right!

Robin Hubert said:

The last time I checked, a NOS DA 7sp FW will set you back about $150.

They were *much* cheaper than that when they were in production. It is
more like a quality antique now...

That's right. I remember getting a "deal" when we bought 3 DA 13x26 7
speed FREEWHEELS for $40 each! We were fat and happy.

Now, I use 9 speed cassettes because its cheaper than 10 speed. Check
the prices! Ultegra 9 cassettes can be found in the $40-60 range; Campy
Veloce 9 cassettes in the same $40-60 range. In contrast, Shimano and
Campy 10 cassettes are in the $90-100++ range!

If all you need are those $20 freewheels, but up and enjoy!!!!

Robin Hubert said:

Quoted message said:

Glenn Ammons wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

When was the last time you priced a Dura-Ace 7 speed thread on? If I
can find them thay are usually priced higher than 9 speed cassettes..

The last time I checked, a NOS DA 7sp FW will set you back about $150.

Quoted message said:

Robin Hubert

If you know of anywhere I can find any let me know.. 150 USD is higher
than the last time I bought any (2003) but they run so much quieter and
and shift so much smoother than the 9-speed Ultegra I tried to
"upgrade" with that I would definately like a spare or two on hand.

hard to grok!! try gold!
obviuously a case of supply and demand

Glenn Ammons said:

Why are freewheels cheaper than cassettes? For example, Harris
Cyclery's cheapest cassette is $29.95 for a 7-speed cassette; their
cheapest 7-speed freewheel is $19.95. Both are from Shimano. I'm not
picking on Harris---more bucks for cassettes seems to be a Universal
Truth.

I wonder how many freewheels being sold now have sat in the shop for
years. Also, yeah, you get more stuff with a freewheel, but typically
it's pretty poor quality stuff.

Still, why are cassettes so much? Because people will pay for them. Real
question: why is a Campy (loose cog Veloce) 9-speed cassette $49.88, but
10-speed is $89.88? These are damn near identical except for the extra
cog. They might be a teeny bit thinner (.0.5mm) in 10-speed, but both are
loose-cog versions (better, IMO). That last one can't be worth $35 more
than any of the others.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | If all economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a
_`\(,_ | conclusion. -- George Bernard Shaw
(_)/ (_) |

David L. Johnson said:

On Mon, 24 Oct 2005 22:19:55 -0500, Glenn Ammons wrote:

Quoted message said:

Still, why are cassettes so much? Because people will pay for them. Real
question: why is a Campy (loose cog Veloce) 9-speed cassette $49.88, but
10-speed is $89.88? These are damn near identical except for the extra
cog. They might be a teeny bit thinner (.0.5mm) in 10-speed, but both are
loose-cog versions (better, IMO).

This, imho, is the biggest problem in today's bicycle biz, e.g. price
distortion and the effort, through marketing and needless standards
changes, to artificially inflate average selling prices (ASPs.)

I liked the bicycle business a lot more in the 1970's, when there was
a more limited selection of goods and prices were closer to cost+markup.

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

On 26 Oct 2005 21:04:08 -0700, [email hidden] (Donald Gillies)

Quoted message said:

I liked the bicycle business a lot more in the 1970's, when there was
a more limited selection of goods and prices were closer to cost+markup.

I don't understand what you are talking about. You can get better
stuff nowadays for less money (in real terms) and yet the existance of
super-expensive stuff that you needn't buy makes you long for the old
days?

Or is this sarcasm? Sorry if I missed that.

JT

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