Big Bike Thread

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With trade prices I'm sure your dream can become reality. ;)

Not really no. You can get some hope bits online close to what they trade to us at...+ Postage aswell!

I could get a deal on totems from fisher as tony@fisher is a legend. I was looking at a ragley mmmbop as a cheap way of going for a bigger bike but I would need frame/headset/forks/wheels all at the one time really and that's off the cards.

Think I'll put an SLX chainset on this bike and maybe look into a pro2 on stans/mavic wheelset to lighten it up a bit...Brakes aswell...saint brakes are heavy :o
 
Aye, some online prices are scary cheap. The German websites stupidly so. Even so, I got a pair of 2011 Schwalbe tyres for 50% SRP from my LBS and he isn't even a Schwalbe dealer. Some brands have much smaller margins than others to "maintain brand value". One example is Jungle with Santacruz. You are lucky if you find a discounted SC in the UK. In the US it's common.
 
Aye, some online prices are scary cheap. The German websites stupidly so. Even so, I got a pair of 2011 Schwalbe tyres for 50% SRP from my LBS and he isn't even a Schwalbe dealer. Some brands have much smaller margins than others to "maintain brand value". One example is Jungle with Santacruz. You are lucky if you find a discounted SC in the UK. In the US it's common.

That really is a lot of pish, that's what hope say it is. Fact is they know they sell to these companies at a cheaper price!

We got told off for doing 15% off Cannondales....so we stop it...they moan we aren't buying much...you do discounts again you do about 10 a week! Can't please some people.

Fisher are amazing to deal with as our account manager will always give you a good price on schwalbe/sram/look/rockshox. 15% off best trade rate isn't too rare. They also care about customer service and the sram tech backup is amazing(especially when £1000 wheels **** up). Madison on the other hand...it's as if you are a bloody burden when you want to order anything from them :confused:
 
There is economy of scale when selling to independant dealers like yourself. The general public have to realise they can't can't get online prices at the LBS unless they show loyalty and throw some business their way. I don't mind paying a premium for Hope products when they have such legendery service though. Plus we will always pay a premium for a UK product.

Look at the Chinese market. They are good at producing high volume low quality products, but if you want quality, then (frames and drunk american welding aside) you have to pay a premium.

Edit: I have heard that before about Fisher. I went for night out with one of the Fisher reps. Sound guy.
 
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There is economy of scale when selling to independant dealers like yourself. The general public have to realise they can't can't get online prices at the LBS unless they show loyalty and throw some business their way. I don't mind paying a premium for Hope products when they have such legendery service though. Plus we will always pay a premium for a UK product.

Look at the Chinese market. They are good at producing high volume low quality products, but if you want quality, then (frames and drunk american welding aside) you have to pay a premium.

It's just business at the end of the day and thankfully we do have quite a few loyal customers. A lot of them do buy things online but we try and do our best to match it.

A local guy buys a planet X stealth TT bike online but brings it to me as his front gears where dreadful out of the box. A couple of quid later they are perfect, I'm happy(he also brought us back in couple of packs of irn bru) and he's happy as he goes out and breaks his PB on his new bike now that he can use the big ring.

Imagine what would happen if a big distribution company was to be out of stock of the best selling 9speed chain ever...and the most popular 7/8 speed chain for a month...WELL PLAYED PEOPLE! /golf clap have a bonus :rolleyes:

So aye the bicycle industry is one of epic weirdness and totally backwardness on all fronts.

Our fisher account guy, he was up a while back for the scottish bike show thing and had a BBQ at my bosses house. Sound guy so he is! Most reps are sound but the companies could do to take a few tips from fisher on the service side of it.
 
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ha I had a go on those jumps on sunday, full face and armour will help for confidence maybe but it wont do too much to help you when you fall off. you just learn to bail good after a few years

:) Bail, as in jump off the bike so you don't even attempt to land? Yeah...maybe so. Thing is, full face may be seen as gay but when your face is hanging off you'll be thinking differently. QUite easy to muller yourself down at Swinley if you do the big drop offs and drop ins. One badly timed tree root at the top of something steep can really **** you up.
 
Ugh, been searching for weeks on everyone's favourite auction sites for a decent Rockhopper, every time I find one it's 17" or 21", why is nobody selling a reasonably priced 19" 2010-2011 Rockhopper, is that so much to ask!

Thought I'd found a nice new trail by me yesterday in my local woods, I followed it for about 30-40 yards thinking it seemed good, then bang a tree, it was evidently not intended as a trail :p
 
Thought I'd found a nice new trail by me yesterday in my local woods, I followed it for about 30-40 yards thinking it seemed good, then bang a tree, it was evidently not intended as a trail :p
:eek: you have trees in l'pool? I thought it was just a bad football team. :D
Oops wrong thread sorry.

My 'new' K18's arrived yesterday, a few scratches here and there and one rounded bleed screw. Shouldn't take long to sort that out! :)
 
True, no such thing as too much protection.

was more trying to get at that no amount of protection is going to protect you completely, you just have to practice a lot to be confident and learn to bail when it does go wrong

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well at least a helmet is a good idea, was pretty lucky not to bang the old noggin over the years
 
:) Bail, as in jump off the bike so you don't even attempt to land? Yeah...maybe so. Thing is, full face may be seen as gay but when your face is hanging off you'll be thinking differently. QUite easy to muller yourself down at Swinley if you do the big drop offs and drop ins. One badly timed tree root at the top of something steep can really **** you up.

No one has said that wearing a full face is gay, everyone I know on here and who I ride with wears protection but they wear what is appropriate for the riding they are doing and for somewhere like Swinley where you are doing a bit of everything a full face is just going to be uncomfortable after a short period of time.

Unless I am mistaken and this is a DH place and you would be pushing up for a blast down?
 
I'm just saying that if you want to ride round a car park and you are learning/starting out and think you might face surf for a few meters if you come off practising tricks, then surely a full face is a good idea even then? I don't care for how hot it looks or uncomfortable or silly looking.
 
well in 10 years of riding bmx every day, (and being pretty clumsy at it too) I did not hit my face once, you are not going to learn many tricks in a car park wearing a full face, it will be in the way the whole time
 
I'm just saying that if you want to ride round a car park and you are learning/starting out and think you might face surf for a few meters if you come off practising tricks, then surely a full face is a good idea even then? I don't care for how hot it looks or uncomfortable or silly looking.

Its about the practicality, and a full face helmet has none especially for the riding you are describing. They are heavy, have restricted views and little to no ventilation so if you doing tricks its just going to get in the way and bake your head like a potato.

When you fall surely your natural reaction will be to raise your arms anyway.
 
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