New Cyclamatic

[Woosh]

yes, it's a big if. In my experience, they (the likes of TGWG) push forward on two fronts: via traditional international distributors and amazon/ebay. They are unstoppable because they know at the price they are selling, a lot of customers don't care about lack of telephone support and test rides. That's the expensive bit in the selling cost.

 

[cyclebuddy]

yes, it's a big if. In my experience, they (the likes of TGWG) push forward on two fronts: via traditional international distributors and amazon/ebay. They are unstoppable because they know at the price they are selling, a lot of customers don't care about lack of telephone support and test rides. That's the expensive bit in the selling cost.

At last, a supplier that is awake.

 

[craiggor]

On the north west news last night was a story that Hero cycles where investing 2M in a bicycle design centre in Manchester. And may bring some manufacturing to the uk. Here is a photo of there ebike range.

 

[flecc]

yes, it's a big if. In my experience, they (the likes of TGWG) push forward on two fronts: via traditional international distributors and amazon/ebay. They are unstoppable because they know at the price they are selling, a lot of customers don't care about lack of telephone support. That's the expensive bit in the selling cost.

I agree that they can easily take much or most of that market, but whether they can make sufficient inroads on the IBD market is questionable. They appear to have failed in The Netherlands where the Accell and Pon brands together with Giant sit in the top sales places.

Of course this country's consumers and market are very different, so the outcome is anybodies guess. The local technical support that IBDs can offer in a larger market could be the crucial factor, as it is in The Netherlands. Ebay and Amazon just can't compete in that area.
.

 

[flecc]

On the north west news last night was a story that Hero cycles where investing 2M in a bicycle design centre in Manchester. And may bring some manufacturing to the uk. Here is a photo of there ebike range.

I hope they do better than their last attempt about four years or so ago. They took over one of our prominent e-bike companies (Urban Mover) and it promptly fell apart and disappeared from the market, never to be seen again.
.

 

[Fordulike]

Anyone know if SportsHQ still do their occasional 20% off discount?

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Hi Woosh, if you are convinced that you will be eventually squeezed out if the market why are you bothereing at all? Surely the people who buy your bikes would like to know you will be around for years to come.

The defeatist slant to this post is actually quite disturbing.

This is nothing like the computer industry. It's very much more like the cycle industry where small independents thrive despite the huge multinationals.

Fortunately telephone support and test rides are crucialy important in the bicycle industry as they are in the ebike sector.

All the best, David

 

[Deleted member 4366]

The defeatist slant to this post is actually quite disturbing.

Only because you lot hijacked this thread that was to let us all rejoice in the Cyclamatic. Didn't the Cyclamatic win Bike of the Year on this forum a few years back?

If Sports HQ do another flash sale (20% off), I'll be buying one. I made a profit on the last new one I bought. No wonder it got voted BOTY!

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Yes sorry about that Dave, I got carried away!

All the best, David

 

[IR772]

What about the £ 280 tariff Chinese manufactures are going to have to pay ?

d8veh like this is the first hijacked thread ?

 

[RobF]

This thread remind me of an old economics O-level question.

Why are television manufacturers large and television repairers small?

I have also seen many new to ebikes posters who predict all manner of things such as batteries the size of a fag packet that will do 100 miles, and in this case, some enormous sea change in the way the bicycle trade operates.

Neither is going to happen, which is not head in the sand burying, it's being realistic.

 

[Woosh]

Hi Woosh, if you are convinced that you will be eventually squeezed out if the market why are you bothereing at all? Surely the people who buy your bikes would like to know you will be around for years to come.

The defeatist slant to this post is actually quite disturbing.

This is nothing like the computer industry. It's very much more like the cycle industry where small independents thrive despite the huge multinationals.

Fortunately telephone support and test rides are crucialy important in the bicycle industry as they are in the ebike sector.

All the best, David

A question for you: how many bike shops you think there are in the UK having a similar turnover to yours?

I usually last longer than most because I am cautious, my PC company was one of the first PC assemblers, is till here, still assembling PC after 36 years. I understand economics and am not defeatist.
What you and I do, is not far off PC assembling. I used to call it 'screwdriver operations'. Lightly equipped workshops low on fixed assets. We used to assemble thousands a year then hundreds a year and now mostly reselling. Surviving by adapting. You see the evolution.

 

[Woosh]

Why are television manufacturers large and television repairers small?

Economy of scale.
Even Japanese TV manufacturers lose out to South Koreans.

 

[RobF]

Economy of scale.
Even Japanese TV manufacturers lose out to South Koreans.

All of which are large companies.

The point is that bicycle retailers will remain small, or at least local in the case of chains such as Halfords or Evans.

 

[Woosh]

The point cyclebuddy made at the start of this diversion is simple: when the market grows in size, larger companies get interested.
You know what large multinationals like Hero and Pon do. They kill small manufacturers and spawn a lot of service outlets to look after their customers. The IBDs will continue to increase in numbers. Those aspiring to be manufacturers will have a very tough time.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

I have no illusion that we are not a small business, I would imagine a huge number of bicycle retailers have a higher turnover than us.

I repeat, I find the defeatist attitude on this thread very disappointing.

We will continue to strive to be the best in our segment of the market. I have never planned to fail and am not going to start now.

I am happy leave the more pessimistic amongst us to discuss.

 

[EmSeeDee]

The point cyclebuddy made at the start of this diversion is simple: when the market grows in size, larger companies get interested.
You know what large multinationals like Hero and Pon do. They kill small manufacturers and spawn a lot of service outlets to look after their customers. The IBDs will continue to increase in numbers. Those aspiring to be manufacturers will have a very tough time.

And not forgetting that as the market gets bigger and more mature, the regulators will increasingly want to control it, making it harder for smaller manufacturers to maintain their foothold.

Sent from my SGP311 using Tapatalk

 

[RobF]

The point cyclebuddy made at the start of this diversion is simple: when the market grows in size, larger companies get interested.
You know what large multinationals like Hero and Pon do. They kill small manufacturers and spawn a lot of service outlets to look after their customers. The IBDs will continue to increase in numbers. Those aspiring to be manufacturers will have a very tough time.

Take mountain bikes as an example.

It's accepted they were invented/first designed by, I think. Gary Fisher in the 1980s.

He made them, they did well, other makers had a dabble, more bike retailers took them and so the market grew.

Manufacture is mostly dominated by the big companies, but there are a handful of smaller ones.

Mountain bikes now probably dominate the retail market, what they didn't do was change the way the trade operates as Cyclebuddy is suggesting ebikes will do.

And ebikes are a tiny, tiny market in comparison to mountain bikes.

 

[Woosh]

And ebikes are a tiny, tiny market in comparison to mountain bikes.

You know the saying: get big, get niche or get out.
Woosh is certainly in the niche category.
Big motor, big battery and low prices.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

We at Wisper go for good quality, innovation, reliability, high levels of service, and great value for money. We all have our niche!