Folding Bikes - New Birdy Speed
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Under 10Kg despite the Capreo rear hub. Very nice component selection all around, and under 2000 Euros, this is the bike R and M should have made long ago. The lime green has got to go, but I think they make it in all 5 Birdy colors. This has to be the best machine they've offered yet: http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.birdy-freunde.de/news/index.html&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dherbstmessen:%2BNeues%2Bvom%2BBirdy%26num%3D30%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dsafari %26rls%3Den%26pwst%3D1
By the way, the Birdy group indicates that it's in all Birdy colors: orange, white, black...
The main complaint I have about the Birdy is the price, and this bike totally blows the others out of the water with overall value. Tune components are not cheap! They make Dura Ace components look heavy and dated. But I have no idea how they hold up. Anyone have experience with them.
Man, here in Oz we are so behind... :mad: It'll be years before this rangew shows up locally. And then it will be a selection of the range. And the price will be stratospheric.
Man, here in Oz we are so behind... :mad: It'll be years before this rangew shows up locally. And then it will be a selection of the range. And the price will be stratospheric.
It's funny b/c your distributor seems to be incredibly well organized with an amazing website. They also carry the 20" Shimano 105 Birdy, and the A$ is rising like a balloon. It's difficult to guess why they are so expensive down under. Perhaps a cane toad conspiracy, or the fact that the economy is geared toward exports rather than imports.
invisiblehand
08-27-07, 11:22 AM
Tune components are not cheap! They make Dura Ace components look heavy and dated. But I have no idea how they hold up. Anyone have experience with them.
Man ... hang out here enough and one discovers how little one knows. I never heard of "Tune Components". They are smoking. And yes, they are not for the frugal buyer.
-G
It's funny b/c your distributor seems to be incredibly well organized with an amazing website. They also carry the 20" Shimano 105 Birdy, and the A$ is rising like a balloon. It's difficult to guess why they are so expensive down under. Perhaps a cane toad conspiracy, or the fact that the economy is geared toward exports rather than imports.Yes, they DO have a great web presence.
The expense of cycling-related stuff is a serious problem down under. I suspect it's mostly the importers who are ripping us off. To give an unrelated example, I just organised a group buy of Prolink from JensonUSA. This proved so popular that I ended up buying 9 doz, and including shipping from the US, the price per bottle is about 1/3rd of what I usually pay at the LBS.
It doesn't end there. The entry-level Birdy Red (old frame) is $1800. Ouch... And I have been watching these shops, You can forget about getting "last year's model" a bit cheaper. Their sales are so low that a given inventory batch literally takes years to sell. They're offering the exact same stuff at the same price year after year.
Yes, they DO have a great web presence.
The expense of cycling-related stuff is a serious problem down under. I suspect it's mostly the importers who are ripping us off. To give an unrelated example, I just organised a group buy of Prolink from JensonUSA. This proved so popular that I ended up buying 9 doz, and including shipping from the US, the price per bottle is about 1/3rd of what I usually pay at the LBS.
It doesn't end there. The entry-level Birdy Red (old frame) is $1800. Ouch... And I have been watching these shops, You can forget about getting "last year's model" a bit cheaper. Their sales are so low that a given inventory batch literally takes years to sell. They're offering the exact same stuff at the same price year after year.
Ouch. At that price, it's no wonder. The Birdy Red is $900 US new here, which is still pricey. As far as I can tell, the old style frame hasn't been modified in a few years because R and M only sells the monocoque frames now. I think the US and Australia are getting those frames from some aged frame builder sitting in a room by himself somewhere.
The irony is that Kiwis from your neighboring territory cost $0.25 each, so it can't be that expensive to ship stuff. Maybe you should import Bianchi Frettas from Japan and sell them there. Of course, that would ruin your commute to work...