Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - 2008 Group Buy?

I'm starting to piece together a new fixed gear. In the process, I came across some of the group buy bikes from 07 selling on eBay for almost $400. So, I came to the forums to do some research.

I read a lot of the posts on the 63 pages of the 07 thread and noticed several things...
1. There was a lot of participation (somewhere close to 400).
2. Some people get very passionate and heated about the silliest things sometimes.
3. There were people who missed the buy the first time around that might be in for round two.

That being said, I'll admit that I know very little about the process of conducting a group buy, but I'd be willing to help make it happen.

Last time, it was a pretty sweet IRO that - from what I read - sold for about $160 (right?).... If you're sportin' one of those on the road, what do you think?
For those of you who didn't get in last time (or maybe you did), would you be in on the buy?

I feel like I'm opening a can of worms with this post, but I'm okay with that. Post your thoughts and suggestions.

IROs are soooo 2007, dude.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Somebody should attempt to arrange a Soma Rush group buy. Its not going to be me. The last thing I need is another track frame. However, its a great looking frame with "track geometry" and with great tubes, and Soma sells to individuals....meaning their business model (like IRO and Pedalforce) appears to be right for a GB.

I'd buy a SOMA.

i missed the iro 07's group buy by a week. and on ebay they easily go for over 300 now.

but now that i look back at it. i see way more people w iro's over my pista. i guess its cause the bianchi pista is 06 and the iro was 07. whats in store for 08 ?

the $300 brass knuckle frame and fork has been callin my name though... i really like the leader 735 as well but its kinda pricey considering it doesnt include a fork.

I'd buy a SOMA.

+1

nah lets get away from frames and such

lets source a lockring to group buy, maybe chain ring bolts

Here are some links for the two suggestions posted thus far... Are these the ones you're talking about?


I've said it before and I'll say it again. Somebody should attempt to arrange a Soma Rush group buy.

http://www.somafab.com/rush.html

and


the $300 brass knuckle frame and fork

http://www.revolutionbicyclerepair.com/servlet/Detail?no=83

Also... voice your opinion... you interested in more of a track frame or road frame geometry?

White somas r hawt

Leader 720TR

The thing's only $150 normally.

a zillion feet of that shrink wrap crap

arrospok









it really had to be said

it really had to be said

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPr9_hQqbjI

i really wish we could do a bareknuckle group buy.


didn't someone try to contact eai and they were like "no".


in any case how 'bout jerseys or somethin'?

Why not go back to the well and try again with IRO? I guess the time of year may be off, because as I recall, Tony said that he wouldn't do another group buy that ended in the middle of his busy season (just as summer was starting). It might be worth contacting him, though.

As for Soma, they make a good frame, but how low can they really come down for a frame and fork to make it worth our while? In a few months, Bikes Direct will be selling a Kilo TT frameset made with OX Platinum tubing for "at or less" than $300, which is a better deal than I think Soma could possibly muster, for what amounts to essentially an equivalent bike.

Leader 720TR

The thing's only $150 normally.

Good call, I'd totally pick one of these up for 75 bucks.

Yeah, but the Leader guy is absolutely ****ing nuts. Keep that in mind, if you're going to arrange a group buy.

the $300 brass knuckle frame and fork has been callin my name though... i really like the leader 735 as well but its kinda pricey considering it doesnt include a fork.
+1

Really, I would be really interested in any frameset as a group buy, or a nice set of wheels.

Here are some links for the two suggestions posted thus far... Are these the ones you're talking about?



http://www.somafab.com/rush.html

and



http://www.revolutionbicyclerepair.com/servlet/Detail?no=83

Also... voice your opinion... you interested in more of a track frame or road frame geometry?

heres another link for the "cheaper" brass knuckle
http://www.thebikebiz.com/product_p/bk-trk-eai02.htm

the leader 720tr is decent as well it jus looks funky with that huge downtube. it isnt bad for 150 on ebay.

i wouldnt mind seeing the 735tr on a groupbuy. but that iro gb price is pretty damn hard to beat. heck even the mercier kilo tt frameset has a price set of 175 but i think that comes out in feb

i really wish we could do a bareknuckle group buy.


didn't someone try to contact eai and they were like "no".


Something like that. Bareknuckles sell about as fast as they can make them, so why would they bother with a group buy?

+1

Really, I would be really interested in any frameset as a group buy, or a nice set of wheels.

I'm possibly interested in wheels. What do people have in mind?

cane creek volos

i missed the iro 07's group buy by a week. and on ebay they easily go for over 300 now.

but now that i look back at it. i see way more people w iro's over my pista. i guess its cause the bianchi pista is 06 and the iro was 07. whats in store for 08 ?

the $300 brass knuckle frame and fork has been callin my name though... i really like the leader 735 as well but its kinda pricey considering it doesnt include a fork.
Kilo TT Pro, son.

cane creek volos
A tubular and clincher GB would be word...

cane creek volos

Best idea yet. Cane Creek already sells direct to the public through their website, so they might be perfectly poised to take advantage of this. I know I'd be down for a set for Volo tubulars.

or how about a group but for some cane creek cronos hubs... or profile, or campy, or dura-ace?

soma rush +10000000

I just got a job, I'll buy anything now

or how about a group but for some cane creek cronos hubs... or profile, or campy, or dura-ace?

GB on Zipp hubs!

rushrushrush please that'd be great.

*cough* Delancey* cough

^ beat me to it. screw the rush, i'd go in on a delancey.

however, i really like the idea of getting a group buy wheelset (like cane creek)!

i think i would be more into a wheel set GB than frames, but i am open to either really if the price is right.

hed3

hed3

I want.

I'm ready for a new group buy. I did the IRO but my frame turns out to be too small.

I really like the Soma but like 1 1/8 inch threadless set up now since riding the IRO.

The Brassknuckle has 1 1/8, but I don't like deep sloping top tubes...

Too picky I am. But would probably jump on either if it happened and the price was great.

GB on Zipp hubs!

im IN for that!!
We really need this GB.
http://www.businesscycles.com/graphics/thub-zipp2.jpg

i wonder how cheap those zipp hubs could end up?

You guys can basically drop the idea of a Brassknuckle/Bareknuckle group buy. EAI wouldn't even sell us the double-straps directly, so it's totally inconceivable that they would sell frames in that manner. Especially not frames which they cannot currently keep in stock.

Also, Zipp hubs are great, but again, the idea that they'd bite on a group buy is a pipe-dream. As milhbach suggested, consider the companies whose business model already entails direct sale to the public, and work from there.

I just got a job, I'll buy anything now

*sigh*

Not yet for me. I still can't buy ****.

how was iro approached about the last group buy?

As I recall, someone just called or emailed Tony about it. He said "Sure," on the condition that we gather something like fifty orders, at minimum. It was posted about here, interest was extremely high, and Tony put up a website for our deposits.

I think that Tony would probably go for it again. Conservatively, I figured out that he made around $35-$40,000 profit on the deal. I can't see how he could pass up that opportunity, especially since I think he'd sell more than 500 frames this time.

I would be very interested in a Mark V Pro.

I would be very interested in a Mark V Pro.


+1

a rush would be awesome too.

i'd rather save on top end hubs than some bottom of the line frames

I'd probably be in on any moderately priced frame that people around here could actually agree on.

group buy on phils!

A Rush would be great, but I'm much more interested in the Kilo TT Pro. Seems more realistic given that BD is really involved with the forums. Unfortunately, a BD group buy will probably not entail huge (if any) discounts over the original price (the single-quantity price, not the posted "MSRP").

Although a chance to preorder is to be expected from a BD group buy (just take a look at the "12 days of Christmas group buy" that happened over in the Road subforum), it wouldn't really be worth anyone's time unless we can customize the order (stem/crank lengths, pedals, gearing, etc). If there is no special incentive for buyers to participate, the "group buy" becomes indistinguishable from yet another advertising campaign designed to boost quarterly profits.

*cough* Delancey* cough
+1

A Rush would be great, but I'm much more interested in the Kilo TT Pro. Seems more realistic given that BD is really involved with the forums. BD, BD, blah blah...

That would be great if BD offered a killer set of wheels along with the Kilo TT Pro frame. Something a little better than the formula/mavic, formula/velocity affairs that are so common. A nicer lighter wheelset (something perhaps on the level of Cane Creek Volos) for, say, $300-$350, would be a killer deal.

I'd go for something like this....http://www.amclassic.com/track_clincher.html

or possibly this...http://www.amclassic.com/track_tubular.html
if offered at BD or group buy level prices.