Folding Bikes - brand exclusive retailers?

Why are there so many brand exclusive folding bike retailers?

Why doesn't thorusa carry Downtubes? Why doesn't blackdogcycles carry Dahons?

I know there are also many retailers which carry multiple brands, but I don't understand why some of the best want to risk losing customers who decide to buy another brand.

Black Dog... why no Dahon? It might be cost-prohibitive for them to stock spares for the various Dahon models, especialy when there's already Dahon competition on the internet from ThorUSA and Brands Cycle.

Downtube already has an internet sales presence, so it wouldn't make sense to find another internet vendor. Brick-and-mortar, yes.

Regards
T

Black Dog... why no Dahon? It might be cost-prohibitive for them to stock spares for the various Dahon models, especialy when there's already Dahon competition on the internet from ThorUSA and Brands Cycle.

Downtube already has an internet sales presence, so it wouldn't make sense to find another internet vendor. Brick-and-mortar, yes.

Regards
T

Those were just two examples. Why doesn't ThorUSA carry any brands other than Dahon? Birdy, Brompton, Pacific, Bike Friday, Montague, Moulton, Xootr, etc, etc.

because I want to give the very best service.......
Dahon has a big assortment of different bikes.... which I almost all have in stock.
I sell a lot of Dahons, therefore I can get better service from Dahon ( unfortunately not better prices ) lets say I am big fish in a relative small pond....

whereas if I sell all kinds of different brands I would be similar to other Internet dealers and would not have an edge ( getting spare parts for my customers, picking up a special bike which is not usually sold here, and also at times getting a special deal , which I can pass on to my customers )

In other words I do like to do things right ...

there is of course the ill notion of some manufacturers that Internet based companies are inherantly less quality and they insist on a brick and mortar store.... ( where a 7 dlr an hour 16 year old kid is working on your bike ...... ykes ) and the whole folding bike scene is overshadowed by the latest Downhill Gizzmo .... but those manufactuer will find out ( as long as they listen to the customers and check the buletin boards once in a while) how wrong they are ..... and eventually allow Internet sales as well....


but in the meantime its Dahon only and all kinds of different parts which of course fit all commuting bikes and a lot of other folders....

thor

ps. for me to take a different line it must offer the customer a distinctive difference from the bikes I already sell.... For example I am thinking of bringin in some German made bikes for real tall folks ...

because I want to give the very best service.......
Dahon has a big assortment of different bikes.... which I almost all have in stock.

Hi Thor,

What is your assessment of the DAHON VITESSE D7HG?

I have seen one on ebay.co.uk and fancied it, mainly because the price is cheap. I put up a thread asking about them but only got one reply from someone who had one and he didn't like it much, finding it a bit flexy and skittish.

Here's the listing so we can be sure we aren't talking about a different bike.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DAHON-VITESSE-D7HG-FOLDING-BIKE-RRP-449-BRAND-NEWBOXED_W0QQitemZ380082455065QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Bikes_GL?hash=item380082455065&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72:1298|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1308

Thanks for any insights you are able to give.

Vitesse is a great bike .. stealthy understatement..... if you like internal hubs and want a commuter also good for bad weather .... its the bike to get
sells for under 650 buckaroos over here and I would consider it a bargain compared to other bikes
( note that the internal hub is a pretty good 7 speed Shimano hub, no cheapo here )

thor

Vitesse is a great bike .. stealthy understatement..... if you like internal hubs and want a commuter also good for bad weather .... its the bike to get
sells for under 650 buckaroos over here and I would consider it a bargain compared to other bikes
( note that the internal hub is a pretty good 7 speed Shimano hub, no cheapo here )

thor

Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it. The price on Ebay is a steal then since it pans out at about $416.

...
thor

ps. for me to take a different line it must offer the customer a distinctive difference from the bikes I already sell.... For example I am thinking of bringin in some German made bikes for real tall folks ...

Huhuhu, some German made bikes for tall folks? Bernds? Utopia?
Pacy?

;-)

....Why doesn't thorusa carry Downtubes? Why doesn't blackdogcycles carry Dahons?....but I don't understand why some of the best want to risk losing customers who decide to buy another brand.

For the same reason that Ford dealers don't sell GMC. You can't do everything well, so it's best to concentrate your efforts.

Huhuhu, some German made bikes for tall folks? Bernds? Utopia?
Pacy?

;-)

Schauff SUMO