Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > General Cycling Discussion
Reload this Page >

better buy your Contis now?

Notices
General Cycling Discussion Have a cycling related question or comment that doesn't fit in one of the other specialty forums? Drop on in and post in here! When possible, please select the forum above that most fits your post!

better buy your Contis now?

Old 10-30-08, 05:18 PM
  #1  
370H-SSV-0773H
Thread Starter
 
linux_author's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Penniless Park, Fla.
Posts: 2,750

Bikes: Merlin Fortius, Specialized Crossroads & Rockhopper, Serotta Fierte, Pedal Force RS2

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
better buy your Contis now?

from:

https://www.iht.com/articles/2008/10/...s/30contin.php
linux_author is offline  
Old 10-30-08, 05:42 PM
  #2  
surly old man
 
jgedwa's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Carlisle, PA
Posts: 3,393

Bikes: IRO Mark V, Karate Monkey half fat, Trek 620 IGH, Cannondale 26/24 MTB, Amp Research B3, and more.

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 45 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 42 Times in 18 Posts
Crap. Some of my favorite tires are Conti's. The article was unclear if this would have any impact on bike tires, but I imagine that has to be pretty niche stuff compared to auto tires.
__________________
Cross Check Nexus7, IRO Mark V, Trek 620 Nexus7, Karate Monkey half fat, IRO Model 19 fixed, Amp Research B3, Surly 1x1 half fat fixed, and more...
--------------------------
SB forever
jgedwa is offline  
Old 10-30-08, 07:02 PM
  #3  
Comfortably Numb!
 
BA Commuter's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: East Jabip
Posts: 943

Bikes: Jamis Commuter 3.0

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
I just bought a new set of 700x23 Conti Ultra Gatorskins for my road bike. They were around $65 for the pair. They ride nice and should be good for awhile...
BA Commuter is offline  
Old 10-31-08, 12:38 AM
  #4  
totally louche
 
Bekologist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: A land that time forgot
Posts: 18,023

Bikes: the ever shifting stable loaded with comfortable road bikes and city and winter bikes

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 9 Times in 8 Posts
fab. as much as i like conti tires, their NA distribution has been crap for the last two years at the shop I work at.

If conti decided to stop making bicycle tires it would make my job much easier than perpetually explaining gatorskins or contacts are out of stock AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN.


on the other hand, lets hope the economy doesn't make more manufacturers of bicycle equipment go out of business.... i want more choices in tires than kenda or chen shin rebranded crap.

Last edited by Bekologist; 10-31-08 at 09:47 AM.
Bekologist is offline  
Old 10-31-08, 06:11 AM
  #5  
surly old man
 
jgedwa's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Carlisle, PA
Posts: 3,393

Bikes: IRO Mark V, Karate Monkey half fat, Trek 620 IGH, Cannondale 26/24 MTB, Amp Research B3, and more.

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 45 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 42 Times in 18 Posts
I have that specific fear, in fact. That if the world economy significantly contracts, niche hobbyist businesses (which I think it is fair to say most nicer bike equipment would fall into) will wither away and leave a skeleton of very utilitarian products available. Not that biking is a mere hobby in the world. But things like $39 Gatorskins (and the like) are hard to justify in a difficult economy.

jim
__________________
Cross Check Nexus7, IRO Mark V, Trek 620 Nexus7, Karate Monkey half fat, IRO Model 19 fixed, Amp Research B3, Surly 1x1 half fat fixed, and more...
--------------------------
SB forever
jgedwa is offline  
Old 11-01-08, 06:39 AM
  #6  
Life is good
 
RonH's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Not far from the Withlacoochee Trail. 🚴🏻
Posts: 18,209

Bikes: 2018 Lynskey Helix Pro

Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 522 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 10 Times in 10 Posts
Originally Posted by jgedwa
Crap. Some of my favorite tires are Conti's. The article was unclear if this would have any impact on bike tires...
I think it has/will impact bike tires. We haven't been able to get Contis at the shop I work at for a while.
I recently had to buy a replacement GP4000 at REI because they had a few in the store when I needed one.
__________________
The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. - Psalm 103:8

I am a cyclist. I am not the fastest or the fittest. But I will get to where I'm going with a smile on my face.
RonH is offline  
Old 11-01-08, 07:22 AM
  #7  
Infamous Member
 
chipcom's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Ohio
Posts: 24,360

Bikes: Surly Big Dummy, Fuji World, 80ish Bianchi

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times in 3 Posts
Geesh, did anyone actually read that article? Nothing to panic over, though I guess panic is 'in' these days.

They are merely reporting that they recognize that we are in an economic slowdown and have adjusted their projections accordingly. Sales were up, net profit was down, partially due to an acquisition.
__________________
"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey

Last edited by chipcom; 11-01-08 at 07:46 AM.
chipcom is offline  
Old 11-01-08, 08:10 AM
  #8  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Montreal
Posts: 6,521

Bikes: Peugeot Hybrid, Minelli Hybrid

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
At the end of the article they reported a rise in share price.
AndrewP is offline  
Old 11-01-08, 09:50 AM
  #9  
Perineal Pressurized
 
dobber's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: In Ebritated
Posts: 6,555
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Jesus Christ, you people act like we're facing Armageddon. It's an economic slowdown, not the end of mankind.
__________________
This is Africa, 1943. War spits out its violence overhead and the sandy graveyard swallows it up. Her name is King Nine, B-25, medium bomber, Twelfth Air Force. On a hot, still morning she took off from Tunisia to bomb the southern tip of Italy. An errant piece of flak tore a hole in a wing tank and, like a wounded bird, this is where she landed, not to return on this day, or any other day.
dobber is offline  
Old 11-01-08, 10:37 AM
  #10  
another cat...FAB!
 
stevesurf's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: 1st star to the right...
Posts: 1,381

Bikes: Merlin Ti Build, Trek Y-50, Bianchi Titanium Build, Custom Cuevas Road bike

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
As stated, don't panic. Continental makes hand-made tires for the TdF and Giro, is a dominant player in Road tires, and will just make adjustments in their product line to trim the inventory they don't sell that much of.

Their Black Chili is a boon for many performance-oriented road cyclists; not as much for the average cyclist that wants durability. Kenda seems to be overextending themselves in creating incentives for MTB tires, and it seems to have paid off for them, so Conti will have to re-invest in targeted marketing in this area or just let Kenda take it. I'm a huge Conti fan in both MTB and Road, with the sole exception of winter tires where Nokian seems to rule.

So, go ahead and panic if you like a tire noone else does, but it might force you into getting a better tire anyway...
__________________
9
stevesurf is offline  
Old 11-01-08, 07:00 PM
  #11  
In Real Life
 
Machka's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Down under down under
Posts: 52,152

Bikes: Lots

Mentioned: 141 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3203 Post(s)
Liked 595 Times in 329 Posts
Which reminds me .... do I buy a whole bunch of my $15/tire Conti Ultras (my second favorite, but most used, tires) and take them to Australia with me when I move ...... or do I not bother and just take my chances on tire brands there?
Machka is offline  
Old 11-02-08, 12:58 AM
  #12  
totally louche
 
Bekologist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: A land that time forgot
Posts: 18,023

Bikes: the ever shifting stable loaded with comfortable road bikes and city and winter bikes

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 9 Times in 8 Posts
if continental's bicycle division is an unprofitable one, the parent company might very well shutter production.

don't know how likely this is, but conti's north american distribution has been suck for the last 2 or three years now.... repeatedly out of stock, out of stock, out of stock.

michelin is using the same advanced rubber tech in their pro race 3s that conti pimps in their black chilis, bicyclists will still be able to get premium tires, lets hope Bib the road drunkard doesn't forget his roots....

if it comes time to parse the parent company, conti bike tire division could get very well shutter production, or get sold off to cheng shin or doral sports group, eh?

we, sitting in our relatively insular consumer bubble of western materialism, might not be able to see yet or admit to ourselves how far the ripples from the current economic earthquake are going to shake.


if i can buy a conti 4000 for under 75 bucks in 2010 i'll be surprised.... one of the BIG tire manufacturers raised prices twice in 2008 and have already announced a third round of price increases in less than 12 months...
Bekologist is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.