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European bike accessories that can't be had in the U.S.

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European bike accessories that can't be had in the U.S.

Old 05-14-15, 04:59 PM
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Originally Posted by imi
Frame locks, from ABUS or the Basta "Click" (my favourite)
I've been surprised that they aren't popular here.

Yes, most people like to lock their bikes to something, but so many of the stolen bikes are left unlocked and ridden off.

It depends a bit on the value of the bike. Most thefts of $50 bikes are opportunistic.
One pretty much needs a bank vault to keep a $10,000 bike safe.
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Old 05-14-15, 05:58 PM
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Originally Posted by Darth Lefty


...You know you can just run the front cable to the right lever, right?
ya, but i just wanted a front brake, and wiggle sold the right lever and caliper, with the hose pre bled and cut to an acceptable length for a front brake.
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Old 05-14-15, 08:21 PM
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Originally Posted by hueyhoolihan
ya, but i just wanted a front brake, and wiggle sold the right lever and caliper, with the hose pre bled and cut to an acceptable length for a front brake.
I bet you can fix that with a pair of scissors and a couple of drip line unions do they even sell them that way? More SKU's for a smaller market
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Old 05-15-15, 06:14 AM
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Originally Posted by Darth Lefty
I bet you can fix that with a pair of scissors and a couple of drip line unions do they even sell them that way? More SKU's for a smaller market
Yep, Shimano sells them that way, pre-bled in all four configurations (R/F, R/R, L/F, L/R), so I imagine others would as well. I had to replace a broken lever recently so I got to research the topic. Though as you note, cutting a hose to length is simple enough and the required tools/olive/fluid are easily (and fairly cheaply) obtained.
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Old 05-25-15, 12:01 AM
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Interesting question; certainly cycle-touring seems to be much more popular in Europe than in the US. But an ironic result of globalization/low tariffs apparently helped US bike/component firms to get much bigger & Euro bike industry to lose ground. Euros make some great stuff for sure but most of the items I read about are higher-end things like Rohloff gear hubs, Magura hydraulic brakes etc that aren't much cheaper (if at all) in Europe.

How friendly/helpful are the local biker Euros? I've met a handful of Euros bike touring in the US & they all tended to be polite but not esp chatty. While most Euros know some English I suppose they have some inhibition about English conversation. Once went to a magnificent racing-oriented bike shop located at the Munich Olympic Velodrome. Shop owner was a gruff old German guy & apprentice no more friendly. Told the owner it was a beautiful shop & he just glared at me, heh.
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Old 05-25-15, 09:05 AM
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US Bike firms tend to be Importers Of Taiwan/PRC Manufactured Parts, , they may design them but take advantage of the lower costs the TW companies offer ..

In order to cover the higher labor and overhead costs The precision oriented German Companies Have to charge More, but they have a Export Economy
where the US has a import trade imbalance .

With few exceptions.. Like Intel, Boeing And the Arms Trade ..

I've traveled By Bike on several tours in Europe and the British Isles, I have different Personal Interaction Anecdotes than DBF.

Last edited by fietsbob; 05-25-15 at 09:13 AM.
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Old 05-25-15, 10:02 AM
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Originally Posted by Tourist in MSN
I was charged duty on a frame and a bunch of other parts in it that was over $1,500 that was shipped from the UK. I expected to pay customs duty on the Rohloff too, but no duty on that shipment. All the other stuff I have ordered from Europe came without any duty charged.

I prefer my bike forum discussions to be free of politics. I suspect most others on this forum feel the same way.



My old Triumphs all had the clutch on the left lever, not the brake.
As do all motorcycles. Except maybe an old Rokon.
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Old 05-25-15, 09:39 PM
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I've read (in the past) that Italy esp has some old-fashioned custom shoe makers that can make cycling shoes. Don't know if that's still true. There's a ~handful of custom cycling shoe makers in the US, yes, but products are pricey.
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Old 05-26-15, 08:42 PM
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I bought a Busch & Muller Eyc light and over-voltage protector from xxcycle (from France). Also, Acycles.fr in France had the Rockshox XC30 in white that I couldn't find on other sites (at least at a good price, was $167 Canadian dollars including shipping).
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Old 05-28-15, 05:47 PM
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Thanks to everyone who chimed in. I ended up buying the ultimate bicycle product...a bicycle. I got a pretty good deal on a Dahon at a shop in Slovenia to help me see more on my travels in Europe. Apart from that, I hope to pick up a set of pit locks if I can pass through Germany. The set I'm looking at appears to be about $50 cheaper when bought in the EU than if I were to order from the only U.S. Distributor (Peter white). Also hoping to get a nice frame lock. I had been shopping online for one several years ago but gave up on the search for whatever reason. Hopefully now that I'm here I can find a good one, get my hands on it before I buy.

Last edited by urbanescapee; 05-28-15 at 05:50 PM.
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Old 05-28-15, 07:03 PM
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Originally Posted by urbanescapee
Thanks to everyone who chimed in. I ended up buying the ultimate bicycle product...a bicycle. I got a pretty good deal on a Dahon at a shop in Slovenia to help me see more on my travels in Europe. Apart from that, I hope to pick up a set of pit locks if I can pass through Germany. The set I'm looking at appears to be about $50 cheaper when bought in the EU than if I were to order from the only U.S. Distributor (Peter white). Also hoping to get a nice frame lock. I had been shopping online for one several years ago but gave up on the search for whatever reason. Hopefully now that I'm here I can find a good one, get my hands on it before I buy.
Before you buy the Pitlocks, consider what happens if you lose the special key.

I use Halo XL skewers when I tour, any 5mm allen wrench will work. I assume that most thieves are opportunists and unlikely to have a 5mm wrench in their pocket. I have thick dropouts and 135mm rear spacing, thus I need the XL for extra length.
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Old 05-29-15, 07:25 AM
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When I came back from my last long tour I Moved Out of a College city with a bike theft Underground.
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Old 05-29-15, 07:23 PM
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I have regular Allen key skewers similar to these: (Sunlite 5mm Hex skewer) Sunlite 5mm Hex Skewer Set - Silver
and I have a Kryptonite lock similar to this but I mean, mine is really old now and the plastic already started cracking. Although I haven't done touring with it, I've never had a bicycle stolen with it yet. (Kryptonite 6ft x 15mm)
Kryptonite Krypto Flex 1518 Key Lock - 15mm x 6 ft., with Bracket
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