Originally Posted by
mdilthey
You've just perfectly highlighted the problem. Short-term, your way is ideal.
Long-term, the loss of a LBS will mean less people will own and use bikes, which will reduce the amount of people riding in your area. This will slowly eliminate cycling clubs, and it will be much harder to get bike lanes maintained in your town (or create them, if they aren't already there). The used parts market will dry up, and good advice for complex problems will be harder and harder to find as mechanics switch careers. Drivers will stop paying as much attention to cyclists as they are less and less present on the road, making it a lot less safe to ride around.
Is it likely that the entire cycling world will collapse? Of course not. Is there a possibility that you will feel the ripple effects of Shimano's decision? Absolutely. And I think that's a shame when there's an alternative close at hand.
Just because you CAN have something at a certain cost, doesn't mean it's smart or sustainable to do so.
Very well stated. No the cycling world wont collapse, but there is a benefit to the community in a strong local cycling presence.
As for Shimano's insane prices, I dont like it much and the local shop I frequent doesnt exactly love it either, but they also fully recognize it exists and they told me to buy online if I were to upgrade some STIs. 105 11sp STIs are $90 less overseas than thru them.
Here is the difference though- the price locally should be the same as overseas, taking exchange rate into account. Its not that Wiggle and Ribble et all should increase their prices, its that US retailers(and distributors) should be buying components at the same prices. This would allow domestic distribution to better compete with overseas retailers on price. And since products would arrive sooner domestically(except thru Niagara who is the slowest shipper of all time), more US consumers would buy domestically since the price barrier had been removed.
The key would be lowering the domestic price floor and not raising the overseas price floor. This would of course mean lower profit margins for Shimano. That would in turn perhaps negatively affect their R&D, so 12 speed groupsets may not come as soon as hoped!...but thats actually a benefit in my eyes as a cycling quasi-luddite. Lower profits would only delay them getting a decent website, so we would all have to continue to suffer with their horrific excuse for a site. Hmm...benetifts and negatives of them dropping their profits...
Anyways- well stated arguments by you. Ideals should not be surrendered for convenience.