Originally Posted by
Iride01
I didn't know you could buy direct from Shimano.
I usually just keep an eye on all the online vendors that I buy from and when they show up as in stock, put in your order before it's out of stock.
This summer I had to watch for an eleven speed chain, I wanted either KMC or Shimano. I think I checked five different vendors daily for a week maybe two before it was in stock at one and I grabbed it. The next day they were out of stock again. At this particular vendor if I'd waited for the in stock notice in my email to check them, then I would have missed it because they were out of stock again by the time the email made it to me.
This is exactly what I did last spring (except it was SRAM). I ended up putting together two complete bikes using maybe a half dozen online vendors. I imagine it cost me some premium pricing, but it worked out. Sometimes I had to buy a couple of partial "build kit" sets for some of the parts and sell the ones I didn't need. It worked out OK since eBay prices were going pretty good at the time. But in these times I was far less price sensitive than normally ... but I got the bikes built before May 1 - ordered the frame in early March, had the parts assembled by the time they arrived in late April. and it was well worth it.