Chombi

What I can't figure out with the new stuff is the difference in price between top of the line and "cooking" level helmets. The weight difference is mostly miniscule, features are close to identical and the materials are pretty much the same, save for flashes of CF on the top models which I think are mostly for looks.....oh yeah, there's that TDF factor too. The top line helmets was worn by Contador, Armstrong, Cavendish or the Schleck brothers in the last race. I guess the helmet makers are still paying these guys for the opportunity to place their plastic and foam "crowns" on these champions through us! Things haven't changed that much afterall!

Chombi

khatfull

I realize you were...but I bet you're not far from the truth. In many industries customers, like so many products, seem to be disposable.

Bianchigirll 

Cycledrome? not a bad place, but it was much cooler when it was T-town cycles and had tons of cool track bikes.

Puget Pounder

pro deeeeeeeeeals

RobE30

I've got a SRAM Rival groupo on order for my 58 Lenton Grand Prix. I think the guys'll fall over when I ride that to work next week.

RobE30

As far as CV "fade", I don't see it happening. The new bikes are very cool and technologically advanced, there is little evidence of human "touch" on the bike. That's one of the things I love about old bikes, human touch is evident and there was an artistic touch that I think is lacking from the wonder bikes. Now that said, I find cyclocross bikes QUITE intriguing!

RobbieTunes

One of the most successful shops here sells speed, and caters to the yuppie tri crowd. People there are perfectly willing to spend $1700 on a PowerTap hub when they can go a few miles to Performance and get it for $1299. Same folks pay list price for every component/accessory, because "I got my P3C on closeout last year, about 40% off." They'll buy Zipp wheels, an aero seatpost, and any number of things the shop recommends, and not think twice about it.

They're happy, the shop is happy, and the fact that they regularly get dusted by people whose entire bikes cost less than their wheelset is not an issue. There's only room in this market for 1-2 of those shops, however, so the others pretty much scramble for every customer they can get, other than C&V folks, for that market is a little too thrifty for shops to spend a lot of time with.

C&V customers often do their own maintenance, need parts that shops don't sell, and often get their consumables on line. Most shops tell me it's hard to cultivate a C&V crowd, because 3 out of 5 C&V customers want a deal, as compared to folks who come in and pay the listed price. Even dedicated C&V wrenches appreciate a lot of the new bikes, and I tend to agree with bigbossman.....that C&V and steel are my niche, but there are some really great modern bikes out there, and they are, in many ways, better than what I'm riding.

I sometimes think that my local shops tolerate me, and give me decent prices, because I do buy my consumables there, almost always buy something when I stop in. I've got parts for C&V bikes that I gladly supply if a customer's bike needs one, and it all works out. However, one shop told me that C&V customers are fun to talk to, but only a step or two above the WalMart customers when it's time to get a bike fixed at shop prices...I think I know exactly what he means.