Wouldn't it be cool if Pacific Cycles started selling a "Sinyard" model at big box stores?

Well if it was a bank ordered auction, it doesn't appear that it was a vendor/distributor issue, but more likely a liquidity issue and too much high priced real estate.

Ypsilanti Cycle is on the block as well. They only operate two days a week in the winter. There is a for-lease sign in the rear window. I understand the owner wishes to retire and wants $150K for the business.

Everyone in Washtenaw County must have a bike already. Seeing what's parked around town, 80-90 percent of the bikes are vintage, low-end, and in poor condition. A lot of the campus bikes are Huffys, Ross, and Target/Walmart Schwinns. Perhaps, no one with a valuable bike parks it on the street either.

I wouldn't mind having that fit fixture at the TWT auction. Too bad for the shop as it looked like a really nice store. Though being it was a Specialized dealer I would of never stepped through the door. Just don't care for Sinyard and that's even before the Roubaix story came up.

The problem with ethics at larger corporations is that the burdens of ethical responsibility tend to get filtered down through the power structure, and since no one wants to be the one who has to ultimately make their sacrifice for the ethical cause, the cause evaporates, with only the company as a whole being in a position accountable to the law, or to ethical expectations/standards as might be effectively set, either by well-meaning watchdog groups or by some bullying media entity who themselves are large corporations with possible financial interest in other corporation's negative public image as might be seen by their shareholders.

So this is why corporate mis-deeds often are punished by fines that the corporation (shareholders) must pay, instead of holding individuals directly accountable, which explains why individuals within a larger corporation may hold themselves less accountable for corporate wrong-doing, even though the individuals may actually be responsible for wrong decisions being made along the way toward mis-deeds. In effect, individuals become insulated from direct consequences of their behavior, and the company usually just insures themselves of any financial consequences while striking a balance that nets the highest net profit over time.

Larger corporations are able to push ethical limits even further when their financial capacity extends to financing electoral outcomes, something that smaller companies are much less in a position to do, and which further empowers the larger entity when legislation is modified in their favor.

And of course larger entities face various hardships that start-ups may not yet have to worry about, such as being possibly targeted as deep-pocketed by any lawyer that dares to take them on.

I don't know much of the industry or ethics in bike manufacturers but would imagine its brutal for the top tier volume. But when they step on the little guys, I lose respect for a company and I'll steer away.

Will say I've had a few brushes with well recognized name brands and in complete different industry's. In brief, one I can't stand is known for V-twin's with initials HD. When a company attempts to patent their sound of a motor vehicle, you know what kind of mentality these guys are about.

My ordeal was different but what a bunch of ruthless theives they are. I was representing a company from the UK and holder of US and international patents for a particular product. We were in the eleventh hour to secure a deal as a supplier for official product and as a genuine OEM item. Well, out of the blue comes a threat letter from their legal, to me and the inventor and a nixed deal. They further threatened us should we attempt to sell this product anywhere!! Hell, the fellow I was representing WAS THE INVENTOR and owned the patents!

I later learned, HD had an accessory field rep in bed with a car boutique accessory aftermarket catalog outfit. That catalog guy decided to knock off and steal the Patent holders product and made them in Taiwan. So here HD threatned us, took the low road, fully knowing we couldn't mustard the financial to fight them. They'd rather say 'screw you' and bought the Taiwan low cost products! That's corporate America for all you red-white and blue believers. I still have a massive file on these jerks and the factory catalog with the stolen patent product and their HD 'factory' logo. Scum company and really fraudulant in how they conduct business.

Being a local and sometimes Two Wheel customer, I've asked at other local shops, "Why couldn't Dennis have just changed his major supplier? He had active sales in non-Specialized brands, as well." And while his fitters and techs had Specialized training, the better ones had much broader experience and training as well.

The answer came back, "There were other issues as well." No significant additional details, and since I don't know anything directly I won't add anything else.

Many of the comments here regarding the TWT situation assume something like "Specialized screwed them." While I have never had love for Spec, save some of the saddles, it's not clear from the outside that Specialized was the villain.

I do all my own small work, and have a good relationship with other local shops, who have both done major work for me. I'm sad the Ann Arbor and Detroit markets are now less fully served, but this has not affected me significantly. I still just need more time to ride!

They were, and fitting was one of the strengths.

People here are as cheap and bike-ignorant as anywhere but there is a hard core of well-equipped enthusiasts. One of our former members was a very active AA flipper, selling real nice steel Hi-Ten through modern Columbus refurbed bikes that he would support for the buyer. He had a great word of mouth business at the University of Michigan. Several others now fill his shoes, and I don't know if the quality is similar, in terms of workmanship, information, and quality of preparation. But why would a budget buyer anywhere willingly spend at least $800 for a low end bike-shop road bike and then be told "it really is a POS compared to the good ones," when he can get a "proven in use" steel bike like a Raleigh Gran Prix, Varsinental, or one of hundreds of others, with new tires and cables, everything set up, and the saddle adjusted for $250?

If a parent sees the price of a good bike for campus as equal to textbooks for a semester, and the bike is likely to be gone or trashed in a year due to lack of indoor storage, will he allow $1200 for cycling? And for most students, secure parking is a super-light chain around the seat post.

Their was a cult following with two wheel tango as their is with any local bike shop. From talking to former employees at the shop at yesterday's auction, the main reason was the rapid expansion. A year or two ago they opened a third store, in canton Michigan, this one being a specialized concept store. It was a huge store with lots of super high end specialized only bikes and gear. They just didn't have the traffic to support that store. As with most bike shops they bought a lot of their stock on credit from the manufactor and fell behind on payments and eventually specialized called in the debts. All specialized stock was repoed and two days later twt closed its doors. The discussion to open the third store was their downfall

A Good Reason to Boycott Specialized
 

I always wondered if the two new stores were containable.

S brand concept store, I have seen those go down in flames before. I am sure the are a few locations where those could work, key word- few.

Almost everything available on Craigslist is low-end and in poor condition. And it's priced for more than it's worth. I think the problem with bike shops folding has more to do with high energy and food prices. When gas is $4.50 per gallon and cheap hamburger is $5.00 per pound, there is less extra to buy luxuries with.

To a certain degree, I can see the value in that $250.00 Raleigh Grand Prix. However, people will go to Meijer and buy a "mountain bike" for $100.00 less because it's just cheaper. And besides that, flippers are often looked at as brokers who will take advantage of people to make a big profit. The cheap Schwinn wins over the Raleigh.

I'll put this into a little more perspective. I saw a flipper win a vintage steel Colnago at an auction for $550.00. He is going to do a minor clean up, and sell that bike for $2,000.00 on Craigslist. But I can buy a brand new road bike for $800.00 that will not only have a warranty, it will ride and handle just as well. Then I can take the $1,200.00 difference and buy some new brakes, wheels, and tires for my car.