EvilV

Maybe if they weren't trying to sell three pipes and a handful of cheap hardware put together in the Far East (a notable area for cost effective manufacture) for £500 and four times what their emulators produce their ersatz version for, people would have more sympathy for their loss of IP - which lets face it, they bought from Sanders in any case.

There is nothing in that bike that should make it cost more than £200. £250 would be stretching it, but £500 is a joke. They are in the process of destroying a great idea that could have sold millions of units.

Nobody counterfeits Dahon's D3, because they are selling a great little bike into the UK at £269.

chainstrainer

So they are destroying a great idea. Is that their business plan? What weird world we live in.

EvilV

Not all businesses make the right decisions. When they don't, they lose out. Sometimes one might feel sorry - others, you just think, 'Served them right'. Greedy pricing and a stupid policy of selling through lifestyle outlets like this one where they don't know the first thing about bikes and keep no stock of spares is a really dumb idea. It inspires no confidence when there are already well established bike retail outlets who know and understand bikes and can advise on problems if they arise. I suspect that the fact that Strida is only sold from four establishments in a nation of 61 million consumers says a lot. The established bike people would have laughed them out of the shop at the prices they are expecting.


Dig really deep on this site and you will find that it is one of the four retailers of Strida in the UK - you'll have to dig around though among the Easter Eggs and fancy lifestyle bullsh1t.

https://www.ethicalsuperstore.com/?_$...FQxGkwodwnD4VQ

kamtsa

Thanks for the link. They have a great deal on the Paper Potter

https://www.ethicalsuperstore.com/pro.../paper-potter/



Kam

Simple Simon

Agreed - not a big deal. I've seen Nike, rolex, apple, and various other brand owners getting media coverage for doing similar - it's just a message. Its up to you to think whatever: from 'free bikes for all' to 'hang the pirates by the rolex's'.

Those that do not understand manufacturing, liability insurance, ecconomies of scale ( especially when many parts are custom made), distribution and retail margins will always think 'Rip off'.

I think Ming could try harder to reduce cost to help their retailers sell for less, and I do think it's sad to see usable bikes go to waste ( even if it is a publicity stunt ) . But I don't subscribe to the nihilistic 'free for all' where folk just grab what they can ignoring copyright patent and other basics of developed societies. Same goes for drug co.s and any other innovators - there will always be folk who say 'evil business' they should give it away at cost.

I'm no angel - I'll watch a doggy DVD, but I won't try and justify it and claim the official film producer is a rip off merchant for charging more than the 12p cost of the DVD.

BruceMetras

It gets worse, over here in the States, the new Strida 2spd MAS special is nearing a whopping $1500 .. that's around a thousand of your bucks... you actually pay less for Ming Stridas then we do .. outrageous ..

EvilV

Hey that's great Kam - thanks. I need some bio-degradable pots for my cabbage seedlings.

EvilV

That's the word Bruce.

chainstrainer

Remember this a designer item that just happens to be a bike. There's the premium for the Schlumph drive, the custom paint, the special belt wheel and trim and Mark's signature. Perhaps it's not worth it to most of us but the price will not faze those that collect such items. I've seen designer furniture that cost more than my car.

Areaware's expanding list of dealers includes an eclectic mix of designer shops, catalog stores, museums, ski shops - even bike stores! It is not marketed like any other bike I can remember. If that distribution scheme is not to our liking, there are other bikes to go to instead. We are not in a position to dictate how the Strida should be priced or marketed. If we disagree with the scheme, we can only complain then walk out. If so many consumers were doing that I'm sure the pricing and marketing might adjust. I read elsewhere here that Ming is developing a lower cost model. Maybe that's a start.

davidp0

Too bad they've chosen the high-end, specialty route. They could sell a ton of these, and I mean a ton, if they were the price of the knock-offs. Price is the main reason I don't even think about it anymore, although if I could get my hands on a new knock-off, I might consider it, provided my purchase didn't land me in the slammer. My current bike is a Schwinn that I got on sale at Wal-Mart for less than $100.00 (US), and it has more metal on it and in it than two Stridas. I had a CariBike folder that I just about wore out, and would still have if I could have gotten the necessary replacement parts for it (and didn't try to turn it into a recumbent bike--that got it a date with the dumpster the last time I moved :-( ).