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Originally Posted by yomny
(Post 12099624)
thanks a lot for your replies guys, they do clear up lots of doubts i had. I just started cycling and got a specialized Allez comp compact.. its pretty much all i could afford at the moment, i do like it, the SRAM apex double tap shifters are real nice and the bike rides very smooth and freely. .
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Originally Posted by yomny
(Post 12099101)
I know the main difference is technology and materials used, but most bikes have the typical aluminum, steel and carbon bikes, with a certain set of components from the top companies, SRAM, Shimano... Aside from this, whats the difference, is it a matter or personal preference? I'm new to the cycling world and im trying to educate myself by reading about components, frames, designs, saddles.... everything but man this could be overwhelming. What are the most reputable companies out there or most expensive? I've seen bianchi, pinarello, cervelo.. but then i've also seen these other companies that make their custom builds like pedalforce.com or valdora. What insight can you guys share on this, is it just a matter of what frame and design you like better or does each company actually have a long history behind them? Thanks a lot and sorry if the question sounds so common sense to some of you.
Some riders really want to race. They want to be on a training schedule and do intervals, hill repeats, lots of miles, fast group rides, compete, etc. Some riders are just in for the recreation and fitness and fun. Yet, this doesn't mean you cannot get a Cervelo like the kind the pro team uses. There's a bit of "racing" in all of us. If you have a chance to speak to a professional fitter who is not associated with any particular bike shop, you will learn that most body types can be fitted to existing bikes. Are there compromises? Maybe some. Since you have some sort of affinity for Cervelo, I would suggest that you go visit their site and hear what these two engineers (Vrooman and White) have to say about fit and geometry. |
pick one that you like the look of.
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Originally Posted by pgjackson
(Post 12100300)
Again, if a shop has a bike listed at $2000 then has a "blow-out sale" and marks it down to $1000 (which happens all the time) it is safe to say that the dealer paid less than $1000 for it. Meaning that as soon as the bike came off the truck, the dealer marked it up significantly...which is fine because he/she is in the business of making money. Shop around, wait for the sale and do your research. Bikes are ALWAYS on huge sales.
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Originally Posted by JonnyV
(Post 12101106)
The dealer does not markup bikes. We have to advertise MSRP, if we don't list that we will not be selling bikes for long. We're free to offer sales and discounts as we please but you are protected from price gouging by the MSRP. Different manufacturers have different margins, some are only 30%, some are 50% and some will fall in between. 50% means it's old stock and is eating up shelf space that could be occupied by new stock that has a better chance of moving and paying the bills. It's standard business, not a ploy to trick you out of money. That shop is losing money in this deal. It's not a huge amount and they undestand the profit brought in by the new bike will make up for it.
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Originally Posted by Bob Dopolina
(Post 12101663)
You have no idea of what you are talking about. None.
If you see a bike discounted that much it is because it is not a current model year, the last of a certain model or an odd size and it is inventory the shop wants off the books. They will take A LOSS on that bike so that they can get some cash back that they can then use to invest in stuff they can sell like tubes, helmets, locks or lights. Do a search. There are plenty of people on this board who own or works in shops who have posted very clear information about margins on bikes at your LBS. They are laughable. after a while products turn into liabilities. |
Originally Posted by yomny
(Post 12099624)
thanks a lot for your replies guys, they do clear up lots of doubts i had. I just started cycling and got a specialized Allez comp compact.. its pretty much all i could afford at the moment, i do like it, the SRAM apex double tap shifters are real nice and the bike rides very smooth and freely. I've just been looking at all these custom bikes and different frames, with hubs, stems.. and man all these things could drive you a bit nut at the beginning. I've really liked cervelos since i first saw them at my LBS, now i know they're good bikes, those motobecane mentioned above are pricy as hell, im sure they're good bikes and have Ti, i like Ti. Thanks a lot for your replies guys, it makes it a little easier on my brain to process all these different names. I'm just going to practice hard on what i got right now and maybe down the road i could upgrade the wheels and tires and eventually when i feel good enough, i'll get my Cervelo. I dont know for some reason i like Tri bikes better, the drop bars are a lot more comfortable in my opinion that the tri aero bars, at least at the moment they are since im entry level but the blade look of tri frames is just awesome.
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Originally Posted by bassjones
(Post 12100086)
same holds true for guitar shops. the real profit margins are in strings, straps, cords, etc... The markup on guitars is around 30%, but a $2000 guitar may sit on the shelf for months or even a couple of years before somebody buys it. A high volume dealer like Guitar Center (Performance Bike equivalent) may get a bit better pricing from the OEM and they also may sometimes take a loss on something to get it out the door.
Don't know if bikes work the same way, but essentially most guitar shops are buying their guitars from the OEM on loan. The longer it sits on their shelves the less profit they make on it. They're also usually required to order a certain number of instruments in each price range. They sell a lot more of and make a lot better profit selling $500 guitars than they do the $2000 guitars, but they are required to stock a certain number of the high end models. a well known local bike shop is selling Caad9 2010 with 105 for around $1,200 when i was visiting for small part today, if i am shopping for a new bike, i probably opts for the 2011 Caad10 for a hair more(manufacturing origin aside) |
Originally Posted by pgjackson
(Post 12099662)
So, are shops selling bikes at a loss? It's pretty common to see bikes on sale for 30-50% off.
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In many industries dealers are sometimes forced to "buy" the whole goods sale. A good dealer will try and take these losses on a customer they feel will regularly return for future parts, services, and possibly other whole goods.
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Not for nothing Dopolina, but when the eff did knowing what you're talking about become a requirement here in the 41?
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For some reason this thread became a dealer profit/loss conversation... i really appreciate all the input you guys have given me as well as your opinions. I'm happy with the bike i got, i better be as im still paying for it :). Rides great and well the tires are not pro slicks, luckily since sometimes to get to my riding area i have to ride in somewhat not so desirable roads. I understand now that most of all these brands are just replicas of others with a couple of aesthetic differences or components but at the end they're all pretty much the same. I'm trying to understand better what makes up a good wheel set, lightness, stiffness, hubs... if you guys could give me some insight on the subject i would highly appreciate it.
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Originally Posted by Accordion
(Post 12099301)
I'd say mainly you can break it down like this:
Cervelo - Fast Bikes Trek - Crappy Bikes Specialized - Popular Bikes Cannondale - Stiff Bikes Giant - Carbon Bikes Scattante - Real Crappy Bikes Fuji - See Scattante Motobecane - This is what you need to buy |
Originally Posted by Bob Dopolina
(Post 12099766)
No kidding. I was a Service manager of a high end bike shop for 7 years before I left retail. I know where the margins are and I know how no one gets rich selling bikes.
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Originally Posted by rusted_rider
(Post 12103496)
I can make any of those bikes fast...............................
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Originally Posted by rusted_rider
(Post 12103496)
I can make any of those bikes fast...............................
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Quick question guys regarding Kestrel bikes, are they any good? Supposing they come with great componets, SRAM force or better, what can you tell me about the frames? They seem to have really good deals on these bikes at bikesdirect.com, thanks
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Where the hell are all these 50% off bikes? I'm sure as hell not seeing them in any LBS I've ever been to. I don't have the experience of BDop or others, but I've worked around the fringes of the bike industry a little bit, and I can confirm that the margins for massive sales simply aren't there. The massive "sales" of distributor/retailers like PB and Nashbar (and BikesDirect.com) are just a bit suspicious: they get to set their own MSRP on stuff under their label, which means they can claim that their aluminum bike frame (for example) is $399, even if they never intend to sell it at that price. But your LBS can't do that. You can only get away with selling over MSRP if demand for the product is very high; that's not typically the situation with bikes!
Anyway, there are differences between brands/makes of bikes, but it's a matter of geometry details and spec for price point rather than quality, for the most part. And, of course, color and logos. |
Originally Posted by yomny
(Post 12130010)
Quick question guys regarding Kestrel bikes, are they any good? Supposing they come with great componets, SRAM force or better, what can you tell me about the frames? They seem to have really good deals on these bikes at bikesdirect.com, thanks
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try and reply with helpful replies, unlike many others some of us do search around and just want a simple experienced opinion, hence i created this discussion.
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