Have you been to China and seen how they ride? I have, and an umbrella makes perfect sense in the cities I saw. You're projecting some cultural bias. There's no one 'best' way to do things, and it works for them, this one funny picture aside.

How about a group buy on therapy?

http://blog.wired.com/photos/uncateg..._01_drphil.jpg

This is going well. One group wants to buy umbrellas the other group thinks plastic bags are a better way to go for the group.

So much for a frame Group buy by the way this is going. Really bored people:1; Group frame buy: 0

hi data.

i'm proud of my kilo TT and you can suck it:lol:

jk.

haha cultural bias? i haven't been to china no, perhaps you can enlighten me.

all i was saying is that keeping both hands on the bars by wearing a garbage bag would probably be better in the situation of the picture rather than using an umbrella and riding with one hand. maybe i am biased but i'd think that keeping control of the bike in flooded streets is better than doing a faceplant into a pothole whether it be in china, usa, or the goddam soviet union

So, I can see the view that BD would take if we asked for a kilo frame group buy...just no real incentive. But an appeal to their cyclist side might persuade them. The Kilo TT frame isn't available alone (as far as I know), and the fact that it is the perfect cheap/simple/track frame means demand for such a thing would be high. Why wouldn't they want to make an extra couple thousand in a month?

Has anybody simply tried talking to them yet? Might be a good next step....I'd be in.

Actually, you're wrong. BikeIsland sells the frame alone

If you go to http://bikeisland.com/cgi-bin/BKTK_S...ils&ProdID=629 they offer the frame only it is currently out of stock. You beat me to it

And if you check out the Road forum you can see that Mike from Bikes Direct is trying to set up some sort of group buy for BF members for the holiday season. He is a pretty cool dude I think.

Surly I think its made by a taiwanese manufracturer name MAXWAY from:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ghlight=maxway

Someone get them to make a BF frame, I will buy 2 for sure!..from what i remmeber at least 100frames. SHipping and distributing it would be a pain in the butt.

Maxway is a third-party manufacturer. You have to establish a business, get a merchant account, set up shipping lines, etc., in order to get a frame from them. This is why the group buys get organized through IRO or Bikes Direct, these guys are already working with Maxway.

Another thought - why do you guys try to get another IRO GB organized? You know, same as the first? It's the off-season, which is when Tony said he wanted the next GB to be.

im down with this. someone make it happen!!!!!!!!!

since my last IRO group buy was stolen I would also definitely be down for this!