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#1
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Importing European touring bikes to U.S. Stupid idea?
Just how stupid is this idea? Not finding any European-styled "comfort" bikes
along the lines of those advertised by Gazelle (http://www.gazelle.nl) in the U.S., I'm entertaining the notion of opening a small shop to import and sell a few models in a university town here. The town has extensive biking trails and I think folks might like to have a utility bike for running errands and the like. Obviously, since no one is importing such bikes, I think there must be a very good reason. Any guesses why such a venture would be foolish? Some similarly styled bikes that reader Yannik pointed me to we http://www.utopia-fahrrad.de/ http://www.batavus.nl http://www.pashley.co.uk/ http://www.sparta.nl/ Being a hardened pessimist, I'm especially interested in hearing from other pessimists. --Art |
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#2
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Importing European touring bikes to U.S. Stupid idea?
Art Winterbauer wrote in
: Just how stupid is this idea? Not finding any European-styled "comfort" bikes along the lines of those advertised by Gazelle (http://www.gazelle.nl) in the U.S. Here is a USA company that specializes in high quality commuting bikes: http://www.breezerbikes.com/ fyi - there's an interesting article in Bicycling Magazine this month about Joe Breeze and why these kinds of city bikes (designed for commuting and shopping, not recreation) are much more popular in Europe than in the USA. |
#3
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Importing European touring bikes to U.S. Stupid idea?
Just how stupid is this idea? Not finding any European-styled "comfort" bikes
along the lines of those advertised by Gazelle (http://www.gazelle.nl) in the U.S., I'm entertaining the notion of opening a small shop to import and sell a few models in a university town here. Trek appears to be moving into this market: References: http://www.bicycleretailer.com/bicyc...ent_id=1775856 and http://www.bicycleretailer.com/bicyc...ent_id=1921956 Regards, Chris Neary "Science, freedom, beauty, adventu what more could you ask of life? Bicycling combined all the elements I loved" - Adapted from a quotation by Charles Lindbergh |
#4
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Importing European touring bikes to U.S. Stupid idea?
Just how stupid is this idea? Not finding any European-styled "comfort" bikes
along the lines of those advertised by Gazelle (http://www.gazelle.nl) in the U.S., I'm entertaining the notion of opening a small shop to import and sell a few models in a university town here. Trek appears to be moving into this market: References: http://www.bicycleretailer.com/bicyc...ent_id=1775856 and http://www.bicycleretailer.com/bicyc...ent_id=1921956 Regards, Chris Neary "Science, freedom, beauty, adventu what more could you ask of life? Bicycling combined all the elements I loved" - Adapted from a quotation by Charles Lindbergh |
#5
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Importing European touring bikes to U.S. Stupid idea?
Here is a USA company that specializes in high quality commuting bikes:
http://www.breezerbikes.com/ If you want pay too much for basically a cheesy cruiser type bike and support some jiker who thinks he invented mountain biking. I'd never buy such a bike as it has a limited use. There are other bikes that can be made to do many jobs and still be fun to ride. |
#6
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Importing European touring bikes to U.S. Stupid idea?
Boy, even in a university town (where I live), I can't see many people
wanting to pay, say, $600-$900 for a 45lb tank with 5 speeds and a coaster brake that looks like something Grandpa might ride around his condo in Florida. There are some number of old profs riding around on bikes that look like those here, but those guys tend to buy a new bike and a new Volvo every two or three decades. "Art Winterbauer" wrote in message ... Just how stupid is this idea? Not finding any European-styled "comfort" bikes along the lines of those advertised by Gazelle (http://www.gazelle.nl) in the U.S., I'm entertaining the notion of opening a small shop to import and sell a few models in a university town here. The town has extensive biking trails and I think folks might like to have a utility bike for running errands and the like. Obviously, since no one is importing such bikes, I think there must be a very good reason. Any guesses why such a venture would be foolish? Some similarly styled bikes that reader Yannik pointed me to we http://www.utopia-fahrrad.de/ http://www.batavus.nl http://www.pashley.co.uk/ http://www.sparta.nl/ Being a hardened pessimist, I'm especially interested in hearing from other pessimists. --Art |
#7
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Importing European touring bikes to U.S. Stupid idea?
Villiger (the brand Trek just bought) do make fine bikes. We have two of
them at home and are happy with them. I don't know, however, if Trek will sell them in the US. One comment is that here these bikes are sold fully equiped (lights, rack,...), while in the US you seem to buy "naked" bikes then add options. Well, if you had bothered to check the second URL and followed the reference to the Bike Gallery site (www.bikegallery.com), you would have seen that Trek is in fact test marketing bikes equipped just as you state. Chris Neary "Science, freedom, beauty, adventu what more could you ask of life? Bicycling combined all the elements I loved" - Adapted from a quotation by Charles Lindbergh |
#8
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Importing European touring bikes to U.S. Stupid idea?
Well, if you had bothered to check the second URL and followed the reference to the Bike Gallery site (www.bikegallery.com), you would have seen that Trek is in fact test marketing bikes equipped just as you state. ....Ooops ! |
#9
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Importing European touring bikes to U.S. Stupid idea?
Chris Neary wrote in message . ..
Villiger (the brand Trek just bought) do make fine bikes. We have two of them at home and are happy with them. I don't know, however, if Trek will sell them in the US. One comment is that here these bikes are sold fully equiped (lights, rack,...), while in the US you seem to buy "naked" bikes then add options. Well, if you had bothered to check the second URL and followed the reference to the Bike Gallery site (www.bikegallery.com), you would have seen that Trek is in fact test marketing bikes equipped just as you state. I'm glad to see this. That's a great store, I bought by Burley d'lite trailer up there while on a business trip and saved about $150 over what the Bay Area stores were charging. Knowing that shop, I'll bet that they pushed Trek to let them try to sell these bikes in the U.S. Too bad only ONE store in the whole country sells these Trek's which apparently are normally sold only in the Benelux region. Adding options to naked bikes is okay--where can I buy chain guards (the answer is nowhere). Giant has similar bicycles that they sell only in Europe, i.e. see: "http://www.bike-shed.com/products.php?plid=1-0-18-214" 200 UK pounds (including VAT) but lights are apparently not included. The steel model is only 165 UK pounds. Trek is really gouging on these bikes considering the componentry and what similar bikes go for overseas, but they have a real niche. I looked at the Breezer, but the Nexus hub doesn't really thrill me; part of my commute is quite a steep hill on a trail that goes under a freeway, and I want the lower gears. I'd rather fly to the UK or Benelux to buy a bike. It's not that much more than a trip to Portland these days, and there is no charge for a bike on the airplane internationally. The net cost will be less! Personally I think that there is a real market for bikes like this if they are priced only $150 or so more than a bike without the fenders, chainguard, rack, and lights. These four options would cost the manuafacturer about $35 in parts, but would cost the consumer about $75 even without the chainguard. Then there is the hassle of installation for the consumer which is worth at least another $50-75. Has anyone added a rear rack to a "comfort bike" lately? Get out the aluminum flat bar, a saw, and a vise to bend the aluminum, and a drill. The place where you attach the front of the rack is way too far away to use the hardware that comes with the rack. |
#10
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Importing European touring bikes to U.S. Stupid idea?
"Art Winterbauer" wrote in message
... Just how stupid is this idea? Not finding any European-styled "comfort" bikes along the lines of those advertised by Gazelle (http://www.gazelle.nl) in the U.S., I'm entertaining the notion of opening a small shop to import and sell a few models in a university town here. The town has extensive biking trails and I think folks might like to have a utility bike for running errands and the like. Obviously, since no one is importing such bikes, I think there must be a very good reason. Any guesses why such a venture would be foolish? If too successful, the major bike companies would bury you. Trek and Giant both sell these types of bikes in other countries, and as other posts in this thread have shown, one bike shop has somehow gained permission from Trek to sell these models in the U.S. But go for it. Momovelo in Berkeley does exactly what you are thinking of doing. http://momovelo.com/bicycles.html Meanwhile, anyone interested in a trip to Oregon or Amsterdam to buy a bike? We could make it a group trip and get maybe get a group discount on the bikes. The airfares to Europe are amazingly low. I wish that one Trek shop in my area would be able to get these Trek models that The Bike Gallery managed to be able to sell. Mike J, are you there?! There are a lot of bike commuters in the Bay Area. |
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