I think it's a mistake to build an entire business strategy on the assumption that exchange rates will always work in your favor. If Riv. wants to continue to offer affordable, quality, lugged frames it needs to begin to develop on shore manufacturing capability. It can be done. Bilenkey offers his Delux Touring frameset for $1900, Co- Motion offers a high end tig welded frameset for about $1500, and I think Waterford is $2200, which is just petty darn close to a Toyo price. Why promote MUSA clothing and then abandon MUSA frames?
High end mfgs, like Phil Wood, White Industries, and Pauls are able to make stuff here. Heck I just bought a lettuce spinner manufactured in Switzerland, which last time I was there made the US look like a third world country. Michael On Aug 20, 3:50 pm, Steve Palincsar <[email protected]> wrote: > On Thu, 2009-08-20 at 12:43 -0700, Solomander wrote: > > > I can understand why they are being discontinued- Toyo made frames are > > pricing themselves out of existence. I am sure that Waterford could > > make them, but likely they would be at least as expensive. I wonder > > what a custom builder charges for a lugged frame and fork? Nobody can > > dispute the beauty of an Atlantis frame and fork, but OTOH you can get > > a LHT frame and fork for what, $500? It seems that GP had anticipated > > this, by presenting the 2 new models. Unless I am missing something, > > once the Atlantis is discontinued, Rivendell will no longer offer a > > bike model that is capable of loaded touring. > > I think the other shoe hasn't yet dropped, is all. If the Toyo frames > are discontinued because manufacture in Japan is getting too expensive > -- and by that I mean costs the same as an American-made custom, a point > that recently came up on the Serotta forum in a discussion of the > Road-eo: the Indy Fab Crown Jewel custom costs the same as the > production Road-eo -- wouldn't it make sense for Rivendell to find an > alternate source? At least, that's how I interpret the statement that > "... I will get another one before the Toyo-built ones go away." --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
