vickster
Legendary Member
That’ll probably end up costing more than a whole new ready built bike!
Now unfortunately is a really poor time to buy a new bike as stocks are low and there are no older discounted models
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Now unfortunately is a really poor time to buy a new bike as stocks are low and there are no older discounted models
I don’t own any, but have had my head turned by Hunt wheels and was thinking seriously about investing in a set for my next build. Are they really that poor value for money?... i thought they seemed reasonably priced and was encouraged that companies like Enigma used them as stock wheels.
Have seen reviews from very happy customers too... is it all good marketing?
What’s your experience of them?
SheilaH
Guest
Lots of people I know have experienced cracks in rims on a particular model. For balance I have another friend who have a gravel pair and has covered about 15,000 miles without issues.
But, main gripe is that (certainly initially) they were selling wheels built up from bog standard chinese/taiwanese budget parts with heavy marketing. I ignore magazine reviews because they are often paid promotion and written by idiots ("you can feel the wheels hold their speed" etc etc) and an awful lot of customer reviews give me the impression that they are written by people who don't ride much.
Have a watch of this:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bb7eCgLbLI&t=1s
But, main gripe is that (certainly initially) they were selling wheels built up from bog standard chinese/taiwanese budget parts with heavy marketing. I ignore magazine reviews because they are often paid promotion and written by idiots ("you can feel the wheels hold their speed" etc etc) and an awful lot of customer reviews give me the impression that they are written by people who don't ride much.
Have a watch of this:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bb7eCgLbLI&t=1s
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mattobrien
Guru
- Location
- Sunny Suffolk
My LBS have a similar view on Hunt, generic parts, poor quality and a large mark up
🤣 TheDarkInstall... yep trusty youtube. Spend my hard earned money based on some hooded foul mouth chaps opinion on youtube. At the point he refers to people as ‘Fu**wits’ I switched off.
Not really. When someone needs to use profanities to get a point across or insults I think they lack something
I dont put much faith in a youtube video of someone who needs to use it to convey a point thats all. Far better in-depth reviews available than that hoodie fella. Each to their own
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SheilaH
Guest
'Ew he said a swear word therefore his opinion is meaningless'
Shame. You should have watched the video, because it isn't an opinion piece.
Let's park this. You are adding nothing to this other then letting the forum know you have a hang up over swearwords. I'm going to put you on ignore to discourage you from replying to me. Bye.
Shame. You should have watched the video, because it isn't an opinion piece.
Let's park this. You are adding nothing to this other then letting the forum know you have a hang up over swearwords. I'm going to put you on ignore to discourage you from replying to me. Bye.
Agreed. Weird 🤷♂️
Some guy on internet does videos about hubs. He makes hubs himself. Very intelligent fella but many comments on here refer to his constant swearing and abusive attitude which puts them off watching or believing him. A solicitor walks into a courtroom and starts swearing to emphasis his point or a business man in a meeting ?? We wouldn't take them seriously and that was my comment. A reasonable comment. Usual CCer comment of “you add nothing to this thread” to discredit the poster and make them appear a certain way. Well your video in my opinion added nothing. And as its a forum its open to be commented on. Ciao
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IanSmithCSE
Guru
- Location
- Worcester, Worcestershire
Good morning.
I watched part of the video mainly hooked by the remarks about cheapish tube sets being assembled into ridiculously priced frames by artisans. Having had many good miles on a production line 531 Raleigh and Holdsworth frames I can certainly relate to that view.
But, I also noted that he referred to a £150 tube set, now I don't have access to a Reynolds or Columbus price list but I was under the impression that 525/631 tubes tend to come in at around the £20-£30 mark per tube and 725/853/921 double/triple this. I have no idea about 931 or 953. Given than a frame has 11 tubes (tubes, stays, blades and steerer) I started to suspect hyperbole over substance.
If you go to Argos, the catalogue shop, it is clear that for many goods the mark-up is 100% or more, much more, I wouldn't be surprised at 400%-700% on some items I have bought. Certainly this is needed to offset the low margins on the £5 toaster.
By the time I lost interest in the video I had the impression that the creator didn't really understand retail and was just having a rant, had I stuck it out my view may have changed.
Let's not talk about genuine warranty claims and operational costs, and how many times have people acted unreasonably and then demanded "their legal rights".
When the distance selling regulation came into being the intent was to protect the consumer from seeing one thing on a web site and then receiving something completely different. They weren't created with the intention of browsing at home and returning things just because the customer felt like it. Catalogue businesses like Grattans had gotten along fine without such a law, mainly by reflecting their costs in their prices.
Even the big boys in distance selling are now starting to look at customers who buy with the intent of returning.
So yes there are large margins on very specialised products like £1,000 bike wheels and if you operate from a bedroom you can possibly make quite a few quid, especially if you don't intend to be around for a long time.
The video maker refers to a wheel wholesaler, apparently that business hasn't realised how much profit they are losing by not opening a string of websites and taking over the whole of the UK retail market for top of the range wheels.
Bye
Ian
I watched part of the video mainly hooked by the remarks about cheapish tube sets being assembled into ridiculously priced frames by artisans. Having had many good miles on a production line 531 Raleigh and Holdsworth frames I can certainly relate to that view.
But, I also noted that he referred to a £150 tube set, now I don't have access to a Reynolds or Columbus price list but I was under the impression that 525/631 tubes tend to come in at around the £20-£30 mark per tube and 725/853/921 double/triple this. I have no idea about 931 or 953. Given than a frame has 11 tubes (tubes, stays, blades and steerer) I started to suspect hyperbole over substance.
If you go to Argos, the catalogue shop, it is clear that for many goods the mark-up is 100% or more, much more, I wouldn't be surprised at 400%-700% on some items I have bought. Certainly this is needed to offset the low margins on the £5 toaster.
By the time I lost interest in the video I had the impression that the creator didn't really understand retail and was just having a rant, had I stuck it out my view may have changed.
Let's not talk about genuine warranty claims and operational costs, and how many times have people acted unreasonably and then demanded "their legal rights".
When the distance selling regulation came into being the intent was to protect the consumer from seeing one thing on a web site and then receiving something completely different. They weren't created with the intention of browsing at home and returning things just because the customer felt like it. Catalogue businesses like Grattans had gotten along fine without such a law, mainly by reflecting their costs in their prices.
Even the big boys in distance selling are now starting to look at customers who buy with the intent of returning.
So yes there are large margins on very specialised products like £1,000 bike wheels and if you operate from a bedroom you can possibly make quite a few quid, especially if you don't intend to be around for a long time.
The video maker refers to a wheel wholesaler, apparently that business hasn't realised how much profit they are losing by not opening a string of websites and taking over the whole of the UK retail market for top of the range wheels.
Bye
Ian
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bikingdad90
Guru
@IanSmithCSE the classic way to reduce return levels is to start charging for the returned items to deter people doing things like wearing the item once for a party and then returning the item or with suitcases going on holiday and then returning them as damaged upon arrival.
SheilaH
Guest
I don't think the point of the video is to encourage you to start a wheel company. I think it is a sardonic comment on the wheel companies that are just selling on generic unbranded equipment with a big mark up and loads of marketing guff.
Guff abounds when it comes to wheels. I just read a review of a Hunt wheelset on a major cycling website and it says it "adds aerodynamic benefit". There is no evidence of the reviewer having any expertise in aerodynamics nor having paid anyone who does to do some testing. So, it is just more guff. This isn't limited to Hunt wheels by any stretch. There are plenty of reviews of deep section wheels where the reviewers claim that "you can feel the wheels hold their speed". Again, guff. Even the most efficient wheelsets will produce benfits so small that they are imperceptible to the rider. They may be measurable by a stopwatch over 40k distance, but you wont 'feel' them.
Ian makes a good point about returns. These companies are offering a warranty, and I believe Hunt are good at honouring theirs. But I'm also minded of Planet X who used to (they may still do, but I havent used them for ages) warranty absolutely anything without quibble. It may sound like great service, but I think it is a reflection of their mark ups.
Guff abounds when it comes to wheels. I just read a review of a Hunt wheelset on a major cycling website and it says it "adds aerodynamic benefit". There is no evidence of the reviewer having any expertise in aerodynamics nor having paid anyone who does to do some testing. So, it is just more guff. This isn't limited to Hunt wheels by any stretch. There are plenty of reviews of deep section wheels where the reviewers claim that "you can feel the wheels hold their speed". Again, guff. Even the most efficient wheelsets will produce benfits so small that they are imperceptible to the rider. They may be measurable by a stopwatch over 40k distance, but you wont 'feel' them.
Ian makes a good point about returns. These companies are offering a warranty, and I believe Hunt are good at honouring theirs. But I'm also minded of Planet X who used to (they may still do, but I havent used them for ages) warranty absolutely anything without quibble. It may sound like great service, but I think it is a reflection of their mark ups.
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