two bikes not enough

[djb1971]

I've sorted my bikes out and I'm now left with only two

It's been absolutely pi**ing down here since Saturday so I can't ( won't ) ride my summer bike because it takes too long to clean it and I'm trying to keep it grit free. My winter/rain bike has just had a new BB fitted over the weekend and I decided to clean the chain ( in a bottle ) which meant splitting the powerlink ( not re-useable ). I thought I had spare 10sp links but as usual I was wrong, they were 9sp

My lbs didn't have any in stock but tried to sell me a £45 chain so I ordered a few off the internet............... which haven't turned up again today


This is where I wish I still had more bikes. I'm suffering from withdrawal symptoms

 

[barq]

A £45 chain?! Good grief! Anyway you have my sympathies because the weather has been lousy.

What's with the non-reusable PowerLinks though? I thought reusability was their raison d'être.

 

[djb1971]

The sram 10sp ones aren't re-useable which is a rip off!!

The £45 chain was a wipperman. They had the chains but didn't have any brand of the connectors

The ones I ordered from the internet still haven't arrived today, posties been already.

& it's just started raining again here !
It's got to pick up a little soon, it's nearly autumn.

 

[Mr Pig]

A £45 chain?! Good grief!

I was cycling with a guy last week who's whole bike cost that! Brand new!!

How do they make a whole bike, package it, ship it from China and make profit on it for £50 ? I can't get my head around it.

 

[hubgearfreak]

How do they make a whole bike, package it, ship it from China and make profit on it for £50 ? I can't get my head around it.

low wages

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Just take your summer bike out for a spin, djb. It's not going to dissolve, and it was designed to go outside occasionally ...

 

[djb1971]

Just take your summer bike out for a spin, djb. It's not going to dissolve

daren't

I'm trying to keep it shiny

I have just been out and managed to get 2 powerlocks from Brian Rourkes................. yyyeeessssss!!!!!!

 

[Paulus]

daren't

I'm trying to keep it shiny

I have just been out and managed to get 2 powerlocks from Brian Rourkes................. yyyeeessssss!!!!!!

What are you going to do when you are out and a long way from home, and it inevitably starts to rain?

 

[djb1971]

I'm going to take a little plastic cover or buy an aero brolly

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Ritchey_Umbrella/5360025458/


Seriously though the rain doesn't bother me or my bikes but I'm not willingly going to shag a brand new bike when I've got a dedicated bad weather one. I came in last week after riding the specialized and it was grinding through the gears because it was covered in sh*te. The frame was also full of water which I discovered when I replaced the bb. Bad weather does ruin your bike, especially when the rain is continually soaking your bearings and flicking cow sh*t and grit into your cassette ,chain brakes etc. Then there's the coming off risk in bad weather. The roads where I live are covered in mud and grunge from horses and tractors and while the bikes new I'd like to keep it that way for a while.

In a couple of months time I probably wont care

 

[wafflycat]

low wages

And shite componentry
And shite assembly

 

[Mr Pig]

low wages

I know, but still.

Say the shop make £20 profit on a bike they sell for £60. They still need to pay staff, shop running costs, transport from the docks and shipping from China.

Included in the cost of the bike is not just wages, which I know will be very low, but the tooling costs, all of the materials, factory running costs, packaging costs...

When you divide the cost of the bike by the number of parts I just can't get my head around how they can make these components, of any quality, for literally pence!