[Ger]

I am not happy about the new price level of the current Shimano components. In the past I could not afford to buy Campagnolo because of the high cost. Now Shimano is more expensive. I have talked to other bicyclists and they all agree with me. I had a convesation with a Tool and Die maker who is also a cyclist and he feels that the quality of the new group does not justify the price. I will not purchase Shimano products the next time I build a bike. I will consider Campy or the new Sram parts look promising to me.
Ger

 

[Kerry Irons]

So, what's your point?

I am not happy about the new price level of the current Shimano components. In the past I could not afford to buy Campagnolo because of the high cost. Now Shimano is more expensive. I have talked to other bicyclists and they all agree with me. I had a convesation with a Tool and Die maker who is also a cyclist and he feels that the quality of the new group does not justify the price. I will not purchase Shimano products the next time I build a bike. I will consider Campy or the new Sram parts look promising to me.

Your first post here and that's all you've got? We've got this thing called a free market, so you can buy whatever you want. You can boycott Exxon-Mobile too, if you think that'll help.

 

[Jesse D Smith]

I am not happy about the new price level of the current Shimano components. In the past I could not afford to buy Campagnolo because of the high cost. Now Shimano is more expensive. I have talked to other bicyclists and they all agree with me. I had a convesation with a Tool and Die maker who is also a cyclist and he feels that the quality of the new group does not justify the price. I will not purchase Shimano products the next time I build a bike. I will consider Campy or the new Sram parts look promising to me.
Ger

It will be interesting to see Shimano's prices level off with SRAM enterring the game. But as far as I can see, there's plenty of consumers out there willing to pay any price to get the latest and greatest. We've given Shimano no reason to lower their price, and they ain't gonna do it out of the goodness of their heart. Your best bet is to simply buy lower end groups, and see if you can still enjoy cycling.

 

[Cory]

Lots of label buyers out there; no reason to lower prices

I'm inclined to agree with you, but if you hang around cyclists for awhile, you'll run into lots of people who tend to measure their bikes and themselves by how much they cost and what labels they wear. As long as Shimano can sell a part for $100, there's no reason to lower the price to $80.
Personally, I'm sticking with my 8-speed stuff, and I think I have enough of it to take me to the grave.

 

[grayfox2014]

If your concerned about prices then you might have a hard time. The new sram group is going at a stiff $1800 for the high end group set and $1200 the next level. I dont know if I would pay 600 more for a couple of carbon pieces.

Right now shimano has the best value on components. I just upgraded my bike to Ultegra 10 speed brake, derailers, shifters, crankset and the rest for under $750, I was using ebay for this but there are some places out there go get the stuff at a good deal.

try......
http://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?page=1
or
http://www.probikekit.com/

 

[mh3]

Blame Shimano USA

It's really a shame, sometimes I think Shimano USA as well as many of the other U.S distributers think we're all made out of money. You can generally find the same products overseas for substantial discounts, and it's not because our retailers are gouging the public. The distributers have put the local shops and even U.S. e-tailers at a huge competitive disadvantage.

I'll continue to support my local shops as long as I can, but my spendable income seems to be shrinking along with the rising costs of gas and consumer goods. I can't afford to pay double the price for the same item. (ie: conti and michelin tyres).

 

[Henry Chinaski]

try eBay

 

[Deoxy]

Prices I see here shock me a little bit.. At my LBS I pay € 500 for a Shimano Ultegra 10sp group excl hubs.. (that will be less than $600) at a very expensive (very good service) LBS in my area the same group is about €650 and that's EXPENSIVE...
Given these are completely new and grayfox payed €750 for a group from ebay... I start wondering...

 

[g-Bike]

I personally think we are still getting a superior product for the price. As stated everyone has the right to boycott or not support a certain brand for what ever reason. When it comes down to it, life is about enjoying what we have earned and feeling resolution at the end of the day. If shimano's prices are too high for you then don't buy it, but remember how many hours of enjoyment and time was spent wearing out that part that you are not considering replacing........ sometimes the price we pay for the trade off of time spent if worth every penny, don't' you think?

 

[terry b]

Best reason to go Record.

 

[Dinosaur]

STI's are the only really expensive item..

I just had my Campy Record Ergo's rebuilt for $30.00 per lever. My old bike has Ultegra STI's and they can't be rebuilt. A new set cost around $300 (9 speed). I think that is the main disadvantage...

 

[Henry Chinaski]

I'm thinking my next bike will have

SRAM brifters, ders, cassette and chain
Ritchey cranks
Zero gravity brakes
CK hubs and hs
Thomson stem and post

(mostly silver parts if possible)

 

[rogger]

Prices I see here shock me a little bit.. At my LBS I pay € 500 for a Shimano Ultegra 10sp group excl hubs.. (that will be less than $600) at a very expensive (very good service) LBS in my area the same group is about €650 and that's EXPENSIVE...
Given these are completely new and grayfox payed €750 for a group from ebay... I start wondering...

Yeah, Dura-Ace Easter special €749,-, Record €849,-

 

[CycleRaff]

Shimano has gone overboard in recent years. I remember not too long ago, you could get Dura Ace 9-speed shifters brand new out of the catalogs for around $200 and Ultegra 9-speed for under $175. Then, when the 10-speed stuff came out, instead of the 9-speed prices dropping, they got jacked to just a little less than the equivalent 10-speed stuff. Makes me wish I had switched to Campy at the time, but now I'm too invested with two shimano-equipped bikes and several wheelsets, etc.

Look at this link:

http://web.archive.org/web/20021205...&subcategory=1194&storetype=&estoreid=&init=y

Now this:

http://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?page=7&major=1&minor=20

 

[brblue]

I modified a pair of old MTB thumbshifters to shift 9 speed indexed, so I got away with the shifting almost for free and functional too. I'd still like a pair of STI though (dunno why)
Guess it's the old "got to have a pair" itch, because i'm convinced my performance will not be any better, with them on. Well maybe they have better ergonomics than my old 600 brake levers...

 

[BlueMasi1]

It's all overpriced

From my perspective it's all over priced -- not just Shimano or Campy. $200.00 shorts, $4000.00 frames, $75.00 tires. At one time I think the sport was exclusive (in the states) simply because few people knew about it. No it's exclusive because few can afford it.

 

[elviento]

Dura Ace 10 speed groups aren't that expensive, since you could get them for around $1K on ebay all the time (ok, probably went up to $1,100 right now due to the weather warming up).

I remember the DA8 group used to be like $900 ten years ago. So $1000 or even $1100 for a much improved group is not very bad at all. Compared to $7K frames, this is nothing.

Consumers will always b**ch about prices (me included), but to be fair, I think DA's price is really no different from a decade ago considering inflation, etc.

 

[alienator]

From my perspective it's all over priced -- not just Shimano or Campy. $200.00 shorts, $4000.00 frames, $75.00 tires. At one time I think the sport was exclusive (in the states) simply because few people knew about it. No it's exclusive because few can afford it.

BS! Pure BS! The expense of bicycling is no worse than any other specialized sport: golf, climbing, scuba diving, whatever. There is a premium attached, to some degree, to items associated with the top end in those sports. Your examples are complete horseshite, since they either presume or are intended to make people think that the only quality bits are $200 shorts, $4000 frames, $75 tires. You're completely daft if you think that's the case, and you certainly aren't cycling aware to any substantive degree.

FYI, my frame is exclusive, hand built out of an exotic metal, and it didn't cost the $4000 you whine about. About half.

You also fail to recognize that some of the expensive stuff is stuff that outperforms its cheaper competitors. It does happen you know.

At any rate, if you're unhappy about the unholy price of cycling, then by all means, only by your bike kit at Walmart.

 

[Jesse D Smith]

From my perspective it's all over priced -- not just Shimano or Campy. $200.00 shorts, $4000.00 frames, $75.00 tires. At one time I think the sport was exclusive (in the states) simply because few people knew about it. No it's exclusive because few can afford it.

I remember when Lamson custom shoes were far and above the most outrageously expensive shoes you could buy at $400. Now look at WCP catalog and you'll see all sorts of mass production shoes for that price. Helmets are another example. But you don't need to be rich to enjoy cycling. As others have said, there's plenty of cheaper and fully functional options.
I'd counter people's argument that the newer stuff is a great value because of better performance and durability. I'd bet most people who buy brand new Record or Dura-Ace won't keep it long enough to judge it's durability. They'll just spend another couple grand next year when the exclusivity of their latest and greatest has lost it's attraction (about a year or immediately after Interbike reports come out)

 

[alienator]

I'd counter people's argument that the newer stuff is a great value because of better performance and durability. I'd bet most people who buy brand new Record or Dura-Ace won't keep it long enough to judge it's durability. They'll just spend another couple grand next year when the exclusivity of their latest and greatest has lost it's attraction (about a year or immediately after Interbike reports come out)

Maybe. Maybe not. Value is a personal judgement, so with that in mind, whether something is a good value or not depends on the person spending money to buy the thing. More expensive can mean better quality, but hopefully everyone knows that is definitely not always the case.

Whatever the case, prices just didn't magically end up where they are. It's a simple matter of economics: supply vs. demand. Watch and see where the curve cross, and right about their you'll find the equilibrium price.