Smart Money: Want to save $50-200 on your new bike?

Aug 31, 05 16:51

Post #1 of 18 (2549 views)

Yesterday I had an appointment in Ann Arbor. I bought gas at about 3:30 PM. It was $2.79 a gallon.

This morning I rode by the same station at 8:15 AM approximately on our morning ride: $3.35 a gallon.

People- that is a .56 cent increase overnight. It is a 27% increase in fuel cost in under 18 hours.

I did some thinking and phoned three bike vendors. Six weeks ago it cost us about $26 to get a bike from California to Dearborn, Michigan via UPS ground with tracking.

Today it costs about $35 for the same service, a gross increase of 26%. Now, it stands to reason- if retail, regional gasoline prices shot up 27% in one night, will there be a commensurate price increase riple through freight costs?

When I asked the bike companies they told me a number of stories- none good.

One inside sales rep predicted a non-allowed freight cost of well over $60 per bike. At retail they will net out to well over $100- maybe more.

Buy a bike at your LBS or favorite bike store in September before the Interbike trade show. You will save hundreds. I guarantee it.

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Re: Smart Money: Want to save $50-200 on your new bike? [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]

Aug 31, 05 17:03

Post #2 of 18 (2343 views)

damn man, now you sound like a car salesman!

;)

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Re: Smart Money: Want to save $50-200 on your new bike? [frogonawire] [ In reply to ]

Aug 31, 05 17:14

Post #3 of 18 (2304 views)

I'm a bike salesman...

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Post deleted by Administrator [ In reply to ]

Martin C

Aug 31, 05 17:29

Post #4 of 18 (2242 views)

Re: Smart Money: Want to save $50-200 on your new bike? [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]

Aug 31, 05 17:31

Post #5 of 18 (2226 views)

Funny thing: Tom says [something like] this EVERY YEAR. And then in the Spring, people bitch about the price of bikes - EVERY YEAR.

Amazing...

<If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough>
Get Fitter!
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Re: Smart Money: Want to save $50-200 on your new bike? [LarryCalifornia] [ In reply to ]

Aug 31, 05 17:33

Post #6 of 18 (2217 views)

haha. unloading 2005's ? heh Just kiddin Mr. Tom. You'll have to fit me oneday!

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Re: Smart Money: Want to save $50-200 on your new bike? [LarryCalifornia] [ In reply to ]

Aug 31, 05 17:38

Post #7 of 18 (2201 views)

That would have been a better headline.

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Re: Smart Money: Want to save $50-200 on your new bike? [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]

Aug 31, 05 19:13

Post #8 of 18 (2035 views)

Pulled a u turn gas $.97 on one side of the street $1.23 on the other (that is for a litre.) they are both $1.24/ litre now.......sorry
last week end LBS had an end of summer sale I picked up my first new bike 2005 Dual (9speed) Good price great service. I remember thinking I would wait again for the spring.......... last year price jumped more than I was willing to pay glad I did not wait this time.

I do have a question about the Ritchey DS pro's are they comparible to the old cxp22's for durability?
Rick
only 100k's so far but what a sweet ride:) :) :)

Re: Smart Money: Want to save $50-200 on your new bike? [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]

Aug 31, 05 19:51

Post #9 of 18 (1946 views)

Tom
A 27% price increase would be $3.54/gal. The $3.35 price was only a 20% increase.
By the way, gas is twice the price in the UK, but bikes seem cheaper! And don't get me started on the price of haircuts!
Congrats on the engagement thing.
D

Re: Smart Money: Want to save $50-200 on your new bike? [BigBloke] [ In reply to ]

Aug 31, 05 19:55

Post #10 of 18 (1936 views)

Oops. Thank you for correcting that.

Thanks for your kind wishes also.

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Re: Smart Money: Want to save $50-200 on your new bike? [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]

Aug 31, 05 20:14

Post #11 of 18 (1900 views)

What am I missing here? If the freight cost of a bike is now $60 and it goes up the ~25%, that's around $68, not $100. Even with the $100 figure, that represents a net gain in the cost of the bike of.... $40.

Seems I will save $40 by buying now. Or somewhere thereabout. Not anywhere in the neighborhood of "hundreds".

I'm probably missing something here because I don't know what a 'non-allowed' freight cost and haven't ever dealt with shipping, but it seems to me that you're saying that you mark up the cost of shipping by whatever percentage you mark up the bike, which seems like a raw deal to the customer.

Re: Smart Money: Want to save $50-200 on your new bike? [one_lap] [ In reply to ]

Aug 31, 05 21:47

Post #12 of 18 (1793 views)

$60 and it goes up the ~25%, that's around $68

60 *1.25 = $75

but still, your "Not anywhere in the neighborhood of "hundreds" comment is still valid.

Re: Smart Money: Want to save $50-200 on your new bike? [one_lap] [ In reply to ]

Aug 31, 05 22:13

Post #13 of 18 (1761 views)

benchmark prices on any $1899 MSRP early intro '06 bike now.

repeat January 31, 06.

compare.

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Re: Smart Money: Want to save $50-200 on your new bike? [ChiTownJack] [ In reply to ]

Aug 31, 05 22:28

Post #14 of 18 (1742 views)

Here is a specific example:

The 2005 Felt S22 sold for, at a high in our store, $2399.99.

The 2005 Felt S22 sold for, at a low in our store, $1749.99.

That is a difference of $650.00 at the real selling price. Units were sold, vigorously in fact, at both ends of that price spectrum. Additionally- as another post in this thread points out- we repeatedly tell people this. If you buy a bike in September before Interbike, you will save substantial monies.

The increase in fuel costs only adds to the occasionally significant seasonal swings in price.

As predictable as are the swings in price are the responses to the information: "You are just trying to sell something..." (which is absolutely true). "That is impossible...." Blah, blah blah....

It's odd. People ask me when the best time of the year to buy a bike is. I tell them. They ignore it and consistently dismiss it as salesmanship.

Curious. Year after year.

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Re: Smart Money: Want to save $50-200 on your new bike? [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]

Aug 31, 05 23:08

Post #15 of 18 (1704 views)

The 2005 Felt S22 sold for, at a high in our store, $2399.99. The 2005 Felt S22 sold for, at a low in our store, $1749.99A

And the current price of an S22 on your website is $1749.99... so what your really saying is that it's cheaper to buy your bike at the end of the season (in September).... it's true, but I'm not sure that has much to do with the price of oil/freight.

Re: Smart Money: Want to save $50-200 on your new bike? [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]

Sep 1, 05 3:59

Post #16 of 18 (1579 views)

easy there! IF I was in the market for a new bike AND I had the money right now, I appreciate the advice. I was just kidding. OTH, you do have a wedding to pay for now?

lol

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Re: Smart Money: Want to save $50-200 on your new bike? [ChiTownJack] [ In reply to ]

Sep 1, 05 4:36

Post #17 of 18 (1547 views)

It doesn't take much imagination to suppose that oil and gas prices will exert upward pressure on bike prices (and everything else that has to move from point "A" to point "B").

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Re: Smart Money: Want to save $50-200 on your new bike? [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]

Sep 1, 05 5:36

Post #18 of 18 (1468 views)

Thanks Tom D - I just bought the F3C from you last evening - OK, not quite September, but close. And this is an '06 model, and at a very good price. I can only expect that in spring '06 this bike will cost more. This is not just an end of model year issue and trying clear out the '05 inventory to make way for the '06 frames. Tom could have sold me any '05 frame if he wanted to, but I believe he worked to put me on the bike that would fit me the best. You all are way too cynical. And I'm a happy girl getting a great bike to ride @ Florida 1/2 IM!!! ....and maybe commuting to work if gas prices keep going up. I'll be like a bag lady with all my belongings stacked up behind me. (oh yeah, and a couple of kids hanging on ;-)

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