Sort of anyway. After a conversation with Cervelo I have decided to cancel my 2005 Soloist Centaur order. I opted for a 2004 Soloist frame with a carbon seat post on eBay today so I can get my freaking training jump started. I was WAY down on the backorder list and, this is MY guess, NOT Cervelo’s, probably had another month of waiting to go before it even arrived at Cervelo.
So I’ll be building up my frame now. In the end I decided I purchased the Cervelo Soloist Centaur for frame geometry, aero framing and spec, not because I needed the 2005 version in all black. Now that I guess I can upgrade the spec a little with the left over money. Or get another kitten.
I wanted to give as much business to my LBS as possible. They support our local tri group, help me with all my questions, repairs, and those guys are becoming friends.
Additionally, the money I saved buying the used frame allowed me to upgrade spec.
But Tom, damn. I posted a few times about having to wait and wait and wait and had I known I might have purchased a frame from you. Assuming not all of your Soloist bikes in shop are built out.
So you wanted Tom to solicit your business–Christ–the guy gets hung for the little bit of promotion he does do. Now you want him knocking on your door on Sundays asking if you have heard about Jesus!
James–how did your LBS benefit from your E-bay purchase?
I often see “Can’t find this or that” and google it up right away and one of the Internet retailers.
Buying a frame online via eBay still allowed my LBS to get business via the purchase of…
Computer, Saddle, Gel Tape, Wheelset, Brake Calipers, Cassette, Chain, Derailleurs, Stem, Handlebars, Shifters, Pedals, Bottom Bracket and Crankset.
It adds up, Monk. And I’m not mad at Tom nor do I expect him to read my mind as a potential customer. It was my understanding that all shops had these bikes on backorder. And buying the full bike from Tom leaves my LBS with a computer sale…maybe.
edit: I throw Tom business when I can. Just last week I received my short aero bars. Thanks, Tom. More will come, I promise.
james–I agree…its just that, gosh–that REALLY does add up, plus, I imagine, sales tax?
I’m not judging, at all, but something similar with me today–asked my LBS for a quote on Zipp 606, it was $1600 (more but I don’t remember exactly) plus 6% tax==$1700 something. I saved $300.00 on the internet–that was too much to pass up. If it had been $100, I would have gone local. I will also say, however, that I get charged straight retail there, which does gall me a bit. But I am a CRYBABY.
Sure he does. And mine is that I did the best I could to get them as much business as I could while trying to create an opportunity for me to train and compete. I love my LBS, but not so much that I miss out on the season or half of it so they can get $800 extra business.
you know how i feel about this LBS. but there is a limit. on the one hand you’ve got your LBS haters. you know how that goes. i would say you’re on the other end of that pendulum swing.
somewhere in the middle, i think that’s where you want to be.
Your LBS benefits from an E-Bay purchase in a number of ways, but it is up to them to determine how.
Crotchety old retailers who say, “UGh, ugh…LBS good…E-Bay …BAD!” are living in the dark ages. We have an E-Bay sticker on the front window of our store (no shit) and we have an extensive menu of services for sale to our customers who purchased their bikes on E-Bay.
We offer a service to assembly your new (used) bike purchased on E-bay, we have a fitting for bicycles purchased on E-Bay, and we will pack and ship your bike for you when you sell it on E-Bay- all for a price.
E-Bay is a huge cash cow, and the thermonuclear retail warhead of the early 2000’s. Any LBS that thinks they can beat them is kidding themselves.
If you can;t beat 'em, join em. You may be interested to learn some other esteemed members of the tirahtlon cycling community who are active E-Bayers: Go to the Cervelo website, click on “spare parts and accesories” (this is from the Cervelo company, corporate, offical website: http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQfrppZ50QQfsooZ1QQfsopZ1QQsassZcervelocycles) Who is one of the largest seller of complete new bikes on E-Bay? American Bicycle Group under the user name “preownedbikes”. They sell their own brands (Litespeed, Merlin, Quintana Roo and Tomac) new on E-Bay under their username. Surprised? Why? E-Bay does thousands of dollars of sales per second and uses over 10% of all of Canada’s band width.
If anyone in the puny bike industry thinks they are getting the E-Bay snake back in the box then they must believe a bunch of 19 year old Marines dressed in uniforms can beat a bunch of un-uniformed Iraqi insurgents who have been fighting for their lives their entire lives. It ain’t gonna happen.
Smart retailers will develop strategies to embrace E-Bay. Dumb retailers will fight an exhausting and fruitless war using outdated tactics and strategies against an emerging retail trend that consumers vote for to the tune of billions every year in 7,000 product categories. The consumer has spoken: They want E-Bay. Bike industry: Are you LISTENING???
Smart retailers will develop strategies to embrace E-Bay. Dumb retailers will fight an exhausting and fruitless war using outdated tactics and strategies against an emerging retail trend that consumers vote for to the tune of billions every year in 7,000 product categories. The consumer has spoken
Some of the truest words ever entered on this forum.
Buddy of mine started his own business on about a $1000 worth of cash he saved by being a smart kid. He was 24 or so at the time. Opened a paintball store, selling paintball markers, paintballs and co2 refills. Started in the smallest spot in an old schoolhouse converted to a retail mall. Spot was under 100 square feet. Spent the first six months bitchin about how ebay undercut him on everything. Spent the next six months setting up and running an ebay store, did ok but profit margins suck for that gear on ebay. During the next two years he moved 4 times to progressively larger spots ending up renting a warehouse to be able to hold indoor play. During that time his reputation as a retailer grew mostly thru ebay. He had people driving north two hours 2 hours from detroit to visit his store. He started to do less business on ebay, I talked to him just the other day he has expanded to include RC cars and such because he has this warehouse he can hold races in when it’s not being used for paintball. He sells almost nothing on ebay anymore but always has something on there just to let the population know where he is. Signs in his store read “internet pricing, real life service”. He uses ebay now to advertise and to judge what the public is willing to pay for an item.
“Smart retailers will develop strategies to embrace E-Bay.”
Aaron has done that, he embraced ebay, he used it to build a sucessful business, he used it to advertise his business, he used it to develop a good customer base with return business. And, when it no longer served a purpose, he let it go. It’s still a tool, it got him to this point, but he doesn’t have to rely on it anymore.
I’m not judging, at all, but something similar with me today–asked my LBS for a quote on Zipp 606, it was $1600 (more but I don’t remember exactly) plus 6% tax==$1700 something. I saved $300.00 on the internet–that was too much to pass up. If it had been $100, I would have gone local. I will also say, however, that I get charged straight retail there, which does gall me a bit. But I am a CRYBABY.
My bad–It was 1779 plus 6% tax = $1885. I could not say no to $485 difference.
then they must believe a bunch of 19 year old Marines dressed in uniforms can beat a bunch of un-uniformed Iraqi insurgents who have been fighting for their lives their entire lives. It ain’t gonna happen.
I cant believe that you would say something like that being a former military guy yourself, go to your local VFW post and say that or better yet, go on down to Parris Island and say that, I ll guarantee youll get your ass beat on the spot.
As a former Marine there is a special spot in my heart for Marines and all Military personel, you have to believe no matter what the odds that you will be victorious, imagine if some military slowtwitcher reads this just before he has to go on patrol in Iraq, sheeeeeeeesh.
Obviously I am a big fan of Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children too. But my point is that (this is starting to belong in the lavender room…) Iraq has become an unconventional war best fought by unconventional forces using unconventional techniques. Not uniform soldiers who are new to combat.
E-Bay is unconventional retail, the “special warfare” community of retail so to speak.
And, I spent about a year telling everyone who would listen and a lot of people who wouldn’t that our special operation capability needed to be bolstered in response to an emerging asymmetrical, unconventional threat. But apparently, it was more fun to build aircraft carriers than train more special forces operatives.
I feel for the Marines in Iraq, fighting the good fight. But when I see them eviscerated by a car or donkey cart bomb or suicide bomber I am reminded of the revolutionary war, hwere well trained British troops in elaborate uniforms and bright red regalia marched lockstep across open fields against a guerilla army that used advanced (then) tactics like hide behind a tree, wear camouflage colored clothing that blends with the environment for concealment and conduct ambushes and raids.
And incidentally, those guerillas were the forefathers of the very same units I served in in the military over 200 years later. They were Rodger’s Rangers, predecessors to the current U.S. Special Operations community and our current Ranger Battalions, SEAL Teams, Special Forces, and even the Indian mercenaries can be compared to our Blackwater operatives who serve in Iraq.
Anyway- no slight on the Marines whatsover, a fine fighting force in which I have a number of friends including Charles McCall, Corporal, USMC, EOD Team who served in Baghdad and now works for Ford Motor Company here in Dearborn. He’s a fine cyclist too.