Conference noted::bicycle

    
    
    	OK, I'll be the first to proclaim these prices as RIDICULOUS !

    Then I'll freely admit that, "whatever floats Yer boat".  If pride
    of possession, or whatever, is what you need and you get it from
    this equipment and its worth this much money to you, well:  Go FOR IT !
    
	Reg
    
    

    
       REG,
    
           How is your new bike.
    
                        John C.
    

    re .2	Mah Nu bike is FINE ! Tnx,  it made it to work this
    morning in 10 deg F weather.  AYup, thats some kinda bike !

    re .0	and now for something (almost) equaly ridiculous...
    
    Campy C record Group		$629
    Campy Super Record Group		$499
    Campy Record Group			$439
    Shimano New Dura Ace Group		$375
    Suntour Superbe			$425
    Economy Group			$225
    
    	You may not think this looks too bad, compared to .0, until
    you consider...
    
    
    
    
    	These prices are for TRACK groups
    
    
    	i.e.  No gears or brakes, only one chain ring

    	The Dura Ace set doesn't include pedals (add $79, I don't know
    how they expect anyone to get by without them, even track riders:-^))
    and a seat post will cost another $36.
    
    	The Suntour superbe set includes a set of chain rings 48-51,
    and a set of cogs 12-17, also a box wrench (probably for wheel nuts)
    3 hex wrenches and a tool bag.

    
    	The source of these prices is Trexlertown Cycle Sports, T Town
    Cycles on their logo.  They're near the Lehigh velodrome, hence
    their association with "Trackie things".  For a catalogue write
    or call
    
    Trexlertown Cycle Sports
    Route 222	Box 762
    Trexlertown, PA 18087
    (215) 398-9696
    
	Reg
    
    PS   they have $800 frames too, without braze_ons even, and whole
    bikes (18 lbs) for a mere $1300.
    

    Hi,
    
    What the @#%$@#$% is Campy doing, Committing Suicide?  I went more
    or less full Campy a few years ago, because crank durability issues,
    chainring swapping at races and the fact that you could get Campy
    rear derails fairly cheap, the price of your typical Japanese touring
    derail.  People who bought racing bikes but wanted wide range gears
    would swap their Campy's for Suntour and Shimano stuff at the shop
    and if you knew the shop owner... Anyway, the thing which surprises
    and infuriates me the most is the fact that they appear to have
    stopped building replacement parts for their 'old' lines.  Chainrings
    are the best example, anyone who can will make a full range of Campy
    compatible chainrings could make a killing.  I can't see paying
    $1000+ for bike parts.  I guess when my Campy stuff wears out I'll
    just have to go Japanese.
    
    Joe
    

    re .4	Campy compatible chainrings include (among others) Ofmega
    and Sugino.  Somewhere I've heard/read that Ofmega used to make Campy's
    rings for them, then decided to strike out on their own.  I've heard
    similar stories about a number of Campy's parts, i.e. they're
    contracted and every so often the contractor decides to go it alone
    with the "ex Campy supplier" behind them as reference.

    	I don't know about financial suicide, sometimes raising the
    price increases the demand.  Sometimes the importer/distributor
    plays these games.  I'd be interested in price quotes from our European
    noters, especially Suisse and South of France, as well as residents
    of Italy (errr, how many hundred thousand lire for a whole bike
    ?).  Just to see if its Campy or the U.S. importer.
    
    	Reg
    

    re .4  	It does look like Campy is starting to do the things
    that Shimano has done wrong for so many years.  Lots of new
    incompatibilities.  Even the famed reliability may be suspect. 
    Last year I was on a week long bike tour with several friends 
    (are you guys reading this file?) and only one person out of a group
    of about fifteen used a full-Campy bike for the ride.  Guess who had
    the only mechanical failure?  A C-Record derailleur simply fell
    apart on a descent without a crash.  That was the last thing
    I expected to see - especially for the money.

    Re. 5
    
    Reg, where have you seen Ofmegas?  Recently, that is.  I must sadly
    agree with your assesment that raising prices sometimes does increase
    demand, yes we bikers too sometimes get into the snob appeal trap.
    
    Re. 6
    
    I think they are maintaining compatibilty across these 3 groups.
    But I too have a Campy derail horror story, in '80 I was at a race
    with a new Campy Super Record front, when I tried to upshift from
    the small to the large chainring the derail bent then broke, and
    I of course crashed.  The was the last time I bought a front derail
    with a perforated cage.
    
    
    Joe

    re .7	Oh, _recently_, err, I guess its been a while.  I cleaned
    up at one of Performance Bike SHop's mail order post christmas sales,
    $59 for the chain set with any choice of rings, I got a couple of
    extras for 7.99 or 8.99.  They're OK, nothing flash, but OK.  Bike
    Exchange used to have a whole stock of Avocet cranks and rings,
    which I think are also Ofmega and Campy Compat., might be worth
    a try, they had parts from 50's Phillips a few years ago, incredible.
    I'd still like to see the "in Italy" prices, surely there's a biking
    noter there that could get them for us ?  Maybe they don't "do notes"
    much, too busy working, riding and enjoying life.

    	Reg
    
    	Personal Export only used to be worthwhile on Mercedes, BMWs
    and Volvos.  Could I save the price of my air fare by going over
    for a new BIKE ! ? 
    

    RE .7
    
    Some Ofmega components are on the Bianchi Champione Italia.