Conference noted::bicycle

    	George is probably right: parts for Shimano stuff are darn near
    impossible to get, even for dealers!  That's the primary difference
    in them (and Suntour) vs. Campy when you get rid of all the hype.
    Paul Randazzo (who's moved his shop back into his basement) can
    tell some horror stories about trying to contact Shimano via their
    special "Dealer Only" number.  
    	Looks like you'll have to bite the bullet and buy a complete
    replacement. (ps - I've got some Campy thumb shifters that I don't
    need. Am willing to sell.) - Chris

    Not only do you have to get a whole new shifter for the sake of
    a few parts, but you will find you that you will probably have to
    purchase a *whole new pair* of shifters with housing cable and all.
    
    I *just* went through this whole excercise after picking little
    bits of the right Deore index shifter out of the trail as a result
    of a rather spectacular endo last week. With the exception of a
    tiny gash on the saddle and that one shifter being sheared in half
    the bike was unscathed.  
    
    Sounds like no big deal. After all how much can *a* shifter cost?
    
    I could not convince any shop to break up a set into right and left
    much less try for small parts. And, by the way, most shops only
    carry the top-of-the-line Deore XT as replacements, even though
    they could not tell me why I should upgrade into a functionally
    identical part that I could not fix either, if something happened.
    
    I finally found a shop that gave a couple of dollar discount for
    a set (with unuseable cables and housing) taken off of a new bike
    and therefore not packaged.  Somehow, $24 feels like a high price
    to pay for a single Shimano Deore thumb shifter. :-{
    
    What I find scariest about all this is that this "replace the bike
    for a dinged part" marketing philosophy is being used on Mountain
    Bikes which by definition is bound to be hard on parts. i.e. They
    obviously knew ahead of time that replacement parts would be required.
    
    Welcome to the modular, throw away society!
    (and thanks for letting me get that off my chest:-} )
    
    Thom   
                                               

You expect folks to carry replacements for everything?  That's billions
and billions of parts.  That carrying cost of being able to inventory
such things is huge.  What would you say if they said, "Yes we can get
you a new spring and widget for, let's see $8 for the widget and $6
for the spring, plus $3 for S&H."  Didi you ever order a small part
for a car?

Sure Campy can replace any part but wait till you see what they cost.

ed

    re .3	Me thinks Ed is teasing us.  
    
    	We do all know, don't we, that "carrying cost of inventory" is
    an accounting notion ?  
    
    	That "cost per square foot of storage for parts" is an accounting
    notion ?

    	That "costs of processing parts orders" is also just an
    accounting notion ?

	That the cost to the business of NOT supporting the product
    is ultimately the business itself ?

    	i.e. these things are just ways of dividing up the total cost
    of running the business.  It can lead to identifying areas where
    the business should be made more efficient, but it should NOT lead
    to identifying areas of the business that should be discontinued
    IF THEY ARE NECESSARY TO SUPPORT THE WHOLE BUSINESS.

    	Reg
    
    

    I guess Reg has the right idea.  We must refuse to patronize the
    dealers and manufacturors who do not supply small replacement parts
    at reasonable prices.  That'll teach 'em.
    
    Or will it?
    
    ed

    
    	re .6	Well, I don't know that I ACTIVELY BOYCOTT (sp ?)
    dealers/manufacturers that don't support their product, but it does
    seem that I tend toward places like George Gamache in Fitchburg
    and the Bicycle Exchange in Cambridge.  Maybe this is a pssive sort
    of a protest_against_one/endorsement_of_the_other, but *_I_* feel better
    knowing that I've bought a bike from someone who probably has parts
    for it.

    	Let's not get too much into our own business, but if dec didn't
    put literally millions of dollars into parts every year and hadn't
    been doing so for a long time, its doubtfull that we would be where
    we are today.  I KNOW that service and services at dec are run at
    a profit, but they're also necessary to support the sales business.
    
    	R
    

    
    	Re .5/.6
    
    	    Awright guys, enough already! It's not the 31st of December!
    
    	What possibly caused those notes to be entered with that date???
    
    							Confused ?
    							  Face.