Never heard of rainy season?

Bicycle shop owners are complaining that they’re facing closure as the popularity of cycling has fallen dramatically. Some retailers say their business is down more than 50 percent since August last year and that they’re just holding on by the skin of their teeth.

After Typhoon Morakot last year, sales just suddenly dropped. They fell by 50 to 60 percent. Right now, even the number of people coming in has fallen. Everything has fallen: repairs, spare parts and bike purchases, says this cycling shop owner.

See http://englishnews.ftv.com.tw/read.aspx?sno=3717DDAE75D5551F550E99481CD9FD62

But we have bicycle paths everywhere in Hsinchu now… not too many sidewalks but bicycle paths.

And cold too. I’m looking forward to Spring.

Today was splendid bicycle weather (not my piece of cake but still). I went for a (motorcycle) ride in the hills around Bali. Not too cold, not too hot, just perfect. And I saw many people on bikes as well today.

I always wonder when I see them paddling around: “Wow, they must have one of those rare days of! How lucky they are.”

Later in the year I can only feel pity for them when I still see them during those freaking hot days. It seems way healthier to just go to work than to go out on your bike. :ponder:

Rainy season? I actually thought that we were pretty lucky! I remember we had great weather until mid December. OK, just now 10 days of rain but still, you won’t hear me complain (yet).

[quote]Rainy season? I actually thought that we were pretty lucky! I remember we had great weather until mid December. OK, just now 10 days of rain but still, you won’t hear me complain (yet).

[/quote]

Short memories. The fall was one of the longest periods of continuous rainy days on record. It rained almost every day of September and October. There was a brief respite in November and continued rain until almost the end of December. January wasn’t too bad it had about 50% rainy days. Taipei has about 180 rainy days a year i.e., every second day. That’s what popped the balloon of the biking bug.

Mm…must have been “positive thinking” from my side lol.

Don’t give me too many of those factual details, I live in Taipei too!
I keep telling myself the weather isn’t that bad here… :smiley:
And I keep repeating that to myself haha. Repeat repeat repeat.

cycling took off huge in the last few years, the bicycle shops probably thought the high volume sales would last forever, but most people don’t buy new bikes every year and those who buy a lot of bikes do so off EBay etc…

Did they ever think that maybe it was the shops’ fault? It costs me $1000 to get the innertubes replaced on my bike at the local bike shop. It would cost me $300 if I got them at the Thai grocery store and did it myself. After that I was totally turned off of biking. They also won’t fix anything at my local bike shop. They will simply point you to a new bike. I only need the gear shifter fixed for the large sprocket. I will probably spend an afternoon and $300 getting that done too. I went to 2 different bike shops, same answer.

I say fuck the shop owners who give shitty service and won’t fix shit looking to make fat margins on bike sales to people who just want their bike fixed. The best thing that could happen to bicycling is letting people know that all that expensive to fix shit can be bought at the Thai grocery stores for a thrid of the price.

It does sometime seem the rainy season in North TAiwan is practically all year !
While Southern Taiwan is always in need of rain.

“Bicycle shop owners could face a similar fate as custard tart retailers a few years back who had to close up shop to put a stop to their losses.”

They are to blame. They keep treating business like a fad instead of going for the long haul. Make a fast buck in sales and screw people on service. That doesn’t work long term? No kidding. :unamused:

[quote=“Okami”]Did they ever think that maybe it was the shops’ fault? It costs me $1000 to get the innertubes replaced on my bike at the local bike shop. It would cost me $300 if I got them at the Thai grocery store and did it myself. After that I was totally turned off of biking. They also won’t fix anything at my local bike shop. They will simply point you to a new bike. I only need the gear shifter fixed for the large sprocket. I will probably spend an afternoon and $300 getting that done too. I went to 2 different bike shops, same answer.

I say fuck the shop owners who give shitty service and won’t fix shit looking to make fat margins on bike sales to people who just want their bike fixed. The best thing that could happen to bicycling is letting people know that all that expensive to fix shit can be bought at the Thai grocery stores for a thrid of the price.[/quote]

There are a couple of good bike stores in Changhua that have been in business for years. They were always happy to fix stuff for me. One’s opposite Nan Guo school on JieShou N Rd, one is on XuGuang Rd near Gongyuan Rd Sec. Also the bike Giant store near Carrefour is good through the week when it’s not crowded.

[quote=“Okami”]Did they ever think that maybe it was the shops’ fault? It costs me $1000 to get the innertubes replaced on my bike at the local bike shop. It would cost me $300 if I got them at the Thai grocery store and did it myself. After that I was totally turned off of biking. They also won’t fix anything at my local bike shop. They will simply point you to a new bike. I only need the gear shifter fixed for the large sprocket. I will probably spend an afternoon and $300 getting that done too. I went to 2 different bike shops, same answer.

I say fuck the shop owners who give shitty service and won’t fix shit looking to make fat margins on bike sales to people who just want their bike fixed. The best thing that could happen to bicycling is letting people know that all that expensive to fix shit can be bought at the Thai grocery stores for a thrid of the price.[/quote]
And here I thought you liked unfettered capitalism…

:laughing: @chris :laughing:

I have totally different experiences, maybe its the bike?

The bike shops I know and use are all very friendly, they know I wont buy a new bike, but if they fix my bike without charge I add them to my brain list of where to buy my next addition - maybe new headlight, or bike bag, or helmet for the wife… I popped into 2 the other day because a nut fell off my bike and they gave it over for free

of course if you go in with a rust heap and broken bottom bracket and want it fixed and he tells you that you need a new bike, then thats a different matter. Also, if its obvious you aint gonna spend any money there, why would they help for free?

[quote=“Formosa Fitness”]“Bicycle shop owners could face a similar fate as custard tart retailers a few years back who had to close up shop to put a stop to their losses.”

They are to blame. They keep treating business like a fad instead of going for the long haul. Make a fast buck in sales and screw people on service. That doesn’t work long term? No kidding. :unamused:[/quote]

I disagree with the service comment, but agree with the fad - the ones who do provide good service will survive if they are required

[quote=“itakitez”]:lol: @chris :laughing:

I have totally different experiences, maybe its the bike?

The bike shops I know and use are all very friendly, they know I wont buy a new bike, but if they fix my bike without charge I add them to my brain list of where to buy my next addition - maybe new headlight, or bike bag, or helmet for the wife… I popped into 2 the other day because a nut fell off my bike and they gave it over for free

of course if you go in with a rust heap and broken bottom bracket and want it fixed and he tells you that you need a new bike, then thats a different matter. Also, if its obvious you aint gonna spend any money there, why would they help for free?[/quote]

Got a recommended store up your way? I need a new chain and couple of other minor things done.

This thread probably belongs in the cycling forum, but yes, I agree with Okami. However, there are shops around that will tangle with your bike whatever the model, age, etc.

The shops that cater only to new customers should and probably will go out of business.
I have told the owners of a couple of shops I used to frequent that they won’t get my business or recommendations anymore because of their lousy service/attitudes.

I’ve watched the service go from quite good–before cycling got popular–to downright horrible in a couple of shops I used to frequent. Now that sales are slowing down, I’m sure that their attitudes will start to change–too bad, though, I won’t return.

I take my bike to a local guy, when I’m not in Taipei, who is not the best mechanic in the world, but who will try to do whatever I ask as well as order the parts/accessories I need. His business will probably not suffer.

[quote=“Okami”]Did they ever think that maybe it was the shops’ fault? It costs me $1000 to get the innertubes replaced on my bike at the local bike shop. It would cost me $300 if I got them at the Thai grocery store and did it myself. After that I was totally turned off of biking. They also won’t fix anything at my local bike shop. They will simply point you to a new bike. I only need the gear shifter fixed for the large sprocket. I will probably spend an afternoon and $300 getting that done too. I went to 2 different bike shops, same answer.

I say fuck the shop owners who give shitty service and won’t fix shit looking to make fat margins on bike sales to people who just want their bike fixed. The best thing that could happen to bicycling is letting people know that all that expensive to fix shit can be bought at the Thai grocery stores for a thrid of the price.[/quote]
You were probably wearing the wrong colour of spandex. Hold on – you WERE wearing brightly coloured spandex of course, weren’t you? And those flash wraparound reflector shades and clunky shoes? And the requisite snooty expression on your face?
If not, there’s your problem right there.

Actually I was hoping to approach it more from the business point of view.
There are many other, similar examples which seem to be somewhat typical Chinese/Taiwanese.
If one shop runs well suddenly you will have hundreds of clones around it and they all cut each others profit or drive prices down.

Few days ago I finally bought a Android phone (I didn’t go for the Nexus One after all but bought a HTC Tattoo and I’m quite happy with it). What I did was this:

  1. Written on a paper (in Chinese): Do you have HTC Tattoo?
  2. Written on a second paper (in Chinese): How much if cash?
  3. Walk around Nova, showing the paper and end up very quickly with prices of 11900, 10500, 9800, 9600, two stores with 9100 for it. Sometimes they just said “No”, sometimes when searching for it to show it to me I just showed them the “How much if cash” paper.
  4. I ended up buying it at the store that accepted to sell it for 9000 instead of 9100.

What I wonder is how the shops (such as cycling shops or many stores in Nova that practically sell the same products) get such sudden high competition could manage to survive anyways as marketing seems to be non existent here and is limited to make “discounts”.
What is worse in the cycling case nobody seemed to have thought about the seasonal impacts (not even city governments that put the bike paths everywhere).

People don’t cycle as much in the rain…duh. You will see everybody out on their bikes in Spring, still very popular islandwide.
Obviously people don’t need to buy a new bike every year…simple really.

Actually I was hoping to approach it more from the business point of view.
There are many other, similar examples which seem to be somewhat typical Chinese/Taiwanese.
If one shop runs well suddenly you will have hundreds of clones around it and they all cut each others profit or drive prices down.

[/quote]

but your criticism is their strength, because you got your discount, now if I want an Tatoo I will go there and do the same - their strength is in their numbers, even with food the same behaviour is seen so if you’re in a neiromian area but want xiaolongbao you gotta hunt.

Thats just the way the consumers work here - I remember the same in indonesia, there was a pirate dvd mall with literally 100 stalls all selling 10,000s of fake dvds - its the ideal free market because each operator reduces their price to a bare mimimum to compete and the consumer gets the cheapest price

However, in these cost-oriented markets, the service suffers, unless you pay

@ cfimages, the bike shop in danshui I use is the “Big Green” opposite the roti shop just next to the road down ramp of the MRT - not had a problem yet. The giant shop up the road a bit arent good mechanics, they couldnt adjust my derraliers properly and didnt pick up my bottom bracket needed clearing (maybe because this is a pain in the ass on the giants)

Actually the same phenomenon has been discussed on here before i.e. grouping of stores from same industry.
This was the common way to do business even in Western countries (big cities) until mid-way into the 20th century.
It just hasn’t changed here yet.

Taiwanese always do that, jump on the bandwagon. Maybe it’s because of high population and their strong influence from fads, it makes sense for the first, second or even third entrant in the area, of course it always catches out a bunch of people in the end.