-----Original Message----- From: d-gordon@sbcglobal.net [mailto:d-gordon@sbcglobal.net] Sent: Sunday, November 28, 2004 1:28 PM To: 'Stephen Barner' Subject: RE: [CR]Spoke threading
>>>> <Steve in VT> What's wrong with helping the poor bike shop owner
>>>> who invested in a Phil Wood spoke threading machine earn a return
>>>> on his investment? In northern Vermont, that would be Winooski Bike
>>>> Shop. I bet that most of the folks who bought these machines
>>>> haven't made their money back when you figure in cost of spokes,
>>>> time and the cost of replacement dies.
<Dave G> There is nothing wrong with it and I hope that I didn't imply that. Recall that the my main beef was with the bike shops/stores that will not even use their Phil Wood machine to cut me a single spoke when I need it. What about helping out a poor cyclist? I wonder if it irks them if I wheel up on a $3000 classic Merckx and just want to buy a spoke? "It's as if they are saying, you cheap ?#$%#, you can afford a whole set, so that's what we are going to make you buy. Sooooo.. My solution of finding a cheap spoke threader was a solution to THAT problem, not keeping a hard-working Vermont bike owner in business. I was thinking of buying a Phil Wood machine just to have the best tool around in case I need it, but I'd rather put that money into a nice MC Masi restoration instead. Hey, do you want to sell your machine?