Original Message: ----------------- From: Grant McLean Grant.McLean@SportingLife.ca Date: Fri, 05 Mar 2004 11:45:06 -0500 To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: [CR]Re: How the mighty are fallen - OT Raleigh comments
Oh Boy!! Here's a topic that gets me going. So many things to say, I don't know where to start!
Given the two brands discussed in this thread, MASI and RALEIGH, with glorious past successes, and rich histories, it really makes you scratch your head to think that they believe their current products are going to give them newfound success in today's marketplace.
Interesting. I only know cycle marketing from my most immediate personal experience. Which is 1) my local bike shop wants me to pick up my classic Raleigh or Peugeot immediately after repairs because they are tired of being pestered by folks asking all about it! and b) riding a Raleigh Competition GS from 1979 and having folks already on much newer and "better" bikes swooning over it. If I were greedy and they had a credit card, I'd be walking home from many rides! I had the same experience riding my DL-1 for 25 years.
So classic still sells at least in bike shops and bike paths at least around here. But the cycle companies big and small are clueless when it comes to cashing in on it. Interesting that the only "retro" bike Raleigh USA sell is that wretched Chinese-made take off on a '40s American balloon type coaster bike... the very machine Raleigh put paid to in the 1950s!
But again, I honestly couldn't give a toss if "Masi" or "Raleigh" survive for another week. I am much more interested in what they made 30 plus years ago than what they "brand" today or tommorrow. I bought my last new bike in a bike shop in 1978.
Peter Kohler Washington DC USA
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