In a message dated 4/24/04 9:18:02 AM, classicrendezvous-request@bikelist.org writes:
<< Subject: Re: [CR]Re: ...Shimano Myth or Truth??? (a view from 30 yrs ago)
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Lack of spare parts................I would say this is the fault of the
distributor or distributors!
And Shimano is at fault as well for not having these suppliers stock these
spares. Here in Holland, >>
Bryan,
As I recall John Jorgensen's appraisal of spare part availability seems right on target here and I suspect in Europe as well in the early to late late 1970's time period. I think the distributors who fielded so many parts requests had little to do with it.
Either this or every parts importer in the US had signed a blood pact not to stock service parts for Shimano. Now full components like bottom brackets and headsets are a different story. I remember French threaded units were not hard to find in Shimano once the better groups became available.
So the game went like this. Shopper: I need some parts. Bike Shop: We've got some parts. Shopper: I need a BB Axle and a Jockey Wheel for this Shameano deal here. Bike Shop: We can get you a Bottom Bracket and I have a fine upgraded derailleur for you right now.
The little stuff was sort of available with long waits and long times on hold with Shimano. Some small parts cost as much as the main unit. Things are much better today but in the early 1970's toll free telephone order lines were very expensive and rare. We often mailed in purchase orders because of the expense. No one had their inventory on computer. Stock outs in the bike boom days went on for months. There were rubber shortages, we patched tubes because we couldn't buy replacements sometimes.
Campagnolo I was told tortured importers to buy small parts with their component orders. This may be why with the exception of brake hoods so many new small parts are still on the shelf. Even today there is immense backward interchangeability with their stock for over a decade in some cases.
Shimano small parts are much more readily available today but not very backward compatible.
Yours in Cycling,
Gilbert Anderson
North Road Bicycle Company
519 W. North St.
Raleigh, NC 27603
USA
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E-mail: cyclestore@aol.com