Weight Weenies

these are just a simple asian bottle cage with new ultima logos. I suggest to buy them in ebay for half the price. This is my review.

Now, the wonderful new new ultimate stem, it's a re-branded UNO stem from ebay. You can get it on ebay for 22€ shipping included and then put some titanium bolts on it. delete the logos with acetone nail remover. You can buy the new ultimate for 3 or 4 times that price.

Get over it.

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Liggero, even so, it's better that info come out, than not.
(Didn't check claim for merits)

Wow, I have to say I didn't see this coming. I didn't realize my giving away spare parts for free could be a bit polarizing. Honestly the "tactic" wasn't one of marketing, but one of trying to be nice.

I think it's safe to say that I have a rather large collection of components that I'm not currently using nor do I have plans to use. Attached is a picture of one corner of my office area with 10 bins filled with "spare" parts many of which have never been used.

Believe it or not this is not all of them, I have probably another 4 or 6 containers like this in other spots around here. I basically get at least one of everything new that comes to market. I do this with the intent of testing it to see if it's something we want to carry. However due to too many new products coming to market and a lack of time, I don't get around to using everything. I realized recently that I just have too much stuff around and needed to thin it out. I tried several different ways to find good homes for the products, but the one thing that kept bothering me was the number of people that were trying to get free stuff that had no intention of using it, some people clearly didn't even own or ride a bike. I can only guess they planned on selling anything they got. That was when I came up with the idea that anyone who wanted something would have to write a review of it. What this did was at the least show us they had an existing account at any cycling forum which meant at the very least they owned and rode bikes. The other reason we required them to write a review was that it created something they had to do that we could check on. This means that any new products became used and if they were trying to get stuff just to re-sell they at least had to make it used first, or not write the review which disqualified them from any future give-a-ways. The winners were chosen by using a random number generator and were told their reviews could be good or bad, but should just be honest. No other instructions were given. The idea was that I'd give away one or two items each week for the rest of this year and that while thinning my stuff out it would also at least provide some basis for discussion on the different products.

Seeing as how only a couple of reviews were written and the result of each was pretty similar, I guess this wasn't a great idea, and one that we won't pursue anymore.

However having said that I do still have a desire to get some of the my extra parts into the hands of those that can use and appreciate it and don't have a ton of other ideas. My only other thought is to do a pay-it-forward box, but unfortunately that would likely be U.S. restricted and we'd still need to find a way to ensure that each person sends it on to the next.

I'm open to ideas if anyone has suggestions. Otherwise it's all going to the bike swap meet or to the Juniors team.

@madcow

Don't let them get you down. Everyone's a critic.

No good deed goes unpunished...

esp. if the WWW is involved.

I hope I didn't sound like I was down or complaining. I'm really not. I also didn't think anyone was being super critical, but I just didn't foresee any complaints, some of which are legitimate. Since most of this is my own personal stuff, I just have to find a way to move it on to others that won't reflect poorly on the shop, look like a marketing campaign, or cause any other problems.

Madcow may be the most generous and straightforward guy in the bike biz.

I see a giant pile of primes in that office.

Hi,

Oh dear.....
The idea of the giveaway if you write a review had completely slipped my mind. I just couldn't see why anyone would write up a review of a 20g bottle cage on WW.
I was not expecting to see any of these reviews here anyhow.

So, my sincere apologies to Madcow and Cyclemanpat.

Ciao,

No worries. It wasn't just your post, there were a couple other products that were already given away and reviews were written on some other boards as well, and some of the replies were also critical. To be fair I have to say some of the complaints were totally legitimate. It stemmed from a failure on my part to totally think it out and see how it would appear from others perspectives, especially to those that weren't aware of why or how we were doing this. I hadn't actually expected any of the reviews to mention the shop but rather just thought they would be quick, simple thoughts on some of the different stuff.

I'm still open to ideas of how to move the stuff on. My latest thought is a pay-it-forward box. Basically I'd be willing to fill up a box with some random stuff and send it to someone. That person could take out whatever they want and put in something to replace it. My concern is that it is hard to track something like that. I know most people are honest but there are definitely those out there that are not, and it's a shame that a few bad apples can ruin it for everyone.

I have an idea!!!

1.- sell all that stuff and give the money to bicycle relief.

2.- The only interesting review would be to post the links to all those rebranded parts from sellers in ebay, so we could buy the same shit for a third of the price. We can donate the rest to bicycle relief instead of new ultimate.

what do you think jason? it's a good plan, eh?

I thought it was a great idea, Jason.
(I submitted my name for the first "give-away", but then kind-of let it go and didn't plan on participating, but still looked forward to some reviews from actual users, not marketing)

Don't worry.

The only other idea I could think of was just to do it all "in-house". For example:

-require the "winners" to post reviews of the products on FWB.com forum & Facebook ONLY (request no other formal reviews on other sites)
-have a special "civilian" product review section on FWB forum where these reviews are submitted and commented on.

This way FWB (your Facebook too, if you wanted) becomes a Resource for real-life reviews of current WW products etc.. (and over time they will become a history of actual real-life reviews of these items/manufacturers)

So you get to:
-clean up your office
-actual riders get some good stuff
-FWB forum becomes a resourse for real-life reviews of "all-things WW" & more.
-and no one can complain becasue you are doing it on "your own turff"

Win, Win, Win, and Win.

Just a thought. What do I know.

Keep up the good work, Jason.

Hi,

No other instructions were given. The idea was that I'd give away one or two items each week for the rest of this year and that while thinning my stuff out it would also at least provide some basis for discussion on the different products.

Nothing wrong with it. All it needs is for you to add the extra demand that any review comes with its proper (as in well explained where it comes from) introduction. That's all.

Ciao,

fdegrove wrote:Hi,

No other instructions were given. The idea was that I'd give away one or two items each week for the rest of this year and that while thinning my stuff out it would also at least provide some basis for discussion on the different products.

Nothing wrong with it. All it needs is for you to add the extra demand that any review comes with its proper (as in well explained where it comes from) introduction. That's all.
Ciao,

Hi fdegrove, yes I believe that you are right and your suggestion should work nicely (at least here on WW where posters are quite civilised and friendly) without any dramatic changes

way to help kill this very user friendly initiative coming from the industries mr nice guy fdegrove, this whole 'free stuff' for a review was introduced (buy MadCow )and discussed at length more than a few weeks ago so how this comment relevant?

Nothing wrong with it. All it needs is for you to add the extra demand that any review comes with its proper (as in well explained where it comes from) introduction. That's all.
Ciao,

the only thing wrong here is your shoot first ask questions later attitude too responding to things others have to say

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