Advice on Carbon Race Wheels

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MNX1024
Posts: 299
Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2011 1:21 am

by MNX1024

November does not tubular. Did not think that is a requirement since the OP did not ask for tubular.

coachboyd
in the industry
Posts: 56
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2009 12:31 pm

by coachboyd

I responded to this on Bike Forums as well, but figured I would clear up a few things here.
Our wheels use our own designs for both the rims and hubs, we do have them made in Taiwan for us.

The biggest advantage to us going with our own molds and tooling was that quality was consistent (not just high, but consistent). We have contracts in place for materials, resins, weights, and the bill of materials for the hubs. The problem with open mold is that you are not in control of the products you get, one batch could be awesome and then the next batch could be much lower in quality. This means for a customer that if they ever had to get a rim replaced, the replacement could be of much lower quality.

It also means for a company the only way to be competitive is based on price. If you are selling a wheelset for 1400 dollars with a certain open mold rim on it, and all of a sudden company x starts selling the same rim for 900 you then have to lower your price to stay competitive. The rim supplier is then under pressure to lower their prices and the quality of the rims. There becomes a race to see who can produce the least expensive and lowest quality rims, and we're not interested in that race to the bottom.

With us, the only place where you can find our rims is on our wheels (and through the custom builders who are building with them). This is the same with our hubs as well.
Thanks and please feel free to ask any questions.
http://www.boydcycling.com The Handcrafted Revolution

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spookyload
Posts: 1048
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2005 6:47 am
Location: Albuquerque, NM

by spookyload

coachboyd wrote:With us, the only place where you can find our rims is on our wheels (and through the custom builders who are building with them). This is the same with our hubs as well.
Thanks and please feel free to ask any questions.


That is what Pinarello and Colnago thought too. Plenty of $500 Chinago's and Chinarello's for sale on ebay however. Cinelli got stung on their carbon bars and seat posts as well. If it will make them money, they don't care who they sell your molds too.

coachboyd
in the industry
Posts: 56
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2009 12:31 pm

by coachboyd

It's easy to copy shapes. It's not so easy to copy the materials and labor that go into making the products.

I can buy a cupcake tray and I'd make cupcakes in the exact same shape that Martha Stewart would make. . .but they would taste very very different.
http://www.boydcycling.com The Handcrafted Revolution

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otoman
Posts: 553
Joined: Wed Sep 17, 2008 6:25 pm
Location: Nashville

by otoman

coachboyd, if you came up with that analogy on your own, you're the MAN! Hilarious and well said....

BTW, have a set of the 90mm tubs, rock solid build from 3 (I think) years ago. Thanks!
Age and treachery shall overcome youth and skill

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