Rose Bikes no longer available in UK

Rose Bikes no longer available in UK

Author
Discussion

jesusbuiltmycar

Original Poster:

4,620 posts

260 months

Wednesday 16th September 2020
quotequote all
Rose have stopped shipping bikes to the UK because they will configure the brakes EU style (left hand = front bake).

See: https://road.cc/content/news/cycling-live-blog-16-...



sjg

7,519 posts

271 months

Wednesday 16th September 2020
quotequote all
Long thread on stw.

The most plausible explanations I've seen is that they've struggled recently - used to offer all kinds of custom build options that have been disappearing. They seem to be streamlining operations so they can get bikes shifted without as much manual labour and places for mistakes to be made. Even an otherwise stock bike needing something like a brake swap is a bit of a pain really, more so on drop bar stuff.

The other thing of course is Brexit. Lead times on a lot of bikes (across other manufacturers too) is creeping into 2021, and stopping UK sales now means avoiding the mire of extra paperwork and import duties. Doubtless they'll review next year if it's worth resuming UK sales in the new environment.

sjg

7,519 posts

271 months

Wednesday 16th September 2020
quotequote all
Oh, and I wouldn't be surprised if YT, Canyon and other EU-based direct sale brands do similar. They're good value because their margins are lower. Doesn't take a lot of extra expense to make it unworkable for them.

anonymous-user

60 months

Wednesday 16th September 2020
quotequote all
They could simply build the EU bike and swap each hose over to the opposite lever, and do a quick bleed. Of course this a obviously more effort than Rose thinks it’s worth. Interesting reason...

Assuming they buy the lever, caliper, and hose as a single assembly as we do.

Edited by mstrbkr on Wednesday 16th September 13:10

P-Jay

10,743 posts

197 months

Wednesday 16th September 2020
quotequote all
mstrbkr said:
They could simply build the EU bike and swap each hose over to the opposite lever, and do a quick bleed. Of course this a obviously more effort than Rose thinks it’s worth. Interesting reason...

Assuming they buy the lever, caliper, and hose as a single assembly as we do.

Edited by mstrbkr on Wednesday 16th September 13:10
Here's the problem.

They're moving from a system of a Bike Mechanic building one bike after another to production operatives doing the same task over and over. They can't implement that if they have to have two brake set-ups, and their UK sales don't justify a 2nd production line for brakes. It's not as easy as just swapping the hoses as you end up with brake lines not looping past the the headtube, I don't know why that's an issue, but apparently it's 'wrong'.

They can't sell bikes to UK customers with the brakes 'euro style' because our regs say they can't. Even if they put a load of warning on them tell you to swap them over etc.

They can't can't sell bike in 'kit form' even if it's 99% built and just comes with brakes in the box because of SRAMs 'dumping' rules which stops retailers selling OEM bike kits are after-market kit.

Couple all that with the fact their usual build/supply time is 5 to 10 weeks, in 15 weeks we leave the EU, either via 'The Deal' the 'New Deal' or 'No Deal' - so in about a month they could be taking orders from the UK without knowing really what to charge, or even if they can sell them to us.

Edited by P-Jay on Wednesday 16th September 15:15

okgo

39,144 posts

204 months

Wednesday 16th September 2020
quotequote all
sjg said:
Oh, and I wouldn't be surprised if YT, Canyon and other EU-based direct sale brands do similar. They're good value because their margins are lower. Doesn't take a lot of extra expense to make it unworkable for them.
Doubt it.

UK is a MASSIVE market for Canyon. I've never seen another Rose, so not sure that's a huge loss.

Dammit

3,801 posts

214 months

Wednesday 16th September 2020
quotequote all
It's a lot of revenue, but if it becomes not a lot of profit then what would Canyon do?

However, with that said, all the brands are going to be in a similar situation so they'll all be putting up their prices to incorporate logistics and tariff costs, so whilst there might be some early jockeying whilst the brands determine what those extra costs are, it won't be the case that only Canyon has to put their prices up.

m_cozzy

506 posts

190 months

Thursday 17th September 2020
quotequote all
"Long thread on stw."

Haha I bet there is, Brexit Brexit Brexit everyones a racist, knuckle draggers, little Englanders the glorious eu etc etc

Can't say I've ever heard of rose bikes, maybe they make roadbikes?
Doubt yt will be making any changes when they have a new showroom in the Surry hills.

anonymous-user

60 months

Thursday 17th September 2020
quotequote all
They make mountain bikes too. Dubious quality though. I own one and several friends too.

z4RRSchris

11,470 posts

185 months

Thursday 17th September 2020
quotequote all
two mates have rose road bikes, 7.2kg, alu, 105 groupset and ok wheels for under a grand

yellowjack

17,208 posts

172 months

Thursday 17th September 2020
quotequote all
jesusbuiltmycar said:
Rose have stopped shipping bikes to the UK because they will configure the brakes EU style (left hand = front bake).

See: https://road.cc/content/news/cycling-live-blog-16-...
Sounds like excuses to me. I keep getting adverts pop up for a Salsa Cutthroat that I am eyeing up pending a lottery win. The description of the bike is clear that it ships with EU standard brake setup...

Bikester website said:
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Please note: all of our bike models come with an EU standard brake setup. This will need to be reversed to comply with UK cycling standards.
https://www.bikester.co.uk/salsa-cutthroat-apex-1-...

Court_S

13,821 posts

183 months

Thursday 17th September 2020
quotequote all
Doubt they’ll really be missed from the UK market. I’ve probably only seen one bike.

They used to be good for sourcing cheap parts though.

ian in lancs

3,810 posts

204 months

Saturday 19th September 2020
quotequote all
Never heard of them. Not much of a loss really. Pathetic excuse - all they need to do is swop hoses or cables over. Hardly rocket science.

gazza285

10,098 posts

214 months

Saturday 19th September 2020
quotequote all
ian in lancs said:
Never heard of them. Not much of a loss really. Pathetic excuse - all they need to do is swop hoses or cables over. Hardly rocket science.
Would that be the hoses and cables that are underneath the bar tape?

ian in lancs

3,810 posts

204 months

Saturday 19th September 2020
quotequote all
gazza285 said:
ian in lancs said:
Never heard of them. Not much of a loss really. Pathetic excuse - all they need to do is swop hoses or cables over. Hardly rocket science.
Would that be the hoses and cables that are underneath the bar tape?
not if it's done before the tape is applied. Anyway, to peel off tape and reapply is a 5min job. The local bike shop do it for a tenner. Why Rose can't price it in for the UK market or their assy team can't cope is surprising!

Dammit

3,801 posts

214 months

Saturday 19th September 2020
quotequote all
Might be a distribution issue, i.e. bikes go straight out from a distribution partner rather than to Rose, then to the disti, then out to the punter.

Or, they're changing from Factory>Rose>Distribution/Courier to Factory>disti>courier>punter, and therefore to change the brakes over means routing the bike disti>Rose>disti>courier>punter.

If you''re operating a high volume low margin biz, which they are, then that sort of logistics and operational overhead can wipe out or severely impact what you make on each bike.

The dumping comment is interesting.

anonymous-user

60 months

Sunday 20th September 2020
quotequote all
Looks like their bikes are flying off the shelves
Long lead times, along with most other makers
Why bother making a slightly different version for the U.k., when the EU market is big enough to max out their production

I guess they’ll only come back, if they need to shift more units in the future