Help Wanted - Carbon Braze-On Front Derailleur Clamp

relanium

Does anyone know where I might be able to buy one of these from "Carbon Braze-On Front Derailleur Clamp" in the UK.
Done a search on google but nothing in the uk.

skyd0g

One of these?: http://www.probikekit.com/display.php?code=R0008
To allow a braze-on mech to fit on a bike with no braze on fittings already in situ.

Pokerface

I think what you're after is a carbon clamp made by Parlee?

Looks like this:
http://static.zoovy.com/img/stealthcycl ... e_fd_clamp

If so, contact www.bespokecycling.com and ask them about it. It ain't cheap - I looked into it a year or so ago. It was £55 plus shipping back then.

relanium

Yep thats the one Pokerface, thanks.

Wheelspinner

Depending what size you want, the price varies hugely. Dunno why. Smells like a scam to me!!!

http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=20349&category=71

Pokerface

Wheelspinner wrote:

Depending what size you want, the price varies hugely. Dunno why. Smells like a scam to me!!!

http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=20349&category=71

It's not a scam. Parlee is a premium carbon bike maker and these clamps are a specialized item. Been written about in all the magazines.

Price may vary due to the extra amount of carbon needed to make one size vs the other - or just due to stock levels.

Wheelspinner

Pokerface wrote:

Wheelspinner wrote:

Depending what size you want, the price varies hugely. Dunno why. Smells like a scam to me!!!

http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=20349&category=71

It's not a scam. Parlee is a premium carbon bike maker and these clamps are a specialized item. Been written about in all the magazines.

Price may vary due to the extra amount of carbon needed to make one size vs the other - or just due to stock levels.

1. I was being somewhat facetious...
2. I am well aware of Parlee as a company, thanks...and
3. In pricing terms, it borders on a scam.

Stock level variance maybe, although hard to justify, but extra amount of carbon as the justification? I don't think so... These days the larger size is pretty much the standard, particularly for carbon frames, so they might reasonably be expected to sell roughly equal quantities of each size. Just a guess.

The calculated difference in the amount of carbon used to make the two sizes, assuming identical dimensions everywhere except the diameter is approximately 10 %. In terms of total cost to manufacture this clamp, the carbon and resin might be as much as 30% of the total, which means the real overall difference in total cost to make is actually about 3%.

I used to run mass manufacturing facilities, and supply chains for a lot of different companies, so product costing is something I have *some* understanding about...

The bulk of the cost will be in the labour and overheads, plus the cost of the bolt, any amortisation costs associated with the moulds to make them, then assemble, pack, and distribute them.

Then again, do Parlee themselves actually make these, or are they produced in Taiwan/China/Bulgaria and packed in a bling wrapper?

I have no issue with someone happy to pay the premium for these kind of things. Hell, I do it all the time, with a shed load of carbon bling... but don't fool yourself that these bits and pieces are hand made at huge expense by gnomes in the Enchanted Forest, and gratefully sold to you, Dear Customer, at a loss, simply so the manufacturer and the gnomes get a warm fuzzy feeling at the end of a hard days carbon-smithing!

They are looking to make as much profit as they can get away with, and charging relatively exorbitant prices for incidentals like a derailleur clamp is one way to do it.