Planet X Pricing - SMOKE AND MIRRORS

bendertherobot

MikeBrew wrote:

The only slight problem with that, otherwise, possibly very useful tool is that it'll only ever compare PX with PX, as only they're the only one's that sell PX branded items. So I'm not sure where PX undercutting other retailers comes into play in that. Unless you count ESCGolf on ebay, who seem to have a large amount of new(and used) PX Frames, wheels etc for sell @any one time at prices lower than the actual website.. How that works is anyone's guess.... Whoever runs ESCGolf, it's pretty clear where they're buying from. Slightly odd though. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Planet-X-Vine ... 1986114055?

Frameset in the link above appears to be Pro Carbon painted up as a Viner "Gladium" , whatever that is. I do like the colour scheme though, with the Union Jack on the fork leg. A Union Jack on something made in China feels a little awkward though, when I think about. Best not to , maybe.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-Planet-X- ... SwLs5XLMSj

It's a Viner Gladium and yes, it's a Pro Carbon. They badged a load of them as Viners a while back.

bigmat

The "Viner" Gladium was a low point for Planet X. Gladium? I have a Viner Gladius (from back when Viner was actually Viner, albeit made in Taiwan). The Gladium is clearly a Pro Carbon with a paintjob. Union Jack more than a bit weird for a Chinese frame marketed as Italian!

ugo.santalucia

BigMat wrote:

The "Viner" Gladium was a low point for Planet X. Gladium? I have a Viner Gladius (from back when Viner was actually Viner, albeit made in Taiwan). The Gladium is clearly a Pro Carbon with a paintjob. Union Jack more than a bit weird for a Chinese frame marketed as Italian!

I guess the difference is that at Viner they knew a bit of Latin, while in South Yorkshire they don't...

daniel_b

BigMat wrote:

The "Viner" Gladium was a low point for Planet X. Gladium? I have a Viner Gladius (from back when Viner was actually Viner, albeit made in Taiwan). The Gladium is clearly a Pro Carbon with a paintjob. Union Jack more than a bit weird for a Chinese frame marketed as Italian!

LOL, that is about as confused, as confused can ever get to I think :?

rolf_f

BigMat wrote:

Union Jack more than a bit weird for a Chinese frame marketed as Italian!

My Ribble Gran Fondo is a Taiwanese frame, marketed as British labelled as "Crafted in Italy". I think a combination of the two might lead to something that makes sense!

bigmat

Actually, if memory serves me, the Union Jack makes sense because the Gladium is in the livery of the Viners that were used as team bikes - for a Danish team!

wasp707

We're now onto the PlanetX final closeout sale with savings of up to 87%. Surely there must be plenty of genuine bargains.

daniel_b

Here's a weird thing.

I'm sure they used to do a pretty good range of carbon handlebars, Planet X branded, and at least one other make, though the name escapes me now.

I bought a white carbon PX flat top bar for my gf's Scott, and it's excellent quality, especially for the £45 I paid.

But they don't seem to have any carbon bars for sale anymore, must have changed their focus I guess, just seems a strange hole to have in your range, especially when selling frames is a decent chunk of the website.

ugo.santalucia

Daniel B wrote:

Here's a weird thing.

I'm sure they used to do a pretty good range of carbon handlebars, Planet X branded, and at least one other make, though the name escapes me now.

I bought a white carbon PX flat top bar for my gf's Scott, and it's excellent quality, especially for the £45 I paid.

But they don't seem to have any carbon bars for sale anymore, must have changed their focus I guess, just seems a strange hole to have in your range, especially when selling frames is a decent chunk of the website.

AFAIK Planet X have always put safety fisrt, which is why they never sold carbon clinchers when everybody else did, that was Dave's own admission on this forum, you can probably find the thread if you search carefully. It might well be they are not convinced the carbon bars they can supply at that price are safe any longer... change of supplier or something...

MikeBrew

Daniel B wrote:

Here's a weird thing.

I'm sure they used to do a pretty good range of carbon handlebars, Planet X branded, and at least one other make, though the name escapes me now.

I bought a white carbon PX flat top bar for my gf's Scott, and it's excellent quality, especially for the £45 I paid.

But they don't seem to have any carbon bars for sale anymore, must have changed their focus I guess, just seems a strange hole to have in your range, especially when selling frames is a decent chunk of the website.

I can remember when they had some Selcof ones and some quite nice Ness integrated stem ones. I'd just put the fact that they don't carry any at the moment down to the randomness off their components inventory. Essentially, they appear to simply buy up job lots of stock when it's going cheap. Remember all those SAB frames that they had a while back ?


These carbon clinchers are other examples of the stuff that appears to get bought in piecemeal ...

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/WPPX35CLI/ ... d-wheelset
http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/WPVIME40/v ... d-wheelset

bigmat

They seem to be moving away from the bulk buying of random old stock model, I think that is part of the reason for the "warehouse clearance". I have a pair of the Ness bars (not integrated stem just flat top carbon with routed cables) - very happy with them, I hope there aren't any safety issues!

daniel_b

Ness, that was it! I desperately wanted a set, but they never had the colour way\size combination I needed :-(
They all had bl00dy red all over them iirc.

bigmat

Daniel B wrote:

Ness, that was it! I desperately wanted a set, but they never had the colour way\size combination I needed :-(
They all had bl00dy red all over them iirc.

For an easy life, all my road bikes have red as the "signature" colour, always easy to get parts with red bits on them. I have toned it down in recent years though - stuff like tyres, saddles and bar tape is now mostly black.

SCR Pedro

Does any one know why they stopped doing the CNC Lightweight brake calipers? As I recall they were always in high demand. I wasn't quick enough to buy a set before they stopped selling them.

daniel_b

BigMat wrote:

Daniel B wrote:

Ness, that was it! I desperately wanted a set, but they never had the colour way\size combination I needed :-(
They all had bl00dy red all over them iirc.

For an easy life, all my road bikes have red as the "signature" colour, always easy to get parts with red bits on them. I have toned it down in recent years though - stuff like tyres, saddles and bar tape is now mostly black.

Indeed, red proliferates across ALL cycling parts - does my nut in!
I go for all black, grey, or hints of yellow or green - I am quite particular

My bikes stems are Ratio carbon wrap, so just carbon 'pattern', Ritchey WCS, which is mostly Black, and 3T something or other, Team stealth or something, anyway it is black and grey and very wide.
I did indulge in a gloriously yellow Ritchey WCS C260, but it wouldn't fit on any of my flat top bars, so had to go back :-(

fenix

SCR Pedro wrote:

Does any one know why they stopped doing the CNC Lightweight brake calipers? As I recall they were always in high demand. I wasn't quick enough to buy a set before they stopped selling them.

They're OK but not as durable as the big makes. Had them on my bike for a few years but when it came to change the blocks and cables - the bolts had gone to cheese. PITA getting them off too. I'd steer clear.

ugo.santalucia

Fenix wrote:

PITA getting them off too. I'd steer clear.

By extension, I would steer clear of any colourful anodised tat... jockey wheels, chainrings and bolts, nipples, seatpost collars, QR skewers... the lot

darkhairedlord

Stick with girders, can't go wrong.