The United States Post Office has implimented a major rate increase and is charging dimensional weight in some cases. Annette spent many hours this weekend adjusting our rates. Our goal is to come out even on shipping, not make money on it, so we simply try to average out the shipping costs. What this means is that sometimes you'll pay more than the actual cost for shipping, and other times less, but it should all even out in the end. We'll also be shipping more orders via Fed Ex Ground.
Our prototype porteur style all metal chaincase should be finished by Wednesday. We still don't have a manufacture for it, but we may be able to have a small quantity of them made here in Annapolis. It'll look like the one on the Goeland above. I'll post photos ASAP.
Full size and demi-portuer rack will enter production in the next month or so and we'll have more rear racks later this week. We are also considering importing Nitto Campee front and rear racks, the older French-style version.
We've sold out of the Simplex chain guards, but there is a fair chance we can get another case.
Yes, the Belleri porteur and city bike (Tour model) handlebars do take most models of bar-end shifters and inverse brake levers.
Finally, the price of the city bike frames will increase to $1275 next week, so get your orders in soon.
14 May, 2007
A Few Updates and Notes
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11 comments:
I don't understand those Campee racks. (I had bought a rear some time back through my uncle, who lives in Osaka.) Well, dumb idea: the heel clearance wasn't even close to workable when those side carrier things were installed. You'd need a bike with mile-long chainstays. Furthermore, the rack sits up well proud of the wheel, even w/700c wheels, which looks ridiculous compared to a real constructeur-type rack. I like Nitto products as well as the rest of us, but I just don't think those are a good design.
A much better answer than importing these, I reckon, might be to offer a variant of the VO contructuer racks which have the fitments for those type of side racks to be attached.
david_nj said:
"A much better answer than importing these, I reckon, might be to offer a variant of the VO contructuer racks which have the fitments for those type of side racks to be attached."
I ask: where can you buy those side racks?
Does Nitto sell them separately? I have a rear rack has fitments like that.
Gee David, I think you may like the Campee as much as I like the Simplex chainguard.
David, We can make changes to the Campee racks when we order. Nitto makes most things only when we order them so they don't mind small modifications, like setting the racks further back.
Neil, If you'd just asked before trying to install a Simplex chain guard without directions...
My camping bike is in the shop for some modifications. Perhaps it will have a VO chain case installed before it is out!
Isn't that rack illustration a front rack? I've never seen those low-rider squares on the back, but I've seen them on the front of camping bikes. Jitensha Studio has a recent photo of one on its frame page.
It looks like the panneir mounts on the front rack are removable and mount to canti bosses - is that the case? If both of those are true then the only question is when are you getting some in?!?
Mounting the Simplex chainguard wasn't exactly easy but with a little creative p-clamp bending I think it looks ok.
http://home.comcast.net/~john.dunn1/simplex.jpg
Is there usually more room between the crank arm and the chainring - on the Sugino cranks I have it's pretty darn tight.
I really like the front lowrider attachments. Rivendell used to carry a lowrider attachment for their front mini rack. It consisted of the the lowrider squares and the vertical stays. The vertical stays bolted on to the mini front racks 4 threaded eyelets.
The lowrider attachments are super; I'm just saying that Chris already has much better answers to the racks with the existing SS racks he's designed. It's so easy to get them mounted up perfectly. All that would be necessitated here is to equip 'em with some captive nuts so as to bolt on the low-rider assemblies.
You could either use the Nitto low-riders (although the finish wouldn't match) or have the same shop as makes up the racks fabricate matching low-riders. Maybe you could even go a step further and have a bolt-on set that wraps around the rear wheel, in the ancien regime "camping" bike fashion.
If you must use a private postal carrier I wish you would use UPS (who pays a living wage, and does a much better job of finding my address).
I have to disagree. In my experience, UPS is horrible in every way: Loss, Damage, Delay, poor customer service, etc. Fedex Ground is much better and worth paying extra for, but you don't have to since they're cheaper!
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