Whats happened to RIBBLE ?

[taximan]

You realise even though it was freed it still hasn't docked?

The ship seems to be still having problems, she sailed from her anchorage off Port Said on Wednesday last (where she was inspected by divers), and then she spent two or three day some distance West of Sicily seemingly just drifting. She got under way again a few hours ago and is at the moment passing between Sicily and Malta.

 

[fair weather cyclist]

In the meantime, I've noticed a few comments and complaints on the ribble instagram page.

People asking them if they're still in business, complaining that they've been waiting for months for their bikes with no updates from ribble,...

The customer service team must be under so much pressure. Wouldn't wanna be them

 

[Colin Grigson]

In the meantime, I've noticed a few comments and complaints on the ribble instagram page.

People asking them if they're still in business, complaining that they've been waiting for months for their bikes with no updates from ribble,...

The customer service team must be under so much pressure. Wouldn't wanna be them

It’s the same at Pinarello if it’s any consolation

 

[TwoStews]

I work in the sporting goods sector. Global shipping is in absolute disarray and has been long before the Suez debacle. The pandemic disrupted the finely balanced network of containers and vessels and now the whole thing is massively out of whack.

Space on vessels is hard to find, fees are rocketing and ports all over the world are congested (sometimes closed completely) which adds significant delay and costs to moving things around the world, most notably from China where most bicycle components are manufactured.

The fact that many factories in China are suffering from serious labour shortages and other disruption caused by the ripple effects from covid, just adds further to the problem.

Theses are difficult times for global supply chains and if I'm honest, I don't think we'll see any improvement until the first few months of next year at the earliest

 

[fair weather cyclist]

So I guess it's a good thing that Bianchi is investing a fair chunk of money to bring the manufacturing process back to Italy. I wonder how many will follow their example.

 

[Arrowfoot]

So I guess it's a good thing that Bianchi is investing a fair chunk of money to bring the manufacturing process back to Italy. I wonder how many will follow their example.

I am watching this with interest since it was announced. Only Time had a full carbon production in a European country, France and they are closing down due to cost. Next closest is Look who have a plant in Tunisia. I wonder if Bianchi is going to use a new labour saving technology. Italian Labour laws are close to Spanish Labour laws are two of the toughest in Europe.

 

[fair weather cyclist]

I am watching this with interest since it was announced. Only Time had a full carbon production in a European country, France and they are closing down due to cost. Next closest is Look who have a plant in Tunisia. I wonder if Bianchi is going to use a new labour saving technology. Italian Labour laws are close to Spanish Labour laws are two of the toughest in Europe.

What I think is going to happen is Bianchi focusing on the very high-end and high-markup market. They may have understood that they can't compete with the likes of Giant/Trek/Specialized in the entry to mid level bikes, but also they have understood how valuable their brand still is.

So, they're going to drop all those overpriced but cheap quality bikes they were making (the via nirone 7 for example) and will just do 6-7k or more bikes. Smaller volumes, but drastically increased quality.

 

[matticus]

I wonder how much the cost of a $6K bike is affected by the cost of labour?

 

[Smokin Joe]

We are experiencing the downside of globalisation. It needs a whole host of things to work together like clockwork in order to work at all, pull the rug from under one bit and the lot collapses.

 

[T4tomo]

What I think is going to happen is Bianchi focusing on the very high-end and high-markup market. They may have understood that they can't compete with the likes of Giant/Trek/Specialized in the entry to mid level bikes, but also they have understood how valuable their brand still is.

So, they're going to drop all those overpriced but cheap quality bikes they were making (the via nirone 7 for example) and will just do 6-7k or more bikes. Smaller volumes, but drastically increased quality.

Bianchi have always been reassuringly expensive, compared to the bland output of Trek Spec Giant etc anyway. I believe (someone may correct me) they always assembled the bikes in Italy anyway, so its just the frame production that is coming from Asia back to Europe anyway. I'm not sure what the material vs labour vs tooling and machinery cost of a CF frame is, but can't imagine the labour is a huge element.

 

[fair weather cyclist]

Defo Bianchi are going to hike the price up for uk cyclists because of brexit so here's another element that will make their bikes even less affordable here

 

[rogerzilla]

Actually, making more of it in the EU may allow them to avoid tariffs. The bar for EU-made content is quite high though.

 

[fair weather cyclist]

One way to cut costs a little may be to adopt the canyon approach and sell directly to customers, cutting out the middle man. Although not sure about the impact of this on cost

 

[vickster]

One way to cut costs a little may be to adopt the canyon approach and sell directly to customers, cutting out the middle man. Although not sure about the impact of this on cost

Worse now in UK...

 

[Blue Hills]

Just this morning had another mail from Ribble trying to encourage me to upgrade my wheels/buy a new bike.