Are Shimano the Microsoft of the Bicycle World?

Maybe I should have said closer to OS X than Windows.

rather than comparatively directly but what about equvalient

i guess gears are the 'OS' of the bike world - so it is a good equavalient

frame would be the pc/hardware
brakes would be control panel?
etc.

cyfa2809":sdtasxy4 said:

rather than comparatively directly but what about equvalient

i guess gears are the 'OS' of the bike world - so it is a good equavalient

frame would be the pc/hardware
brakes would be control panel?
etc.

Click to expand...

Would that make fixies the linux of the bike world then?

'they never get viruses!'

they are a pretty dependable bike, yet have many haters
yes linux

Surely the bicycle and Shimano are both sufficiently ubiquitous to not require such an awkward analogy (or any for that matter)?

They fluctuate. When they were undisputed market leaders they'd have top-end groups that would only integrate with themselves ( 8 speed Dura Ace and Mk I M960 disc splines etc. ), get lawyers to make competitors pull their displays just before exhibitions for copyright infringement ( done to Sram at Interbike once as they introduced their own trigger shifter ) and create gears soley for putting whippets on podiums ( flappy paddle rapidrise anyone? ).
However, when they listen ( usually when they see sales drop ) you get bar-end shifters into the 21st century, hubs that can be serviced from and ironmonger's and retro-friendly components from the lower end market ( still making 8 speed cassettes and chains and V brakes and cantis ).

If there is going to be an MTB groupset maker comparison to the computer world then

Shimano is Intel
SRAM is AMD

shimano is for fishing....

highlandsflyer":3dmb77ph said:

Who is the bicycle world's Apple?

Click to expand...

Don't think there is one.

Are Shimano the Microsoft of the Bicycle World? YES

In the Shimano cool wall debate I said they were like Microsoft, which I think is a bit unfair now, as Shimano don't make rubbish... I also have Shimano stuff on my bikes, whereas I won't have Microsoft in my home. As the bike component industry is more than a two-and-a-bit way split then supermarkets is a better comparison, size wise they are T**co, although morally SRAM is the T**co, inventing a rubbish product and then using the legal industry to force open the door of the bike industry, then going shopping, buying up the Sachs/Huret/Sedis combine closing them down and using their production for their own foul ends. Here endeth the rant!