Is there a market for reproduction parts?

[d8mok]

As we are all aware some retro parts are getting harder and harder to find in acceptable condition and also in the colour you may need.

Do you think there is a market for reproduction parts which are identical to the originals minus logo?

I’m aware of members on here and also in other places doing similair. Such as Ringle skewers and similar.

I feel they could fall into 2 categories. For example let’s say we had some replacement RC200 dropouts made or Spooky Hope brake mount. I’m sure these would sell as they would be identical and functional.

However would you buy a pair of Avid Ultimate levers and Supreme brakes which are re-pro?

 

[hookooekoo]

Yes. And some would argue that reproduction parts are already being produced. For example, by Interloc Racing Design. Below is what they say about the freewheels they are producing and selling.

All the big Asian manufacturers are only churning out freewheels for department store bikes. We made these purposely nice enough to put on a vintage Cinelli road bike, but affordable enough to use as a replacement on cheaper bikes with.

https://www.interlocracing.com/shop/product/ird-freewheel-cyclone-mark-1-5sp-4670

And below is their range of thumb shifters.

https://www.interlocracing.com/shop?search=shifter

 

[d8mok]

Yes various companies doing that kind of thing. But how many actual sell I wonder.

My idea would be more anything CNC based.

 

[BoyBurning]

IRD are not the company they once were. Completely different beast, primarily a branding exercise now. Their freewheels piss me off, as I don't understand why they won't make smaller than 13T, especially if they're shouting from the rooftops about how they're aiming to reintroduce 'lost parts' the big boys have forgotten about etc...

 

[BoyBurning]

In terms of the original question, I wouldn't pay more for repro parts than originals go for, which is a problem I have with the current line of reproduction seat posts et al.

 

[d8mok]

In terms of the original question, I wouldn't pay more for repro parts than originals go for, which is a problem I have with the current line of reproduction seat posts et al.

Would you pay Similair or slightly less? Just out of interest and a little market research.

 

[hookooekoo]

But how many actual sell I wonder.

For the freewheels, clearly it's enough to make it worthwhile, but not enough to sell huge numbers. I say that because the prices they're charging are obviously quite a bit higher than the not-very-nice mass produced stuff, but far more than it would cost a mass producer to add a nice layer of chrome, nickel, or whatever it is they use.

My idea would be more anything CNC based.

Take your example of a Ringle skewer. Unfortunately the big manufacturers fragmented the market, by introducing different quick release standards, such as bolt-through. In that case, the market is less attractive to enter. And I'm sure people won't thank me for saying this, but the external cam design is considered by some to be inferior.

Exposed cam:

Sometime in the '80s, a variant type of skewer was introduced, one that is less expensive to manufacture, and is sometimes a bit lighter. This type uses a split external cam that straddles the end of the skewer. External-cam skewers use a curved plastic washer between the cam and the toothed metal washer that presses against the dropout.


This type was originally marketed as an "upgrade" because it could be made a little bit lighter.


Despite the marketing hype associated with these "boutique" skewers, they are actually considerably inferior in functionality to the traditional type. They are often seen under rather prestigious names, as was the one photographed here. (I Photoshopped the logo off, so as not to pick on one particular brand.)


The exposed cam cannot be kept as clean and well-lubricated as the shielded one can.


In addition, the exposed cam has a larger diameter, (typically 16 mm vs. 7 mm for an enclosed cam) so the friction is acting on a longer moment arm (the radius of the cam.)


The result is that the exposed-cam type provides very much less clamping force for a given amount of hand force on the lever.


Fortunately, the move toward "boutique" skewers happened after the industry had mostly moved to frames with vertical dropouts and forks with "lawyer lips."


The exposed-cam skewers are generally OK for vertical dropouts in back, and for forks with "lawyer lips", but should not be relied on with horizontal dropouts or plain forks.

Ultimately, you can repro anything from the past, and it will sell. The only question is whether enough people would be interested to make it worthwhile. Unless there is someone from the cycling world who likes retro stuff, and has a lot of money to invest, it would probably take a long time to get a repro business going, by building up sales and product range slowly, and reinvesting profits. The other alternative would be if a brand such as Hope Tech took an interest, but they already seem to have a very successful business, so I don't think they'd be interested until they reach a plateau, and can't grow anymore by doing what they already do.

 

[M-Power]

Interesting thread. I reckon there will be a growing niche market for quality 3d printed Repros. As has been said a few iconic components are already being made.

 

[mk one]

I think so, yes. Whether the market would be big enough to justify the costs im not sure.

I think in time there will be quite a few parts needed by collectors to restore or maintain bikes, even now, if only to make a more competitive market. Plenty of parts i would buy if the prices were more reasonable.

 

[raidan73]

I've seen this discussed a few times, with both positive and negative opinions.

When it comes to small parts to get things working again i.e. suspension fork parts, various shims, adaptors, ferrules etc, etc, I don't think many would argue that this isn't a worthy cause. There's clearly a market for such things already and they keep the old parts from the scrap heap.

Moving on to actual components opinions are divided. I have bought a couple of repro seatposts in the past, which appear identical to the originals and are definitely well made. These come at premium prices but I'm sure a lot of work goes into producing them.

A good example to consider would be a repro Cunningham rollercam brake. Originals are highly sought after and fetch big, big money. Of course these are no longer manufactured so a repro isn't trying to compete with a currently marketed product but I can see why owners/fans of the original components would get pissed that someone is making copies of such rare and valuable items. If such products hit the market there's the issue of repro's being passed off as originals, whether intentionally or unknowingly.

It's a right can of worms!