On Jun 4, 10:58 am, JoelMatthews <joelmatth...@mac.com> wrote: > > and I agree that they wouldn't exist to the extent that they do without > > companies like riv and rapha. > > Perhaps if we limit the niche . .. .
> > and I agree that they wouldn't exist to the extent that they do without > > companies like riv and rapha. > > Perhaps if we limit the niche to one in the United States (which would > seem curious, given Rapha is a British company and sells a lot of its > product in Europe) you could say tweed bags and shellaced tape would > not exist but for Riv. there's no need to limit it. and for the *third* time, it's not solely about product. to be clear, there is a distinct niche of riders that identifies with the Riv brand and "rivvish" cycling. same with Rapha. both engage in lifestyle branding (that's not to say they go about it the same way), and this helps to develop the niches they are helping to define and support - not sure why this is at all controversial. > I believe the three categories you provide remain far too broad to > create an objective tautology. I concede some others here appear > convinced. please elaborate on why you believe my examples are subjective and/or illogical. core value - "steel is real": no explanation needed for Riv. Sachs, Davidson, Bilenky, Lyon, Hunter, IF, Igleheart, et al. have made bicycles for the rapha continental team. it obviously appreciates the craft of framebuilding with steel and supports it. core value - "quality": both have very high standards for what they sell. look at the time GP takes to do core value - "style": no explanation needed. if anything is "far too broad", it's the context in which we are discussing "philosophy." > Rapha and Riv are businesses. What other philosophy would they have? that's an interesting perspective. personally, as a cyclist, Riv and Rapha inspire me - they both remind me of why life on a bike is fun. they encourage me to try new things and take on challenges. seems to me that each has an underlying philosophy that informs their approach to cycling and the stuff they sell - which, in turn, informs my approach to cycling and the stuff I buy. i see this as separate from their approach, or philosophy, regarding "business." -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
