Well.....there you go. After a look in person, it is indeed a spined shimano hub. So it has to stay as 12 speed.
Sadly (and this is the reason for the update) its made him pretty unimpressed with the quality of available high end parts and he now feels he would rather put that kinda money into his hobby of riding his motorbike......which he can also take to work and enjoy.
So, he's selling the bike......well done mr shimano.....another cyclist lost......
Im a big promoter or cycling, it has huge benefits, but its not a cheap option and if this is the standard of modern premium components then i kinda get his feelings.
Oddly, talking on sunday to a younger mate (27 ish).... he sees this as quite normal....but then on reflection thats a generation thing. He expects his phone to last 18 months, his car to be handed back after 3 years and that things are transient. That includes the quality of components....he expects everything to break or wear out quick....."they just do"
He also pointed to the fact that people sell their drive trains wholesale when the rings start to wear.....thats apparently normal....just look on ebay.
So, congratulations to the consumer society, this is an all time low, disguised as a peak..........our thirst for devouring new stuff has played straight into the hands of the very people selling us the stuff! In that we now expect low quality at high prices and we are not disappointed!
As for the older generation....well im watching a 27 year old lowe crt tv still, riding bikes with 30 to 40 year old components and driving an apparently "environmentally unfriendly" car that's 23 years old (when 10 year old cars go to scrap because of a computer failure)......
If people have no money.....stop spending it on consumer eye candy and poorly made rubbish......vote with your feet.....stop being a cross between a lemming and a bloody sheep.
I know free will is dead as we leave the ways of liberalism and the " self" behind and step into a society where information controls us.......but come on! You need to help yourself too!