jim haseltine
Senior Retro Guru
Vitus. There was a time when I'd have killed (ok, you know what I mean) to own a Carbone 9 with Kronos forks. Even now I wouldn't turn one down given the chance.
What Happened to The French: Fin d'une époque?
- Thread starter Canuk
- Start date
non-fixie
Senior Retro Guru
Like in many other industries, small companies have little chance of surviving against the power of economy-of-scale and Big Marketing.
In 2014 I witnessed an interview with Valentino Campagnolo in Belgium. He was being harassed by the interviewer: "Why don't you make a better effort to compete with Shimano's excellent 105 group?"
Valentino Campagnolo being grilled in Ghent
His answer was as clear as it was ominous: "We don't have the development resources that Shimano has, so we focus on the markets we have a position in." Or words to that effect.
Fast forward to 2024, and Campagnolo is gone from the World Tour ...
In 2014 I witnessed an interview with Valentino Campagnolo in Belgium. He was being harassed by the interviewer: "Why don't you make a better effort to compete with Shimano's excellent 105 group?"
Valentino Campagnolo being grilled in Ghent
His answer was as clear as it was ominous: "We don't have the development resources that Shimano has, so we focus on the markets we have a position in." Or words to that effect.
Fast forward to 2024, and Campagnolo is gone from the World Tour ...
Yep, I rue the day I only had 99 centimes in change when I had the chance to buy Wolber...
A Wolber decal alone costs upwards of £5 today.
