[DeTomaso] Wheels - New Source - Group Buy

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 9/15/10 18 21 30, dakelm at qwest.net writes:


> That's a fairly harsh indictment, Michael. I challenge you to name names 
> as
> concerns Pantera vendors who are importing "cheap knock offs of Campy 
> Clones
> made in China".
> 

Yes, FWIW I know of several different vendors who sell their own Campy 
clones, and none of them are coming from China.   Larry Stock's come from Canada 
and the others all come from So-Cal.   So I, too, would be interested to 
hear some specifics regarding Chinese-made wheels.

And although I admire your capitalist efforts, I also note with some irony 
that your intro price is noticeably higher than Marino's price (currently 
$2995 for a set of four of the 'proper' type).   That doesn't seem to be a 
recipe for success, and I think it would be difficult (impossible?) for you to 
get the manufacturer to lower the price to you so that you could undercut 
that?   Wilkinson's prices, last time I checked, were substantially higher, 
but some people just prefer the look of his wheels and are willing to pay more 
to get it.   

Both Wilkinson and Marino Perna also sell 'cheap' Campy wheels (which I 
can't stand and I think are total BS) as well as much higher quality versions; 
the cheap ones use thin center blanks and are extremely flat and 
one-dimensional, while the quality versions copy the various contours and angles of the 
original wheels much more accurately, and are thus more expensive.

What do yours look like, compared to the various offerings of the other 
vendors?

One crucial thing is that the wheels must be hub-centric to work properly.  
 Marino's wheels are often ever-so-slightly too small (we're talking a 
thousanth of an inch) and will 'stick' on some hubs; the solution is to give a 
light coating of anti-seize on the hubs, or if necessary, lightly sand the 
inside of the wheel where it mates with the hub.   

Mike