Forums
Blogs
Gallery
Exchange
Links
Login 
or Create an AccountFlatland
Justification for pricing? Have they really gone too far?!
Reply 
New Thread
| Related Searches: | |
Joined: A long time ago... Posts: 3062 Location:  |
Date: 2007-02-14 18:39:57 Topic: Justification for pricing? Have they really gone too far?! |
 The new frame from Function. Superstrong USA made bmx frame with flatland geometry. 19" TT 13.75" CS 75 HA 71 SA Integrated HT Mid BB 14mm, 1/4" thick dropouts 11.75" BB Height 4130 True-Temper Tubing Made in U.S.A -5.3lbs/2.4kg I personally like the look of it. Simple, clean. Done and done. But lets see....339.99? Are you kidding me? I can understand if the tubing had to be bent, or specially treated, 4143 true-temper tubing isnt terribly expensive. Unless that thing is welded and has diamond dust embedded in the paint, I dont see why these things are priced the way they are. (Now im speaking about all frames) 150 I can see being paid for a frame. 350 your getting in over your head. Sure, you have to make back manufacturing costs, but why such rediculous pricing?! For everyone! (Titanium dragonfly for 1000 I can understand...its titanium, that shit aint cheap!) | |
Joined: A long time ago... Posts: 5110 Location: NYC |
Date: 2007-02-14 23:02:13 Topic: Re: Justification for pricing? Have they really gone too far?! |
| I take some major offense to this opinion of yours that the Function flatland frame is too expensive, and the cost is not justified by the means. The guys over at function arent just friends of mine, but they believe in getting things done and doing them the right way. They also happen to make the strongest flatland frame ever, each of which are welded by the same person one by one, and are each inspected by Drill Sgt. Paul once they have been completed!
Let me ask you, is it worth $90 for pre-mis-welded KGB bars? FUCK NO!
I have been lucky enough to have been riding a prototype function frame since they had their first prototype made. AND they were nice enough to send it to me for FREE! It has been the single most enjoyable frame for me to ride yet. I've ridden them all, and have not been as happy on any other frame as I have been on the Function frame. Everytime I go out and ride, I have a smile on my face because I know the effort and love that went into producing these machines!
That being said, its hard to find a no frills frame that will last a lifetime, uses a mid bottom bracket shell, has a rear end longer than my 12 inch ruler, has 14mm dropouts that will work with the new Bamboo freecoaster from Nankai, and uses the great internal headset system. All that, and the frame is around 5.5lbs! This frame will be around even when my grandkids are my age, thats how bombproof these things are!
Go ahead and say that I am only saying this because the guys who designed the frame are my friends. I wouldnt ride a piece of shit, nor would I be typing all of this if the frame itself didnt justify the cost of purchasing it. How many other rider owned companies shell out large amounts of cash to produce a small limited amount of frames just because they saw a niche market that they could cater to, not to make money, but for the love of riding!
So rethink what you've already stated. You want a fucking frame that doesnt justify its costs? Howabout London frames? 600 dollars for one! Have you even been around long enough to remember the last time Flatlandfuel sold London frames on their website?
P.S.- This website really stinks now, and I dont know how to make my paragraphs stay separated from eachother even though I typed them separately from eachother. www.functionbmx.com www.recycleabicycle.org www.sickchildbikes.com Dont hate the player, hate the game. Team Dumbass, worldwide. | |
Joined: A long time ago... Posts: 5110 Location: NYC |
Date: 2007-02-14 23:13:12 Topic: Re: Justification for pricing? Have they really gone too far?! |
Here are two pics of my new frame built up by the way, which I also payed for.
 www.functionbmx.com www.recycleabicycle.org www.sickchildbikes.com Dont hate the player, hate the game. Team Dumbass, worldwide. | |
Joined: A long time ago... Posts: 441 Location: Clifton Park |
Date: 2007-02-15 09:04:20 Topic: Re: Justification for pricing? Have they really gone too far?! |
jow i was wondering is this frame strong enough to ride street?? cause im looking to put together a street bike that i can ride flatland on also (ill still have my flat bike to though) j/w
thanks Matthew hartley I ride in a parking lot Http://bmxcrew.com  | |
Joined: A long time ago... Posts: 5110 Location: NYC |
Date: 2007-02-15 10:45:17 Topic: Re: Justification for pricing? Have they really gone too far?! |
| The answer is YES! Its more than strong enough for street, that is what the mid bb, thick dropouts, and butted tubing is for! Also, there are no wishbones! While I was testing the prototype I actually beat the shit out of it (ran it into a few walls amongst many other things) and I still have that frame after I started riding it a little under a year ago. This new production version of the Function frame is a big improvement in strength, looks, weight, and geometry compared to the prototypes. www.functionbmx.com www.recycleabicycle.org www.sickchildbikes.com Dont hate the player, hate the game. Team Dumbass, worldwide. | |
Joined: A long time ago... Posts: 928 Location: |
Date: 2007-02-15 11:42:33 Topic: Re: Justification for pricing? Have they really gone too far?! |
I see as a frame which serves the flatland and street community well
"u aint smoking u" | |
Joined: A long time ago... Posts: 2400 Location: 09-f9-11-02-9d-74-e3-5b-d8-41-56-c5-63-56-88-c0 |
Date: 2007-02-15 12:17:10 Topic: Re: Justification for pricing? Have they really gone too far?! |
| I agree it does seem pricey from the pictures shown, but without seeing proper pictures close up of the frame I cant say I am in a position to judge. But concidering the wtp div sells on FF at the moment for $179 (almost half the price of the function frame) and has a similar geometry based on wheelbase length and headangle it does seem hard to justify these costs. I think allot of consumers require a frame to look "special" and "futuristic" for them to be able to justify the aditional costs.  | |
Joined: 2007-02-02 Posts: 9 Location: |
Date: 2007-02-15 12:45:07 Topic: Re: Justification for pricing? Have they really gone too far?! |
| First off let me say that I'm fucking sick of pedal right now. I had a 3 year old account that has just decided to stop working and letting me log in twice within the past few weeks. I had to make this account just to be able to post and talk to the guy I'm buying a bike from. This site needs to get its problems worked out before my head explodes. But anyways, enough of the bitching about that. On to the justification of pricing thing. While unlike Joe I'm not personal friends with the guys at Function, I can say that I understand what they are doing and if I had the money I probably would've picked one up already. Lately there has been a trend in new production flatland frames: they're all light and look like if they took one hard fall they'd break. Now, while I know that most of the frames out there wouldn't break after one hard fall, they certainly aren't as strong as I think they should be. Flatlanders lately have just been after the lightest everything. If your bike weighs more than 25 pounds it's considered heavy by many people's standards. For the past year I have been flatlanding on a Diamondback whose frame weighs upwards of 8 pounds! Now, while I can't do all of the shit that someone could do on a 20 pound bike, I can do a lot of stuff with no problems. My point is, it's nice to see a rider owned company who actually gives two shits about their product and is going a little away from the power curve. It's a pretty light frame, but they know that it won't break. I'd much rather ride a frame that I know I can throw around and not worry about than a fucking 3.5 frame that I have to baby or else it will break right out from underneath my legs. Now, what I can't say is that I've ridden one of these frames. I would personally love to, but I don't have the funds right now. As a working 16 year old I can say that flatland is a very expensive hobby. I'm barely scraping enough money together to buy a bike from someone off here and there's no way I could buy a new frame with parts and the like. But that said, if I had an extra $340 right now, I would have no problem dropping it on that frame. Instead I'm spending a bit more that I can't exactly say is free too spend right now and I'm buying a complete. I would love to try one eventually when I have the money, as I'm sure it's a great frame, but until then I'm just speaking on personal opinion and what I've heard rather than personal experience. Even so, I hope someone actually reads this all the way through and gives two shits. Alright, now that I'm done with my rambling, do you have a full parts list for your bike, Joe? I'd especially like to know what tires you're running. | |
Joined: 2007-02-15 Posts: 1 Location: |
Date: 2007-02-15 17:10:14 Topic: Re: Justification for pricing? Have they really gone too far?! |
| |
Joined: A long time ago... Posts: 3062 Location: |
Date: 2007-02-15 20:11:15 Topic: Re: Justification for pricing? Have they really gone too far?! |
| 1. Yes, I have been around long enough to remember the london frames. 2. I have no doubt that there is a hell of a lot of heart that goes into that frame. I personally rode a div for about a year an a half and still have it, and use it as a street bike most of the time and its stronger than a lot of things I've seen. Im not questioning anything except merely the price. Who knows, I could be all wrong and the pricing is merely to recoup production costs so that in the future frames can be produced and sold for a lower price to make them available to a wider group of riders. If anything, I'd love to ride that frame because I loved the way my div geometry was set up, Not too light, not too heavy, and at a good price. And was strong enough to hold me who a lot of the time isnt the smoothest rider around. I appologize if you were offended. I would probably feel the same way if someone knocked the heart behind sickchild frames (Of which I've witnessed the things Ed had to go through to keep the frame going and to put out a new kick ass one, which I am currently riding). | |
| Sponsored Results |
Reply New Thread
