As always, paying riders to acquire (and possibly ride)
bicycles descends into the minutiae of offended interest
groups, envy, disparate impact and all the rest:

https://cyclingindustry.news/substantial-cycle-to-work-scheme-variation-is-holding-back-take-up/

"potentially leaving disabled staff, those with children, or
in need of electric cycles, locked out of buying one"

oh, the horror. someone in envious of someone else.
--
Andrew Muzi
am@yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On 12/6/2023 2:11 PM, Tom Kunich wrote:
> On Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at 10:30:56 AM UTC-8, AMuzi wrote:
>> As always, paying riders to acquire (and possibly ride)
>> bicycles descends into the minutiae of offended interest
>> groups, envy, disparate impact and all the rest:
>>
>>
>> https://cyclingindustry.news/substantial-cycle-to-work-scheme-variation-is-holding-back-take-up/
>>
>> "potentially leaving disabled staff, those with children, or
>> in need of electric cycles, locked out of buying one"
>>
>> oh, the horror. someone in envious of someone else.

>
> I think there is a problem with the cost of bicycles and that if manufacturers and not government do not address that we're going to have another fallout of bicycle brands.

So what? That happened dramatically in 1898, 1976 and
earlier this year. meh.

Do you wake every morning in tears for all the fax stores or
video rentals which closed up?

--
Andrew Muzi
am@yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at 10:30:56 AM UTC-8, AMuzi wrote:
> As always, paying riders to acquire (and possibly ride)
> bicycles descends into the minutiae of offended interest
> groups, envy, disparate impact and all the rest:
>
>
> https://cyclingindustry.news/substantial-cycle-to-work-scheme-variation-is-holding-back-take-up/
>
> "potentially leaving disabled staff, those with children, or
> in need of electric cycles, locked out of buying one"
>
> oh, the horror. someone in envious of someone else.
> --
> Andrew Muzi
> a...@yellowjersey.org
> Open every day since 1 April, 1971

I think there is a problem with the cost of bicycles and that if manufacturers and not government do not address that we're going to have another fallout of bicycle brands.

On Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at 12:16:49 PM UTC-8, AMuzi wrote:
> On 12/6/2023 2:11 PM, Tom Kunich wrote:
> > On Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at 10:30:56 AM UTC-8, AMuzi wrote:
> >> As always, paying riders to acquire (and possibly ride)
> >> bicycles descends into the minutiae of offended interest
> >> groups, envy, disparate impact and all the rest:
> >>
> >>
> >> https://cyclingindustry.news/substantial-cycle-to-work-scheme-variation-is-holding-back-take-up/
> >>
> >> "potentially leaving disabled staff, those with children, or
> >> in need of electric cycles, locked out of buying one"
> >>
> >> oh, the horror. someone in envious of someone else.
>
> >
> > I think there is a problem with the cost of bicycles and that if manufacturers and not government do not address that we're going to have another fallout of bicycle brands.
> So what? That happened dramatically in 1898, 1976 and
> earlier this year. meh.
>
> Do you wake every morning in tears for all the fax stores or
> video rentals which closed up?
> --
> Andrew Muzi
> a...@yellowjersey.org
> Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Andrew, rather than point it out I would hope that you immediately recognized the difference that technology made no longer necessary and one that went through so many layers of bureaucracy that they priced themselves out of business. Of course you're no doubt right that it's no big deal but don't you prefer the specialty houses? Don't you wonder what Schwinn might have become?

On 12/6/2023 3:32 PM, Tom Kunich wrote:
> On Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at 12:16:49 PM UTC-8, AMuzi wrote:
>> On 12/6/2023 2:11 PM, Tom Kunich wrote:
>>> On Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at 10:30:56 AM UTC-8, AMuzi wrote:
>>>> As always, paying riders to acquire (and possibly ride)
>>>> bicycles descends into the minutiae of offended interest
>>>> groups, envy, disparate impact and all the rest:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> https://cyclingindustry.news/substantial-cycle-to-work-scheme-variation-is-holding-back-take-up/
>>>>
>>>> "potentially leaving disabled staff, those with children, or
>>>> in need of electric cycles, locked out of buying one"
>>>>
>>>> oh, the horror. someone in envious of someone else.
>>
>>>
>>> I think there is a problem with the cost of bicycles and that if manufacturers and not government do not address that we're going to have another fallout of bicycle brands.
>> So what? That happened dramatically in 1898, 1976 and
>> earlier this year. meh.
>>
>> Do you wake every morning in tears for all the fax stores or
>> video rentals which closed up?

>
> Andrew, rather than point it out I would hope that you immediately recognized the difference that technology made no longer necessary and one that went through so many layers of bureaucracy that they priced themselves out of business. Of course you're no doubt right that it's no big deal but don't you prefer the specialty houses? Don't you wonder what Schwinn might have become?

Well, as I remain friends with one and another was my
employee, I do think highly of the Schwinn family (Crazy
Eddie excepted) and yes, a different history might have been...

But it wasn't. And here we are.

You might review the brilliant Schumpeter, a man of great
insight who noted that a healthy forest always has dead
trees. They fall and make space for new growth. Without
that necessary and beautiful 'creative destruction, you get
the horrible Japanese effect: two decades of no growth, the
economy bound up by zombie banks holding worthless notes
from firms with no profits, no future and no hope. Closer to
home, the US Big Three (or 2-1/2 depending on how you count
Fiat Stellantis) car makers who are paid to make cars that
the government likes and then the consumer is paid to take
them, vehicles which would not be profitable or popular in a
free market and exist only on your tax dollars*.

Do you want that future for bicycles?

*In a larger sense the larger problem is that this economy
could never support taxation enough to cover current levels
of expenditure. It's mainly borrowed or 'created', mixing
fiscal failures with monetary errors. Hence the persistent
inflation. But that's a different conversation.

--
Andrew Muzi
am@yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Wed, 6 Dec 2023 14:16:44 -0600, AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org> wrote:

>On 12/6/2023 2:11 PM, Tom Kunich wrote:
>> On Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at 10:30:56?AM UTC-8, AMuzi wrote:
>>> As always, paying riders to acquire (and possibly ride)
>>> bicycles descends into the minutiae of offended interest
>>> groups, envy, disparate impact and all the rest:
>>>
>>>
>>> https://cyclingindustry.news/substantial-cycle-to-work-scheme-variation-is-holding-back-take-up/
>>>
>>> "potentially leaving disabled staff, those with children, or
>>> in need of electric cycles, locked out of buying one"
>>>
>>> oh, the horror. someone in envious of someone else.
>
>>
>> I think there is a problem with the cost of bicycles and
that if manufacturers and not government do not address that we're
going to have another fallout of bicycle brands.
>
>So what? That happened dramatically in 1898, 1976 and
>earlier this year. meh.
>
>Do you wake every morning in tears for all the fax stores or
>video rentals which closed up?

Rather then compare costs in dollars try comparing them in hours of
work at minimum salary rates. In January this year minimum salary in
California was $15.50/hour. 5 years ago, 1 Jan 2018, it was
$11.00/hour.

--
Cheers,

John B.

On Thu, 07 Dec 2023 07:55:03 +0700, John B. <slocombjb@gmail.com>
wrote:
(chomp)
>Rather then compare costs in dollars try comparing them in hours of
>work at minimum salary rates. In January this year minimum salary in
>California was $15.50/hour. 5 years ago, 1 Jan 2018, it was
>$11.00/hour.

Graph of the percentage of US hourly and salaried workers who are
working for minimum wage or less:
<https://www.statista.com/statistics/188206/share-of-workers-paid-hourly-rates-at-or-below-minimum-wage-since-1979/>
In 2021, it 1.4%. At 10%, it was a problem. At 1.4%, it's probably
not important.

Note that most of those working for minimum wage are workers who are
paid a commission on their sales. If the commission is less than
minimum wage, the employer is obligated to pay them the minimum wage.
This is usually the situation when they are initially hired and are
beginning to learn how to sell. Those who remain at minimum wage are
considered to be under-performing and are usually replaced.

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
PO Box 272 http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Ben Lomond CA 95005-0272
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at 9:32:26 PM UTC, Tom Kunich wrote:
> On Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at 12:16:49 PM UTC-8, AMuzi wrote:
> > On 12/6/2023 2:11 PM, Tom Kunich wrote:
> > > On Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at 10:30:56 AM UTC-8, AMuzi wrote:
> > >> As always, paying riders to acquire (and possibly ride)
> > >> bicycles descends into the minutiae of offended interest
> > >> groups, envy, disparate impact and all the rest:
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> https://cyclingindustry.news/substantial-cycle-to-work-scheme-variation-is-holding-back-take-up/
> > >>
> > >> "potentially leaving disabled staff, those with children, or
> > >> in need of electric cycles, locked out of buying one"
> > >>
> > >> oh, the horror. someone in envious of someone else.
> >
> > >
> > > I think there is a problem with the cost of bicycles and that if manufacturers and not government do not address that we're going to have another fallout of bicycle brands.
> > So what? That happened dramatically in 1898, 1976 and
> > earlier this year. meh.
> >
> > Do you wake every morning in tears for all the fax stores or
> > video rentals which closed up?
> > --
> > Andrew Muzi
> > a...@yellowjersey.org
> > Open every day since 1 April, 1971
> Andrew, rather than point it out I would hope that you immediately recognized the difference that technology made no longer necessary and one that went through so many layers of bureaucracy that they priced themselves out of business. Of course you're no doubt right that it's no big deal but don't you prefer the specialty houses? Don't you wonder what Schwinn might have become?
>
As long ago as Apr 25, 2009 I published a price analysis of one Schwinn bike, the Waterford Godiva; the article was called WHY A WATERFORD BIKE IS A JOKE. It described a firm pricing itself out of a niche market which is not normally price-sensitive to moderate over-pricing if there is some underlying value*, but which will of course reject overpricing by multiples of competitors' prices. See https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/LqY0UpZTIP0/m/I18KpJSsCQAJ and scroll to the top for the original of my article.
>
Andre Jute
*Niche market price insensitivity is individually limited.
>