How does an Ion 18 frame, priced at 1919EUR in Germany end up costing 1850GBP (2400+ EUR) in the UK?

Sure its exactly the same spec? does the UK price include some of the more common ‘upgrades’?

The UK price includes a Tapered headtube which is a 150 Euro option

http://www.nicolai.net/157-1-ION+18.html

It says 2644 € there…

Price is for the frame as shown …..including ” extra Love” 50.- and double Barrel shock 675.-

neninja – Member
The UK price includes a Tapered headtube which is a 150 Euro option

Tapered is standard on the Ion 18. 1919EUR is the basic, no options, no shock price for the 18 on the order generator on the Nicolai site – 1950GBP is the UK price as below.

http://builder.nicolai.dbap.de/index.php?screen=dstore.config&fid=34&step=0&modell=&step0=2739

http://www.nicolai-uk.com/index.php/frames/

Tapered is standard on the Ion 18.

1.5 headtube is standard. The order generator adds 150 Euros for tapered.

Ion 18 Tech sheet

By the time you add the 150euros and 62Euros shipping on the order generator it comes to 2131 Euros.

The exchange rate has been around 1.15 for most of this year (it is a little better now but you’d still only get about 1.19 on a good day) that equates to £1853 so the same as the UK price.

the euro prices are at 19%vat but because they have a UK distro we pay 20%vat. I imagine they add carriage fees too.

goodgrief – Member
the euro prices are at 19%vat but because they have a UK distro we pay 20%vat. I imagine they add carriage fees too.

So Vat is 1& higher – the increase is about 500 Euro on a frame though.

Lets be fair, the Nikolai price diff is NOTHING compared to Santa Cruz. Either jungle get rubbish prices or they make a killing on each frame. That’s why I got mine from abroad!

If Nikolais were cheap, most of their customers wouldn’t want one 😉

wrecker – Member
Lets be fair, the Nikolai price diff is NOTHING compared to Santa Cruz. Either jungle get rubbish prices or they make a killing on each frame. That’s why I got mine from abroad!

Yeah more than familiar with the old dollar to sterling conversion – just surprised to see a distributor pulling the same kind of trick with a frame made in the EU, where the usual tax/customs excuses don’t apply.

Nicolai price – 2131 Euros (for the same frame spec offered by Nicolai UK plus their quoted shipping to UK)
Nicolai UK price – £1850

The current exchange rate is 1.23, you’d probabaly get 1.19 on a credit card payment or wire transfer so that equates to 2200 Euros but Nicolai UK will need to set a price thay can keep for the year. The rate is unstable so you’d probably base it on 1.15 which is what you’d have got for most of 2012 which is 2127 Euros.

Seems pretty fair to me. Just to make it clear I have no links with Nicolai UK, I just don’t see how they are over charging.

neninja – Member
Nicolai price – 2131 Euros (for the same frame spec offered by Nicolai UK)
Nicolai UK price – £1850

Where’s that 2131 price from? Tapered Headtube isn’t 150 extra on the Ion 18 – it’s standard on their newer frames. Their price is 1919.

And Nicolai UK price is 1950, not 1850.

On both the order generator and the spec sheet it has a 1.5 head tube as standard. If they’ve changed the pricing for 2013 for a tapered headtube it’s not reflected on them yet.

I’m simply quoting your numbers, you said it was £1850 in your first post.

I think all frames have tapered Head tubes now as a no cost option, certainly the longer travel frames do. My AM came with tapered and was delivered only two months ago.

The pricing in the uk was set a while back when the exchange rate was more like 1.11EUR to the pound. Momentum had to increase their prices because they were loosing money. The exchange rate has been a bit erratic the last two years so were now in a period when the frames look expensive in GBP relative to their EUR rate.

Ultimately if you don’t like the price don’t buy one. Alternatively you can always head to Germany and buy one from there.

Trust me though, you will not be disappointed with the frame.

Not sure where you’re getting the pricing from but it’s not current either for UK or Germany. Nor where you’re getting your exchange rate either but I’ll buy all the Euro’s you can offer at 1.29 (rate implied by your conversion). Travelex are offering 1.20 today.

2013 German price is 2199Euro. UK 2013 price is £1950

Tapered headtube is now standard across the range.

UK 2013 price is £1950

And given that its built to order, to the highest standards in the industry and will likely last you well over ten years, it’s still good value for money.

quality remains long after price is forgotten…. or summit like that….

Lets be fair, the Nikolai price diff is NOTHING compared to Santa Cruz. Either jungle get rubbish prices or they make a killing on each frame. That’s why I got mine from abroad!

Where did you get yours from?

Simon how are you getting on with your 29er AC, still loving it? I saw some snowy pictures on Facebook.

Where did you get yours from?

I’d sooner not publish hora. Just in case Jungle get wind of it and spit their dummy and try to stop it happening again. Drop me a mail.

simons_nicolai-uk – Member
Not sure where you’re getting the pricing from but it’s not current either for UK or Germany. Nor where you’re getting your exchange rate either but I’ll buy all the Euro’s you can offer at 1.29 (rate implied by your conversion). Travelex are offering 1.20 today.

2013 German price is 2199Euro. UK 2013 price is £1950

Tapered headtube is now standard across the range.

Tool the 1919 price off the Order Generator as above. If it’s not a current price and yours is, then that’s my answer. (big increase, mind)

1950 GBP converts to just over 2400 GBP here, that’s 1.23

http://www.xe.com/ucc/convert/?Amount=1950&From=GBP&To=EUR

geetee1972 – Member

And given that its built to order, to the highest standards in the industry and will likely last you well over ten years, it’s still good value for money.

It’s not good value for money if it’s hundreds more than the same frame bought elsewhere.

Other frames are available.

xe.com doesn’t count charges, so you never get that good an exchange rate in practice. Also need to build in some leeway to compensate for exchange rates shifting.

Dunno. Its all good. Better to spend $$$ on bike bits than hookers and strip bars

for money if it’s hundreds more than the same frame bought elsewhere

I can understand that. But it’s easy to forget that there is a UK distributor here and that is run as a business. The guys running it do it partly for love but not completely. Love does need to be fed after all.

In that sense the frame you buy here is not strictly speaking the same frame you would buy in Germany. Technically it is, it’s the same specification, materials etc and its been through the same manufacturing process. But it’s definition as a product is that its available to for you to buy here in the UK with full UK support and warranty. It’s got more value added to it than if you went to buy it in Germany (remember Nicolai sell direct to the retailer in Germany as its their home market, there is no distributor). You would have to deal with a German retailer for any and all issues and there would be a cost associated with that. Even if the frame ends up being 15% more expensive that is still a reasonable deal for having UK support.

As GT1972 suggests; use the online order generator and order from Nicolai direct. Or pay the small premium to deal with a UK based business who’ll deal with all that hassle for you

Customer is King etc etc

geetee1972 – Member

You would have to deal with a German retailer for any and all issues and there would be a cost associated with that. Even if the frame ends up being 15% more expensive that is still a reasonable deal for having UK support.

I’d totally disagree on the 15%.

That’s fair enough. What would you be prepared to pay as a premium for having a UK distributor?

geetee1972 – Member
That’s fair enough. What would you be prepared to pay as a premium for having a UK distributor?

I’d expect to see the same retail price across Europe outside of small variations for currency and the extra percent VAT.

I don’t see how dealing with a middleman in the UK is a huge benefit, as opposed to dealing with the company in Germany.

What does the UK outfit offer to us Brits that the German one doesn’t offer to the Germans?

And all of the above makes me glad I’m no longer importing high-end frames into the UK.

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. 🙂

I don’t see how dealing with a middleman in the UK is a huge benefit, as opposed to dealing with the company in Germany

Well quite simply that Momentum, via the retailers here in the UK are willing to deal with you, whereas Nicolai won’t. You could try dealing with a retailer in Germany if you spoke German, were willing to travel to collect or accept shipping costs, and were willing to deal with them for post sale support.

What does the UK outfit offer to us Brits that the German one doesn’t offer to the Germans?

Well there isn’t an equivalent business in Germany because Nicolai can deal directly with the retailers over there. But the cost of dealing with us Brits is higher to the UK distributor than the cost of Nicolai dealing with retailers in Germany. If it wasn’t then Nicolai would be dealing direct. The fact that they aren’t means that they need/value the UK distributor and that’s the price differential you see here.

Am I missing something here – has the guy from Nicolai UK not confirmed here:

2013 German price is 2199Euro. UK 2013 price is £1950

That the price is comparable (when you take into account shipping/currency fluctuations etc).

Hob Nob – Member
Am I missing something here – has the guy from Nicolai UK not confirmed here:

2013 German price is 2199Euro. UK 2013 price is £1950
That the price is comparable (when you take into account shipping/currency fluctuations etc).

IF the price has gone up from 1919 to 2199 (I don’t see it on the Nicolai site) then Momentum are only about 200 Euro more expensive.

Edit – right, the price has gone up – 2199 listed here.

http://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=nicolai%202013%20price&source=web&cd=10&ved=0CG0QFjAJ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnicolai-bikes.de%2FNicolai_Bikes.html%3Ffile%3Dtl_files%2Fcustom_kimmerle%2Fimages%2FNicolai%2FNicolai%2520Bikes%2520Preisliste%25202013.pdf&ei=0Mm8UKreL8eY1AXEq4GQAg&usg=AFQjCNGRRwSDAcPHlgB9uT5KNP6r2YWJUw

Nicolai UK arent registered as a charity I see.

Shocked tbh. I bet the distributor owns a new three piece suite out of ppoor stw’ers pockets 😉

it works vice versa….
new cotic Bfe is 419.- Euro in the UK incl.shipping..direct from cotic
and in germany 460.- Euro incl.shipping from the german distributor..

on the niclai site is stated “prices valid for germany only”..and as far as I know they won`t sell you a frame directly to the UK…

I can confirm, although I haven’t tried, I just know from discusions ,that Nicolai won’t sell direct in the UK.