[Closed] Why don't Shimano make headsets...?

Like this you mean??

[url] http://www.pro-bikegear.com/publish/content/pro_2010/nl/en/index/products/headsets/external.htm ][/url]

Initially at least, they wouldn't buy into the patent for Ahead.

the patent for aheadset is up in september so see what happens.

Like this you mean??

OK, so they do make headsets, but they don't particularly seem to market them.

Compared to the marketing power thrown behind mechs, shifters, chainsets etc they are virtually unseen. On the road side Campagnolo market theirs as part of the groupset, which seems logical. If you were riding a full XTR bike, an XTR headest would be almost a default choice sureley?

Obviously presuming the quality was up to it...

It makes a little sense if they weren't behind Aheadset at the start but they've surely got over it by now...?

EDIT: That could make sense if they are currently unwilling to pay the licencing fee, especially if it's about to be dropped...

I have to admit i've had similar thoughts with a lot of companies.

I still find it strange that at the top of the MTB range of components, it's only SRAM and Shimano that have a firm foot in.

I also play/work in the paintball industry and many guns come straight in at the 'top level', whether they stay there or not is the actual test of the company.

Stan_Dingup - Member

Compared to the marketing power thrown behind mechs, shifters, chainsets etc they are virtually unseen. On the road side Campagnolo market theirs as part of the groupset, which seems logical. If you were riding a full XTR bike, an XTR headest would be almost a default choice sureley?

Where to draw the line.

Seatposts.
Stems
Bars
Saddles
Forks

Would you really be keener to buy them all if they were XTR branded? And what if you were running XT, would you want a whole XT branded set? And SLX, etc etc etc

GSuperstar - Member
I have to admit i've had similar thoughts with a lot of companies.

I still find it strange that at the top of the MTB range of components, it's only SRAM and Shimano that have a firm foot in.

I also play/work in the paintball industry and many guns come straight in at the 'top level', whether they stay there or not is the actual test of the company.

There are lots of companies competing against Shimano and SRAM. Many have a large range (FSA being a prime example), some only do specific items (e.g. Chris King)

druidh - Member
GSuperstar - Member
I have to admit i've had similar thoughts with a lot of companies.
I still find it strange that at the top of the MTB range of components, it's only SRAM and Shimano that have a firm foot in.

I also play/work in the paintball industry and many guns come straight in at the 'top level', whether they stay there or not is the actual test of the company.

There are lots of companies competing against Shimano and SRAM. Many have a large range (FSA being a prime example), some only do specific items (e.g. Chris King)

I think you miss my point, it's not that there aren't companies out there competing, but that they havent managed to make the same 'stamp' in the market place as Shimano and SRAM have as i originally posted.

Obviously years of experience etc etc play a big part as well as marketing, but as with most items, you put them on a world class rider/team and it doesnt take long for an effect to happen. Just doesnt seem to be the case with any other companies other than those mentioned.

Shimano threaded headsets used to be very heavily marketed 15-20 years ago, however I assume that they decided not to license the aheadset so don't have any presence any more.

Most of the big companies do make other products but I would guess Shimano will now use the "Pro" range to market non "drive train/braking compnents now"

Campag used to make an off road groupset (Record OR) back in the day and SHimano and Campag have made and I think do still make (in campags case seatposts).
Mavoc also made mechs in the past and headsets but cyclists are a habitual bunch, you tend to buy what you've always ridden I guess so there isn't a lot of room for new drive train manufacturers

Like this you mean??

http://www.pro-bikegear.com/publish/content/pro_2010/nl/en/index/products/headsets/external.htm

Not really a Shimano headset though is it , just a re-badged Cane Creek one.

I'm not familiar with the whole Cane Creek range - which one is that?

Cane Creek comes standard on a lot of Specialized i believe?

They certainly made threaded headsets, and the higher end ones were good quality. They seemed to disappear when Aheadsets took over though. I've always been curious why they didn't do their own Aheadset versions.

Didn't Sun Ringle do mechs/cranksets etc in the 90s?

The shimano philosophy (from what I understand) has always been to avoid other companies patents and getting caught up in licencing agreements etc, hence they stopped with headsets once cane creek (I think) registered the patent and the design all but killed the threaded headset off...

The patent protection is apparently up soon and/or shimano have decided to break one of their own rules for the sake of having a complete line of finishing kit under the "Pro" product line....

interestingly it seems there has been some fisticuffs of late between FSA and CC regarding the Aheadset patent...