[email protected] (john Acres) wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> It seems three are a number if issues within this thread of comments:
>
> 1. BiGHA's is a dumb design. That's possibly true. I think it is a good design. Bt I've been
> wrong--and right--before. I certainly agree the company is a huge risk in product and manner of
> distribution. Time will tell.
>
> 2. BiGHA is manned by executives of BikeE. I'm not exactly sure of what an executive is.
Executives are those unseen shadowy boogie-men behind most of society's
ills. They do no actual work and are on earth only to exploit the labors of others. That is the
definition I hear all the time, all though it isn't MY definition.(~: Oh yeah, they wear suits
and drive big cars.
>BiGHA hired a couple of sales people, an accounting clerk, assembly people and two designers from
>BikeE/ Are they executives? I was an investor at BikeE--I lost a lot of mney there--but I was never
>on the BikeE payroll nor did I ever do any paid consulting for BikeE. In fact, I never received
>payment of any form from BikeE, though I did invest in that company. I don't consider myself an
>executive but I've really never understood what that word is supposed to mean.
>
> 3. BiGHA is a bad company because the people at BikeE were dishonest. I disagree with both
> contentions. I know the people that staffed BikeE. All are decent, honest people. I left BikeE
> entirely in March of 2002 so I was not involved directly in the final days. But I was tracking
> their progress because I hoped they'd pull thorugh and they owed me a lot of money. BikeE did
> everything it could to survive. They reduced staff, moved to smaller quarters and cut costs
> wherever they could. BikeE was always an underfunded company and had narrowly escaped death
> many, many times during its history. It didn't survive this last scrape.
>
I am very "closely associated" with a biz owner, my S.O.,and it would probably surprise employees if
they knew how close and frequently the company has come to shutting down over the past 18 years. A
recent bailing by a staff accountant, that wasn't doing her job,left before year end stuff was done,
and actually had left behind some very costly "ommissions" that made what is normally a tight
financial time, quite stressful. A previously unknown tax break saved the day. Without that, I might
be posting from the computer at the library. Events like the above take place daily in the corporate
world, while self- centered employees(and consumers) go on oblivious.
> BikeE's demise was not clear to me until the final day when it simply ran out of money. They made
> payroll and had nothing left.
Like that.
> Bike dealers are, for the most part, wonderful people. But not all of them pay their bills. A few
> because they're dishonest. Most because they've got cash problems like everyone else. BikeE was
> also supposed to collect from a couple of component vendors that had been responsible for the
> defects that caused the recalls. For whatever reson, that money did not come through and its
> difficult to chase a debt in Taiwan..0
Anyone who hasn't dealt with sub-contractors and suppliers may not recognize this problem, and I'm
glad you brought it up. BikeE's staff didn't machine every little bolt, bracket, etc. I suppose the
wheels were purchased already with spokes in place, and wheels were as I recall one of the sticky
points. One might say that it is still BikeE's "fault" because they told the vendor how they wanted
the parts. I know from my own experience that getting the vendor to actuaally build stuff the way
you want it is often an uphill battle.
>
> I think it's unfair to characterize BikeE staff like this. They did not know that the end was
> emminent. Sure, you can look back in hindsight now and say the indicators were clear.
I agree, even though I wasn't there. As I mentioned above, business is often risky.
>
>But that's hindsight. BikeE's employees were trying to save their dream. They were caught between
>creditors that wanted repayment--including me, a shortage of cash and a slow economy.
>
> To me, they behaved exactly as a good basketball team that is 20 points down with five minutes to
> go. They didn't count failure as an option. If that's a crime, I'd be pleased to share a jail cell
> with such people.
Don't know what this means because I don't know(or care) about basketball, but assume it means
keeping things working until the last moment.
> Everyone is entitled to their own opiniuon. No one lost more from BikeE than I did. I miss those
> dollars very much. But I also miss that another US manufacturer dropped away. I am sad that
> several good people los ttheir jobs. And yeah, I feel badly for BikeE owners--which I am one of
> as well.
>
> But I am not bitter and I am not angry. Life is about exploration and adventure. These cannot be
> worthwhile without risk. I consider BikeE a valiant effort that ultimately failed, though my role
> was only as an investor. My attentions are now on BiGHA. I am very glad to have the chance to
> associate with everyone at BiGHA. I count as friends the people of BikeE as well. There's not one
> of that I would not entrust my wallet to.
>
To me BikeE proved that one could make and sell lots of 'bents, and they made a substantial dent on
the collective subconscious towards making "non- diamond frame bikes" more visible and mainstream.
Thanks for giving a different perspective to the conversation.
Happy trails to you and Bigha, rorschandt
