EU referendum, brexit and the aftermath

https://www.superstarcomponents.com/en/v3-front-hub-32-hole.htm

They do machine some of their own kit, that probably qualifies for the FTA.

But they don’t have the ability to limit inventory sold online to ROO qualifying products to customers from the EU. As trivial as that sounds it’s a big job to implement especially over the holidays.

Also they'll need to document and certify which of their products qualify.

Oh dear.

https://mobile.twitter.com/chrisapplegate/status/1345798058483789830

I'm wondering about the provenance of the original aluminimum forgings.
I don't have experience of the UK metal-bashing industry to know if there are
UK forges for aluminimum hubs.

Had to be Allardyce.

My club is a fucking laughing stock right now.

Amazing.

Would the machining not count as a “substantial transformation”? I think it would, whereas knocking bearings and seals into machined hub bodies would not.

Almost certainly, depending upon how the FTA with the EU was written.
And it is better for UK plc that the hubs are machined here rather than
(presumably) in China, Taiwan or South Korea.
But within the retail price of £35,
the most value dense components are probably the bearings.
(Again I do not know if there are any UK Bearing manufacturers, but I doubt it).
The return journey from Lincoln to Manchester for the anodising will also add cost.
The machining although the determining step from transforming an intricate aluminium forging into a working bike hub, may only be a small percentage, (single figures?),
of the value accruing under ROO.

Good points, I'd not considered the % value of the bearings. If they're any good they're going to be a substantial chunk as you say.

i hadn't realised they were based in lincoln, i'm from there originally so i'll be more inclined to buy their products!
interesting to see that they do small batch CNC stuff as well
https://www.superstarcomponents.com/en/news/httpswwwsuperstarmanufacturingcom/

I expect a lot of the courier hassle to sort itself out (bar Dutch bike bits they just won't be bothered)

I saw eBay is just taking the VAT on sales which means it's no hassle to sell on there, but how that will affect used clothes sales (my little hobby, wardrobe refreshes) I will find out soon... NI > GB is no longer a free market as it was. The 20% can put people off, or perhaps they think it won't come at all...or perhaps they don't think about anything and just buy it or not buy it and buy in GB. IDK.

But what people won't see after the initial chaos is all the companies that quietly fold or move production elsewhere... "See, it was just project fear!!" unless somebody track it all.

Ha,
I'm only a page ahead of you.
I clicked on @Brommers link and read about the anodisers in Manchester.
I had to click on the 'About Us' to find where they are based.

Lincoln had a brief period when it was a manufacturing hub as farms first mechanised.
You'll remember the vast factory that became the Jackson Shipley HQ.

I'm wondering if Superstar have a historic link back to those days?

yes, i had pals that worked for Jacksons and my dad worked for ruston-bucyrus. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruston-Bucyrus

Ha,
(again), to complete a circle.
I commuted on the Underground as a schoolboy to Hillingdon (for Swakeleys), Station
at what is now the A40 underpass superceding the old Hillingdon Circus traffic lights,
(now only for local traffic). A vacant lot, bounded by the railway line and the former route of the A40, was it transpires the/a southern depot for Ruston Bucyrus.

As I was walking along, taking the kids out for their round the block constitutional, I was pondering how shit everything is.

Then I remembered that we could be in a no deal nightmare now, on top of all the rest.

So, although Brexit is absolutely fucking shite, I would like to write down how glad I am that it isn't just that much more abysmal.

Careful.

@mashton - steady on

no deal nightmare

Could still go that way couldn't it? If the government decides to flaunt/circumvent the level playing field rules and the EU take it badly?

oh, the brooks story was fake news apparently...
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/brooks-england-distributor-reacts-to-stories-claiming-saddle-sales-to-the-uk-have-stopped-due-to-brexit-487164

although didn't the original news come from their own website?

oh, the brooks story was fake news apparently...

Distorted news definitely, but they recognise that orders placed in the UK via Brooks’ own website are stuffed. They basically confirm that UK buyers can’t get products directly from Brooks like the rest of the world, we need to go through Extra UK, who, by the way, have a terrible b2b website that they should get redone.

I mean, the statement is still on Brooks' site here: https://www.brooksengland.com/en_eu/uk-shipping-notice

+1 on Extra UK's site looking pretty useless. Are they trying to say that UK consumers would generally go to their site over the actual Brooks site? Why isn't there a link to Extra UK's site as part of the statement on Brooks' site?

as I understand it, extra UK is a distributor not a shop.
brooks saddles will still be available to retail from stockists via extra UK.

Yep Extra is a distributor. As long as you order from anywhere in the UK other than direct via Brooks’s website you’ll probably be fine.