Article - Tale of Two Bells - Counterfeiters

[AUbicycles]

This is a good read if you are interested about manufacturing and copycats - written by James Huang for CyclingTips.

It looks at a new US brand called Spurcycle who launched a 'premium' bell on kickstarter and a counterfeiter called Rock Brothers who copied the entire designed and can sell for much cheaper.

What Rock Brothers apparently did was take a Spurcycle apart, and then reproduce every single component. Even the Rock Brothers packaging is a direct copy of the original, using an identically sized box, identical imagery, and even almost all the text repeated verbatim.

Article: A tale of two bells: Spurcycle vs. the counterfeiters

[find_bruce]

Tough lesson for spurcycle about the intricacies of patent law

[bigfriendlyvegan]

I bought a few Rock Brothers ones after my riding mates started showing up with Spurcycle bells. They seem like the same quality to me and only about $15 AUD delivered. I have no problem with it.

[Scott2468]

I decided to comply and put bells on my bikes, so I bought one Rock Bros bell from Shenzhen for $9 delivered.

It turned up within two weeks and is a cracker. Pings beautifully and loud, looks neat & discreet. So I just bought five more in various colors to match my steeds.

Sorry Spurbells but I couldn't justify 200 odd bucks just to keep Unc Dunc happy.

[MichaelB]

Interesting read, but also a good lesson in a good idea doesn't always make a good business.

Love the misprint on the box though, typical asian copycat where they haven't taken 5 seconds to get the english at least half right.

The 'artisan' movement is catching ion in cycling, and imho, this is seen nowhere better than the 'artisan' jerseys, with some outlets demanding $200+ for a jersey Yesa it's nicer than some of the $30 knockoffs, but really ?

Cycology is now my go to brand - good designs, great product and Aussie company. Prenda's are the next cab off the rank.

[QuangVuong]

There are some differences between the Spur and the knockoff Rockbros, but not enough for me to justify a whole extra $50+. I own a knockoff bell. Not even a Rockbros, but a knock off of a Rockbros bell. Plain box packaging, and there's no logo on the metal bands. The bell itself is noticeably thicker than a real one, and the hammer did have some issues at first, but it serves a purpose as a bell. This is what it looks like, and yes that is a painted finish. Also note hall the brass hammer doesn't even fit too well in the hammer spring.


James called it a, 'uncharacteristically flimsy lever' which stopped after 5 rides as the hammer doesn't spring back. While that is a small issue, it can be easily rectified by reshaping the hammer spring. It starts out like this:


Then by bending back the left side of the hammer spring, it'll increase the return spring force. This will stop the hammer from being stuck when pulled back too far, and will make the bell louder too. At the same time U shaped bend can be squashed in so it is a better fit similar to the original bell.

[Thoglette]

The 'artisan' movement is catching ion in cycling, and imho, this is seen nowhere better than the 'artisan' jerseys, with some outlets demanding $200+ for a jersey Yesa it's nicer than some of the $30 knockoffs, but really ?

The trick is to have a deal with your own official, licensed "knock off" so that there's a little margin left in it for everyone.

I've done electronics for a very long time and can confirm having 'artisan' manufacturing really kicks your per-unit-cost where it hurts.

p.s. the rejects from the knock-off shops get sold for scrap. To the highest bidder. Who may or may not put them back on sale on e-bay. Caveat Emptor.

[TheShadow]

This is a good article. I've looked for a good bell since the one that came with my road bike broke its useless, flimsy little coil spring some 18mths ago, and all I could seem to buy was something that didn't look much better for about the price of the Amazon/RockBros rip-off. So I got that, plus several better looking ones from Bike24, which were still similar in style and design. Yes they do the job, and they're cheap, I'm really not in love with them but imho they are better value and price than these cheap RockBros knock-offs.

FWIW, I was almost going to buy a Knog bell, but was unsure if it was as loud as I wanted it to be, and it looked like you have to remove bar tape and shifter to get it on (yes I am that lazy). I was also unsure if, as sleek as it looks, if that is the best use of the metal content to produce a loud noise... Was also unsure about hammer spring design and reliability. I like what I read about the Spurcycle.

I would strongly consider the Spurcycle, even at it's price. Unlike years ago, if you live in a city you have to ride a lot on cycle/shared/foot paths, rather than the road as I would prefer, and I find I actually use the bell a fair bit. I do not want the one with cheaper materials and less accurate machining that requires modification/repair after FIVE strikes of the hammer - not for $10, not even for $1. I have fixed, or tried to fix enough poorly made garbage for one lifetime and I've had enough of it. It's not even cheap garbage, it's over-priced garbage.

The final insult is Amazon (and whoever RockBros is, I wonder...) putting Spurcycle out of business. It's not enough they steal simply the marketing concept of targeting a good quality bicycle bell, or even that they copied the design. No, the biggest insult of all is that they couldn't even be arsed to make it the same quality, which they surely could have, and STILL made out like bandits - still probably putting Spurcycle out of business. So consumers can now mostly only buy CRAP bicycle bells, because I don't see how Spurcycle can survive this.

So, real, quality USA manufacturing attempts to make a product worth buying once again, and big corporate america (Amazon) f___ks them over, AND CONSUMERS, so they can make an insignificant extra amount of money for a day or two.

[}SkOrPn--7]

It's easy to see the the quality of the Spurcycle product side by side it stands out like dogs nuts and it must be tuff trying to deal with these issues. Even with a patent they can be worthless as well costly to setup and worse still to fight. I have been guilty of doing the same thing you purchase a well known brand product and find that the tolerances are poor or there is a better way of making it so out to workshop and presto a brand new item better than the original is born full of your tweaks. Ok yes I don't sell them or reproduce for others but in reality I'm guilty of copyright or even a patent.

Ricky

[}SkOrPn--7]

Well well well I just typed "Spurcycle bell" in ebay search and the first and only hit was "RockBros Ringer Bell". In that article they mention searching there not front and centre as a hit but no mention of Spurcycle in ebay in the method I did it.

http://tinyurl.com/jppzqj7

[eeksll]

I am quite torn on this one. When i purchased my rock bros bell, I think I paid about $15 and I thought that was pretty pricey for a bell. I thought I'd pay the extra 10 for the spur cycles and support the original maker, boy was I wrong

There was no way I was going to pay $50 for a bell, I'd buy 10 cheap $5 plastic bells and deal with the annoyances of them before I paid $50.

On one hand I don't like these cheap labour copies but the cost of the original completely prices me out of the market. Even if RB paid a license/royalty fee it would still be way cheaper than the original.

Spur cycles may be better made, but how many people would notice? Does it perform any differently? Does it need to be that well made?

[RonK]

I don't put cheap crap on my bikes and I wouldn't start with bells. I would rather have no bell at all than rubbish. I appreciate a high quality product and the care and original thought that went into the design and manufacture so I had no problem paying for two Spurcycle bells.

[mitzikatzi]

http://www.gcycles.com.au/product/spurcyclebell/

[bychosis]

So spur cycles made a few mistakes. Copy the bell design is one thing, but copying the box detail (without the brand name) and is a low act. Sure they can sell a cheap knockoff, but the amount of time that would have gone into designing a copycat box should have gone into designing their own box.

[daft1024]

I'm not across industrial law but isn't Rock passing off as spurcycle? Aside from the lack of patent's it seems by copying the packaging Rock are clearly trying to make people think they are buying a Spurcycle bell.

In Aus isn't this protected by the Trade Practices Act (or whatever this is called now)? It would seem that Spurcycle certainly should be able to at least prevent Rock using similar marketing?

I'm wondering if they simply couldn't be assed getting all legal on them?

[TheShadow]

I am quite torn on this one. When i purchased my rock bros bell, I think I paid about $15 and I thought that was pretty pricey for a bell. I thought I'd pay the extra 10 for the spur cycles and support the original maker, boy was I wrong

There was no way I was going to pay $50 for a bell, I'd buy 10 cheap $5 plastic bells and deal with the annoyances of them before I paid $50.

On one hand I don't like these cheap labour copies but the cost of the original completely prices me out of the market. Even if RB paid a license/royalty fee it would still be way cheaper than the original.

Spur cycles may be better made, but how many people would notice? Does it perform any differently? Does it need to be that well made?

The ones I got pretty cheap from Bike24 are "Nuvo n+1" with rubber o-ring attachments. The lbs sold me a "Nuvo Designed" (written in white letters on it) using a zip/cable strap attachment...for something like $10. I admit, the lbs seems to have sussed out what's reasonable value amongst the tsunami of junk floating around. I checked last night and at least the latter one mentioned seems to have a half decent looking hammer spring - it looks thicker, higher grade mild steel instead of some flimsy looking wire - more substantial looking than the pos one that broke on me originally. They work okay and at least it's not pretending to be more than it is, like the RockBros knock-offs.

[Storm Boy]

I'm waiting for someone to make a slim bell like Knog's (hint for Knog!) that is a head set spacer. It would save real estate on the bars and would potentially look better. It would perhaps be a little harder to reach but I'd buy one like a shot, whereas currently I have none.

Regards,

SB

[idler]

I have two Crane E-NE (a brass and an alloy) bells and a Rock Brothers. The Japanese made Crane are much higher quality and sound a lot nicer and louder, I got mine from BikeBug and they are around $30 each and I think actually worth it! Only negative with the Crane is that the bell dome is a little larger.

[bigfriendlyvegan]

I'm waiting for someone to make a slim bell like Knog's (hint for Knog!) that is a head set spacer. It would save real estate on the bars and would potentially look better. It would perhaps be a little harder to reach but I'd buy one like a shot, whereas currently I have none.

Regards,

SB

You could always use the HideMyBell Garmin mount: http://www.hidemybell.cc/en/

[idler]

I have a HideMyBell as well - its okay but mainly for show as its not very loud.

[li2099]

I have two Crane E-NE (a brass and an alloy) bells and a Rock Brothers. The Japanese made Crane are much higher quality and sound a lot nicer and louder, I got mine from BikeBug and they are around $30 each and I think actually worth it! Only negative with the Crane is that the bell dome is a little larger.

And I was thinking about getting a Crane-E bell from Bikebug as well but thought $30 a bell was dear.

[idler]

So did I - but didn't regret it in the end. I have seen them elsewhere priced at $40 or more.

[djw47]

Whilst I have sympathy for anybody who invests time and money in something and then loses out, you'd have to question the sense of selling a bell for so much in the first place. If it was a couple of bucks more with the nicer materials etc then they could maybe justify the price but when it's that much more, it's really difficult for an average purchaser to justify the purchase. At the end of the day, it's a bell, something that most people spending big bucks on a bike don't actually want anyway.

[RonK]

Whilst I have sympathy for anybody who invests time and money in something and then loses out, you'd have to question the sense of selling a bell for so much in the first place. If it was a couple of bucks more with the nicer materials etc then they could maybe justify the price but when it's that much more, it's really difficult for an average purchaser to justify the purchase. At the end of the day, it's a bell, something that most people spending big bucks on a bike don't actually want anyway.

Typical Aussie response - blame the victim. Serves him right for wanting a good return on his effort to design a quality product and bring it to market.

[AUbicycles]

Report noted and closed - don't feel that there is ill intention towards one another but if participants feel otherwise, please report again.