posted by pje on september 03, 1998 at 17:19:11:
in reply to: re: My New Etralight posted by Federico Larco on august 14, 1998 at 09:08:03:
: : Just to put some people's fears to rest, I just took delivery of a new 51cm Extralight and it is perfect. Rides beautifully, every weld is gorgeous, the new red decals look snazzier than the old white ones, and did I mention the ride?
: : One question -- Merlin has remained true to form as long as I can remember in that it has made evolutionary progress with its bikes because fundamentally they are some of the best designed and produced machines in the world. With 5 new models coming out and a 50% larger sales staff are we going to end up with yet another "flavor of the year" bike company that is more interested in selling hype then building great machines? Buying a Merlin is a major investment on the part of any owner -- it took me 4 years to save for mine. However, I know that because of the way the bike is built and designed it will still be just as wonderful 4 years from now. Will that be true of your new models? I cannot figure out how you could add five new models to the line without either going down-scale, becoming redundant or falling prey to fads. I'd be interested in what the people at Merlin have to say about this.
: : Jason D.
: That's a great question Jason!
: I want to reassure you that Merlin will continue to develop products in an evolutionary manner. We are not interested in nor do we ever intend to become the "flavor of the month".
: The fact that we are introducing 5 new models is not a sign that we are departing from this concept. Two of the five new bikes are derivative designs from previous Merlin models (ex. 650 Triathlon bike), and the remaining three designs are bikes that incorporate licensed technology. For example, most of you have read that Merlin has licensed Cannondales's Head Shock. In this case we have incorporated our tube set expertise with Cannondale's suspension technology, to deliver a bike that no other Ti company can offer. We are also going to be introducing a rear suspension system (for cross-country bikes) that will be available with or without the headshock. Therefore, the magnitude of our new models for 1999 is derived from derivative designs (evolutionary) and the incorporation of licensed technology that provide Merlin customers with top of the line performance products. As I am sure you can see, these products are far removed from the "flavor of the month" concept and are in line with Merlin's evolutionary design philosophy - always focused on performance and quality.
: As far as our 50% increase in our sales department … The reason for this is simple. We at Merlin are very excited about growing our business (through new innovative products, brand promotion, … etc.), and in doing so we must maintain the high level of customer service that customers expect from us.
: I hope this calms your concerns and gives you confidence that the ride characteristic that you and every Merlin customer experiences will remain intact.
: Ride on!!
: Thanks,
: Federico
:
Federico!! What is Dan Fox up to these days? Has he gone back to university? Dan was such a great representative for Merlin I am wondering if by chance he is still "in the background" somewhere in Merlin-Land! pje