Or the business will become unprofitable and no one will do it.

netr0ute · on Aug 6, 2022

Where will the customers go to get their products?

analog31 · on Aug 6, 2022

I only know the Silca brand from a pump that I got for $5 at St. Vinnie's. There are dozens if not hundreds of bike pumps on Amazon and AliExpress, including many that seem like the same pump being sold under different brands like GOBUYMD and PROOGMEF. I imagine they manage their costs so they can afford to eat the returns. That's the future of retail.

If Silca goes out of business, someone will buy the brand, like Motobecane and Schwinn.

I got a good pump at Target. I was able to confirm that it works before buying.

Lio · on Aug 6, 2022

> If Silca goes out of business, someone will buy the brand, like Motobecane and Schwinn.

This is what has already happened. Silca was an Italian brand that went out of business when the owner died.

Josh Portner (the guy behind using dimples to market Zipp wheels) bought them[1].

As far as I know all the pumps and other accessories are now made in Taiwan or China by contract manufacturers.

I have some of their stuff. It’s OK but no better than stuff from, say, Leyzne or Topeak.

I would wager it’s come from the same contract manufacturer.

1. I believe they were friends. There’s a nice write up of the story online. Came across as a personal project to continue the brand.

notch656a · on Aug 6, 2022

The black market, where the sellers won't give two fucks about the law and they'll force you to pay with something irreversible like cash or crypto.

netr0ute · on Aug 6, 2022

That could actually be a win-win, since return fraudsters now have no method to do their work, and you have the opportunity to pay with anonymous methods.