The Cranky Mechanic
The “Trickle Up Economics”
By Uncle Chad

I am sure we have all heard of “trickle down economics”. It is basically “the economic-political argument that the increases in the wealth of the rich are good for the poor because some of such additional wealth will eventually trickle down to the middle class and to the poor”. (Reference – Wikipedia).

Well, a wealthy couple goes into a bike shop and buys 2 new Cervelo R3’s with Campy Record, Lightweight wheels, gold plated allen bolts, and diamond studded water bottle cages. Maybe they even buy the whole store, or even the Cervelo Company, who knows. The store in return, pays its employees, who spend money and spur the economy. The owner, however, goes out and buys a 45 foot Hatteras and cruises the Bahamas! The employees had nothing to do with this!

I call this “trickle up economics”. It is basically “the economic-political argument that the decreases in the wealth of the poor are good for the wealthy because some of such additional wealth will eventually trickle up to the upper class and their boats”!

I recently went into a bike store to buy a cable for a derailleur. “Five bucks” said the poor cashier. “Five bucks” poor me screamed, (and yes, you know it, while doing a back flip off the Power Bar display, and sweat ball dripping off my nose). That cable can’t be more than a penny to make, maybe it’s a buck wholesale, tops. How it ever got to the point that so many intermediaries, (big word of the day), have up-charged items 100 percent so many times that prices have become ridiculous!

The TUT theory is that we poor lads pay the wealthy chaps high prices, so that they in turn can spend more and get a bigger boat! The owner of the boat company makes more per boat, and in return can buy a faster jet! The owner of the jet company can now buy a rocket ship and go to the moon, maybe deploy a satellite or low orbit Cisco router. Get my drift?? If someone could get a mtb course going on the moon, it would fulfill the destiny of the perfect economy, and would provide me, Obi One, and Hans Solo, with the ultimate satisfaction of having a small part in the overall knowledge that I had a small freakin investment in someone’s rocket ship..

John F. Kennedy’s one stated, “a rising tide floats all boats”. Five bucks a cable, is providing the gas to go into those boats.

Uncle Chad