Hello,

I joined the site recently and contacted the site regarding advertizing and its policy on postings. I was not contact back but I am having any post I make deleted because I have a company that competes with Mad Rock. If the sites Policy is to not allow anyone to post that is in any way in competiton with a contributor they should post this clearly so that members know the information provided is manipulated by the people running the site to favour. I hope someone from the site will at least contact me. Many of my posts were simpy informative regarding members questions.

Joe

Joe,

Care to take the time to give some history on Climb X?

Is Climb X a manufacturer?
Where is the gear manufacured?
Did Climb X manufacure gear FOR Mad Rock, or is it a splinter OFF Mad Rock?
What caused the split with Mad Rock?
Is it a split from Mad Rock International or South Africa?

Why should he have to do that?
The question is a fair one: why are all the posts being deleted? I'd like to know the answer to that one too.

To humor my curiosity,
And perhaps to win me as a potential buyer.

But if its classified information I'll understand.

@Hann, as Joe has brought this up and has a few accusations to throw around, I'll fill in some of the details until the moderators wake up from their weekend.

If you google-around a little bit you will find that until Jan 2010 Joe was the international sales manager and US GM, for the Mad Rock group based out of Santa Fe Springs, LA. Joe and Mad Rock parted ways in early Jan and 2 weeks later a ClimbX catalogue with what appears to be photo-shopped re-logo'ing was released. A sad way for it to end for someone who was with Mad Rock right from the beginning in 2002.

ClimbX claim to have production facilities in China - incidentally the (now) ex factory of Mad Rock - however no one has actually seen a pr of ClimbX shoes in the flesh, and you can't buy a pr online either. Late last year Mad Rock moved their factory from China to Vietnam, and the cost implications are already evident (you can now buy a pr of Mad Rock Drifter's for R600 and Demons for R999! (admittedly the strong rand helps). As this is a non-advertising post, if anybody would like info on which stores are stocking these (and others...there are 11 models of Mad Rock available in SA) they are welcome to mail me: tristan@madrock.co.za).

Considering Vietnam's wealth of textile expertise, quality increases were also a motivating factor.

On the subject of quality, the ClimbX media-mill has certainly been busy - the slander can be googled - but what they fail to point out is that the highlighted failings were all under the watchful eye of the man now launching ClimbX.

*Shrug*

In a free economy competition is a healthy stimulant. If Joe feels that the masses of climbers here on the Southern Tip of Africa can positively contribute to his legal bill regarding patent, copyright and intellectual-property infringements (among others) which he and his ex employer are currently embroiled in, then he's welcome to come play in this market.

@Joe, no Scott (and I) have no vested interest nor any advertising related bargaining power over ClimbZA. Their policy regarding an advertising free forum is spelled out in their terms and conditions. Perhaps Justin used the same email address that I have for you...the one that bounces these days? BTW, considering your helpfulness in the past a simple email to me would have helped you with most all the beta you currently trying to find via a forum...

So the truth comes to light.

I figured those shoes on his website looked rather photo-shopped.

No wonder JohnF was so touchy about my question concerning the history. Guess JohnF is somehow invested in the interests of this... bootlegged ... company

Busy forum this morning I see - The reason for the late response is that the power in Montagu has been off for most of today.



Dear Joe,

What you have stated above is simply not true. We have never received any correspondence from you regarding advertising on ClimbZA.

On the 21st of April you registered as a user and posted 4 times in four different threads on the forum in the span of about 30 minutes.
3 of those posts were blatant advertising and we simply deleted all your posts for this reason.

I have emailed you directly with our ad rates.
Look forward to hearing back from you.
Justin

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Climb ZA - Administrator

You guess wrong.

Oh JohnF.
A debate wizard within our midst.

So what is the deal?
How are you connected to this company?
And again, what is the top secret history of this company?

I've heard one side of the story (hence my venom).
I encourage you to bring the ClimbX side to the table.

@ Justin

Power...ah it's a wonderous thing. I too was sans power this morning and eventually my fruit died and I was left to wonder about the 'busy forum'. It has been a while...do you think Snort is ok? Maybe we should check, haven't had a good forum in a while

On the subject of power, while we were both electrically-powerless, it would seem that I hold great power - I seem to remember that City Rock had a few threads pulled due to conceived 'advertising' within and as they are, some might argue, also a would be competitor to me it would substantiate the sway which perceivably (sp?) I hold in the ClimbZA fringes.

Still on the subject of power, as soon as my industrial espionage is complete I will have blueprints to the pebble-bed reactor, and I know of an old disused eskom plot...I recon it'll be lank lucrative...and I'll start out by dissing all and sundry...but I'll hook you guys in the farm-lands up no sweat

@Tristan

That was the funniest thing I've read all day!

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I hate this real world place... I'd be more than happy to live out there rather...

I hope its not the Koeberg pebble bed reactor, that thing shut down years ago. Its now just a bunch of hamsters running in wheels. Every time the Eskom bunch forget to feed them they die and we lose power.

This sucks, I have had 2 mondays this week and am still at work because I was trolling this site and googleing(sp?) dodgy entrepreneurs and now haven't finished my work.

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Fat men are harder to kidnap

What interests me in all of this talking about talking is who is and who isn't:

So the local distributor-much liked by the industry and SA climbers in general- is defending his products reputation while the oke that was sell it internationally simply talks about talking about his knock off goods. What amazes me is Joe chose our forum to get involved in. Does he not know that there are only about 5000 climbers in RSA and there are bigger markets like EU and USA? so he must have gone down those roads already, and they told him to take a hike... leading him to us and the other minnow climbing communities

looking over all of this are other distributors: some of which i am sure would consider taking Climb X up...

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If you aren't willing to solve your own problems, how can you expect others to?

what is also very apparent is that local distributors do not like stiff competition. if climbX can get the ridiculously high prices we have to pay for climbing shoes down to something closer to US and EUR prices they might just enjoy a lot of support
i think the only brand that retails on an almost parity basis is evolv (still about 10-20% more expensive than US?)

@ Joe, between these two threads all the current distributors have posted. A mail to me would have gotten their details to you significantly easier, if for no other reason than courtesy to your hospitality during my stay in LA two years ago.

However, on the plus side you can now see that Robert will do anything (climbing related) - and they are conveniently situated on a street corner - and I think you guys will get along like peas in a pea-pod...no, maybe a tri-cam in a pea-pod...no - aliens in a pea-pod

---------

@Mok I think that your beta is somewhat outdated. Robert has, in other threads, explained (some of) the factors affecting gear cost in SA - he does, after all, have an MBA - so I shan't re-hash. However, a visit to your nearest retailer will reveal:
- Drifters @R599 (currently not available online in the states)

- Flash (arguably the country's best seller) @R745 odd - this is 2% more than in the states

- Con-Flict (one of the most sought-after bouldering shoes) @R945 odd - this is 3% cheaper than in the states

- Demon (the premier steep technical shoe) @R999 odd - this is 5% cheaper than in the states

NOTE:
These prices are current and may not be current at your retailer if they are using Summer 2010 stock (which cost them more, 'cos it cost me more). The calculations are based on a Rand/Dollar of R7.5 which is today's, and duties of 30%. HOWEVER I have NOT factored shipping or VAT in to the US prices as that would vary on how you chose to get it here and does not offer a direct comparison. So, in reality, the saving is greater.

The savings should illustrate EXACTLY why Mad Rock chose to move their production from China to Vietnam and the benefits we have of being able to ship from Vietnam to South Africa.

Now THAT is Mad evolution.

oooohhh, if that's not marketing i dunno what is

mad rock flash on pure parity: US$75 @ R7.5/US$ = R563. now that is what my equivalent US climbing buddy is paying i.e. i fork out 32% more
evolv pontas lace-up: US$130 = R975 which is pretty close to the around R1100 (?) I'd be paying at City Rock

so when my non-existent cousin working in Canada comes home for Christmas holidays I'll happily ask her to ferry some mad rocks over........

U know, just the way this thread started - all piss and brimstone - and now seems to continue...is putting me off to buying most of the blatantly advertised gear so far...

So, while the 2 dogs are fighting over the bone, I'll just go ahead and support the gear I came to trust and love over the years:
5.10 anasazis - best all round shoes like ever
mamut ropes, and bluewater ropes
evolv predator - best downturned shoe
black diamond atc xp
petzl tri-act biners
wild country quickdraws
metolius chalk
edelrid harnesses
McDonalds hashbrowns
Wimpy coffee

I would just like to take this opportunity to thank all my sponsors - they've been great, even though I still didn't figure out how to climb hard yet. I'm still looking for the shoe that'll make me climb 30...
If any of you geargods can get me a pair of those, I'll take it! as sponsorship ofcourse...

Yo Dacaveman i was reading your list with interest until i reached your last item, at which point i realised you are completely and utterly misled!

WIMPY COOFFEE??!! What a philistine

Since I'm jacking it anyways, here goes:

Who calls their restaurant Wimpy anyway?

wtforks up with that name?

Maybe we should try wimpyXshoes, or madwimpyrocks...

wimpy harnesses...wimpy ropes and biners...and fairy shoes... ok, I'll stop now

@m@: philistine!!?? who's your sponsordaddy then? damn you rooibos guys! i don't believe in this redbushes capuchino you're getting high on! its a placibo for the real thing: caffeine! there's going to be a sponsor war yet...
ps: the cuppa joe gets a mention due to the few sends i did being high out of my bracket on tripple esspressossss(sp?)

Interesting how ClimbXGear starts the thread and then disappears off the radar.

Hey Justin....you censoring him again?

Nope, not I !
I got an email from him asking "Who are the owners of the website and company?"
That's it...

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Climb ZA - Administrator

hey hann, passop vir hierie joe oukie - hy bang ons nie, my bra...

Nou waar is die knaap.
Laat ons hoor wat hy te sê het.

Ek moet sê, ek brand van nuuskierigheid....

Hy't seker sy troepe gaan bymekaar maak. GROUND!!!

janee, gogga!
in slowmow!

Did not disapear, could not access the site here in the USA.

1) Shoes are avialable in Europe right now and have been for over a month. The company is older but the brand is new.

2) Shoes and products are shipping to US shops this week and next.

3) Sales on the website will begin after dealers orders are filled. Fair is fair, approx 1 week till shipping orders placed on the site.

4) Several international customers hve been to the factory. I'll post photos for you as soon as I figure out how to do it here on the site and if its allowed and wont cause any deletions.

5) Deleted posts. One of them in this catagory was a reqest for information about distributors in SA. None of them were advertizing. If the site wants to think this so they can sleep better thats ok with me, its their site and i've already seen they can do wht they like with it.

6) I dont know much about this Wimpy Coffee but if its good I'll trade a pair of shoes for some. This might also resolve the issue of if the shoes really exist. Hann, go get me some coffee and I'll send you some shoes. No, im not kidding. If Han does not take me up of the offer I will accept it from somebody else. PM me.

Joe

I wouldnt trade my wimpy coffee for anything! seriously, Joe, it's sold as take-aways only (ie not sold by the bean/bag), thus we cannot send you any (assuming you live in the US), so unless you'll accept a parcel stained with coffee and an empty cup...

I'm willing to send it to you for a pair of shoes though - I wear size 12(uk) (PS, its probably not on the level of starbucks or anywhere close!)

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Climb ZA - Administrator

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Climb ZA - Administrator

..... ...... pants on fire!!!