This is a follow-up to the article I wrote the other day about the box cost for the OT-SP41 shift outer cable,
and since there was interest in it, I'm writing the continuation (the first part is here).
The content is "a shopping guide for buying at the cheapest per-unit cost,"
so this is an article aimed at trade professionals,
but I'm not personally benefiting from this in any way.
The part number for the 50m box-less version is Y6009858A,
and when I search for it, currently only this blog comes up.
Maybe it was an existence that wasn't widely known about.
The same applies if I search for Y6009858A in half-width characters.
While I'm at it, I should mention that on this blog
I deliberately write numbers and alphabets in full-width characters
even though I'm aware it makes the letter spacing look awkward,
because FC2's internal blog search distinguishes between full-width and half-width characters.
Or rather, not distinguishing them would be a system shortcut.
For example, if I do a blog internal search for "３０３" (full-width), articles about ZIPP's 303 come up,
but with "303" (half-width), not a single result appears.
This is for my own research purposes.
For ALEXRIMS I write "ＡＬＥＸＲＩＭＳ," and for SMART ENVE I write "ＳＭＡＲＴ ＥＮＶＥ" — it looks awkward,
but I'm doing it on purpose, so please don't mind.
The exceptions are website addresses
and recently things like wristwatch part numbers, which I write in half-width.
By the way, if you do a blog internal search for "やーめーろー,"
you can extract a little archive
where I've scooped the actual measured weight of rims.
Anyway,
Shimano's SP41 shift outer cable originally came in two colors: black and high-tech gray.
For the 50m box version, the part numbers are Y6009858・・・, and the last digit is
80 for black and 90 for gray.
Then, many years later, outer cables in colors other than black and gray came out,
and these were assigned last digits of 81–86.
Also, the box-less version is black only, with the last digit being 8A.
After investigating, I found that the box-less specification is (currently) black only.
If in the future box-less versions were to be released in other colors,
last digits 8B–8H might be assigned to white through orange,
and 9A to gray, following that kind of pattern.
Separate from the 50m box version, there is also a 25m box version.
This one seems to have relatively low usage frequency
and comes in only five colors other than black, gray, and white,
with part numbers matching the 50m box version up to Y6009858・・・
and last digits 91–95 assigned to blue through orange.
Considering the possibility that a white outer 25m box version might be released in the future,
I think it would have been better to assign last digits 92–96 to blue through orange,
but there might be internal reasons at the manufacturer for not wanting to leave gaps in the part numbers.
Further, there is also a 10m bag version (not in a box).
For this one, after part number Y6Y19800・・・
the last digits 10–80 line up all eight colors,
and gray is also a continuation from black's part number.
The box for the 25m version is the same box as the 50m version.
It would have been too much hassle to separately create
a slimmer box and reel just for the 25m specification.
After all, this box is valued at about ¥5,000 including tax!
↑I've listed the pre-tax list prices for the different lengths of OT-SP41.
Today is June 30th, but I've confirmed that SP41 shift outer cable in all lengths
are not included in tomorrow's Shimano product
price increase price revision list,
so I'm using the prices as of July 1, 2020.
When I calculated the per-meter unit price (rounded down),
there wasn't much difference, but for some reason the 25m box version
came out as the cheapest.
From here, treating the box as having an evaluated cost of ¥4,602 (pre-tax)
and calculating the per-meter unit price from the shift outer cable price alone after deducting the box cost,
↑I got this result.
The per-meter price for the 25m box version has become outrageous.
Well, that logic is wrong, I expect someone might say,
so let me mention upfront that
the problem is that I'm applying the premise of
"treating the box as having an evaluated cost of ¥4,602 (pre-tax)"
to things other than the 50m black version.
But for the 50m black version specifically,
it's a fact that the per-meter unit price is ¥130.
To conclude,
・Black → buy the 50m box-less version
・Gray and white → buy the 50m box version
・Other colors → buy the 25m box version
turns out to be the cheapest per-unit cost.
and since there was interest in it, I'm writing the continuation (the first part is here).
The content is "a shopping guide for buying at the cheapest per-unit cost,"
so this is an article aimed at trade professionals,
but I'm not personally benefiting from this in any way.
The part number for the 50m box-less version is Y6009858A,
and when I search for it, currently only this blog comes up.
Maybe it was an existence that wasn't widely known about.
The same applies if I search for Y6009858A in half-width characters.
While I'm at it, I should mention that on this blog
I deliberately write numbers and alphabets in full-width characters
even though I'm aware it makes the letter spacing look awkward,
because FC2's internal blog search distinguishes between full-width and half-width characters.
For example, if I do a blog internal search for "３０３" (full-width), articles about ZIPP's 303 come up,
but with "303" (half-width), not a single result appears.
This is for my own research purposes.
For ALEXRIMS I write "ＡＬＥＸＲＩＭＳ," and for SMART ENVE I write "ＳＭＡＲＴ ＥＮＶＥ" — it looks awkward,
but I'm doing it on purpose, so please don't mind.
The exceptions are website addresses
and recently things like wristwatch part numbers, which I write in half-width.
you can extract a little archive
where I've scooped the actual measured weight of rims.
Anyway,
Shimano's SP41 shift outer cable originally came in two colors: black and high-tech gray.
For the 50m box version, the part numbers are Y6009858・・・, and the last digit is
80 for black and 90 for gray.
Then, many years later, outer cables in colors other than black and gray came out,
and these were assigned last digits of 81–86.
Also, the box-less version is black only, with the last digit being 8A.
After investigating, I found that the box-less specification is (currently) black only.
If in the future box-less versions were to be released in other colors,
last digits 8B–8H might be assigned to white through orange,
and 9A to gray, following that kind of pattern.
Separate from the 50m box version, there is also a 25m box version.
This one seems to have relatively low usage frequency
and comes in only five colors other than black, gray, and white,
with part numbers matching the 50m box version up to Y6009858・・・
and last digits 91–95 assigned to blue through orange.
Considering the possibility that a white outer 25m box version might be released in the future,
I think it would have been better to assign last digits 92–96 to blue through orange,
but there might be internal reasons at the manufacturer for not wanting to leave gaps in the part numbers.
Further, there is also a 10m bag version (not in a box).
For this one, after part number Y6Y19800・・・
the last digits 10–80 line up all eight colors,
and gray is also a continuation from black's part number.
The box for the 25m version is the same box as the 50m version.
It would have been too much hassle to separately create
a slimmer box and reel just for the 25m specification.
After all, this box is valued at about ¥5,000 including tax!
↑I've listed the pre-tax list prices for the different lengths of OT-SP41.
Today is June 30th, but I've confirmed that SP41 shift outer cable in all lengths
are not included in tomorrow's Shimano product
so I'm using the prices as of July 1, 2020.
When I calculated the per-meter unit price (rounded down),
there wasn't much difference, but for some reason the 25m box version
came out as the cheapest.
From here, treating the box as having an evaluated cost of ¥4,602 (pre-tax)
and calculating the per-meter unit price from the shift outer cable price alone after deducting the box cost,
↑I got this result.
The per-meter price for the 25m box version has become outrageous.
Well, that logic is wrong, I expect someone might say,
so let me mention upfront that
the problem is that I'm applying the premise of
"treating the box as having an evaluated cost of ¥4,602 (pre-tax)"
to things other than the 50m black version.
But for the 50m black version specifically,
it's a fact that the per-meter unit price is ¥130.
To conclude,
・Black → buy the 50m box-less version
・Gray and white → buy the 50m box version
・Other colors → buy the 25m box version
turns out to be the cheapest per-unit cost.