Anyone into bicycles
 

I found this article it was an interesting read. I thought the auto industry was volatile.

The part that got me was the best American bicycle is still made by a well known name the same way his great grandfather used to build them.


http://allanti.com/articles/where-was-my-bike-made-pg328.htm

Hmm...never really thought about it! I'll have to go check my bike tomorrow. But I wouldn't be surprised if I found "made in China" somewhere.

Do you still ride your bicycle, soothappens? ^_^ I had a nice 5 mile drive a few weeks ago...well...it was nice until I got to the last mile...it was one of those hotter days...and I didn't have water with me...so I had to stop in the shade and rest for a while.

Maybe if my bike was made 60% in Spain it would have been a nicer ride than if it were made in China! :rolleyes: Hahhaa. Again, I'll have to check it tomorrow.

Thanks for posting this. I never put any thought into where my Felt was manufactured. Always thought it was here in the US.

Now I know....




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I used to race off-road. I still get on it a lot. Used to put about 10,000 miles a year (no joke) but not I maybe put 1,000. My bike was made in Waterloo Wisconsin by hand, that much I know for sure! :) But the Shimano parts are all China :(

I have a couple of old 10 speeds, one is a Raleigh Tour de France, they are great on paved roads. Its a mile from the house to the letter box, often its easier to jump on the bike to check the mail.

I have several bikes.

My Klein was mostly made in America, frameset, bottom bracket, crank arms, handle bars. The chain rings, front and rear derailuers, shifters were made in Japan. Rims were made in France but the wheels were assembled here in America.

My Miyata Alumicross is completely made in Japan.

I found a diamond back BMX frame for my son today. I thought it was an 80's model .....wrong made in Taiwan. That's how I found the article.

I grew up fixing up old Schwinn stingrays and the Schwinn phantom style bikes. I still collect bikes and that signature line would probably surpass the cars!
(to the wife's dismay ) :)

The article was kind of sad like your childhood memories where sold off. After seeing that the GT & Diamond Back where no longer made in California and the reminder that Schwinn and mongoose where long ago sold off , It made me smile to see that the Schwinn name is still part of the #1 hand built bikes in America.

As for the riding , Not so much since I moved to Texas the land of two seasons hot and hotter.

My 8 year old girl still gets a chuckle seeing dad try and wheelie the stingray though !! ;)

Yes - I worked in a bike shop in the mid 1990's everything (despite the label) was made abroad. I managed however to buy one of the last Titanium Rayleigh mountain bike frames that were made in the UK. So I've got a nice retro rigid in the garage that should be used more frequently...

I wouldn't however be too upset by something being built in China or where ever. We bought a 3 wheeler box bicycle (bakfiets) here to carry our three small children about. The frame has been beautifully made out of aluminium but it was assembled by a useless bunch of Dutch monkeys who seem to concentrate harder on creating an image than actually making their products work. I had to rebuild it.

Good article. I am just getting back into cycling. Well, I can't say I was ever heavily into it. Also, I am just look at it as some form of exercise. I bought a Schwinn High Plains Mountain 21 speed bike at my R/C clubs garage sale. I paid $10 for it. I think this one was US made in AL in about '91. Shortly there after they moved production to Tiawan.
I think a lot of manufactures, shoes, furniture etc. are finding out they need some base manufacturing in the country they sell to. I think some of the New Balance shoes are made in the US. Also some assembled in the US with offshore (china) components.
Anyways, bought a helmut, pedals with toe clips, water bottle and a mirror. I've rode it a few times. I'm trying to get my legs conditioned and use to shifting. I'll probably get a better seat, next.
Tom

Me too -- my wife would say I'm addicted. I have a US Klein also; I'm building it up now. It'll be my first bike with brifters. :grin:

My Raleigh Super Record is a lugged steel frame -- one of the early Japanese-made Raleighs. I love it. It's converted to single speed for commuting duty, and it's smooth as silk. Couldn't be happier with it. I also have a Raleigh road bike I bought for my wife to ride, a Waterloo Trek touring bike, a Belgian city bike, a Specialized carbon fiber frame (that needs built-up), a Specialized Stump Jumper mtb, an old Centurion road frame, etc... Oh, and a host of leather saddles I have picked up here and there. Love the Brooks (and Brooks-style) saddles!

I just sold a Schwinn World Tour road bike (one of the Japanese models) that I found in the trash and fixed up a bit. It was a solid bike. Also just gave a friend a single speed conversion based on a Gitane (French) frame that was pretty nice.

My frame wasn't listed. Its a Caloi (sp?) I have had it since 2002 with the parts being mostly shimano except a few bits and pieces brought over from my old GT timberline and Pacific.

Thats cool! Thanks for posting!

My road bike was made in Chattanooga TN. I actually took a tour of the plant back in 1997. After the plant tour and seeing how they test other bikes as well as their own. I was sold (Litespeed).

My Mountain bike was probably made in China though LOL! I don't care. It has always been a great bike. It is a dinosaur now anyway. Giant NRS1.

I have always been a fan of Serotta. But I never wanted to pay out $$$$ for the model I wanted.

Which reminds me.... I'm late for my morning ride!:D

The truth is that often items made in China, Taiwan, etc. are of better quality of those items made here or other countries. Labor is cheap so makers can spend more on the materials or equipment. And factory managers are often very strict. Sloppy works means lost contracts.

There was a time this was not all true, but China is the biggest manufacturing machine out there. I think were people still get hung up is that lets say a US built carbon bike cost $4,000 to purchase and the next year model was sent to China for production. That same bike will retail for the same if not more even though the cost to make dropped a significant amount.

I've got a relatively new Trek 520 touring bike. Welded steel frame which says "handmade in the U.S.A. Shimano components--bar end friction shifters, I hate those STI or whatever-they're-called shifters. Japanese made tires. We've also got two old (60's-70's) Shwinns--Typhoon and Hollywood, my Dad's and Aunt's when they were kids. Those are definitely U.S. made. After that, I don't know. We've got about 12 bikes total. I rode the 5 miles each way to school all the way through high school. I still try to ride, but not nearly as often now that schools over.

I've always favored USA made bicycles. My last three - I don't go through so many - are: Schwinn Paramount, built in Waterford Wisconsin using Italian made tubing (Columbus SLX). Then a Spectrum Ti, built in Massachusetts by Merlin Metalworks (before Litespeed bought them). Most recently a Comotion built in Eugen Oregon. I've put 110 miles on the Comotion in the last 4 days. About due for a new bike, as I got the Comotion in 2000 or so.

More power to you !! 110 miles in 4 days with hills all around and in the Texas heat !

The best part is "looking for a new one", you wore the bike out not the other way around !! :notworthy:

The most ironic thing I seen in the article was about Raleigh. Originally made in the U.K. bought by a U.S. company and now built in Asia.

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In college, I owned a Motobecane Super Mirage. Didn't see it on the list.

It was(is) a french bike...loved to try to say it with a french accent. :rolleyes:

Some guy with a shed in the back sold these bikes and built them to your specs while you waited! He measured my inseam and had me select a desired frame color of the correct size, them proceeded to have me pick our derrailleurs, rims, chain type, tires, seat, handlebars, etc...and I wasn't a bike nut, so my roomate helped with some of the decisions.

I would guess that aside from the frame, the components were Asian-made...

The only notable bike I have ever owned was a Maserati Racing 10 speed I won at a local sporing goods store in the late 70's. It was very tall and had snap on wheels.

The Chinese should be able to build a bike. Maybe not a Motobecane, Fortyonesixty or Cannondale but they can build a bike. Afterall, there's only about 20 million bikes in Beijing alone.

Bakfiets!!! I love those things. Check out this pic...there are at least three dogs on this box bike.

BTW, this was taken on Overtoom in Amsterdam.

Not so many hills on these rides, but yah, we got the heat thing going pretty good this year.

I have one of these I bought in 1984, still hanging up in my garage (unused in 10 years). It has all French components, IIRC

I got a frame off of nashbar and built it myself from mainly imported components. I guess its made right here in town then!

I used to ride my bike a lot more back in the day and I would probably never go crazy and buy a 'real' bike. In the future when I get an SUV i'm going to go out a lot more to enclosed areas or trails where I can ride without fear of being run over on the street.....

I have some US bikes in the stable. A Marin, a Cannondale Lefty, a Cannondale Fatty, a Trek. Taiwan made frames include Two Surly LHT's, a Surly Big Dummy, a Mini Fuji road bike, mid 70's Specialized Rockhopper. An older Trek 720 also made in USA.

Love my bike.


It gets used more then my car in the summer since it is my "daily driver" to work :D

Ditto! Except right now it is 95 degrees so its in my livingroom enjoying the AC :D while my 300e is taking the brunt. Also moved to a narrow twisty dangerous street so I'm pretty leery riding down it to our rec trails, especially since one of my good friends' mother was killed riding on a similar road when I was in high school.

Heat? Oh yeah! We're 200 mi south of you and the heat index was something like 110F yesterday. Last week, Thing One was beating on me the to start riding again...no way in this heat. I'd be a friggin' greasy spot on the road.

I have a 2001 Lemond Buenos Aires. It's a great bike! I have a very short 10 minute ride to work, but having a decent bike makes the commute a real pleasure. My bike has a "handmade in the usa" sticker on it, but I'm sure a bunch of the components are imported. Whatever.

I don't have a real good picture of it, but here's a lovely stock photo-just 'cuz pictures are nice.

http://www.climbtrees.com/wp-content...ires-bikes.jpg

Whats with the lack of spokes ? Weight reduction ? does it have any affect on handling ?

Nice bike .

I was confusing Plano for Llano that's where the hills came from. Still 110 miles , that would take me at least..........

hold on while I get the calculator :D

Why would you need another vehicle just to haul a stinkin' bike?? Seems strange to need an SUV, just for a bike.....when you have an SDL to haul it!??

I roll with my hybrid strapped to a dishtowel rack in the galley of my motorhome, or, I ride from home when not on-the-road. When I hardcore it, I'll get a trailer receiver on the Benz as I had on the 300SD and buy a top-shelf Saris. The best bike carrier money can buy.

Thanks. Yeah, I think it's both a weight reduction thing and a style thing. And, nope, no effect on handling; it handles really well. Before I got my lemond my experience with race bikes was limited to 10-speeds from the 70s and 80s, and when I first rode my bike it felt so effortless; as though I could just take off and ride it for a million miles without stopping. The difference between those old bikes and newer bikes is night and day; I never new how stable, smooth and under control a road bike could feel. And, my bike is also pretty darn fast, it's super fun to blow people on their bikes like they're standing still!