Fifty Plus (50+) - Bicycle brand country of origin

Just wondering if anyone knows of a web site that shows where the various bicycle marques have their bikes made. Is everything made in Taiwan and/or China?

"Is everything made in Taiwan and/or China?"

No, everything is not made in Asia. Worksman cycles is located in NYC,NY and has been for the last 100+ years in the cycle business.

No, everything is not made in Asia. Worksman cycles is located in NYC,NY and has been for the last 100+ years in the cycle business.

Well, that is true, but they are strictly a "boutique" manufacturer, and do not make mass produced bikes.

But I think it is very safe to say, that nearly every major bike name these days is made in Taiwan. If you want an American made or Italian made bike, you will pay dearly for it these days. You have to go back to the late 80's - early 90's to see mass produced bikes made in the USA, Japan, or Italy...

I believe the higher end Madone frames are still made in the USA.

Cannondale was made in the US of A until just a couple of years ago (2008/2009).

I got called all sorts of names in the road bike forum for answering a similar question. I read an engineering white paper a while back that had to do with carbon fiber manufacturing that focused on the automotive and bicycle industry. The article said that most of the European bikes are manufactured in their perspective countries. The term "Manufactured" can mean a few things. It can mean that all the parts are manufactured in a specific country or it can mean that some parts are manufactured elsewhere but the item is assembled in a specific country. So if the bike has Shimano or SRAM components, we know that not all of the bike was manufactured by that specific country. It's like saying that American cars are made in the USA when transmissions and many of the engine and interior parts are made overseas or in Canada and Mexico.

According to the white paper, European manufactures do not outsource as much as Americans do. So I am assuming that low to middle end frames and forks are made in Taiwan and China and that their higher end frames are made in their respective countries. Now lets see how bad I get bashed on this forum.

Trek's FAQ says their high end bikes are still built in the USA. Of course that says nothing about where the components and material are sourced.

http://www.trekbikes.com/faq/questions.php?questionid=90

Is my bike made in the USA?

We continue to produce many of our bicycles in the US with a focus on our higher-end OCLV carbon fiber offerings. All of our bikes are designed and engineered at our headquarters in Waterloo, Wisconsin though select road, ATB, comfort, hybrid, urban and kids’ bikes are produced by Trek-specific overseas vendors. Bicycles produced overseas follow the same stringent quality standards as our domestically built bikes. No matter where your bike is produced quality is stock on every Trek built.

My 2012 7.3fx was made in China

218336

Just wondering if anyone knows of a web site that shows where the various bicycle marques have their bikes made. Is everything made in Taiwan and/or China?

No, but a bicycle is an assembly of parts, and those parts can come from all over, so it's hard to determine where it's made. Here is an example, Opus buys components from Shimano that are made in Malaysia, then combines that with a frame made in Taiwan, and does the assembly work in Canada, so where is it made?

................ so where is it made?

Earth?

I got called all sorts of names in the road bike forum for answering a similar question. I read an engineering white paper a while back that had to do with carbon fiber manufacturing that focused on the automotive and bicycle industry. The article said that most of the European bikes are manufactured in their perspective countries. The term "Manufactured" can mean a few things. It can mean that all the parts are manufactured in a specific country or it can mean that some parts are manufactured elsewhere but the item is assembled in a specific country. So if the bike has Shimano or SRAM components, we know that not all of the bike was manufactured by that specific country. It's like saying that American cars are made in the USA when transmissions and many of the engine and interior parts are made overseas or in Canada and Mexico.

According to the white paper, European manufactures do not outsource as much as Americans do. So I am assuming that low to middle end frames and forks are made in Taiwan and China and that their higher end frames are made in their respective countries. Now lets see how bad I get bashed on this forum.

Yeah, well... In cycling, "where a bike is made" generally refers to where the FRAME was constructed. Not where it was finished, not where the bike was assembled, and not where the components came from. Which means that the vast majority of carbon go-fast bikes are made in Taiwan or PRC. This includes most of the well-known US and European brands.

Mentioning the auto industry in this is interesting. These are the same folks who got the Ford Crown Victoria (an all-American land yacht if there ever was one) classified as an import by sourcing many of the components from Ford plants in Windsor, Ontario, just across the river from Detroit. Why? As an "import" it didn't count in Ford's Corporate Average Fuel Economy numbers. So there's all kinds of ways to spin the "where it's made" question.

SP
Bend, OR

This might help some. Not a complete list and not as up to date as you might like.
http://wannabteam.co.za/?page_id=1422

I believe the higher end Madone frames are still made in the USA.If it says OCLV carbon, made in USA. If it says TCT or anything else, not USA.

Yeah, well... In cycling, "where a bike is made" generally refers to where the FRAME was constructed. Not where it was finished, not where the bike was assembled, and not where the components came from. Which means that the vast majority of carbon go-fast bikes are made in Taiwan or PRC. This includes most of the well-known US and European brands.

Mentioning the auto industry in this is interesting. These are the same folks who got the Ford Crown Victoria (an all-American land yacht if there ever was one) classified as an import by sourcing many of the components from Ford plants in Windsor, Ontario, just across the river from Detroit. Why? As an "import" it didn't count in Ford's Corporate Average Fuel Economy numbers. So there's all kinds of ways to spin the "where it's made" question.

SP
Bend, OR

Why the frame? Generally with products of all kinds, including a lot of food products, the country of production is where the most value was added, so if bicycle company X, buys $85 worth of parts from Malaysia, and a $100 frame from Taiwan, then has it assembled and boxed in the USA at a cost of $105 then it would be considered made in USA. The same bicycle assembled in China at a cost of $10.50 would be considered made in Taiwan. I think the last true made in USA bicycle was a Chicago Schwinn....

The prices do not reflect where they are made. Cannondale didnt drop their prices by outsourcing their frames.

The US National Bicycle Dealers Association reports (http://nbda.com/articles/industry-overview-2009-pg34.htm) that in 2010, 99% of all bicycles sold in the USA were imported from Taiwan or China. These bicycles are built up from components from those countries and other mostly Asian countries.

Item: SRAM is in the process of closing the internal gear hub factory (http://www.bike-eu.com/news/4712/sram-stops-hub-gear-production-in-schweinfurt-by-june-2013.html) in Schweinfurt, Germany - where IGHs have been manufactured since 1904 - and moving production to Dali, Taiwan. Reason? To massively shorten the supply line, as most European OEMs have moved their production to Taiwan or China.

Cannondale was made in the US of A until just a couple of years ago (2008/2009).

Cannondale is popular in Europe and a few years ago proudly proclaimed there too that it was made in USA. Has that changed?

Cannondale is popular in Europe and a few years ago proudly proclaimed there too that it was made in USA. Has that changed?

Yes, as of 2008-2010 or so.

http://urbanvelo.org/cannondale-closing-us-production-facilities/

Cannondale is popular in Europe and a few years ago proudly proclaimed there too that it was made in USA. Has that changed?

In Late 2008 Cannondale sold out to Dorel Corp, at the end of 2009 and early 2010 Cannondale moved all frame manufactoring to Asia. The CADD 9 was the last made in USA frame. (for Cannondale)

Generally with products of all kinds, including a lot of food products, the country of production is where the most value was added, so if bicycle company X, buys $85 worth of parts from Malaysia, and a $100 frame from Taiwan, then has it assembled and boxed in the USA at a cost of $105 then it would be considered made in USA.

Not true. "Made in USA" has a legal definition (http://business.ftc.gov/documents/bus03-complying-made-usa-standard) enforced by the Federal Trade Commission's Department of Consumer Protection. The definition is quite strict and this definition is different than "Country of Origin" for imported products.

In your example the manufacturer could legally claim "Assembled in USA from imported components".

Cannondale moving article:

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/cannondale-closing-us-production-facilities-21101

Heck, if you want to drill down even deeper, you might be surprised at how many brands (Felt, Jamis, Kona and Trek among others, including most of the BikesDirect brands) come from one manufacturer - Kinesis.

And drilling even deeper, where is the titanium, molybdenum, chromium, aluminum, etc. mined these days? Thanks to the EPA in the States, probably not in the USA. I understand Russia has the largest titanium reserves...

I have a 1996 Gary Fisher that proclaims "frame made in USA," but everything I've seen recently has been made in Asia somewhere. It's frustrating, but that's how it is.
For a good reference to the changes we've seen, watch a film like "The French Connection" (70's, I think), and notice what's in the car chases. Then watch a new film. That's as good a point of reference as any. I hope we do make a comeback in manufacturing. I"ve always believed it was better for us if we make our own stuff. That was Wal-Mart's philosophy, until Sam Walton died. I may find an old bike and build it up (out of Asian parts, DARN it), just to be different.
Steve B

I hope we do make a comeback in manufacturing.

The USA is by far the world's #1 manufacturing nation, producing almost 1.5X what #2 country (China, with over 4X the US population) does. With 4.5% of the world's population, the USA produces over 22% of the world's manufactured goods. The US's manufacturing sector, measured in constant dollars, is almost 2X what it was 40 years ago. If anyone wants to learn (gasp, I know, we're over 50), all these numbers are easy to look up.

Two points:
1) No, not as great a percentage of the US workforce is employed in manufacturing these days. And...not as many folks work on farms any more, either.
B) Bicycles are by-and-large 1890s technology.

Cannondale was made in the US of A until just a couple of years ago (2008/2009).

...except for those models that weren't.

[QUOTE=Wogster I think the last true made in USA bicycle was a Chicago Schwinn....[/QUOTE]

Right about the Schwinn part, but they moved their plant from Chicago to Greensville Mississippi around 1983. They made Travelers and a couple others there. lower end came mostly from China.

Not true. "Made in USA" has a legal definition (http://business.ftc.gov/documents/bus03-complying-made-usa-standard) enforced by the Federal Trade Commission's Department of Consumer Protection. The definition is quite strict and this definition is different than "Country of Origin" for imported products.

In your example the manufacturer could legally claim "Assembled in USA from imported components".

Here are two excerpts from that page:


A Made in USA claim can be express or implied.

Examples of express claims: Made in USA. "Our products are American-made." "USA."

In identifying implied claims, the Commission focuses on the overall impression of the advertising, label, or promotional material. Depending on the context, U.S. symbols or geographic references (for example, U.S. flags, outlines of U.S. maps, or references to U.S. locations of headquarters or factories) may convey a claim of U.S. origin either by themselves, or in conjunction with other phrases or images.

Example: A company promotes its product in an ad that features a manager describing the "true American quality" of the work produced at the company’s American factory. Although there is no express representation that the company’s product is made in the U.S., the overall — or net — impression the ad is likely to convey to consumers is that the product is of U.S. origin.

And


Does the FTC pre-approve Made in USA claims?

The Commission does not pre-approve advertising or labeling claims. A company doesn’t need approval from the Commission before making a Made in USA claim. As with most other advertising claims, a manufacturer or marketer may make any claim as long as it is truthful and substantiated.

So if this is the case, how do the auto makers get away with saying they manufacture American cars or that their cars are Made in the USA when many of their parts are imported? Even Cannondales that were marked "Made in the USA" wouldn't qualify, according to your post, because the drive components and other parts are imported.

I'm not trying to start a controversy here, but I am just curious as to how far a manufacturer can go in saying where the product was made. I read almost the entire page and, unless I overlooked it, it really did not specify any concrete requirements for Made in the USA.

To me, it isn't a big deal as I have two Giants and my wife's bike is also made in Taiwan, so no surprise there. According to Giant's web site, they are the second largest bicycle manufacturer in the world, so I am sure that they are making frame sets for quite a few of the major bike names, so I am not disagreeing as to where the frames are made.

Why the frame? Generally with products of all kinds, including a lot of food products, the country of production is where the most value was added, so if bicycle company X, buys $85 worth of parts from Malaysia, and a $100 frame from Taiwan, then has it assembled and boxed in the USA at a cost of $105 then it would be considered made in USA. The same bicycle assembled in China at a cost of $10.50 would be considered made in Taiwan. I think the last true made in USA bicycle was a Chicago Schwinn....

So, if you buy an Italian-made DeRosa steel frame, Japanese (well kinda anyway) Shimano Dura Ace group, French Mavic wheels, and have it assembled by your LBS, where was the bike made? I know what I'd say...

SP
Bend, OR

Well, that is true, but they are strictly a "boutique" manufacturer, and do not make mass produced bikes.



I'd be willing to bet a months pension check that if the Folk's at Worksman were to read that they are a ""boutique" manufacturer" they would be rolling all over the floor with laughter! :roflmao2::roflmao2::roflmao2::roflmao2:

""boutique" manufacturer" now that's a new one..................:roflmao2:

So, if you buy an Italian-made DeRosa steel frame, Japanese (well kinda anyway) Shimano Dura Ace group, French Mavic wheels, and have it assembled by your LBS, where was the bike made? I know what I'd say...

SP
Bend, OR

Most would go with Italian I think. I have a Chicago made Schwinn Paramount that is pretty much Italian made everything except the frame, but still would be american made in most opinions.

So if this is the case, how do the auto makers get away with saying they manufacture American cars or that their cars are Made in the USA when many of their parts are imported?

Link to example, please, where an automobile manufacturer makes a written claim that their car is "Made in USA"? Note: whether an automobile is considered an import or domestic for other government purposes (EPA, CAFE, "Buy American" Act, etc.) is defined differently. And automobiles, as complex manufactured products, are also covered by special "Domestic content" labeling requirements.


Even Cannondales that were marked "Made in the USA" wouldn't qualify, according to your post, because the drive components and other parts are imported.

Again, can you show where Cannondale ever claimed their bicycle was "Made in USA"? Note: Bike companies often use the trick of putting a "Made in USA" on their frame, and if pressed, will admit that they only mean the frame is made in USA. Deceptive, but legal.

Observe how cleverly Worksman Cycles waves the flag and dances around this (http://worksmancycles.aitrk.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/page52.html) without EVER claiming their bicycles are actually "Made in USA".


I read almost the entire page and, unless I overlooked it, it really did not specify any concrete requirements for Made in the USA.

Yep, you over looked it (http://business.ftc.gov/documents/bus03-complying-made-usa-standard): "For a product to be called Made in USA, or claimed to be of domestic origin without qualifications or limits on the claim, the product must be "all or virtually all" made in the U.S. 'All or virtually all' means that all significant parts and processing that go into the product must be of U.S. origin. That is, the product should contain no — or negligible — foreign content."

If that's not concrete enough for you, you can go read the last 30 years of case law and see how the FTC has been ruling on this.

The US federal government doesn't have any "origin of manufacture" police, and will only take action (and only sometimes) when someone (usually a competitor) raises a complaint. Companies get away with violating the "Made in USA" standard all the time. I've seen a number of bicycles with little American flag decals which said, in tiny lettering, FRAME DESIGNED IN USA. Obviously this sticker was meant to decieve consumers without risking anything more than a possible "cease and desist" order from the FTC.

Very very few carbon frames, high-end or otherwise, are made anywhere but the far east. Cervelo, for example, that prestige Canadian producer, has always had its frames built in China. Even steel frames will usually originate there. My Kona paddy wagon was shipped in direct from the far east, and the British-designed steel frame of my tourer was hand built in Taiwan. As for components, I was told a while ago that Campagnolo parts are now manufactured in Romania rather than Italy.

That's globalisation for you. It's all part of the remorseless transfer of wealth from labour to capital.

Lets take this to a different level.

If one was conceived (parents are US Citizens) in a Bahamaian registered ship on a cruise from Fort Lauderdale while in the harbor at Cancun, Mexico, would one be "Made in the USA?"

Lets take this to a different level.

If one was conceived (parents are US Citizens) in a Bahamaian registered ship on a cruise from Fort Lauderdale while in the harbor at Cancun, Mexico, would one be "Made in the USA?"

Wouldn't you also have to take into account where the Rum was manufactured?

Wouldn't you also have to take into account where the Rum was manufactured?

And where were the sheets manufactured?

This can get just as confusing as bicycles!! :)

How about "made in Taiwan by Chinese robots run by Japanese computers designed in the USA". :lol:

Even Schwinns from 50 years ago weren't "all american". Huret, Archey Sturmer, It was just French or English instead of far east.

Even Schwinns from 50 years ago weren't "all american". Huret, Archey Sturmer, It was just French or English instead of far east.

Schwinn made a large number of the parts themselves, then imported what was either too complex or costly to manufacture. In some cases parts were covered by patent and the cost of licensing the patent was a determining factor. I have one bicycle that is a manufacturing question mark, it's a Raleigh, Raleigh made a lot of their own parts, in the UK, in the 1970's importing complete bicycles into Canada was very expensive (high tariffs on complete bicycles, but nearly no tariffs on parts), so they imported nearly all the parts from the UK, except the brakes and derailleurs and frame tubes which came from Japan. They brazed up the frames and added the imported parts in a factory in Waterloo, Qc, getting around the tariffs. Raleigh wasn't the only manufacturer to do this.

Lets take this to a different level.

If one was conceived (parents are US Citizens) in a Bahamaian registered ship on a cruise from Fort Lauderdale while in the harbor at Cancun, Mexico, would one be "Made in the USA?"
What nationality is the Captain? :rolleyes:

American companies play games with the Made In America label all the time. A couple of year ago I bought an irrigation timer from a company with headquarters in Reno, NV. It clearly stated "Made in the USA" in big letters on the outside box but when I opened it up there were two parts, the timer itself and a 24 volt transformer. The transformer was made here but the irrigation timer had a made in China sticker on it. Nobody can convince me that the simple transformer represented more than half of the cost of the electronics in the timer unit. I was so mad about it that I took it back for a refund and filed a complaint with the government.

Again, can you show where Cannondale ever claimed their bicycle was "Made in USA"?

As I mentioned, I'm not trying to start or get into any controversy here, but up until a few years ago, Cannondales had "Hand Made in the USA" across their seatstays. My team captain has a Cannondale Synapse 6 (AL frame) that was made in 09, I think, and it is plainly stated on his seatstay. As for the auto industry, if they have different rules as far as claiming where the vehicles are made, then they shouldn't and should have to follow the same rules as everyone else. A coworker of mine has a Jeep Wrangler and on the windshield and side windows it is stamped "Made in Mexico." My Chrysler PT Cruiser is made entirely in Mexico and was sold as an American made car because Chrysler owns the plant in Mexico. I'm just trying to figure out what the rules are here.

American companies play games with the Made In America label all the time. A couple of year ago I bought an irrigation timer from a company with headquarters in Reno, NV. It clearly stated "Made in the USA" in big letters on the outside box but when I opened it up there were two parts, the timer itself and a 24 volt transformer. The transformer was made here but the irrigation timer had a made in China sticker on it. Nobody can convince me that the simple transformer represented more than half of the cost of the electronics in the timer unit. I was so mad about it that I took it back for a refund and filed a complaint with the government.

Probably it will go nowhere. See the union labourer who takes the Made in China timer out of the bin and sticks it in the Made in USA box, gets paid more, then the slave labourers in China that put the thing together. One of the issues is that Americans (and Canadians to some degree) make shopping decisions mostly based on price. If you can buy a shirt made in Bangladesh for $25 and a shirt made in the USA for $26, they will buy the one made in Bangladesh, because it's cheaper. If American's started demanding quality goods, made predominantly in the USA, then you would see many companies moving factories back to the USA. Those goods would cost more, but not as much more as you would expect if you look at it on a national scale.

In today's world this "Made in ....." argument has become almost useless. There is a foreign car company with an ad on TV touting their car has more American made content than anybody.

So when I build up a frame with parts from 9 or 10 different countries I should be able to slap a Made in the USA sticker on it?

I seem to recall both Trek and Cannondale making a big marketing splash about their bikes being American made. Treks had the "USA" logo right on the seat tube. Today, if you want an American made bike, I think you have to go custom, save for the top of the line Treks. Am I right on that? It is just a little disturbing to see all those bikes on the shop floors, with the "Made in China" logo on them. I'm tempted to ask "how did this happen?", but I won't.

Schwinn made a large number of the parts themselves, then imported what was either too complex or costly to manufacture. In some cases parts were covered by patent and the cost of licensing the patent was a determining factor. I have one bicycle that is a manufacturing question mark, it's a Raleigh, Raleigh made a lot of their own parts, in the UK, in the 1970's importing complete bicycles into Canada was very expensive (high tariffs on complete bicycles, but nearly no tariffs on parts), so they imported nearly all the parts from the UK, except the brakes and derailleurs and frame tubes which came from Japan. They brazed up the frames and added the imported parts in a factory in Waterloo, Qc, getting around the tariffs. Raleigh wasn't the only manufacturer to do this.

I've also seen Components on Raleighs that were private labeled Raleigh that were made by others, cranksets, derailleurs etc. Have a late 80's Record that was loaded with it. Schwinn also used to have stuff stamped Schwinn approved, eg Simplex derailleurs.

Here is a link to a pdf of a map that shows which (Asian) factories are making the well known U.S. bike brands.

http://www.bicycleretailer.com/downloads/US%20factory%20chart%2010-08LoRes.pdf

As I mentioned, I'm not trying to start or get into any controversy here, but up until a few years ago, Cannondales had "Hand Made in the USA" across their seatstays.

Yes, and if you'd actually read my post #31, you'd know that Cannondale was (perhaps deceptively) marking the frame as 'Made in America'. The bicycle was 'Assembled in USA With Foreign and Domestic Components'.

I seem to recall both Trek and Cannondale making a big marketing splash about their bikes being American made.

Yep, good marketing to leave you with the impression that those bikes were 'Made in USA' - even though they weren't. The (top end) frames were 'Made in USA' and the bikes were 'Assembled in USA' but a great deal of the value was in imported componentry, and that legally disqualified the completed, read-to-ride bikes as being marked, advertised or sold as "Made in USA'.

So when I build up a frame with parts from 9 or 10 different countries I should be able to slap a Made in the USA sticker on it?

Example: Several years ago Honda did exactly that with their lawnmowers shipped from their South Carolina factory. They got a big ol' fine for doing it from the Federal Trade Commission, too.

Manufacturers use China to "shorten the supply line".........LOL! The supply line of cash to their greedy pockets!