rhm

Would that include 'Raleigh'?

Ex Pres 

Interesting that Trek and Specialized show up so frequently, but my guess it's based more on their business practices, particularly in the "carbon era", than on the actual ride and/or production quality of their early steel-framed bikes. Am I wrong here?

orangeology

Shimano
i know i am wrong. tough sh**.

Bandera

It was the superior supply chain practices of the Japanese mfgs. in the early 70's that forced a revolution in packing/shipping for those European mfgs. who intended to survive in the US market. After seeing the 1st shipment of Panasonic built Schwinn Approved bikes arrive in immaculate condition we added Japanese brands to the floor, gave "shape-up-or-else" to the Euros and never looked back. If they changed practices later we never knew, that ship had sailed.

-Bandera

brooklyn_bike

i guess treks and cannondales which is too bad since my friends ride a quite a few.

not on the level of loathe but dislike for many of the frames i've seen. some are fairly hideous up close.

Catnap 

Royce Union - gaspipe boat anchors from Japan

Schwinn - with the exception of Paramounts, they are boat anchor junk. i don't get the fascination people have with them, although i assume it's a generational thing and i'm too young to have grown up wanting a Stingray, a banana seat, or a sissy bar.

Monark, Murray, Elgin... any of those vintage "tank" bikes. Compared to French, Italian, or British designs of the same era, they just don't impress me.

anything branded Sears

Falcon derailleurs. total junk.

1 piece bottom brackets.

most Motobecanes other than the Grand Jubilee or Grand Tour. the paint is ugly, build quality rough. so many better French brands out there.

I have mixed feelings about Peugeot as well. lots of junk, a few good ones at the top end.

Weinmann. most of their components look ugly and cheap to me.

Non-Grant Peterson-era Bridgestone (including Kabuki). Most of them are junk. Excluding of course the Japan-only stuff like the Atlantis and Eurasia.

jeirvine 

I don't loathe the bikes, but I do loathe the fact that Peugeot and Bianchi models are all over the map in terms of level and quality. And high and low level models can look very similar so it's well nigh impossible to tell what's what without a lot of sleuthing, which I frankly don't have the patience for. Gimme a Raleigh or Motobecane where, unless there's a repaint, the model name is right there in bold graphics.

Italuminium

indeed.

arex

Agreed. When I was looking for a project (before settling on a Raleigh), I was looking at Schwinns to work on. However, as I learned more about them, the less enchanted I was with the idea of devoting time and money to one. Are they better than a Huffy? Of course, but beyond that, they really aren't that great. I think people just have nostalgia for them because they had one as a kid.

Italuminium

trying to change industrial practices takes some time, especially in any country below belgium or on that silly island where unions are king and striking is as much part of the life of the workforce as lunch breaks. The 'Euros' never stood a chance. the only thing that really reformed the industry here on the continent was when some Euros decided to bring in the Asians by offering franchises and assembly factories, like Giant, Shimano and Miyata did in The Netherlands.

smurfy

My general annoyance is with all the big mainstream bike brands always seem to be pushing the envelope technology-wise which makes the bikes more expensive and really does nothing to increase the enjoyment of cycling. One particular model of C-dale over thirteen grand? Twenty to thirty-something bike models above ten grand! Really? And exactly who are going to buy all these things?

repechage

Brands like Nishiki that were very popular in SoCal, (probably due to the distributor being local, no freight, just go will call it) did a great job of packing a bike effectively. Yes, the Europeans were indifferent.
We found the shop needed both though, for some the European bikes especially beyond the entry level still rode better than the price equal Japanese bike. The Japanese bike functioned better, so it was a matter of taste.
Having both covered the range. From 1970 to 1973 the problem was just getting enough bikes to meet demand, the reason to order Gitanes for example.

repechage

The money appears to be out there. In the Cannondale model it appears that one can get a 105 equipped bike that from a distance LOOKS like a 10k+ team machine. I think there is the answer.

smurfy

For sure. It seems that all the mainstream brands are trying to out-ugly each other. One particular example I'll give is GT. I've always admired their triple-triangle frames but the beauty and elegance of the '80s and '90s bikes are pretty much gone. The RTS dual-suspension frames and the LTS in particular are stunning classics and I believe they will be worth a lot of money to collectors sometime in the future. Yes I'm sure the new mtn bikes do a better job on the trail these days but it just isn't the same for me and I really don't care about them anymore. In other words I simply don't have any excitement and anticipation of the new models of any manufacturer.
I seems that many new bikes today look like two-wheeled freak shows.

r0ckh0und 

I think the love for Schwinn boat anchors and C-Dales is fueled by the fact that they were made in the USA........and who can blame the average citizen for that. My first bike as an adult was a C-Dale, it got me into riding, it got me in good shape, I rode it for 5 years before upgrading to a Gunnar Rockhound......steel, made in the USA. Thus began my love for steel.....steel is real. I loathe the fact that all these great vintage bikes were not made here.

WNG

Rivendell, there, I said it.

squirtdad

That was a kind and generous evaluation

squirtdad

FWIW For I think for many people the fascination with Schwinn goes back to childhood and wanting a Scwhinn, but not having one. Scwhinn's were only sold by authorized dealers, so if you lived in a more rural area you would have to travel to buy the the bike, not just go to the local hardware store. Schwinn's were also more expensive than other options, so often only the 'rich' kids had scwhinn's. They were built well and lasted....so all of this created a legend or aura about Schwinn's.

As to OP, I don't hate any brand, but hate the class of cheap bikes like next and magma that neighbors bring me to try to fix. false economy and hopes with those bikes

revcp 

Schwinn - with the exception of Paramounts, they are boat anchor junk. i don't get the fascination people have with them, although i assume it's a generational thing and i'm too young to have grown up wanting a Stingray, a banana seat, or a sissy bar.



I feel the same about the majority of Schwinn, but my '86 high sierra that I got for $80 is basically a Surly LHT minus $1K. And my' 91 PDG Series 70 that I also picked up on the cheap is as good as any hardtail out there.

Last ride 76 

Colnago. I remember drooling over one at Green Mountain Schwinn, in early '75, probably had been there for a year, maybe more. When I went back 6 months later they had 4 or 5 which all looked slap dash. (except for the pantographing, which still looked elegant, thought they screwed that up a little later.

lotekmod

I don't have so much a dislike for these brands, it's more of a complete disinterest. I think it has to do with the fact that these are the only brands some people know. You know... "My brother is really into biking, he owns a Trek!". It's strange to admit since I'm not snobbish about anything really and don't own any bikes that are particularly valuable. I get why people first getting into biking would go for that name recognition. I don't get why people who have been cycling for years would buy a new $3000 Specialized. It's not that they aren't good bikes, but there are so many more interesting bikes from smaller builders in the upper price range.

Delmarva

Yes, exactly. Why spend the time and effort to loathe a brand name and all the bikes associated with it. There's no benefit from so much work. Pass on the bikes that don't appeal and focus on the ones that do.

I'm surprised the giant of bike makers didn't make the hit list.

browngw 

Nop(e). Nor Sekin(e).

miamijim

Specialized because all they ever did was re-brand what everyone manufactured.
Cannondale because all their old frames were exactly the same
Anything Grant Peterson
Anything Velo Orange

Chombi

Magura,....
Why do they keep insisting that hydraulic rim brakes is the best solution..... And Dang!, they were really fugly things!
I guess they at least tried to make their newest versions more aesthetically palatable,.......but then the question remains,...Why?