crank_addict

Pashley Cycles - Guv'nor

SJX426 

Often the big boys demand a limited presence of competitors in the applying LBS or they won't grant a licenses to sell. So yeah, really tough. To see Specialized and Trek in the same LBS is a surprise but it happens. I suspect it depends on the market. If it is big enough they will block everybody out and the LBS ends up selling one or two brands. State law may also have an influence.

rootboy 

Some are though, which leads me to support them when I can. A good product is a good product. These have been for sale, basically unchanged, for nearly a hundred years. Even longer. Filson has, however, gone sort of the way of L.L. Bean, Eddy Bauer and other venerable old outfits by homogenizing their offerings to the Old Navy set. Gotta change with the times, I guess.

Oil Finish Single Tin Pants | Filson
https://www.filson.com/products/macki...aProduct=1011/

WNG

I recall A&F when they were still outfitting sportsman, and not an outfit store. My high school friend worked at their Wall Street store. I bought Lange ski boots there, and saw a gas-propeller-ed para-sailor for sale. Today, they are a pathetic example of a retailer, using offensive racist marketing to peddle their clothing to the affluent idle youths.

In the bike industry, companies that remarkably stood the test of time (relative to my time since the mid 70s):

England:
Brooks

USA:
Trek
Specialized

Richard Sachs
Chris King
Bruce Gordon
Wheelsmith
Wald
Park
Della Santa (added)
Phil Wood (added, how did I forget this one?)

Japan:
Shimano
Sugino
Tange
Panasonic
Cateye
Nitto (added)
Suzue
MKS (added)

Belgium:
Sapim (corrected)

France:
Mavic
Velox
Michelin
TA (added)
Stronglight (added)

Canada:
Marinoni
Rocky Mountain

Italy:
Campagnolo
Miche
Cinelli
Selle Italia
Selle San Marco
Colnago
Pinarello
Bianchi
De Rosa
Tommasini
Sidi
Alpinestars
Detto Pietro
Columbus
3ttt

Switzerland:
DT-Swiss

Taiwan:
Giant

Germany:
Continental
Rema (?)

So many of the familiar names still floating around are only trademark rights that were sold off after the core company went under or acquired.


Edit: Feel free to edit and add and repost, folks.

crank_addict

^^Pull Serrotta from the list.

rootboy 

That's an impressive list, WNG. Made me stop and think. Wonder why SunTour didn't make that list/survive?

WNG

The story of the once mighty Suntour was well-written by Frank Berto, but I lost the URL. SR-Suntour is neither of the previously Japanese companies. Sakae-Ringyo and Maeda Suntour both went under. The remnants of their Taiwanese operations were acquired and partnered to make a new company but produced low-end parts.

jimc101

From that list above, Sapim (spokes) is from Belgium, not Japan, they recently bought out Rigida/Ryde rims, so going from strength to strength.

Mavic has been through a number of owners in the last decade or so, Salomon, then Adidas now Amer

John E

Capo - Dipl. Ing. Harald Cap ist Ihr Fahrradspezialist in 1200 Wien

Father, Otto Cap, founded the company after retiring from bicycle racing. Son, Harald Cap, is about my age.

nlerner

Add Phil Wood to the list. Going strong in the US of A since the early 1970s.

Wildwood 

More than the better known companies, I'm glad that some of the craftsmen are still around building frames.
Della Santa hops to mind first - but there are so many - thank goodness.

arex

Caloi.

RobbieTunes

I came across kit like that last weekend at a triathlon. There was little left to the imagination but confirmation. Still, I considered it an improvement on the "do it all in a Speedo tri-kini," which just looked like it hurt. Two guys wore their Speedo's throughout, as well. In that regard, the 10K portion was not something most people wanted to see.

Nice bike.

Wildwood 

Amazing what a smile can do to make a bike a classic beauty

brianinc-ville

Wald is definitely still around, and still making the same products in Kentucky. Hunt-Wilde, sadly, is not.

I think the classic brand that surprises me most is Worksman -- I believe they're the only old-line bike manufacturer that has kept their production in the U.S., without turning to the boutique/racer market.

Dan Burkhart 

I think you could add TA and Stronglight to the French list, and Sapim is Belgian, not Japanese.

DiegoFrogs

I was surprised to find modern Centurion and Nishiki commuter bikes when I moved to Sweden! They're pretty nice, too!

gaucho777 

How about Avocet? They made a wide array of great products and accessories, and had a excellent reputation back in the day. The company now seems to be a shell of its former self, with only a limited product offering, but at least they are still around: Avocet

WNG

Thanks for the correction. Don't know why I related Sapim to a Japanese spoke brand. I wasn't aware TA and Stronglight were still manufacturing. Thought Stronglight was acquired.

Avocet still around?? How about that. I still have an old Racing II saddle on one of my bikes.

Sir_Name 

Yes, it's not on my list.

holden west

Oh, my--the poor Avocet company. Their website looks like it hasn't been touched in the 21st Century. I'm imagining a potential client phoning them, awakening the rumpled salesman who picks up the dusty rotary phone. "A customer! A customer!"

Some interesting stories. For every tragedy like Simplex wasting away into nothingness there's a company like Wald or Worksman Cylces, still forging on. Indeed, the current retro renaissance is a godsend for veteran companies.

crank_addict

Talk of Sapim and spokes made me think of Marwi. Sometimes it good to see conglomerates and one that hopefully doesn't destroy a company. They make millions of pedals, Ti spokes, saddles, lighting, etc. and apparently owns the old Union brand. I was looking for new Union chain and was pleasantly surprised.

John E

Avocet Touring and Touring II shoes were the best ever -- steel shank, walkable rubber soles, clete-like transverse ribs. I wore out at least three pairs of them and wish they were still made.

Insidious C. 

Daccordi. Since 1937. daccordicicli.com

Wogster

That's a different thing, take Schwinn for example, the company proper is long dead and you see cheap bicycle shaped objects (made in China) with the Schwinn name on them..... The bear no resemblance to a classic Schwinn....