Made in China or Tiawan
 

OK, been thinking of a new bike. I currently have a Cannondale Caffine, 26". Would consider $2000 for a new 29er but I am really turned off by the made in Tiawan or China. It seems we are getting ripped off. I know Cannondale had te move to be competitive but it seems the frame prices would drop since they moved thier frame building over there. I went through the Bedford factory years ago and was impressed and Cannondale bragged about their frame building there.
Of course I ride something made in Tiawan or China, Surly Crosscheck, but the frame & fork only cost me $400. I think Trek and Cannondale should sell for less but I guess thier profit margins are going up really nice.
Lets list Made in USA frames. I believe I will be looking at a Gunnar.

We're not quite there yet but, if you want to buy a "made in the USA" car, you almost have to get a Honda or a Nissan.

Here's my "made in the USA" bike. :love:

http://web.me.com/ronhorne/Site/Rons...s/DSCN0009.jpg

Litespeed Tuscany. Made right down the road in Chattanooga, Tennessee. :thumb:
I bought the complete bike, not just the frame.

Made in Tiawan doesn't bother me. From what I've read, all the major brand names sell carbon frames made mostly in Taiwan. I myself have a Trek 7.9FX...and love it. But the carbon frame, which Trek calls TFT carbon, is high modular carbon made in Taiwan [if my sources are correct]. It has a top quality feel to it. I've perused their OCLV frames, which are handmade here in the USA, and I can't tell the difference [just from looking, though I am sure there are technical differences].

Which brings me to why this thread was of interest to me, as I just discovered bikesdirect.com, which sells under the Motebecane name [and some others], some ridiculously priced bikes with top grade components. But the carbon frames are made in Taiwan...but then so are many of the name brand frames [ergo, the 7.9FX for example]. I too was planning on buying a new bike later this year, but after reading about these Motobecane bikes, I'm really torn now. Wow...imagine a full dura ace bike for about $3 grand!! The components alone would cost that much...but then throw in some good quality mavic Krysirium wheels...and the frame is almost like something extra that's free [if it was junk]...but then, from I've read, these frames are really nice frames, and the more I read, probably of the same quality of my 7.9FX [Trek's TFT carbon etc].

I don't believe in 'free lunches'...so I'm looking for someone to convince me this is a scam or something..that people get ripped off from that site...or whatever. But everything I've read so far suggests people only go away happy...getting far more value for their buck for a top quality bicycle.

So...I'm torn. I was saving up for a Madone later this year...but 'feeling' irresponsible or something, realizing I would be spending on a bicycle (a Madone) what a lot of people spend on their automobile. I've always wanted a dura ace bike [like the kid drooling at Macy's store window at things they can never have, ha]....and I couldn't afford dura ace even if I did spend the 'auto' bucks on the Madone. But...here comes along this Motobecane which I had totally ignored all these years as an 'off brand' bike...and now, I dunno. I'm torn...don't know what to do.

So...someone...pleeze convince me...before I do something very stupid [but is that buying the Madone or the Motobecane?]. Stupid is as stupid does.

Taiwan high modulus carbon with dura ace for about $3 bills...or American OCLV and only ultegra for twice that?
Or...get scammed?

If you're a competent wrench, BDs are a good deal. If you're not, I think you'll have a problem getting your local LBS to do the final assembly and adjustments. I always suspect that the BD bashers are LBS owners or employes, but, that's only a guess.

Got a great deal on my GT Nomad from Bikes Direct. They do have some good deals on there (assuming the frames are good).

I believe even Pinarello has it's CF frames built in Taiwan..including the Dogma. I'd be willing to wager the Madone frame is asian as well.

Taiwan is where the Investment Capital went.
So the Many Distributor/Importers , contract out the Manufacturing
of their designs, to companies there, Shimano and SRAM
have their components made in factorys there.

Increasing profitability for Bike manufacturing ,is a process of cost cutting.
Wages is the first casualty.

Campagnolo has set up Manufacturing plants in Romania, to the same effect.

Hand framebuilding can still be a Local small business, just the Niche is going to be higher end.
because the production overhead costs require it.


Trek OLCV frames are still US Made. the forks are probably not.

Bike Friday, designed and made in Eugene Oregon, Co Motion is there also..
Portland has a cluster of Hand Framemakers.
Gunnar is Waterford's TIG welded Batch produced frame, Terry goes to them too, now.

Bruce Gordon has added a Taiwan subcontract frame the BLT
to his line of Petaluma Cal made framesets.

Many plants inTaiwan have good quality control. A bike frame made there should be fine and often better than fine. China is a whole different story. When a country has firms that deliberately sell toxic additives, that is kind of a hint for what passes for standard business practice.

If you really need a bike that was built and assembled in the US I would advise you to look for an old collegiate or varsity. Some of the components may be foreign, but they are basically US made bikes.

[QUOTE=bykemike;12842329... I'd be willing to wager the Madone frame is asian as well.[/QUOTE]


Madone 6 is USA. All others are Asian.

In that part of the world they use bikes as transport regularly. I can see them being pretty good at making them. And I'm sure just like the US there are some top shelf handbuilders too.

As for the business practice of buying low selling high the only way around it is do it yourself or contract someone to do it for you. I don't favor the corporate greed spreading like a toxic slime but in the "global economy" we're screwed. Besides Dave Anderson makes some beautiful bikes. :D

It will be hard to find a new bike that isn't high, high end or Ti made in the good 'ole US of A. The simple fact of the matter is that factories in Taiwan and China can whip them out faster and cheaper than anywhere else.

Wow. They manufacture all the components too?!
Kidding. I'm sure you know the components are very likely not made in the US.

Camry
 

Well at least I have a Camry:
http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story....e&aff=national

Actually we did that 2.5 years ago.
We have decided to stop having frames made overseas, and are going back to what we have been doing for the last 35 years - that is making stuff in the USA.
The reason we have discontinued the Taiwanese BLT is that the factory was not interested in making the relatively small quantities we could afford.

They are on sale as long as they last - we are already out of some sizes.
Check them out on our Blog -
Any questions feel free to give us a call - (707) 762-5601

Regards,
Bruce Gordon
www.bgcycles.com

Be aware this is 3 years old: http://allanti.com/articles/where-wa...made-pg328.htm

Take off everything that wasn't made in the USA!!! and then try riding it. Good luck.

You gotta love these Made In The USA threads :rolleyes:

We should only be allowed to post in them using computers that are made in the USA.