Originally Posted by T-Mar

For entry level product, the Japanese became dominant during the later years of the early 1970s bicycle boom. During the early years of the boom, the Eupropeans dominated. In my region, everybody wanted a Peugeot or Raleigh. As sales increased in the lighweight market, the Japanese moved in. Circa 1972, there was a real problem with the Europeans meeting demand and what they were producing was often sub-standard. If people wanted a "ten speed" they were being forced to look at the Japanese product and buyers quickly realized they were a good value. The newbies may not have been able to tell the difference between a lively and dead riding frame but they could tell the difference in finish. The Japanese typically had more lustrous paint and didn't suffer from the paint runs and brazing splatter often seen on low end, European product. Sometimes the consumer couldn't put their finger on the difference but the Japanese bicycle presented better to somebody looking for their first adult bicycle.

Once word got around that the Japanese produced a quality product, there was no stopping them. I'd say that the Japanese took over circa 1973-1974. They were certainly aided by the press. The Nishiki Olympic was rated 1st choice in the 1972-1973 Consumer's Buyer's Guide. The first Japanese bicycle to be tested in Bicycling magazine was a Fuji in late 1972. They didn't gush over the Japanese bicycles but they did receive generally good reviews and it brought them to the attention of the public. In my region, the big swing came in the late summer of 1973, after the Sekine factory in opened in Canada. In 1974, Sekine outsold Peugeot, Gitane, Raleigh and CCM combined, in the shop where I worked.