You want American-made? It's gonna cost ya.

The irony is that Michael Moore likely supports DJT and his "t" word, as they are bringing manufacturing back to the US. The stated goal is happening. Your reasonably priced American bike would still be several years off, though.

DJT has made many savvy investors here very rich with his predictable swings, some of whom are bike aficionados. One co-worker has a Leno-like collection in his new McMansion. He attempted to purchase an "All American" bike as a thank you to our southern brethren, but was unsuccessful.

The subtext here drives this thread straight to P&R.

Probably both, but certainly due to contradiction.

Originally published in 2011 and here it is 2025 and we Americans are still having a hard time getting back into the game. At one time, there were thousands of products, that Americans made (140 companies, making Radios, in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s). I understand The Onion to be satire, but sometimes satire hits closer to home than we'd like it too.

Read it a bit more carefully.

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I guess so, but if we Americans would consentrate on building our own, prices would moderate and we wouldn't have to accept what we are sent, after they keep their best.

ok.

The difference between "we Americans" and those other countries you listed is that they don't have nearly as large of a wealth gap between the average folks and the billionaires, thanks to the kleptocratic oligarchy that has sucked the life out of the US Middle Class in the last 50 years.

There are decades of examples where foreign and domestic news outlets refer to the US as 'America'.
There are basically no examples where foreign and domestic news outlets refer to any other country in MA, CA, or SA as 'America'.

Nobody is like 'that was made in America...Brazil.' or 'hey, did you know Americans made that?...yeah, people in Honduras America made it.'...because that isn't a thing.

USA = America for all intents and purposes, at least when discussing news, geopolitical events, global economics, etc.

Anyone who dislikes this reality can take it up with foreign media outlets.

Aside from the intellectual exercise of the question, why would it matter? Can you build a bike with only things sourced from your own city or your state, west of the Mississippi?

The bottom line is many things are more efficiently produced in other places. This has been the foundation of trade for centuries. I think it's great we can buy a product made less expensively somewhere else. This frees up our labor force to do things we are better positioned to do.

Of course, there may be specific industries were retaining domestic capabilities are necessary for national security, but bike tech certainly isn't in that category.

Show me an entirely Japanese bike or an entirely French or Italian bike? Japan is more reasonable since they have Panaracer (tires are usually the toughest point) and I think the top end Shimano cables and housing are made in Japan but they make even some of their highest end stuff in multiple countries and of course for just about everything materials are usually quite global.

US made is mostly possible if you source tires elsewhere and run a single speed or an old boutique Paul or White Industries or similar derailleur and then chain and cassette would likely come from overseas however a single speed would allow a White Industries freewheel but your chain would come from elsewhere and any cables and housing would likely come overseas as well or if PowerCordz is still around those are an option but I would rather have good ole' Jagwire Pro or Elite Link rather than something in plastic.

If you knew the world you would know we are a global economy and that isn't always a bad thing and something made outside of the U.S. is not bad and bringing production to the U.S. isn't bad either but isn't always good. Certainly there are issues surrounding everything.

What are you doing to build things here?

Unfortunately I'm stuck being a consumer..No capital to build such big things.

1. concentrate.
2. What makes you think that if Americans build their own products, prices would moderate? See, e.g., prescription medicine.

3. U.S. is one of the biggest consumer markets in the world. What makes you think that foreigners keep their "best" and send something worse here?
4. Even if #3 is true, why would we have to accept it? Why not just something else better for more money?

That was previously explained as cheaper and better from less expensive labor markets in countries where some industrial processes are unregulated.(or loosely enforced). they buy our wheat, rice, soybeans, cattle, etc. And in some cases our tanks and missiles. And our software and entertainment industries benefit. Brazil (and others) competes in agricultural and keeps prices affordable, Taiwan in semiconductors. Etc. The whole system is called International Trade and facilitates the One World Economy - which BTW = helps make America the #1 Economy in the World and the richest nation in the World. And when this Nation drew a large % of the smartest and most innovative humans to our Universities and Companies, the future was bright. The dumbing down of our position in the World is muchly a revision of Old World Nationalist, Isolationist movements. American Exceptionalism = pffffttt.





Boycott American products for a couple of years and the policies will change. "Tough on Americans for a short while, but worth it in the long run."

The US firm that's the biggest exporter is Boeing. It takes a lot of bikes to make up for one airliner.

Oh. So you didn’t really mean “we”. You meant “other people”. And it’s as if you have no grasp of economics.

I smell something fishy in the market.

Buh-bye.

yup

Can we build an American bicycle?

Interesting video, in some ways. Pretty meaningless in other ways.

It starts by comparing Sri Lanka bike production with US bike production, and then focuses on how many individual parts are made in the US.
How many part are made in Sri Lanka?

When they focus on where the tubing material is actually raw produced, it's getting pretty specific and from what I understand, those Sri Lankan manufactured bikes won't exactly be made from Sri Lankan products.


Also, her pronunciation of 'China' is crazy.

I just wanted to say that I don't get nearly the credit I deserve for managing not to say the things I'm thinking.

Yeah, sounds like she's saying "Chana."

An all-American bike can be built, it just won’t be the bike you want.

For example, it might be an Alliema Ti tubing frameset welded by a small builder to accommodate a Gates single-speed belt drive with heavy-duty WTC Sup-R tires or go nuts with Coker 36ers. The rest is easy; lots of options for bars, stems, posts, hubs, cranks, even bottom brackets and headsets. Hed rims, Wheelsmith spokes and Paul or Ciamillo brakes and levers pulled by Terry Cable are likely, but maybe Hayes discs are an option Saddle might be Infinity or Selle Anatomica. Finish with grips by Oury or ODI and Wolftooth pedals, and you’ve got an American bike.