BHBiker

I got this from another site obviously:

Nothing new,...just for the newbies!!! Though it just confirms most of the bikes are really made by Giants' Factory!



cut-n-pasted from another site:

Who actually made my bike?

Revised March 1, 2007

Kerry Roberts is the owner of The Bicycle Company, the
parent company of Allanti Bicycle Company, the Bike
Pedlar, and The Jolly Cyclist in Nashville, Tennessee.
He also provides consulting services to the bicycle
industry.

The information contained in this report comes
primarily from Bicycle Retailer and Industry News'
2007 Factory and Suppliers Guide, published in the
October 1, 2006, issue. Bicycle Retailer and Industry
News is the definitive trade publication in the
bicycle industry. Other sources of information include
trade show and factory visits, technical writers in
the cycling media, and bicycle company employees who
wish to remain anonymous.


Some bike companies have a few secrets. And one of
those secrets is where your bike is made or who
actually made it. The bike companies like it that way
because many of them rely upon the same factories to
build their bikes!

The big picture is pretty clear: most of the bikes
sold in the U.S. are made in China or Taiwan by a
handful of manufacturers of which Giant is the
largest.

Generally speaking, low to mid level bikes are made in
China and mid to high level bikes are made in Taiwan.

Bikes are produced in other countries, but Asian
factories probably produce 95% of the units sold in
the United States. Incidentally, the "big three"
(Giant, Trek, and Specialized) account for almost 80%
of all bikes sold in U.S. bike shops.

Another part of the big picture is that the sticker on
your bike that says "Made in Country X" doesn't
necessarily mean what you think! It can actually mean
one of three things:

One, it can mean that the frame was made in Country X
and assembled into a complete bicycle in Country X.
For example, Brand Y actually builds the frame in
Country X and puts it on their assembly line to
assemble it into a complete bicycle with Shimano
components from Japan, wheels, handlebars, stem, and
seat post from Taiwan, tires from Germany, and a seat
and handlebar tape from China. The sticker on the bike
says "Made in Country X" when only the frame and the
final assembly were done in Country X (using
components from other countries). That's accepted and
no one complains.

Two, it can mean that the frame was made in Taiwan (or
wherever) and imported into Brand Y's home country of
X. The frame goes through the exact same assembly
process and receives the same "Made in Country X"
sticker. The only difference is that the frame was
made in Taiwan, not Country X. This practice is a
little more controversial, but it occurs frequently
with European brands. In my opinion, it would clear up
quite a bit of confusion if the stickers said
"Assembled in Country X."

Three, in the case of a frame only, it can mean the
frame was made in Taiwan (or wherever) and imported
into Brand Y's home country of X for finishing and
painting. This is very common with high-end brands -
especially European-brand carbon frames. The frame
gets a sticker that says "Made in Country X." I don't
agree with this. Consumers are entitled to a
transparent process with accurate information that is
not misleading.

With these things in mind, here is an alphabetical
brand by brand run down of the bikes sold in
Nashville, with a few bits of trivia.

Bianchi - As I was writing this, it occurred to me
that Bianchi and Schwinn have remarkably similar
histories. Both were turn-of-the-century family-owned
companies, manufactured their own bicycles, were
popular brands in their respective countries, fell
upon hard times, were eventually sold, moved
substantially all of their production to Asia, and
have seen a resurgence in the past few years under new
owners!

In 1996, Bianchi was sold to a Swedish conglomerate
(now known as Cycleurope1) whereas Schwinn went
through several owners before winding up with Pacific
in 2001.2

Under Cycleurope, which owns 11 bicycle brands,3 much
of the bicycle production shifted from Italy to Asia,
with the exception of some final bicycle assembly
(i.e., Asian frames assembled into complete bicycles)
and limited high-end production.

Let me take a minute and address Reparto Corse
bicycles, because their "Made in Italy" sticker is a
source of confusion.

The historic Treviglio factory - a monstrosity of a
thing which used to house much of Bianchi's
manufacturing before it shifted to Asia - has a
section dedicated to Reparto Corse. It used to be that
Reparto Corse (RC) meant the race department where
high-end bikes were made. Now it is used as sort of a
branding logo to identify the upper-end bikes that get
the RC design and marketing treatment.

Many of the RC bikes have a "Made in Italy" sticker,
which usually means assembled in Italy using a frame
made in Asia. For example, the carbon RC frames are
made by Advanced International Multitech (a Taiwanese
carbon manufacturer of bike parts, baseball bats, golf
shafts, arrows, fishing poles, etc.) and the aluminum
frames are made by Taiwan Hodaka.

There are some frames still welded at Treviglio. My
understanding is that the aluminum frames with carbon
rears are either welded there or, at least, bonded
there. I also understand that the frames with foam
injection have the injection process completed there,
even if the frames come from Asia.

Although Taiwan Hodaka manufacturers many of Bianchi's
U.S. models, Fairly and Giant have manufactured for
Bianchi in the past.

Cannondale - Aluminum Cannondales are made in the U.S.
Cannondale, which was owned by founder Joe Montgomery
and his son Scott. Cannondale is now owned by its key
investment fund after experiencing financial problems.
Cannondale's market share appears to have diminished
but stabilized. Because it is owned by an investment
fund, it is constantly rumored for sale. The carbon
bikes are sourced from Asia.

Colnago - In 1944, when Ernesto Colnago served as a
12-year old apprentice in the shop of Dante Fumagalli,
did he have any idea he would become the most famous
of all Italian frame builders?

Colnago is, perhaps, the most coveted of all
professional-quality bicycle brands - just look at the
pages of VeloNews or Pro Cycling and see how many
professional riders race on Colnagos!

Frames are still hand-made in Italy, except for three
entry level aluminum models made in Taiwan (probably
by Giant) and the carbon CLX, which is also made in
Taiwan.4

De Rosa - De Rosa is an Italian company that is one of
the Italian "big three" that includes Colnago and
Pinarello. Ugo De Rosa, along with his sons, have been
building bikes for over 50 years. As far as I know,
all bikes are made in Italy.

Ducati - Bianchi has announced a licensing agreement
with Ducati to produce a line of bikes with the Ducati
name. It is my understanding that the frames will be
sourced from Asia with the final assembly at
Treviglio.

Felt - Felt is a fairly new bicycle company, started
by motocross guru Jim Felt. All production comes from
Asia.

Fisher - Gary Fisher is the "godfather" of mountain
bikes. After struggling with his own bicycle company,
he sold his brand to Trek Bicycle Company. Still
involved in designing and marketing his brand, Gary is
a popular figure at bicycle industry events. He's sort
of a cult figure with an unmatched sense of fashion!
Fisher bikes are made in Asia, except for the
full-suspension rigs (which are made in Wisconsin).

Fuji - Fuji is now owned by Ideal, who manufacturers
most of their bikes. Ideal is one of the key Taiwanese
manufacturers along with Giant and Merida. Ideal also
manufactures for other brands. Topkey of China
manufacturers Fuji's carbon frames.

Giant - You may have ridden a bicycle made by Giant
without knowing it! Giant is the world's largest
bicycle manufacturer with factories in Taiwan, China,
and Europe. Giant, a Taiwanese company started in
1972, manufacturers their own bikes - including the
carbon bikes, which is unique in the industry (i.e.,
most other brands utilize other manufacturers such as
Advanced or Martec).

In addition to making their own bikes, Giant also
makes, or has made, bikes for many other prominent
brands, including Trek, Specialized, Schwinn, and
Bianchi. Giant's claim to fame is that they have the
most sophisticated and efficient manufacturing
facilities in the bicycle industry.

A bit of trivia is that Giant owns 30% of Hodaka, a
key Taiwanese supplier for many brands such as
Bianchi.5

Giant also sponsors the T-Mobile professional cycling
team.

Haro - a California BMX company started in 1977 by Bob
Haro. All production comes from Asia. Haro owns the
Masi brand. Kenstone, with factories in Tawan and
China, is a key supplier.

Kestrel - Kestrel, an early pioneer in carbon frames,
introduced the first production non-lugged carbon
frame in 1986. Originally, frames were manufactured in
California. In recent years, production shifted to
Asia. The frames appear to be made by Martec.

Kona - a California company with all production from
Asia. Kona, founded in 1988, is a very small company
similar in size to Marin. Fairly and Hodaka in Taiwan
are key suppliers.

Kuota - Kuota frames are made in Taiwan by Martec, the
same manufacturer that makes Kestrel frames. Kuota is
a creation of Sintema, an Italian manufacturer of
components. Basically, they designed the frames, had
the frames manufactured in Taiwan, and marketed the
brand heavily in the U.S., Western Europe, and
Australia. Kuota has been a successful brand launch in
a very short period of time.

LeMond - Greg LeMond is the first American to win the
Tour de France, winning in 1986, 1989, and 1990.
LeMond also won three World Championships and the Tour
DuPont. His career was cut short by lead poisoning
from a hunting accident. LeMond's early bikes were
made by Roberto Bilatto in Italy and distributed by a
now-defunct company named Ten Speed Drive Imports. The
Bilatto-made frames are somewhat collectible.

After an attempt to have an independent bike company,
LeMond licensed his brand to Trek Bicycle Company.6
Trek now designs and markets his bikes, which are made
in Asia except for the spine bikes featuring OCLV
carbon (which are made in Wisconsin).

A bit of LeMond trivia is that he helped develop the
first aerobar with Scott and used it in his amazing
come-from-behind victory in the 1989 Tour de France.7

Litespeed - Starting in the 1980's, Litespeed was a
pioneer in titanium frame building. As their
reputation grew, a steady stream of cycling legends
came to Litespeed for their titanium expertise. For
many years, Litespeed built frames for famous brands
such as DeRosa, Merckx, Basso, LeMond, Tommassini, and
others.8

Litespeed was, for a period of time, the largest
manufacturer of high-end bicycles in the world. All
bikes, including the Merlin brand that they own, are
made in Tennessee except for the carbon Pavia (which
has been discontinued). The Quintana Roo brand is also
owned by Litespeed but is made in Asia.

Look - Look is a French company with frames made in
France and Asia. Look is also a leading pedal brand.

Marin - a California company with production from
Asia, except for a handful of high-end models. Marin
is a very small company similar in size to Kona. Key
Asian suppliers are A-Pro, Fairly, and Sunrise.

Masi - Faliero Masi was, in my opinion, the
"grandfather" of all Italian frame builders, serving
as inspiration to famous frame builders like Ernesto
Colnago. Faliero sold his company to Americans in the
early 70's. Since then, the brand has had several
owners including Schwinn! At present, the Masi brand
is owned by Haro (the California BMX company)9 and the
bikes are made in Asia.

One of my favorite frames was a made-in-Italy Nuovo
Strada that I bought from Cumberland Transit in the
80's. Unfortunately, it was stolen in the 90's!

Alberto Masi, Faliero's son, still hand-makes the
traditional Masi frames in the shadow of the Vigorelli
Velodrome in Milan. Unfortunately, these frames - due
the licensing of the Masi name to Haro - are not sold
in the U.S. under the Masi name. Instead, these frames
are sold in the U.S. under the "Milano" name.10

Merlin - see Litespeed.

Olmo - Olmo is a prominent brand in Italy.
Traditionally, Olmo has been made in Italy. I don't
have any information on whether any models are made in
Asia.

Orbea - Orbea is one of the two large Spanish bicycle
manufacturers. It is sort of like Spain's version of
Trek or Schwinn. Bikes are produced in Spain and Asia.
High-end carbon frames are made in Asia and "finished"
(i.e., painted) in Spain.

From Bicycle Retailer and Industry News:

Orbea builds aluminum frames in-house. Carbon fiber
frame production, which accounts for half of its road
bikes, up from 20 percent just three years ago, is
outsourced to such Chinese specialists as Martec.

But unlike many bike makers who are content to tweak
stock factory frames, Orbea does all of its carbon
fiber frame design, engineering and prototyping
in-house. It builds its own molds for new frames and
assembles several dozen prototypes before handing off
manufacturing instructions to China.

"We need to keep and develop our own knowledge of
composites and carbon fiber, and then to find someone
who can work with us to build what we want them to
build," Joseba Arizaga (Orbea's marketing manager)
said. "We make the molds, the first frames, everything
here in Orbea. Then, when we are ready to do mass
production, we send the instructions to Asia." 11

Raleigh - A few years ago, the U.S. management team,
headed by former Murray exec Bill Austin, bought
Raleigh from its U.K. owners. Headquartered in Kent,
Washington, production comes from Asia, with key
suppliers being Kinesis and A-Pro.

Schwinn - Schwinn was for many years the largest
American brand. All bicycles were made domestically
until the late 80's.

In 1985, Schwinn management called mountain bikes a
"fad" - oops.12 After two bankruptcies, Schwinn is now
owned by Pacific, who also owns GT, Mongoose, and the
Pacific (and some other brands). Pacific is
headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin.

Under Pacific's ownership, the Schwinn brand is
returning to prominence. Pacific sells more bicycles
than any other brand in North America. However, that
includes Pacific brands sold at WalMart, Target,
etc.13

The bikes sold in the U.S. are made in Asia, many by
Giant.

Scott USA - Scott got its start in Sun Valley, Idaho,
when Ed Scott developed the first aluminum ski pole in
1958. In the 80's, Scott developed a bike line.

Eventually, Scott pulled out of the U.S. market and
focused on Europe, where Scott is headquartered.14

After an absence of several years, Scott has returned
to the U.S. market under the direction of Scott
Montgomery of Cannondale fame. Although the company is
headquartered in Switzerland, production comes from
Asia, with key suppliers being Hodaka and Giant.

Serotta - Serotta is a U.S. manufacturer of high-end
bicycles. It competes with Seven and Waterford and is
of similar size to Waterford.

Seven - Seven is America's number one custom bicycle
brand. Seven Cycles was founded by Rob Vandermark in
early 1997.

Rob, previously head of R&D at Merlin Metalworks,
decided to branch out on his own and develop a company
to build high-end titanium and steel frames. He also
wanted to offer the rider custom geometry, without
extra charges and long lead times. So Rob assembled a
team of experienced craftspeople who all shared a
common goal: To build the highest quality, most
innovative frames, and therefore provide the cyclist
with the best riding experience possible.

All bikes are hand-made in Watertown, Massachusetts.

Specialized - Started in 1974 by Mike Sinyard,
Specialized has enjoyed a long-standing reputation for
being a leading bicycle design and marketing company.

Several years ago, Merida (a Taiwanese manufacturer)
bought a substantial interest in Specialized. Although
Specialized is still headquartered in California under
the leadership of founder Mike Sinyard, all bikes are
made in Asia. Key Asian suppliers are Merida, Ideal,
and Giant.

Time - Time produces what is arguably the most
advanced carbon frame in the world and all frames are
hand-made in France, even the entry level frames.

Trek - It's hard to believe that America's largest
bicycle brand had humble beginnings in a barn! Yet in
1976, Dick Burke - with an investment of $25,000 -
started making bicycle frames in a little red barn
near Madison, Wisconsin. By 1980, Trek built their
first manufacturing plant in Wisconsin and the rest,
as they say, is history!15

After many years of making its own bicycles in the
U.S., Trek moved entry and mid level bicycle
manufacturing to Asia.

In 1992, Trek introduced its proprietary OCLV carbon
process (Optimum Compaction Low Void) which is still
used in its handmade carbon frames. All OCLV carbon
frames - road and mountain - are still made in
Waterloo, Wisconsin. The all-carbon 5000 (which does
not feature OCLV) is made in Asia.

Worldwide, Trek is the second largest bicycle company
after Giant (of the brands sold only in bicycle
stores). They are one of the most sought-after brands
by U.S. dealers because of their strong commitment to
brick and mortar bicycle stores (i.e., the brand
cannot be sold mail order or over the Internet) and
because of their dealer-friendly policies.

Trek owns (or licenses) Fisher, LeMond, Klein, and
Bontrager.

Tommasini - Tommasini is a small Italian frame builder
in Grosseto, Italy, of similar size to Seven,
Waterford, and Serotta. Much of Tommasini's production
is exported out of Italy, with their largest markets
being the U.S., Germany, and Japan. In September 2006,
Irio Tommasini's nieces took over U.S. distribution
and are relaunching the brand in the U.S.16

Waterford - Waterford is America's number one steel
custom bicycle brand. All bikes are hand-made in
Waterford, Wisconsin.

In the late 1970's, a young rider, designer and
builder named Marc Muller was hired by the Schwinn
Bicycle Company. He brought the experience and
innovation from his own framebuilding enterprise and
took charge of building the Paramounts, the dominant
brand of American-build racing bicycles.

In the early 1980's, Marc moved the Paramount factory
to Waterford, Wisconsin and continued building elite
bicycles and also created a cycling design laboratory.

Marc and his staff introduced a number of key
innovations including oversized tubing (one of the
most significant advances in frame design), 26"
wheels, cast-in cable guides and a patented full
suspension system. These advances allowed them to
design and build bikes for National and World
champions such as Ned Overand, Marc Allen, Mike
Engleman, Tom Prehn and many others.

In 1993, Marc Muller and Richard Schwinn,
great-grandson of Ignaz Schwinn, bought the Paramount
factory and renamed it Waterford Precision Cycles.17

Marc is now one of the most respected bike designers
in the entire bicycle industry. And Waterford, with a
one hundred year heritage in bicycle manufacturing,
continues to make a winning, world class frames one at
a time.

Waterford is 90 minutes north of Chicago. If you visit
Chicago, feel free to call for a factory tour.

What have I missed? Let me know and I'll be happy to
reply. Again, you may wish to consult Bicycle Retailer
and Industry News' 2007 Factory and Suppliers Guide,
published in their October 1, 2006, issue. The guide
lists which factories the U.S. brands use for their
manufacturing.


1 https://www.grimaldi.se/org.html

2 https://www.schwinnbike.com/heritage/

3 https://www.cycleurope.com/ce_brands.html

4
https://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?...ures/antipasto


5
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/010...10.020.020.asp


6 https://www.greglemond.com/aboutgreg.html

7 https://www.scottusa.com/company/

8 https://www.litespeed.com/2006/history.aspx

9
https://www.signonsandiego.com/uniont...b15bicycl.html


10 https://www.albertomasi.it/Inglese/Index.html

11 Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, September 1,
2006, Basque Bike Makers (by Doug McClellan)

12 https://www.schwinnbike.com/heritage/timeline.php

13 https://www.pacificcycle.com/ourstory/

14 https://www.scottusa.com/company/

15 https://www.inc.com/magazine/20060701/qa-burke.html

16 https://www.ridetommasini.com/aboutus.html

17
https://www.waterfordbikes.com/site/c...background.php

asgelle

Not that it might occur to you that it was their work and not yours for the taking, but you might at least have named the source and provided a link. Better would have been a brief summary and link.

Machka 

My bicycle (not on that list) was made in CANADA!!

Mine is a Marinoni.

55/Rad

Lets see...

2 in Italy (Pinarello, Giordana)
3 in US (Trek, Lemond, Fuso)
1 in Taiwan (Ironhorse)

All were assembled in that monument to manhood - my garage.

55/Rad

Ostuni

did i miss the cervelo part?

Machka 

Cervelo is Canadian too ... made in Canada.

nitropowered

Cervelo's are actually made in Taiwan. But I do believe they do all their prototyping and R&D in Canada.

One thing I know is my frame is Hand built in Tempe, AZ (by my own hands)

powerglide

1 from Italy
1 from USA
3 from Taiwan

oilman_15106

Ok this is not a trick question. 2002 Masi. Frame produced in Italy, shipped to Taiwan for painting,etc. bike assembled, from Japanese, Taiwaneese, and Italian parts, there and finished off by the retailer. So where was it made? Or the Ridley frame I am working on. Made in Taiwan, painted in Belgium, built by me in the USA. Where can you call this made in, the USA?

BHBiker

TAIWAN RULES!!!! bwaha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

evanatorx

china...duh

vpiuva

Frames:
2 from France - both assembled by me
1 US steel Trek - assembled by me
3 from Italy - one presumably assembled there, 2 assembled by me; all Campy, too
1 alum '94 Trek from ? (probably Asia)

shabbasuraj

plus 1

old and new

Marioni is a world renowned builder,he has been for 30 years,highest quality.He used to have a "small " shop in Vermont. I'm not sure, I think five or so years ago the operation was moved to Canada, still really nice stuff, under-priced from what I've seen. Marionis are more well known in Up-state NY, lots of Canada stuff is. Many shops in the States for the past twenty years have carried the bikes. Cervelo is not an Italian company, the owners aren't Italian or Spanish, they made-up the name. Many Cervellos are made in China,mainland , NOT Taiwan. I'm leery of China-made.I think some newer bikes are made there, not all THAT many though. When Companies keep a close eye & good quality contol, there's potential (I hope)

caloso

1) Trek 5200: Waterloo, Wisc.
2) Trek 660: Waterloo, Wisc.
3) Caldaro Specialissima: Roma, Italia
4) REI Triompho: Taiwan
5) Specialized Rock Hopper: Taiwan

Siu Blue Wind

- Trek 420- USA
- GF Cake - USA
- Trek Navigator - Taiwan
- Kona Caldera - Taiwan
- Kona Dawg Deluxe - Taiwan
- Moots Compact - USA

kergin

I would never discount an item based on where its made. Just look at IBM ThinkPads: some of the most rugged machines made... in mainland China. If your angle is supporting local business, then I feel differently: my last bike purchase was a tossup between a Cervelo Soloist and a Cannondale CAAD9. I went with the CAAD9 because I feel better about supporting an American company that manufactures in the states than I do about a Canadian company that outsources from Asia. Hint: I'm Canadian and lived not more than a 10 min walk from Cervelo's head office in Toronto.

ken cummings

Ecodyne recumbent trike - Lyons, CO

Counterpoint semi-recumbent tandem - Washington state

Basic Loaded Touring bike - Petaluma, CA

Cannondale, Univega, Bianchi, DaHon - who cares?

Kommisar89

OK, so I can only hope my 2002 Bianchi Veloce with it's "Hand Made in Italy" and "Reparto Corse" decals and all Campy components was actually made in Italy by the great-great-grandson of Geppetto the woodcarver, carefully wielding his (gosh-danged no stinking lugs TIG welding) torch as he crafted the Bianchi Cromolite steel tubes (which hopefully are oem'd from Dedaccai or Columbus or somebody like that and I'm not even going to ask where they get the steel) into a bicycle frame worthy of a "Hand Made in Italy in the Reparto Corse" sticker. And I was willing to accept the danged Frog rims just for old time's sake, the only non-Italian part on the bike. And I coulda bought the danged Vigorella with Ultegra for the same price. It actually said "Made in Taiwan" Sheesh! Oh well, I like it. Now I'm going to have another glass of Lambrusco and ponder what a hot older lady Sophia Loren is even today.

Next somebody is going to post something about Harley-Davidson importing parts from Mexico or something and I'll be left drowning in dispair. Is there no justice??

Kommisar89

Did I mention that I'm an elitest, traditionalist, retro-grouch?

Machka 

Well I've been happy with my custom Marinoni Ciclo.


And yes, I know that Cervelo is not an Italian company. It is a Canadian company. But the fact that they outsource doesn't surprise me ... most companies do that.

old and new

kergin, actually a bit of both. I have issues with the country, my oppinion. I also have well founded reasons for my lack of faith in China made products in general. I DID clearly state the CONTROL aspect of their goods. I've seen some really bad product come from the mainland in the automotive industry,more so ten to fifteen years ago than now, lately to some degree as well. It's a different approach they have. Many China held companies have pulled some maneuvers that are not to be admired. I feel that China hasn't paid it dues, they don't play by international rules as much as one may believe. You may pay absolutely no attention to the country of origen of a given product ,many of us do,political reasons or not as for the electronics realm, no comparison. Ge, Sony, IBM and others sell to each other and buy from plants in Indonisia, Singapore,Malaysia, these products are carefully controlled and NOT owned by Chinese firms. I suggest that you research more concerning engines and heavy industry for some insight.

UmneyDurak

Mine is made in Mother Russia! Anything else is poor quality crap either build by slaves, or incompetent union workers.
Hmm, wonder how many that pissed off?

blandin

3 - USA
1 - Italy
6 - Taiwan

Dick Rhee

Steamboat Springs, Colorado for me.


FYI, that article above is not entirely correct, in browsing I noticed that they mentioned that Look's frames are produced in France and Asia. While the 555 is now built in Taiwan, their 565, 585, and 595 are mostly produced in their factory in Tunsia (Africa) and then finished in France. The article also never mentioned Parlee and Calfee, two carbon manufacturers in the US.