Shuffleman

I just completed putting together my latest road bike. While researching frames and parts I came across some interesting things. I used to be a MTB rider until I moved, got married and had a family. Back in the early 80's I remember it being a big deal if your bike was made in the U.S. That was Cannondale's and Klein's big pitch. I rode a GT MTB back when Gary Turner owned them and they were great bikes. I never really bought into the made in USA pitches of anybody but was aware of it.
A few years ago I got into Road Biking. My first bike was a Felt but I heard the Trek pitch about made in USA. A little research shows that this is not entirely true, unless you are one of the 10,000 bikes out of 1.5 million that were actually made here. While researching my new bike I started to read a ton about which bikes were not made in Italy or Germany or the USA but in Taiwan or China instead. I even read one posting about how certain Colnago's, Wiliers and Bianchi's were not valued because they were made in Taiwan.
Personally, I really do not care as long as the quality is good. I just do not find the quality any different. These companies all have certain standards and I do not find them to have fallen because the bikes are made in Asia. Why do people get so up in arms that this has happened?
Have you ever had a $3000-$4000 bike "fall apart"? When you read the forums, one would think that these bikes are just terrible and no longer holding up. I have not found this to be true and I am curious what others think about the issue.
Trek is a great bike. Giant is a great bike. Wilier is a great bike. Most of the bikes are high quality. I am sure that there are some duds amongst all of them just like in the past.
I am not trying to ignite a debate about who has a better work force. It is more a debate about the quality. Has there really been a difference in quality since the migration of where the bikes are made? We saw the same debate in the 80's about the Japanese cars vs American ones. Is this similar?

rjones28 

Not really, no.

rjones28 

10 Wheels

Nope

BoSoxYacht

Nope, don't care as long as it is well made and works well for me.

On the other hand, I would never buy Chinarello or parts like that.

Dryvlyne

It doesn't matter to me. A lot of times people are willing to pay a lot of money just because of the name/brand. Quality is quality regardless of the name on the side.

Elvo

Yes every single part on my bike except for the computer, rider, and bike was made in america by americans.

10 Wheels

Where the tires made?

calgarc

my bike was manufactured by a number of different italian and canadian companies by the highest quality standards in china... the saddle was hand made in italy with materials coming from china...

RJM

Not really, but it just so happens that my two bikes were made in America.


Well, I don't want a chinese frame.

alexaschwanden

Nope, as long as it works I don't care.

Shuffleman

Now that I do agree with. I would never buy a "fake branded" bike or any other product. I view that as theft and do not agree with it. If I can't afford a brand that does not give me the right to buy a generic and label it up as that brand.
I personally would not buy a Chinarello for other reasons. There is a warranty issue and the fact that a major company is not stamping their name on the product may mean that its standards are not as high. The other side of that equation is the resale value. I do not think that the resale value on a generic bike is as high as it is on a branded bike.

I have a 93 GT MTB, which was made in the USA. I have a 2010 GT Hybrid that was made in Asia and I have a Colnago road bike, that I am assuming was made in Asia. The quality on all 3 appear to be excellent.
I also agree with the previous poster about parts. I am guessing that a frame can be made in one place but when it comes to the stems, bars, tape, bottle cages, pedals, chains, seats and etc. there are some discrepancies.

Darth Steele

yes, I do... I like when my bike is produced in Chinese villages that have long name instead of short name.

you can guys can trust short name Chinese villages to produce your bikes, Not I

rms13

Sure. If I'm buying a new frame I want one made in Taiwan since that is where the best manufactured frames are made now. But I'm happy with my 1989 Japanese frame and my final year of USA made CAAD frame

rousseau

As long as it wasn't made in the U.S., I'm good.

halfspeed

The quality isn't any different, but the costs to manufacturers are lower yet the margins at the LBS are the same and the prices to consumers are higher.

StephenH

I'd like to have a high-quality low-cost bike made in the US of A, but seeing as how that doesn't exist, I'll take what I can get.
I will point out that my tandem and my cruiser both have frames made in the USA.

torque cyclist

I care. I personally will not pay a premium for a road bike made in Taiwan. For that price, there is no reason an American cannot build it for that price. I have 2 bikes, a Walmart MTB that was $150 and a old Ross Road bike that I just got rolling again. oh how it joys me to see Allentown, Pennsylvania on the bike.

bikefoo

Quality is quality regardless of where it is manufactured.

achoo

I do require that all my bicycle products be produced on the planet Earth.

Does that make me a racist?

chaadster

It's my understand that there are certain construction methods and techniques that can only be done in Taiwan, simply because they invested in and geared up specifically to take the lead in bicycle manufacture, which is precisely what they've done.

So, for example, if one wanted to produce a hydroformed steel, post weld heat treated frame entirely in-house, I believe there are only two manufacturers, both Taiwanese, who can do that. As was mentioned above, the economy that affords (both financial and quality control) is significant.

That said, all things being equal, I'd still prefer "Made in USA", simply because for true-blue Americans, we take immense pride in knowing and proving we can do anything as well as, if not better, than any other nation on the planet. In practice, though, there are real inequalities in terms of cost, availability, prestige, and other intangibles that impact the final purchase decisions.

ColnagoC40

Yes I do care where it is made!!!!

This is why:

1.) Some weeks I spend 17 hours in the seat, riding, so I can afford to reward myself and throw money at this healthy lifestyle, consuming my precious time.

2.) Technically, the engineering difference between a $4,000 bike and a $12,000 bike is very small, the biggest difference is "Fashion."

3.) "Fashion" comes at a high Dollar price.

4.) Hard to be in "Fashion" with stuff made in China, or Taiwan.

There you have my story, and I am sticking to it.

PS. Sometimes it is impossible, but where possible I try not to support economic growth in Asia, first prize is the good o'l US, second is Europe. In 2009, I had to tell 2,000 employees we are shutting down the company, they no longer have a job, as the business went to where they pay $0.7 an hour. Part of the reason for my current values.

RJM

I guess a lot of it depends on what kind of bike I am buying. If I was buying a modern Randonneur bike, I would probably pick a smaller builder in the US as they are at the top of the list in quality nowadays. If I was buying a regular carbon framed road bike from the big guys I would pick Taiwan and not give a second thought to it not being produced in the US.

BoSoxYacht

hueyhoolihan

don't try to tell me that that guy doesn't creep you out just a little.