overseas bike

billychum said:

A guy told me yesterday at my LBC that the reason Felt could hang better components from it's frame and offer a more competitive price for their bikes was because they were made overseas. A lot of our best cars are made overseas but what about bikes?
Billy <><

Taiwan, many bikes (especially frames) come out of there.

billychum said:

A guy told me yesterday at my LBC that the reason Felt could hang better components from it's frame and offer a more competitive price for their bikes was because they were made overseas. A lot of our best cars are made overseas but what about bikes?
Billy <><

probably 80% or more of the aluminum frames (litespeed alum frames, specialized, bianchi road [not reparto corse] series to name 3) you see, and most carbon fiber frames you see are made in taiwan. nothing wrong with that...

billychum said:

A guy told me yesterday at my LBC that the reason Felt could hang better components from it's frame and offer a more competitive price for their bikes was because they were made overseas. A lot of our best cars are made overseas but what about bikes?
Billy <><

Mmmm...It really depends what you call "overseas"... where are you from?

Giant makes its frames in Taiwan, and they are pretty good bikes...

In the low-to-mid price ranges, I'd guess virtually all of what you'll see in the LBS here in the US isn't just from "overseas" (wherever that is), but from China or Taiwan. Trek is a good example. The lower-range bikes are from China, mid-priced from Taiwan, and the top of the line CF from the US. C'dale still makes the CAAD frames in the US, but I believe the new CF Synapse frames are from Asia.

Colnago recently moved all their low/mid range production to Taiwan; believe Giant is making them now. Ernesto Colnago was very up-front about the decision, holding a press conference in March of this year. As he said, other high-end Italian brand names are outsourcing to Asia, but still claiming "Made in Italy". Have heard that Kestrel is also sourcing production to China now.

Outsourcing decisions have to be a tough dilemma for bike manufacturers. I'm not critical of these decisions, but just advise people to look beyond the brand names if they are really interested in where their frame or bike was actually produced.

Low end stuff will be made in Asia I suppose, top end stuff in Italy :eek: (Colnago, Campagnolo for example)...

BS. Even if it was a little true,it wont last.